May 31, 2002 — "The World Has Come Between Us," "Perfect" and "Jesus Was a Test Tube Baby" are some of the featured tracks on the debut album by the New York-area band Stage, in stores September 24 on Maverick Records. The self-titled album will kick off with the first single "The World Has Come Between Us," impacting radio July 16. A U.S. tour is expected to start later this summer.

Songs like "Country Bleeding," "Live Happy, Live With Anorexia" and "An Angel Screams From Outer Space" have all the drama and angst that their titles imply. The band's sound captures early Seattle influences, along with hints of Smashing Pumpkins, vintage U2, and perhaps a more melodic Coldplay.

Stage are Ryan Stahr (vocals, guitar, piano), Petr Anselmo (bass), Justin Parker (drums) and Greg Meyer (guitar), four friends who formed their pack while still in high school in the early '90s. Realizing that they'd stumbled onto something special, Ryan, Petr and Greg wasted no time in dedicating themselves to their budding band, and by the time they were 15 years old, they were already landing gigs at CBGB's.

"Our parents would drive us home as soon as we were done playing, because we weren't even old enough to be in the bar," laughs Greg. A year later, they blew off studying for their SATs to record their self-released independent effort, Historical Underdosing, and to open for Bon Jovi at New York's 15,000-seat Jones Beach Amphitheater, the result of winning a contest sponsored by the Tri-State radio station Z-100.

Shortly after, Justin, a friend of Ryan's since nursery school and a longtime Stage fan, signed on as their new drummer. They then landed an opportunity to fill an even more unexpected opening slot, playing with none other than Kiss at a 20,000-capacity stadium in Prague.

The new album, Stage, was produced by Gregg Wattenberg (Five For Fighting) and engineer Brian Scheuble (Fiona Apple, U2, Aimee Mann) and mixed by Tim Palmer (chosen because his work with Mother Love Bone and Pearl Jam appealed to the raised-on-grunge members of Stage).

"When I listen to the whole record, it's kind of searching for something," muses Ryan Stahr. "It's traveling to different places, from the first song, 'The World Has Come Between Us,' to the last, 'Jesus Was a Test Tube Baby.' It's trying to show that there's worth in progress in general. Perfection isn't always the key -- it's just creating something, and putting something out there. Whether it's something good or bad, it's something new, and that's progress."

Says the band: "We use the word 'Stage' in the verb form, meaning to progress to a higher level. We knew growing up that we'd always be able to believe in this name. It's a timeless name, and that is what we aspire to be."