The name OUTLIER came years before Joey Arena realized he'd been describing himself all along.

As the founder, songwriter, and architect behind OUTLIER, Arena has built one of independent music's most respected careers. His work has earned millions of streams, regular support from SiriusXM Octane, Billboard and Top 40 success, and recognition from Alternative Press, Revolver, ABC News, and Metal Injection. His songwriting has led to collaborations with Chris Motionless of Motionless In White, JD of Ice Nine Kills, Danny Leal of Upon a Burning Body, Hyro the Hero, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, and a growing list of artists across modern rock.

Growing up in Rochester, New York, music became somewhere to disappear. Before the national tours and festival stages, Arena spent late nights in a basement bedroom with his guitar amplifier barely turned up, writing while the rest of the house slept. Years on the road brought opportunity, but they also challenged Arena to decide how much of himself he was willing to compromise. By the time Top 40 success arrived, he realized he had stopped writing for himself. OUTLIER grew from that decision.

Working alongside producer Evan McKeever, Arena built the project from the ground up. The first releases arrived independently, and the band's first show was booked before a permanent lineup existed. Arena's songwriting draws from lived experience without asking listeners to relive his life, leaving room for them to find pieces of themselves in the songs. That balance between emotional weight and modern heaviness has become one of OUTLIER's defining characteristics.

When asked if he could ever imagine creating under another name, Arena doesn't hesitate. "I will never find another band name. This is just who I am."