The present article is aimed at identifying the impact of spray dynamics on combustion instabilities. This is achieved by systematically modifying the liquid fuel atomizer location with respect to the injector outlet in experiments carried out on a single-injector swirling combustor. The injector is characterized by a high swirl number and a relatively high pressure drop, and features a pressure atomizer that delivers liquid heptane fuel in the form of a fine spray. In the first set of experiments, longitudinal self-sustained oscillations (SSOs) are examined by varying the atomizer recess distance and using three combustion chamber lengths. Three distinct instability regions characterized by jumps in amplitude and frequency are observed as a function of the atomizer recess. At lower SSO frequencies (obtained for longer chambers), the pressure fluctuation amplitude in the chamber decreases as the atomizer recess distance is reduced, tending towards a stable operation. An opposite behavior is observed at comparatively higher SSO frequencies (obtained with a shorter chamber), where the system becomes less unstable at higher atomizer recess distances. The oscillation frequency is also found to change and increases as the recess distance is reduced. Three recess distances corresponding to each zone of operation are selected to further analyze the flow and flame structures and dynamics. It is found that the mean velocity profiles only reveal moderate differences in the air flow field, but there are significant changes in the fuel spray distribution in the neighborhood of the injector axis. Laser sheet images of the spray reveal two patterns-one where the spray predominantly interacts with the injector end piece when the atomizer is recessed, and the other where this interaction is minimal. In the latter case, corresponding to a small recess, the fuel spray is directly conveyed into the chamber. It is next found that the spray distribution affects the flame pattern defining two distinct configurations. Finally, the flame response to external disturbances is characterized by flame describing functions (FDFs) that allow carrying out a stability analysis. FDF results obtained with two independent methods indicate that the gain and phase at the three recess positions vary substantially and that this can be used in combination with a low-order model to interpret the instability behavior of the system. This study might serve to guide the modeling of combustion dynamics and help design injectors that are less sensitive to instabilities.