Together, they recorded a 5 track demo in Enders' basement and sent it, along with a poorly edited videotape to only one label: Drive-Thru Records.
A couple of months passed while both Sacco and Anello had to budge for more skilled replacements, Steve Nakovich (guitar) and Mike Klemash (bass), until the band got in touch with Richard Reines of Drive-Thru, who luckily was visiting their hometown and agreed to meet with the band to give advice.
Stunned by what he had heard, Reines returned to California to discuss a possible signing with Drive-Thru co-owner Stefanie Reines. A few weeks and yet another line-up change later (Joe Marro joined for Nakovich), Drive-Thru signed The Early November and put them, despite their practically non-existent on stage experience, on 2002's Skate and Surf Fest and on selected dates of the Warped Tour.
Klemash and Marro left the band before the recording of their debut EP For All of This. Anello re-joined on bass, while a temporary second guitarist was found in John Dubitsky. The CD came out on Drive-Thru Records in early November 2002. Enders recorded The Acoustic EP on his own, featuring acoustic versions of most songs off their debut EP, which was released a mere two months later. Simultaneously, guitarist Marro had re-joined the band in exchange for Dubitsky.
Throughout 2003, the band continued to tour and write songs in preparation for their first full-length CD The Room's Too Cold, which was released in fall of that year. Soon afterwards, Enders recorded a solo record under the name I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business. The CD was almost scrapped due to Enders wanting to focus on The Early November after Kummer left the band in summer 2004 and re-joined two weeks later.
While in the long and grueling process of recording their second full-length, the band had their guitar tech Bill Lugg aka UltraBill join, and the triple disc entitled The Mother, the Mechanic and the Path was released on July 11, 2006.
On March 13th, 2007, TEN announced that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus after they complete their current tour. They announced this both online and at their show at the Meridian in Houston that night. They played their last show at the Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 6th, 2007, and left open the possibility of one day returning to the stage but were grateful for everyone who supported them throughout the past 6 years.
An official statement from the band:
We would like to announce that at end of our upcoming headlining tour, The Early November will be taking an indefinite hiatus.
Throughout the past six years we have released two LP’s, two EP’s, played over one thousand shows, seen six wonderful countries, have met thousands of great people, made life-long friends, and have broken countless amounts of instruments. We have done more than we have ever thought possible for a small rock band out of southern New Jersey. We are very proud and very grateful of every moment we have spent as The Early November.
In case any of you are wondering, this is not a result of anything one can consider negative. No fighting, no one hates each other, no one has a substance abuse problem… none of the typical baggage that is usually carried along with rock bands taking a hiatus. The situation is actually much the opposite. We all love and care for on another tremendously. We’re as close of friends as we have ever been and, as long as the five of us exist, we will continue to be so. This “hiatus” or “break” is just a result of time and life. As we grow older, priorities change. We’ve decided we need to take some time and see that life isn’t all dirty rock clubs, rest stops at 2 am, and long distance phone calls. We have to be where we haven’t been in the past six years; with our friends, family, and loved ones.
We hope this isn’t completely somber news to anyone of you. We want to view it almost in the same way many cultures view the passing of a friend or loved one. Not to mourn but to celebrate their life and memory. In our small way, we’d like to do the same. We invite you to come and send off something that has meant so much to the five of us for so long. We may or may not be coming back. Who knows. But for now, all we can say is “Thank You.” “Thank You,” to everyone who was or has been a part of making our dreams a reality. Most importantly, “Thank You” to every single TEN fan. We hope you guys understand. We truly love all of you.
- Ace, Joe, Jeff, Serg, Bill
The Early November
Ace carried on writing his solo project and released The World We Know in 2010.
Since then, the band have announced their reunion 2011, and have done a full US tour in 2012. Their first album since the break is set to be released Summer 2012.
Ashala Rock
The Early November Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grabbing everything falling down
We rip the shades to see the light
Finding hope in broken light
Just as we see some sky
I turn my head and then I close my eyes
I know that this wall ends
We're finding hope in life
You're my dreams tonight
With you I'm falling in love
For the very first time
We're crawling up these stairs
Grabbing everything that's falling down
We rip the shades down
To see the sky and all its light
We're finding hope in life
You're my dreams tonight
With you I'm falling in love
For the very first time
Open up my arms
When you fall in
We're looking up at stars
We're singing our song
We're talking and we're singing our way home
(Find my way back)
The lyrics to The Early November's song Ashala Rock speak to a sense of determination and perseverance in the face of adversity. The opening lines depict the struggle of crawling up stairs while trying to hold onto everything that seems to be falling apart. But even in this chaos, there is a desire to find hope and a way out of the darkness. The metaphor of ripping the shades to see the light further emphasizes this idea of seeking out positivity in the midst of difficulty.
As the song progresses, there is a moment of reflection where the singer turns their head and closes their eyes, perhaps to visualize a better future. They recognize that the wall they are facing must end somewhere, and the challenge is in finding the right path forward. Despite the uncertainty, the lyrics express a sense of faith that things will get better, and there is a willingness to take risks and embrace new experiences, as expressed in the line "With you I'm falling in love for the very first time."
The final section of the song offers a sense of companionship and shared journey, as the singer and a loved one look up at the stars and sing together, finding their way home. The repetition of the line "We're finding hope in life" acts as a powerful reminder of the overarching message of the song - that even in the darkest moments, there is always the possibility of positive change if we keep searching and pushing forward.
Line by Line Meaning
As we crawl up the stairs
Slowly and persistently, we are climbing upwards in life.
Grabbing everything falling down
Despite the obstacles and difficulties falling upon us, we are holding onto everything we can.
We rip the shades to see the light
We tear down the barriers in our life to find the positivity and optimism within ourselves.
Finding hope in broken light
Even in times of darkness, we can still find hope and meaning in the shattered pieces of our experiences.
Just as we see some sky
After struggling for so long, we finally glimpse a bit of hope and inspiration.
I turn my head and then I close my eyes
In moments of uncertainty, we must take the time to pause and reflect before taking action.
I know that this wall ends
Despite the challenges in our life, we are confident that there is always a way forward.
It's just finding out the right way to begin
We must discover the appropriate starting point to overcome obstacles and improve our situation.
You're my dreams tonight
You are inspiring me and filling me with hope and ambition.
With you I'm falling in love, For the very first time
You are giving me a new perspective on life and I am experiencing a deep and powerful attraction towards you.
Open up my arms, When you fall in
I will embrace and support you when you are vulnerable and in need of help.
We're looking up at stars
We are gazing upwards with wonder and curiosity, exploring the vast possibilities and opportunities in our lives.
We're singing our song
We are creating and expressing our joy and happiness in our own unique way.
We're talking and we're singing our way home
Together, we are communicating and connecting, discovering new paths and journeys to reach a place of comfort and happiness.
(Find my way back)
I will navigate through the challenges and obstacles in my life, always finding my way back to a place of hope and optimism.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind