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.
Digital Age
The Early November Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a digital age, I'm feeling out done,
It's my brain that can't spell,
And my heart that can't hold down
The keys to type it out.
So even if I can't read, life's a puzzle you see,
I played with shapes for thirty years.
So can the crayons and the colorful paints,
That never step foot in the digital age,
And play the songs streamed on video screens,
We don't need shows in a digital scene..
So give up
So give up
In the last final days, I'm finding my way,
Hoping I write a song a computer can't fake,
But that's the hypocrite in me..
So can the crayons and the colorful paints,
That never step foot in the digital age,
And play the songs streamed on video screens,
We don't need shows in a digital scene..
So give up
So give up
So give up
The Early November’s song Digital Age centers around the feeling of being outdone in the current digital age. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels inadequate as they struggle to spell words correctly and express their emotions through typing on a keyboard. The singer admits that life can be a puzzle, but they have discovered ways to put things together that come easily to them. In particular, they mention playing with shapes for thirty years, perhaps indicating that they have a talent for art or design.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase “So give up” several times, implying a sense of defeat or resignation. However, the verses also suggest a desire to resist the digital age and hold onto more traditional forms of expression. The singer calls for people to “can the crayons and the colorful paints” and “play the songs streamed on video screens,” arguing that these physical forms are still valuable in a world dominated by technology. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is still struggling to find a place for themselves in this new world, hoping to write a song that cannot be replicated by a computer.
Overall, Digital Age paints a complex picture of the struggles and contradictions of living in a world that is increasingly digital. On one hand, the song celebrates the creative and expressive possibilities that technology offers. On the other hand, it suggests that there are limits to what technology can do and that traditional forms of expression such as painting and music still have value.
Line by Line Meaning
In a digital age, I'm feeling outdone,
I feel overwhelmed in today’s digital world.
It's my brain that can't spell,
I struggle with basic things like spelling.
And my heart that can't hold down
My emotions can be difficult to control.
The keys to type it out.
I struggle to express myself through technology.
So even if I can't read, life's a puzzle you see,
Despite my struggles, life is still a mystery.
I put together the things, that come easy to me,
I focus on my strengths and abilities.
I played with shapes for thirty years.
I have honed in on an artistic talent for design.
So can the crayons and the colorful paints,
I don’t want to abandon traditional art forms.
That never step foot in the digital age,
These art forms are timeless and shouldn’t be replaced.
And play the songs streamed on video screens,
I don’t want live performances to be replaced with digital streaming.
We don't need shows in a digital scene..
Live performances provide an experience no digital streaming can match.
In the last final days, I'm finding my way,
As time goes on, I search for my place in the world.
Hoping I write a song a computer can't fake,
I aim to create authentic art that can’t be replicated by technology.
But that's the hypocrite in me..
I may be flawed in my own artistic pursuits.
So give up
I’ve come to terms with my limitations and accept them.
So give up
There’s no point in trying to compete with technology.
So give up
I’ll continue to appreciate the unique qualities of traditional art.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ryan Vetter
"In the last few days, I'm finding my way. Hoping I write a song a computer can't fake." Most amazing lines in the song. It explains why the recording isn't edited/autotuned; it fits the theme of the song.
Michael Smith
I realized that too. It's amazing and it's funny cause it's like he's criticizing himself cause he does use autotune, and I'm just like, you know, that's genuine in it's own way too. That's why he says, "That's the hypocrite in me" but his meaning isn't lost in it I feel. He sounds like he lost his voice a bit, I appreciate his genuineness a lot more though, but to each their own. You can be sad about what loses we have due to technology and cherish the range it develops too.
William Jacques
I love this so much. Them and Our Last Night sound similar acoustic, and I love them both.
solidslides
omfg, yes i love this so much. Rise you have done well with this band. i've been listening to this band ever since their EP came out, i love Ace and this whole band they have changed my life for the better. <3
Sergio Amaya
esta banda es de la epoca de cuando aun se hacia musica de corazon!! Decoration
Eliana Ermina
This is amazing. This band is phenomenal.
Verity Harami
Perfect!!! I´m so happy that I found you! You are perfection!
sam dorsey
So amazing probably the only band whos reunion didnt just end up disappointing me
Trisha
This is just wonderful :D
PrettyBlackBoyRocker
If you haven't heard the full band version off the album Imbue please give it a listen. To most it blows this away.