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.
Ever So Sweet
The Early November Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in one of your lies
to treat me so nice
i can't believe my bones
when they say so many things
they tell me i am fine
believe me i, i try
ever so sweet...
you make this seem
the way things go
its not my fault
and i'll miss
i'll miss you so good
through all of those nights
we lost our way back home
ever so sweet
you baked it in cakes for me
were you left behind
it hurts my teeth
bringing the past
with the postcard you sent for me
every line
it brings me right back down
can't you see the wall you built for me
can't you see the wall you built for me
can't you see the wall you built for me
cause we're not special
we're not special
we're not special
well i'm not special
i'm not special
ever so sweet
you baked it in cakes for me
were you left behind
it hurts my teeth
bringing the past
with the postcard you sent for me
every line
it brings me right back down
The Early November's song "Ever So Sweet" tells the story of someone who has found comfort in a lie told to them by a friend. The singer believes that everything is fine and that their friend treats them nicely, but there are clearly some underlying issues at play. The repetition of the line "ever so sweet" throughout the song acts as a reminder of the illusion that has been created, and the lyrics go on to explore the pain and confusion that come with realizing that reality doesn't live up to the sweetness of the lie.
The singer experiences a sense of loss as they come to terms with the truth. They miss the person they thought their friend was, and they miss the connection that they had. The line "through all of those nights we lost our way back home" suggests that the friendship allowed the singer to feel a sense of belonging and safety, but that sense of home has now been lost.
The final three lines of the song are particularly poignant, as they reveal the singer's deeper emotional struggle. The repetition of "we're not special" and "I'm not special" suggests that the singer is struggling with feelings of unworthiness and a fear that they will never find someone who truly understands and cares for them.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and melancholy exploration of the complexities of friendship and the pain of being let down by someone you trusted.
Line by Line Meaning
i just found a friend
I discovered someone who I perceived as a friend
in one of your lies
but I later realized that this person was deceitful and untrustworthy
to treat me so nice
despite this, they treated me kindly and affectionately
i can't believe my bones
this surprises and shocks me to my core
when they say so many things
because they say so many positive things about me
they tell me i am fine
even though I might not feel that way
believe me i, i try
but I struggle to believe them
oooh oooh oooh...
ever so sweet...
you have a way of charming me and making everything seem perfect
you make this seem
you create an illusion that everything is great
the way things go
in reality, things are not always like this
its not my fault
but I am not to blame for the situation we are in
and i'll miss
I will feel a sense of loss
i'll miss you so good
in a way that will deeply impact me
through all of those nights
during all the times we spent together
we lost our way back home
when we lost sight of where we were headed
ever so sweet
you still have the ability to allure and charm me
you baked it in cakes for me
your kind gestures were very sweet and well-intentioned
were you left behind
but perhaps these gestures were motivated by a sense of insecurity and vulnerability on your part
it hurts my teeth
your sweet words and actions are almost uncomfortable or painful to experience
bringing the past
invoking memories from before
with the postcard you sent for me
through the postcard you sent me in the mail
every line
each sentence in your note
it brings me right back down
it brings me back to a state of sadness or disappointment
can't you see the wall you built for me
you have created a barrier or obstacle between us
cause we're not special
we do not have something unique or extraordinary between us
well i'm not special
I am not exceptional or remarkable either
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind