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.
Little Black Heart
The Early November Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sent it packing after I saw what it did and I couldn't believe.
And now my chest hurts from the hole that I dug, it's getting harder to breathe.
I'm really gasping, wishing I could turn back and that would fix everything,
For once...
It's my life,
I might as well live it,
Just happy to be living.
So it's my time,
I know it sounds selfish.
I'm really not like that.
We live and we die for this.
So now my head hurts and it's only getting worse every time that I think.
I feel like choking every time I have to sing, it's getting harder for me.
And now my stomach hurts, as long as I'm in love it's so hard to leave.
I feel a bad pain moving through my chest and my knees start to shake.
My knees start to shake, it's bringing me down.
This is my life,
I might as well live it,
Along with the bad times.
Just love to be living.
So this is my time,
I know it sounds selfish.
I think I'll have some ice cream.
We live and we die for this.
There's one thing missing every time I step outside.
One thing missing every time I leave and drive.
One thing missing every time I'm far from home.
There's one thing missing every time I leave for months.
One thing missing every time I lose control.
There's one thing missing every time that I stay home.
I've got some deep scars from a little black heart that only make me stronger.
And now I don't sleep, seeing any relief that gives me some perspective.
This is my life,
I might as well live it,
Along with the bad times.
Just glad to be living.
And this is my time,
I might as well share it.
I'll give you all my money.
We live and we die for this.
The opening verses of The Early November's "Little Black Heart" describe a deep pain that the singer is experiencing as a result of a past relationship. The metaphorical heart that once caused the pain now feels removed, yet its impact is still present. The singer longs to turn back time to undo the damage that has been done, but acknowledges that this is impossible. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and heartache, with the repetition of the line "it's getting harder" adding to the weight of the emotional pain.
As the song progresses, however, the singer begins to find acceptance and hope. They affirm that this is their life and they will live it to the fullest, even if that means experiencing both the good and the bad. The chorus repeats the idea that we live and die for this, meaning that the ups and downs of life are all a part of our existence. The bridge of the song takes a slightly different direction, describing the feeling of something missing when the singer is out in the world. But even though they may feel that something is missing, they also realize that the scars they carry with them make them stronger.
Overall, "Little Black Heart" is a song about the pain of heartbreak, the longing for something that has been lost, and the eventual acceptance of life's ups and downs. It offers a message of hope that even in the midst of pain, we can find strength and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got some deep scars from a little black heart that's miles away.
I have emotional wounds from someone far away who hurt me deeply
I sent it packing after I saw what it did and I couldn't believe.
I cut that person out of my life when I realized the extent of their wrongdoing, and I was in shock
And now my chest hurts from the hole that I dug, it's getting harder to breathe.
I caused myself pain by getting involved with that person and it's becoming more difficult to deal with the consequences
I'm really gasping, wishing I could turn back and that would fix everything, For once...
I'm struggling to cope and wishing I could undo my past mistakes, just this once
It's my life,
I might as well live it,
Along with the bad times.
Just happy to be living.
So it's my time,
I know it sounds selfish.
I'm really not like that.
We live and we die for this.
I'm going to live my life the best I can, even when things are hard. Some might say it's selfish, but we all live and die for our own version of 'this'
So now my head hurts and it's only getting worse every time that I think.
I feel like choking every time I have to sing, it's getting harder for me.
And now my stomach hurts, as long as I'm in love it's so hard to leave.
I feel a bad pain moving through my chest and my knees start to shake.
My knees start to shake, it's bringing me down.
I'm feeling overwhelmed and my physical reactions are making it harder to cope. Even though staying in love is difficult, leaving would be painful too.
There's one thing missing every time I step outside.
One thing missing every time I leave and drive.
One thing missing every time I'm far from home.
There's one thing missing every time I leave for months.
One thing missing every time I lose control.
There's one thing missing every time that I stay home.
Despite all my activities and distractions, there's always something missing - maybe this is why I'm struggling to find contentment.
I've got some deep scars from a little black heart that only make me stronger.
And now I don't sleep, seeing any relief that gives me some perspective.
My scars have made me resilient and I'm keeping busy to avoid facing the pain. I'm still searching for a way to find peace.
This is my life,
I might as well live it,
Along with the bad times.
Just glad to be living.
And this is my time,
I might as well share it.
I'll give you all my money.
We live and we die for this.
I'm embracing my life, even with the hard parts, and sharing it with others. I'm willing to give my all, because we all have to navigate this journey in our own way.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind