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.
The Car In 20
The Early November Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Applying cream to this.
It never stops the itching, the burning cracking skin
And I have had enough of it
We are the most challenged of friends
Taking what we need to live
But I will fall with one more pull or pluck of this
Pray for the time, I've got my mind, set, pay for the seats
I've got to see the way we pull through
We are the most shallow of friends
Taking what we want to live
But I will fall with one more pull or pluck of this
Anybody got a second wind for a tired man with a broken gift
Anybody got a second chance for a man giving up on it
The Early November's song "The Car In 20" is a reflective piece that focuses on the idea of time and how we use it. The song's first line, "If I just think about it, I'm always wasting time", sets the tone for the song as the singer reflects on the actions he has taken in his life and how they relate to time. The second line, "Applying cream to this. It never stops the itching, the burning cracking skin", is a metaphor for the singer's attempts to fix a problem but never finding a solution.
The chorus of the song talks about the challenges that the singer and his friends face. They take what they need to live, but they understand that a moment's misstep could be the end of it all. In the third and fourth lines of the chorus, the singer prays for more time to see how he and his friends pull through. The second verse repeats the same themes as the first verse, but it ends with a plea for help. The singer asks if anyone has a second wind or a second chance for a man who is tired and has given up hope.
Overall, "The Car In 20" is a reflective song that focuses on the importance of time and how our actions impact it. The song suggests that we should be more mindful of the time we have and take action to make the most of it.
Line by Line Meaning
If I just think about it, I'm always wasting time
Whenever I'm lost in thought, I realize how much time I've been wasting.
Applying cream to this.
I keep applying cream to my skin, hoping it will stop the burning and itching, but it never works.
It never stops the itching, the burning cracking skin
No matter how much cream I apply, my skin continues to itch, burn, and crack.
And I have had enough of it
I am tired of dealing with this persistent skin condition.
We are the most challenged of friends
We have a difficult and complicated relationship as friends.
Taking what we need to live
We rely on each other to meet our basic needs to survive.
But I will fall with one more pull or pluck of this
Our friendship is fragile and could break apart with just one misstep.
Pray for the time, I've got my mind, set, pay for the seats
I am determined to see this through, and I'm willing to pay whatever it takes to succeed.
I've got to see the way we pull through
I am committed to seeing how we overcome our challenges and make it through together.
We are the most shallow of friends
Our friendship is based on superficial things and lacks depth.
Taking what we want to live
We are selfish and only concerned with satisfying our own desires for survival.
But I will fall with one more pull or pluck of this
Just like before, our friendship could end abruptly with another small mistake or miscommunication.
Anybody got a second wind for a tired man with a broken gift
I am exhausted and feeling defeated, and I could use someone or something to help me gain energy and hope again.
Anybody got a second chance for a man giving up on it
I am on the verge of giving up, but I am willing to accept a second chance if it is offered to me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Polk
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Jay Eskridge
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