The Ten Year Program Interview
Q: Can you talk about the history of the band?
A: Jack and I have been playing music together since high school. We started in a punk/metal band. I had formed the group without Jack and we wrote a ton of songs, but needed a singer. After an arduous tryout process, I brought Jack in, and in the first ten seconds we all knew he was the one.
From there, Jack and I personally formed a close musical connection; there was an immediate chemistry and he brought a unique dynamic and sound to our first group that energized the songs and brought an insane stage presence to our live shows.
We recorded two albums with that band. We played anywhere and everywhere we could; skateparks, dive bars in Philly, kid’s basements, etc. It was a blast. We ended up catching the ear of Chad Ginsberg (now of CKY fame) and he approached us about recording and producing an EP. That was an essential and pivotal turning point for us because it was not only our first real recording experience, but Chad taught us an immense amount about the industry, music theory, songwriting and how to take criticism. To this day, working with Chad was one of the most important experiences in my musical career because he pushed me to be better - he would not accept “just good enough.” And I credit his unique style of pushing people to their limits with my skills today as a guitar player and producer.
After our first recording experience, I found my skills as a musician begin to rise and Jack and I continued to gel, incorporating more complex songwriting tactics into our repertoire. We went on to do a full length with Chad at the head, putting out a 13-song self-titled record. This was our first experience in a real studio. The album was done analogue, on reel to reel 2” tape in a full sized and fully equipped studio - we were high school seniors at the time and unfortunately the album was never released because our bass player and drummer went off to college.
Jack and I continued to write. We began moving away from the ease of chugging power chords and screaming vocals, something we were comfortable with and became quite good at in our previous band.
We started to write with more purpose and vision, incorporating more advanced song writing tactics and really focusing on the quality of the vocals, understanding that ultimately the vocals make or break most tracks. I had a digital 8-track and we started writing using that to experiment.
I put together a demo of eight songs that shifted away from the metal/punk style into a more post-hardcore sound. Jack and I started a band with friends Sean McGuigan on bass and Colin Frangicetto (now of Circa Survive) on drums. We quickly recorded an EP and played as many shows as we possibly could. We found some success, but really the whole band became frustrated with the limitations of having only one guitar. I, especially, found the songs to be too simple and riff driven, and as I grew as a musician, the style and sound I was going for required a second guitar.
Moreover, Colin was in another band “This Day Forward” and they had gotten signed and began touring heavily which forced us to break up. Jack and I never stopped writing though we took a break from bands for a while. About two years later I started playing with a group of guys, writing more complex stuff, still in the post-hardcore realm, and again I found myself needing a singer. After embarrassingly tumultuous tryouts by random singers we found online, I called Jack and again it was a match from the beginning.
We practiced non-stop with a collective goal of putting out an EP and touring non-stop. But for me personally, I continued to get frustrated with working within the dynamics of a band where we spent more time fitting in everyone’s parts than we did critiquing the songwriting. The vision got lost and the sound suffered. It was frustrating on a number of levels because I saw our potential but the songs just weren’t up to my potential. I can’t speak for the other guys, but I know Jack and I were frustrated. We got a break and the band was briefly rejuvenated when NY Hardcore legend Sammy Siegler offered to produce our debut EP. It was an awesome experience; I learned a ton and will never forget those times.
But looking back, I was never really satisfied with the product. I think I knew it at the time but there were time constraints, money issues, etc. that really held us back from reaching our potential on any level. That band, Drive Without, did a tour across the US opening for the Starting Line. We found limited success but upon returning from tour, our rhythm guitar player decided to leave the band and things fizzled out from there.
I never stopped writing, and at this point I got really into the recording/engineering process as well, and I got pretty good, pretty fast. I worked extremely hard to learn the ins and outs of music production and during that time, I realized that with myself in control, I could really hone down on my vision and begin to write and express myself as an artist that way. It was just me, and the songs I was cranking out were 100% the way I envisioned them and the way I wanted them to sound. It was liberating. I never had that experience before - no time constraints, no having to worry about money, no sacrificing song quality to appease band members. It sounds selfish, but it was the most liberating time as an artist that I’ve experienced.
With Jack as my lifelong partner and someone who just intuitively knows what vocals should go over my songs, I brought him in. I had written and recorded about eight full songs at this point, nothing written in stone but eight solid ideas on tape written in my studio. We didn’t start the project with anything serious in mind, but once we heard the sounds we were getting we thought we may be onto something as the songs started to capture our vision and we started to realize the possibilities.
Q: What are the dynamics like as a two-piece? What is the creative process like?
A: Jack and I have always had pretty much the same writing process. It’s evolved over the years but the essence hasn’t changed. Since we have such good musical chemistry and a similar vision (but with vastly different influences), the writing process has always worked well. My main instrument is guitar, but I play bass, synth and dabble with drums as well. In essence, I’ll lay down the basis of the songs, create an initial structure and polish it up as best I can for an initial demo. From there, I’ll bring in Jack and he’ll write a melody and the vocals to the tune. Then the song will begin to evolve as we add layers, both musically and vocally. It’s a lot of revision and coordination between the two of us. Since Jack and I are so in tune with each other musically, it’s easy for him to suggest a change to a certain part and then vocally, he trusts me, so it’s relatively easy for me to chime in and help him perfect his melodies as well as add harmonies to really bring out the vocal.
Q: Can you talk about some of the themes that run through your eponymous EP?
A: The most common themes that not only runs through this EP, but most songs that Ian and I have written together are just your basic human emotions of an anxiety riddled person. Fear of the unknown, regret and the desire for atonement are especially prevalent in these songs. I've always considered myself a pretty good storyteller, which is a nice way to say an excellent liar. I've never been convinced that I live an exciting enough life where anyone would want to hear me write or sing about myself, so I've always tried pretty hard to create these specific scenarios or mini stories within my lyrics. The greatest thing about creating is that you can become absolutely anything you want to be, or tell a real story from a completely different angle. My goal has always been to do what I perceived my heroes did while writing: allow anyone to relate and feel my music. I've always tried to steer away from pronouns. Any piece of artwork, whether it's a song, a sculpture or anything in between, should be owned by those who enjoy it as much as those who created it.
Q: Can you talk about the history of the band?
A: Jack and I have been playing music together since high school. We started in a punk/metal band. I had formed the group without Jack and we wrote a ton of songs, but needed a singer. After an arduous tryout process, I brought Jack in, and in the first ten seconds we all knew he was the one.
From there, Jack and I personally formed a close musical connection; there was an immediate chemistry and he brought a unique dynamic and sound to our first group that energized the songs and brought an insane stage presence to our live shows.
We recorded two albums with that band. We played anywhere and everywhere we could; skateparks, dive bars in Philly, kid’s basements, etc. It was a blast. We ended up catching the ear of Chad Ginsberg (now of CKY fame) and he approached us about recording and producing an EP. That was an essential and pivotal turning point for us because it was not only our first real recording experience, but Chad taught us an immense amount about the industry, music theory, songwriting and how to take criticism. To this day, working with Chad was one of the most important experiences in my musical career because he pushed me to be better - he would not accept “just good enough.” And I credit his unique style of pushing people to their limits with my skills today as a guitar player and producer.
After our first recording experience, I found my skills as a musician begin to rise and Jack and I continued to gel, incorporating more complex songwriting tactics into our repertoire. We went on to do a full length with Chad at the head, putting out a 13-song self-titled record. This was our first experience in a real studio. The album was done analogue, on reel to reel 2” tape in a full sized and fully equipped studio - we were high school seniors at the time and unfortunately the album was never released because our bass player and drummer went off to college.
Jack and I continued to write. We began moving away from the ease of chugging power chords and screaming vocals, something we were comfortable with and became quite good at in our previous band.
We started to write with more purpose and vision, incorporating more advanced song writing tactics and really focusing on the quality of the vocals, understanding that ultimately the vocals make or break most tracks. I had a digital 8-track and we started writing using that to experiment.
I put together a demo of eight songs that shifted away from the metal/punk style into a more post-hardcore sound. Jack and I started a band with friends Sean McGuigan on bass and Colin Frangicetto (now of Circa Survive) on drums. We quickly recorded an EP and played as many shows as we possibly could. We found some success, but really the whole band became frustrated with the limitations of having only one guitar. I, especially, found the songs to be too simple and riff driven, and as I grew as a musician, the style and sound I was going for required a second guitar.
Moreover, Colin was in another band “This Day Forward” and they had gotten signed and began touring heavily which forced us to break up. Jack and I never stopped writing though we took a break from bands for a while. About two years later I started playing with a group of guys, writing more complex stuff, still in the post-hardcore realm, and again I found myself needing a singer. After embarrassingly tumultuous tryouts by random singers we found online, I called Jack and again it was a match from the beginning.
We practiced non-stop with a collective goal of putting out an EP and touring non-stop. But for me personally, I continued to get frustrated with working within the dynamics of a band where we spent more time fitting in everyone’s parts than we did critiquing the songwriting. The vision got lost and the sound suffered. It was frustrating on a number of levels because I saw our potential but the songs just weren’t up to my potential. I can’t speak for the other guys, but I know Jack and I were frustrated. We got a break and the band was briefly rejuvenated when NY Hardcore legend Sammy Siegler offered to produce our debut EP. It was an awesome experience; I learned a ton and will never forget those times.
But looking back, I was never really satisfied with the product. I think I knew it at the time but there were time constraints, money issues, etc. that really held us back from reaching our potential on any level. That band, Drive Without, did a tour across the US opening for the Starting Line. We found limited success but upon returning from tour, our rhythm guitar player decided to leave the band and things fizzled out from there.
I never stopped writing, and at this point I got really into the recording/engineering process as well, and I got pretty good, pretty fast. I worked extremely hard to learn the ins and outs of music production and during that time, I realized that with myself in control, I could really hone down on my vision and begin to write and express myself as an artist that way. It was just me, and the songs I was cranking out were 100% the way I envisioned them and the way I wanted them to sound. It was liberating. I never had that experience before - no time constraints, no having to worry about money, no sacrificing song quality to appease band members. It sounds selfish, but it was the most liberating time as an artist that I’ve experienced.
With Jack as my lifelong partner and someone who just intuitively knows what vocals should go over my songs, I brought him in. I had written and recorded about eight full songs at this point, nothing written in stone but eight solid ideas on tape written in my studio. We didn’t start the project with anything serious in mind, but once we heard the sounds we were getting we thought we may be onto something as the songs started to capture our vision and we started to realize the possibilities.
Q: What are the dynamics like as a two-piece? What is the creative process like?
A: Jack and I have always had pretty much the same writing process. It’s evolved over the years but the essence hasn’t changed. Since we have such good musical chemistry and a similar vision (but with vastly different influences), the writing process has always worked well. My main instrument is guitar, but I play bass, synth and dabble with drums as well. In essence, I’ll lay down the basis of the songs, create an initial structure and polish it up as best I can for an initial demo. From there, I’ll bring in Jack and he’ll write a melody and the vocals to the tune. Then the song will begin to evolve as we add layers, both musically and vocally. It’s a lot of revision and coordination between the two of us. Since Jack and I are so in tune with each other musically, it’s easy for him to suggest a change to a certain part and then vocally, he trusts me, so it’s relatively easy for me to chime in and help him perfect his melodies as well as add harmonies to really bring out the vocal.
Q: Can you talk about some of the themes that run through your eponymous EP?
A: The most common themes that not only runs through this EP, but most songs that Ian and I have written together are just your basic human emotions of an anxiety riddled person. Fear of the unknown, regret and the desire for atonement are especially prevalent in these songs. I've always considered myself a pretty good storyteller, which is a nice way to say an excellent liar. I've never been convinced that I live an exciting enough life where anyone would want to hear me write or sing about myself, so I've always tried pretty hard to create these specific scenarios or mini stories within my lyrics. The greatest thing about creating is that you can become absolutely anything you want to be, or tell a real story from a completely different angle. My goal has always been to do what I perceived my heroes did while writing: allow anyone to relate and feel my music. I've always tried to steer away from pronouns. Any piece of artwork, whether it's a song, a sculpture or anything in between, should be owned by those who enjoy it as much as those who created it.
Q: Do you work with any engineers and producer of was it full DIY? What was that like?
A: Like I said earlier, we were lucky to have the privilege of working with accomplished producers and engineers in the past. I picked up a ton of knowledge through that process. Prior to forming The Ten Year Program, I studied engineering/production like crazy. I taught myself pro tools and moved on to logic. I’ve always been good with computers and find the recording process fascinating. I got pretty good, pretty fast at turning the technical piece to recording into my own art form. As a producer, my vision was always to push the musicians to their limit - and record what would’ve have been their best live performance on tape; in doing so, capturing a moment of musical brilliance that could be heard and reheard at any time. I tried to do this, I can’t say I pulled it off every time but I tried.
Working DIY was great though having full control is a double edged sword. You miss the objective party, but you stay close to your artistic vision. So it’s a toss up. For this recording, being the first time Jack and I worked that way, I think we benefited from incorporating all we had learned in our past years working with tough producers that ultimately made both of us better- leave your ego at the door. That’s our mantra in the studio.
Q: How do you pull off such a full sound live?
A: So this is a question I knew would come up and we’d have to address. As a two-piece, we haven’t played these songs live. It’s not that we’re opposed to it, but it wasn’t what the record was written for. This record was about capturing the best sounds and the best arrangements on tape. It was about capturing our vision on a recording that appropriately represented what we thought were the quality of the songs and arrangements.
Jack and I spent many years playing live and we both love it, but we both felt that - for a myriad of reasons - playing live always left something missing. Bad chemistry among band mates, simply the wrong group of guys… the list goes on. With that said we have two bassists we work with regularly and are open to playing live. If the right opportunity presented itself, we’d make it happen. But this project was never about touring. It was about songwriting, production and putting together a musical product that accurately reflected our musical vision.
Q: What else do we need to know about the band?
A: Jack and I never stop writing. There’s no genre, style or sound that limits any project we take on. Expect more releases, singles most likely. I can’t say they’ll sound like this EP because we’re constantly experimenting with new ideas. We both like heavy music - real heavy music - so there could be a release more in that vein. But we’re continuing to write and back to our original vision, it’s all about the songs, fleshing out the arrangements and perfecting the vocals. We won’t put out anything that isn’t reflective of what we feel our capabilities are. With that said, there’s literally 100’s of songs we never finished and an unknown number more we haven’t written yet. Just don’t expect it to sound like this band or that. The Ten Year Program was always about expanding creative boundaries and pushing the scope of what we can do - realizing our standards are part of our vision as artists. Stay tuned.
A: Like I said earlier, we were lucky to have the privilege of working with accomplished producers and engineers in the past. I picked up a ton of knowledge through that process. Prior to forming The Ten Year Program, I studied engineering/production like crazy. I taught myself pro tools and moved on to logic. I’ve always been good with computers and find the recording process fascinating. I got pretty good, pretty fast at turning the technical piece to recording into my own art form. As a producer, my vision was always to push the musicians to their limit - and record what would’ve have been their best live performance on tape; in doing so, capturing a moment of musical brilliance that could be heard and reheard at any time. I tried to do this, I can’t say I pulled it off every time but I tried.
Working DIY was great though having full control is a double edged sword. You miss the objective party, but you stay close to your artistic vision. So it’s a toss up. For this recording, being the first time Jack and I worked that way, I think we benefited from incorporating all we had learned in our past years working with tough producers that ultimately made both of us better- leave your ego at the door. That’s our mantra in the studio.
Q: How do you pull off such a full sound live?
A: So this is a question I knew would come up and we’d have to address. As a two-piece, we haven’t played these songs live. It’s not that we’re opposed to it, but it wasn’t what the record was written for. This record was about capturing the best sounds and the best arrangements on tape. It was about capturing our vision on a recording that appropriately represented what we thought were the quality of the songs and arrangements.
Jack and I spent many years playing live and we both love it, but we both felt that - for a myriad of reasons - playing live always left something missing. Bad chemistry among band mates, simply the wrong group of guys… the list goes on. With that said we have two bassists we work with regularly and are open to playing live. If the right opportunity presented itself, we’d make it happen. But this project was never about touring. It was about songwriting, production and putting together a musical product that accurately reflected our musical vision.
Q: What else do we need to know about the band?
A: Jack and I never stop writing. There’s no genre, style or sound that limits any project we take on. Expect more releases, singles most likely. I can’t say they’ll sound like this EP because we’re constantly experimenting with new ideas. We both like heavy music - real heavy music - so there could be a release more in that vein. But we’re continuing to write and back to our original vision, it’s all about the songs, fleshing out the arrangements and perfecting the vocals. We won’t put out anything that isn’t reflective of what we feel our capabilities are. With that said, there’s literally 100’s of songs we never finished and an unknown number more we haven’t written yet. Just don’t expect it to sound like this band or that. The Ten Year Program was always about expanding creative boundaries and pushing the scope of what we can do - realizing our standards are part of our vision as artists. Stay tuned.