Exclusive Interview with Post-Hardcore/Alternative Rock Band A Decade Apart
Formed in early 2016 in Columbus OH, A Decade Apart blends post-hardcore and alternative rock influences on their latest EP, Premonitions pt. 2. The record showcases Joshua Hardin, Donald Courter, Travis Maynard, Sean Sellitto, and Justin Moegling’s emotive lyricism, engaging vocals and a fierce and well balanced juxtaposition of heavy and melodic.
I got the chance to talk to them about how they formed the band, who are some of their musical influences, their new EP and much more. Keep reading to see what they had to say!
For those who might not have ever heard of y’all, can you give us a brief history of the band and how it culminated into what it is now?
We are just five guys that like to have a good time playing music we love. We have evolved over the years into what we are today by combining all of our different interests and influences to create a sound we are proud of.
Where did the name A Decade Apart come from?
We have all been through a lot personally and professionally over the last decade. Music brought us together, the music has stayed consistent in this crazy world. A Decade Apart means that no matter what you go through, music will always be there. We also tell people its because our lead guitarist Travis is 13 years younger than us.
I’m always genuinely curious about what artists want to convey to listeners with their music. Your sound would generally be described as post-hardcore/alternative rock, but if you had to describe it without using genre names, how would you describe it?
We want people to have a good time listening to it. One thing we try to do is to make sure that our lyrics are not only relatable, but easy to memorize on one or two play-throughs. We would describe our music as music you can move to and relate with.
Kind of going off of that, who are some of your musical influences as a group?
We have a lot individually, but as a group probably some of the bigger ones would be: Palisades, Fit For A King, Asking Alexandria, Ice Nine Kills, I See Stars, Beartooth.
Let’s talk about your new EP, Premonitions pt. 2, which is the second part to your 2018 breakout, Premonitions pt. 1. Was it always planned to have this project be a “part 2” or was that something that just naturally came about as you were working on putting this project together?
It was planned to have a part 2 all along. We wanted to show a growth between part 1 and part 2, but keep the message connected.
Speaking of putting this project together, what was the recording process like for this project? How long did it take for this to come together from start to finish?
It was a blast. Working with Trevor Boggs (Sound Legend Studios) is always a good time. From start to finish, the entire process was about 3 months.
What inspired your song, “Premonitions”? And what came first: this song or the first album?
The album title came first. This song was inspired by a good friend of ours. Without going to in depth, many of the lyrics were actual snippets of conversations that we have had.
What was the songwriting process like for this song specifically?
It was a lot of fun feeling like we could help someone get their message and feeling out. It was also fun because he had no idea that he was the inspiration until after he heard the final recording. Thankfully, he was honored.
Was there any major changes made to “Premonitions” once you guys got into the recording studio, whether it be in the lyrics or something sonically?
Not really. The song was about 85-90% going into the studio.
You guys are still relatively new to the music game. What are some music industry-related goals or benchmarks that you’re aiming to reach in the next couple of years?
We would love to be apart of a tour with a notable national band. We want to get on a couple major Spotify playlists and chart billboard again with any upcoming releases.
Lastly, we’re called Talk Nerdy With Us because we all have an inner nerd so what is something that you’re currently nerding out about?
Josh is always nerding out on his paranormal investigation stuff. Donnie is pretty excited that Sniper Elite 4 was free on Playstation Network this month as-well-as new gear. Travis just turned 21 so he is nerding out about finally being able to drink (legally). We have some cool stuff in the pipeline that we are nerding out about between us, but that can’t be discussed yet. Just keep your eyes out and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.