since october

At the heart of much of great art is a great story. Some of the best musicians in history are great storytellers, weaving tales of sorrow, triumph, love found and lost (and sometimes found again).
Since October is such a band, one for the ages. Through driving rhythms, catchy and anthemic choruses, moving melodies and rock solid bottom end, the Floridian bred band have connected with listeners in clubs across America, on the radio dial and online with an authentic and pure voice.
"Anything in the lyrics is usually something I've dealt with or maybe someone in the band is dealing with," says vocalist Ben Graham. "People are attracted to that level of honesty, especially in the clubs. When people see us on stage, they might assume that we've got everything together and our lives are perfect. We like to say, 'You know, we might be on stage but we're not any higher than you guys are and we're struggling through this just as much as you guys are.' We're just trying to tell our stories."
Life, Scars, Apologies -- the band's sophomore album -- will undoubtedly kick down even more doors for Since October, spreading their huge riffs and big harmony vocals further across the globe. The band is poised to do great things, but by no means have they forgotten how and why they started. "Our faith is a huge part of our lives -- what we do, how we live," explains lead vocalist Ben Graham.
Since October was built from the ground up, kicking and clawing in the hard-scrabble Southern club circuit as a self-made rock n' roll band and selling 5,000 copies of their self-financed CD through word of mouth.
It's been four years since those days and they've reached incredible highs since signing to Tooth & Nail and breaking through on rock radio, where they peaked at 20 on Active Rock. They've toured with bands like Trapt, 10 Years, Saving Abel and Saliva and shared stages with Shinedown, Flyleaf, Papa Roach, Chevelle and Judas Priest, to name a few. Most importantly for the group (which includes Ben's brother Luke on guitar, Josh Johnson on bass and Audie Grantham on drums), they've been able to connect to a wider audience with their music and messages. The band will return to Active Rock radio with their new single "The Way You Move".
"We got to tour with bands that had really influenced us a lot in terms of songwriting and stageshow. We got to see a whole other side of the music industry," Ben says of the whirlwind period since This is My Heart was released by Tooth & Nail and "Guilty" ratcheted up the charts. "We grew up in Christian homes our whole lives. We're not a preachy band but we wanted to go out and share that with people, share our music and our stories. The radio thing did that for us. It was really cool to show up at clubs and see people singing the songs -- not just kids at a youth group, but people our age."
Everything Since October has seen and experienced has influenced the writing process. Each individual piece of the band has gotten tighter, more skilled, resulting in a proficient and dynamic sum total that is much more than the sum of its parts. They are a group of down-home, honest guys who are music fans themselves and understand why fans reject huge stylistic shifts from bands. So they've stayed the course, throwing down the type of rock that's gotten them this far but fine-tuning it a step further.
"A lot of the songs are really upbeat and fast tempo on the first album compared to this new one," Ben points out. "We really drop the tempo down and just chug a little bit on this album."
The title track is the type of song with "hit single" all over it. The "scars" in the title isn't necessarily literal, but more so addressing any type of life situation that leaves a mark of any kind. "Sober Love" is another song that grabs listeners with immediate urgency. Bizarrely, it nearly didn't make the album, "but it turned out to be one of the coolest songs. It's about a love that is pure and clean, which is really important in a relationship."
A Since October gig is a communal experience, where people share their passions and their high-energy spirit in a cathartic way, not unlike a sporting event. It's no surprise, then, that the band (Josh and Ben especially) are huge sports fans. When you hear "The Show" in this context, it makes perfect sense.
"We decided to write a song for [the sports environment], but done in our way, telling a story," Ben explains. "It's a big party rock song. It's high-tempo, screaming, fun type of song. You're not going to stop until the clock reads zero. That's been our thing since day one! It's got that theme in it as well. It's a good story of our philosophy in this band -- what we've given to do it and we'll continue to fight for it."
That theme is present as well in "Life of Mine," an in-the-pocket rocker that could serve as an anthem for the Since October ethos. It's undeniable throughout as you listen to Life, Scars, Apologies that Since October's music and message is all about perseverance, about redemption through adversity.
"We'll continue to do whatever it takes to make it happen, this life that we've chosen," Ben says of the road ahead. "We feel like we've been chosen to do something special. We're excited to see what can happen. It's tough on our families, it's a huge commitment, but we're in it for the long haul."