Ten Second Epic was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
five-piece
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
band from
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
. The band formed in 2002 consisting of Andrew Usenik (vocals), Daniel Carriere (guitar), Craig Spelliscy (guitar), Sandy MacKinnon (bass) and Patrick Birtles (drums). TSE released three full-length albums in the course of their career, ''
Count Yourself In
Count Yourself In is the debut album by the pop punk band Ten Second Epic. It was released October 10, 2006. There were music videos released for "Suck It Up, Princess", "Count Yourself In", and "Old Habits Die Hard" and they have received notabl ...
'', ''
Hometown
Hometown, HomeTown, or Home Town may refer to:
*A hometown, the town where someone lives or the town that they come from, typically their place of birth.
*In developing nations particularly: native place, village of origin in newly urbanized soci ...
'' and ''Better Off''. The band officially announced their breakup on February 25, 2014, and did their final tour in May 2014.
History
Early years (2002–2006)
The band started in 2002 as a casual project for 5 high school friends, practicing in basement of drummer Patrick Birtles parents' house. After playing a handful of local shows in Edmonton at various all-ages venues, the band recorded the 'Your Famous Last Words' EP with friend and current
Shout Out Out Out Out
Shout Out Out Out Out was a Canadian dance-punk/ electro group from Edmonton, Alberta. The band's lineup is unusual in that it includes multiple drummers and bassists, as well as vintage synthesizer equipment.
History
Shout Out Out Out Out was ...
member Nik Kozub. The EP was a 5-song disc pressed by the band members and sold at shows. The band began playing shows across Western Canada and eventually committed their next release to local Edmonton independent record label 'Farway Records'.
The band soon after returned to the studio to record the ''One More for the Road'' EP with friend Real Cardinal. For the release of the EP in 2004, the band played a free show at the Edmonton Events Center which ended up filling the venue to capacity at 1600 people, leaving hundreds more outside. The show caught the eye of the Edmonton media and sparked several featured on the band including being voted the "Best Band in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
" by ''
SEE Magazine
''SEE Magazine'' was a free alternative weekly published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from 1992-2011 first by Ron Garth, then by Great West Newspaper. It was published every Thursday, distributing an average of 20,849 copies each week at more than ...
''. Soon after the release, Farway Records closed their doors and the band re-released the EP independently.
''One More for the Road'' went on to sell nearly 4,000 units across Canada & the US (mostly through offstage sales at shows). As well, the band began to gain a presence online through the popularity of the song Home In The Heartland. The band's long-standing commitment to touring endlessly across Canada was well served during the release, with highlights including playing all of the Canadian dates on the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
and opening multiple Canadian dates of the
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos (or "TOC") was a live music tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with his friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour catered to fans of ...
tour.
''Count Yourself In'' (2006–2009)
Following the moderate success of ''One More for the Road'', Ten Second Epic explored the possibility of recording with an experienced producer for their next record, which led to catching the ear of Canadian producer
Garth Richardson
Garth "GGGarth" Richardson is a Canadian record producer and music engineer. He is the son of music producer Jack Richardson (Alice Cooper, The Guess Who, Badfinger, Poco), a pioneer of the music recording industry in the 1960s and 1970s. Gart ...
. However, his schedule seemed to prevent them from working together. In March 2006, the band played a showcase at
Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week (or CMW) is an industry conference and music festival held over ten days in Toronto and Ontario, Canada.
History
Canadian Music Week began in 1981 and has grown to become one of Canada's largest and most influential media a ...
, and on the drive home from Toronto to Edmonton they received word that a project Garth was working on had canceled, and that he could do their record if they began production immediately. Despite all members still working jobs or attending post-secondary school back home, they decided to keep driving straight to The Farm studios in Gibsons, BC to begin recording. Still with no record label, the band took out personal loans to fund the project.
Shortly after the record was done, Ten Second Epic signed a licensing agreement for Canada with Blackbox Recordings, originally dubbed Black Box Recordings. The result of Richardson's collaboration with the band was Ten Second Epic's first full-length album, ''
Count Yourself In
Count Yourself In is the debut album by the pop punk band Ten Second Epic. It was released October 10, 2006. There were music videos released for "Suck It Up, Princess", "Count Yourself In", and "Old Habits Die Hard" and they have received notabl ...
'', released on October 10, 2006.
The music video for the first single "Suck It Up, Princess" was shot by friend Colin Minihan. The video was shot on an abandoned transport boat near Mission, BC with an $800 budget. During the 12-hour shoot, the band traveled to Langley, BC in between daytime & night scenes to play the final show of a tour they were on. The video was given 'Light Rotation' on
MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
, which was later upgraded to 'Medium Rotation' based on the demand from viewer requests. The video is considered the starting point for a strong history of
MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
supporting the band and their music videos.
The subsequent singles furthered the success of the album. "Count Yourself In" was the first single to gain substantial radio airplay for the band, breaking into the Top 50 on Active Rock on Canadian Radio. The song was nominated for Rock Song of the Year by Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) for the 11th Annual Canadian Radio Music Awards,
and was included on the MuchMusic compilation disc ''PunchMuch''. The video received a nomination for Best Independent Video at the 2007
MuchMusic Video Awards
The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018.
Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
.
The video for "Old Habits Die Hard" was the first video by the band to break into the
MuchMusic Top 30 Countdown and the song was included on the ''
Big Shiny Tunes
''Big Shiny Tunes'' is a series of rock albums compiled and released by the Canadian music television station MuchMusic, and through MusiquePlus in Quebec, from 1996 to 2009. The best-selling album of the series was '' Big Shiny Tunes 2'', which ...
'' 12 compilation, which was certified Gold in Canada (50,000 units) on July 30, 2008. The album also garnered a nomination for Best Rock Group at the 2008 Canadian Independent Music Awards.
During the album cycle the band had several Canadian tours including tours with
The Spill Canvas
The Spill Canvas is an American alternative rock band from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Known for their hits "All Over You" "Our Song" and "Staplegunned", as well as several emo classics like "All Hail the Heartbreaker" "The Tide" and "Polygraph, ...
,
Hedley,
Moneen
Moneen (sometimes stylised as .moneen.) is a Canadians, Canadian indie rock band from Brampton, Ontario.
History
Moneen formed in 1999 after the dissolution of another band, called Perfectly Normal. The founding members were singer/guitarist Ke ...
, Living With Lions,
Cartel
A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collude with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. Cartels are usually associations in the same sphere of business, and thus an alliance of rivals. Mos ...
(US Tour), and playing
Virgin Festival
The Virgin Fest, known as the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in the United States, was a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK. In North America the Virgin name, and more recently the Virgin Mo ...
(Calgary), Cutting Edge Music Festival, and
Wakestock (Toronto).
''Hometown'' (2009–2011)
Leading up to the release of their next record, Blackbox Recordings released ''
The Virtual EP
''The Virtual EP'' is an EP from Ten Second Epic. It was released October 14, 2008 on Black Box Recordings. It is only available for download on the iTunes Store. The songs "Life Times" and "Yours to Lose" were later released on ''Hometown''. Th ...
'' for an exclusive digital release on October 16, 2008. The EP features two remixes of songs from
Count Yourself In
Count Yourself In is the debut album by the pop punk band Ten Second Epic. It was released October 10, 2006. There were music videos released for "Suck It Up, Princess", "Count Yourself In", and "Old Habits Die Hard" and they have received notabl ...
(Suck It Up Princess & Boys Will Be Boys), as well as two songs from
Hometown
Hometown, HomeTown, or Home Town may refer to:
*A hometown, the town where someone lives or the town that they come from, typically their place of birth.
*In developing nations particularly: native place, village of origin in newly urbanized soci ...
: Yours To Lose & Life Times. Their second full-length album
Hometown
Hometown, HomeTown, or Home Town may refer to:
*A hometown, the town where someone lives or the town that they come from, typically their place of birth.
*In developing nations particularly: native place, village of origin in newly urbanized soci ...
was released January 27, 2009 and debuted at No. 16 on the Canadian Album Chart. It has since been released in Japan & Europe.
The first single, ''Life Times'' received a nomination for Rock Video of the Year at the 2009
MuchMusic Video Awards
The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018.
Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
.
While still maintaining the support of Canadian Rock radio stations, it was also the first single by the band to receive significant adds to Canadian CHR radio stations. The 3rd single, which features fellow Canadian and long-time friend
LIGHTS
Light is an electromagnetic radiation, part of which stimulates the sense of vision.
Light or Lights may also refer to:
Illumination
* Light bulb
* Traffic light
Arts and entertainment Music
* Lights (musician) (born 1987), Canadian singer-son ...
was nominated for Best Independent Video at the 2010
MuchMusic Video Awards
The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018.
Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
and was featured on the ''
Big Shiny Tunes
''Big Shiny Tunes'' is a series of rock albums compiled and released by the Canadian music television station MuchMusic, and through MusiquePlus in Quebec, from 1996 to 2009. The best-selling album of the series was '' Big Shiny Tunes 2'', which ...
'' 14 compilation. Ten Second Epic also received a nomination for Best New Group at the 2010
Juno Awards
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
[
During the album release party for Hometown on February 22, 2009 at the Starlite Room in Edmonton, the band announced the show was being filmed and released as a live DVD. The band has since disclosed that the DVD will be released surrounding the release of their next record.
To support the album the band toured Canada, Japan, Europe & the US with bands including ]A Day To Remember
A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of meta ...
, You Me At Six
You Me at Six are an English rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. The band consists of lead singer Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes and drummer Daniel Flint. Formed in 2004, the name for the group origin ...
, Silverstein, and Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman (abbreviated as Theory or TOAD) is a Canadian rock band from North Delta, British Columbia. Formed in 1999, the band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as 604 Records. The band includes traits of music styles, ...
. They have also played various festivals including The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual three-day music festival which was held in New Jersey from 2003 to 2012, and is scheduled for a 2023 revival by its founder. Every year, new bands competed for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the ...
, 1000 Islands Music Festival, and Virgin Festival
The Virgin Fest, known as the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in the United States, was a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK. In North America the Virgin name, and more recently the Virgin Mo ...
(Montreal)
''Better Off'' (2011–2014)
The band released their third studio full-length album on September 19, 2011 in Australia & Europe on Hassle Records, September 20, 2011 in Canada on Blackbox Records, & September 21, 2011 in Japan on Bullion. The band filmed the music video for first single, ''Young Classics'', at an Edmonton area dirt biking facility.
Shortly after the release of the album, the band also released a studio documentary of the making of Better Off, as well as a brief history of the band. The DVD was nominated for 'Music DVD of the Year' at the 2013 Juno Awards.
After the release, the band toured through Asia with Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guita ...
in January 2012. After touring Japan, they returned home to film the music video for their song ''Better Off'', and then immediately set-out on a tour that took the band across the US, UK, & Canada. The following summer, the band again continued the US, this time on the Vans Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
.
On April 28 at the 2012 Edmonton Music Awards, they were nominated for 4 categories, Group of the Year, Album of the Year, Rock Album of the Year, and the People's Choice award. They won Group of the Year.
Early in 2014 the band announced they would no longer be active, and they would be doing one final tour across Canada in May 2014.
Past members
*Andrew Usenik – vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
*Daniel Carriere – guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*Craig Spelliscy – guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*Sandy MacKinnon – bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
*Patrick Birtles – drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
Discography
Albums
EPs
*''Your Famous Last Words'' (2002)
*''One More for the Road'' (2004)
*''The Virtual EP
''The Virtual EP'' is an EP from Ten Second Epic. It was released October 14, 2008 on Black Box Recordings. It is only available for download on the iTunes Store. The songs "Life Times" and "Yours to Lose" were later released on ''Hometown''. Th ...
'' (2008)
Singles
Music videos
DVD
*''“Better Off” - Studio Documentary DVD '' (2011)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Ten Second Epic Official website
Ten Second Epic on PureVolume
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ten Second Epic
Musical groups established in 2002
Musical groups disestablished in 2014
Musical groups from Edmonton
Canadian alternative rock groups
Canadian pop punk groups
Emo musical groups
2002 establishments in Alberta
2014 disestablishments in Alberta