TEN KENS Interview : Earz Magazine

TEN KENS: Interview & video for Bearfight!

July 25, 2008 · Words: Martin S ·

TEN KENS Interview

PICTURE: [TEN KENS: Dean Tzenos (guitar), Dan Workman (vocals), Lee Stringle (bass), Ryan Roantree (drums)] VIDEO: [BEARFIGHT! PROMO VIDEO]

Meet Ten Kens, fresh out of Toronto, Canada. They want to avoid being stuffed in a genre pigeonhole, but for sake of explanation, their sound translates roughly as intelligent indie-punk, loaded with crunchy riffs, ethereal vocal refrains, and a heap of raw energy. After shipping copies of a self-recorded album out to some labels, the band were quickly snapped up by FatCat Records (Múm, The Twilight Sad, Animal Collective), who put them straight to work recreating the tracks with producer Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Pretty Girls Make Graves). The end result is a self-titled debut LP primed for release in September, which should see Ten Kens appearing as a huge blip on the hip music radar any minute now. I caught up with Ten Kens for coffee, scones and an all-important chat about their music.

Earz Mag: “Welcome, Ten Kens! Do you have a mission statement?”

Ten Kens: “We offer one thing, the continual conception of magical auditory delights set to fuel hell’s perpetual fires…or something.”

Earz Mag: “What was the scene like when you formed. Were you all coming from the same type of background?”

Ten Kens: “Such a strange scene here in Toronto. We’re still not sure where we fit in. When we formed we had this idea that our new brand of heavy-esque indie anthems were exactly what was needed to stir things up. We all shared semi-similar backgrounds, but certainly all shared the new vision. But things seem to be divided into strict categories here, and crowds aren’t always sure what to do when you stray. The response has been great, but we still get a lot of blank stares (which we like), and we have yet to be categorized (which we also like). The biggest challenge has been finding the right bands to share a stage with.”

Earz Mag: “How important are Toronto and Canada to your music?”

Ten Kens: “Receiving support from home is definitely a good thing, but it’s not the only thing. I mean, we have signed to a UK label. At one time I think being a band from Canada used to hurt your rep, now it seems to solidify it. Some amazing bands have definitely stepped up and put Canada on the map, and we’re happy to help represent.”

Earz Mag: “Dean & Dan: Can you tell us about the demo album that became a prelude to the official album.”

Ten Kens: “Basically, getting the band together that we wanted was proving difficult, so we decided to play around with various musicians until we had enough raw material to take away and work with on our own. We made recording an album our goal, it was never intended to be a demo. We rented a townhouse, got all the equipment we needed, and spent the next year recording. We went to hell and back. Once it was finished, we sent it out. FatCat responded promptly and thought about perhaps cleaning the record up and putting it out as is. But then we all agreed re-recording the album proper and making some song substitutions would be the best move. And it was.”

TEN KENS Bearfight sleeve Earz Mag: “What was the studio vibe like while recording Ten Kens?”

Ten Kens: “We had no prior studio experience and had no idea what to expect. What Dean and I had previously taken a year to do, we now had to do in two weeks. We never went outside, barely slept, and all went completely nuts. But all that aside, the vibe was still amazing. Everyone stepped up and played their hearts out. And we were blessed to have Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Pretty Girls Make Graves) there handling the recording. He knew exactly what sound we were looking for and he knew exactly how to get it. Looking back, we wouldn’t have changed a thing.”

Earz Mag: “I’m hearing hints of different 90s alternative bands in Ten Kens’ sound. Am I way off the mark? What artists have informed Ten Kens’ sound?”

Ten Kens: “You’re not off the mark at all. We’re hugely influenced by that whole early 90’s scene. It definitely creeps into our music from time to time, unknowingly. Sonic Youth, Pixies, Bauhaus, Jesus Lizard…to name a few.”

Earz Mag: “Every article I’ve seen on you mentions that there are no “Kens” in the band, so it makes sense for me to ask what the band name is about!?”

Ten Kens: “We’re an ‘anti-image’ band (or at least aspire to be), the name is self-contradictory. Perhaps it’s naive or a completely cliché to say, but we really just want to be about the music.”

Earz Mag: “What do you like most about performing live. Does the crowd get pretty rowdy at Ten Kens shows?”

Ten Kens: “We love winning over a crowd that knows nothing about us. The energy that creates is overwhelming. When the right crowd is there, things can get a little rowdy. But Toronto isn’t particularly known for it’s rowdy crowds. We’re certainly expecting to see a lot more angst on tour.”

Earz Mag: “What can we expect from Ten Kens in the future. Is there anyone you’d like to shout out?”

Ten Kens: “Our debut album drops Sept 16 in the UK, and Sept 23 everywhere else. After that it’s touring, touring, touring. Details to come. Shout-outs to all the crew at FatCat and One Little Indian who are doing beyond fabulous work in getting everything ready for the release. And a shout-out to you Martin…it’s been our pleasure. Thanks!”

Ten Kens, self-titled album, cover Ten Kens the album is out September 16 (UK) and September 23 (elsewhere) on FatCat Records. The split single Bearfight! / Y’all Come Back Now is out now.