Once a lead singer and guitarist for a popular emo quartet, Arthur “Ace” Enders continues to leave his mark on the music scene as an emerging solo artist.
Enders first entered the music world with his band The Early November and has already accomplished a lot at the young age of 25.
Click to hear “Emergency” by Enders
Together for only eight years, The Early November released two full-length albums on major record label Drive-Thru Records, sold hundreds of thousands of records and sold out countless shows all over the world.
After The Early November reached its demise in the summer of 2007, Enders went to work right away on his own solo project, which he aptly titled Ace Enders and a Million Different People.
With only three songs currently released to the public, Enders is still able to leave a lasting impression as a solo artist.
With a debut album due out sometime this summer, Enders is getting his name out by opening for Angels and Airwaves . on its current winter tour.
Enders is performing in Manhattan at the Roseland Ballroom with Angels and Airwaves on Friday.
The Mirror had the opportunity to have a one-on-one chat with him earlier this week.
The Mirror: Before we talk about your new solo project, I wanted to address the situation with The Early November. What were the terms when the band broke up? Were the feelings mutual between you and the rest of the members, or was it like when Blink-182 parted ways and no one talked to each other?
Ace Enders: Nah, ours was a mutual breakup. Everybody in the band knew we couldn’t go on much longer. It was nothing personal. We had started this band when we were so young, and it was as if we had changed so much that it was best for everyone. I feel like if the band tried to go on for another year, we would have broke up and never talked to each other again. We wanted to stop the band before we got to that point.
TM: I read that you recently started your own record label. Tell me a little about that.
AE: It’s called Regular Music. It’s a lot harder than expected. I pretty much anticipated it to be hard. It’s a lot of time and money – that’s the one thing.Especially nowadays with records not selling like they used to, everybody sort of being very confused about the record business; it’s not easy, but it’s cool though.
TM: You are playing with your act, Ace Enders and a Million Different People, on the tour you are on now, with Angels and Airwaves. What is the difference between this name and your previous solo act, I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business?
AE: I guess not too much. The song style is a little bit different. With this act, though, it’s a lot more put together, a lot more organized.
I would definitely say that my songs now are a mixture of I Can Make a Mess and The Early November . I Can Make a Mess was a one-album thing. But, I mean, I will always still play those songs at the shows.
TM: Do you incorporate Early November songs in your set as well?
AE: I play a couple of acoustic songs from The Early November. I don’t do that on this tour, though, because I only get 20 minutes to play. So, I’m only playing al new stuff. But at other shows, I’d play Early November songs here and there.
TM: Do you expect the release of Ace Enders and a Million Different People’s first album to be anytime soon?
AE: Yes. I am thinking between the end of May and the beginning of June it should be coming out.
TM: Do you plan on doing a tour of your own when the album is released to promote it?
AE: I’ll probably do a [solo] tour sometime in the fall. I probably won’t headline for a while. We will be [opening acts] throughout the spring and summer.
TM: What is it like touring with Angels and Airwaves? I’m sure Tom Delonge was once an influence for you when it came to music. Is it weird touring with him?
AE: It’s really cool just in the fact that he is such an awesome guy. The whole band is full of really cool guys. And they are very helpful and nice people.
So far, it’s been a great tour. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to make it out with them. They put on a great show, and they are definitely still influencing all the bands they take out; you can definitely tell.
TM: What are some of the bands that have been on your iPod lately?
AE: Over the last few months I have been really big on Snow Patrol, Ryan Adams and stuff like that.
TM: Any mainstream bands out there nowadays that you honestly cannot stand?
AE: [Laughs] If only I had enough time in the day. I don’t know; I used to go out there and hate these bands that I felt weren’t doing it for the right thing. I don’t want to say I hate any band or that I can’t stand them.
But … I hate a new [artist] every week. Like Pink – I never really disliked her, but now I do because of that whole ‘Mr. President’ thing.
That just annoyed me. She’s my [musician]-of-the-week who I just can’t stand.
TM: So right now you’re doing A Million Different People, and you’re doing the record label. Is there any chance in the near future that The Early November would ever get back together?
AE: I’m going to say probably not. Maybe for a one-show thing, but I don’t think we will ever tour again or anything like that.
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