INTERVIEW: The 10x — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

The 10x

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I have been talking with Parker Moore and Jeff Gingrich…

of the band, The 10x. I ask how the new single, Think of Me, came together and whether there is more material coming; how the band got together; if there is a special memory from music they can share – the guys recommend some new musicians worth a serious look.

I ask whether a move from Michigan to Tennessee was instrumental; what the chaps have planned in the coming weeks/months; what advice they would offer anyone coming through right now – I was keen to know whether we might see The 10x in the U.K. before the end of this year.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Jeff Gingrich: It’s been a wild week preparing for the new release, but we’re excited to finally have this song out.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Parker Moore: I’m Parker Moore. I play drums in The 10x. I’ve been in the band for a little over a year.

JG: I’m Jeff Gingrich. I’ve been writing music as The 10x since 2015. The first E.P. was all me with a little help on drums from a good friend. It’s changed a little since then but I’m still writing (now, with Parker) - recording and mixing everything myself.

Think of Me is your newest single. Can you reveal its background and how it came together?

Think of Me is cool because it’s the first song Parker has been here from beginning to end. We wrote the skeleton together during a ‘jam session’ and I started to hear the other parts in my head.

PM: We were in a room together for the first time since I had relocated to Nashville. I started playing this idea I had and, once Jeff started playing, you could feel something was there...

JG: I only had a bass so I was trying to explain when the parts of the song were changing in my head. I don’t think anyone really understood what I was hearing but everyone was excited at how much of the song happened during that moment.

PM: After we tracked the demo, we experienced a hard drive and laptop crash…losing all of our demos we were working on. This song only survived because we had an MP3 demo saved on Jeff’s phone. We had to rebuild the track based off of that.

Are you looking ahead in terms of E.P.s and singles? What can we expect in the future?

JG: Yeah. The big thing now is to stay on the radar, so we’re hoping to keep releasing E.P.s. Singles are great, but I’d like to put out more content on each drop. We’re already working on a few ideas now.

How did The 10x get together? When did you all meet one another?

PM: I started playing with Jeff in a different band back in Michigan, so we were well acquainted before The 10x. Jeff asked me to play when the band first started touring. After playing out a lot, we realized we had chemistry and worked well together, so I became a member.

Talk to me about the 900-mile drive you took and a 1982 synthesizer…

JG: I watched a video of my favorite musician going through his process on one of his bigger songs. The Juno 6 was a vital part of the song. I looked online that day and there were two for sale; one in Japan and one in Pittsburgh. I left a few days later from Flint, stopped there to pick it up; got back in the car and came straight to Nashville.

It took forever.

How important was your move from Flint, Michigan to Nashville, Tennessee?

PM: We moved at different times. For me, it’s been instrumental in my role in the band. I moved here from a small tourist town called Frankenmuth, Michigan straight to Music City! It’s been a big change and I’ve got to be way more involved with the songwriting process.

That, alone, has been rewarding. I’m also (just) glad to be where the music industry is thriving. It’s good to be surrounded by all these incredible musicians.

JG: My mindset changed when I got here. The atmosphere feels a lot different. In Flint, it’s a tough city no matter what you’re trying to do. When I got here I felt freer and realized that a lot of things that were holding me back were all inside my head. I’ve been grateful for learning that. It is prettier down here, though.

Do you have any gigs lined up? Where are you heading?

PM: We’re working on getting back to the Midwest but also want to play more in Nashville. This is where we call home now - and we want to be more of a presence in this city.

Might you head to the U.K. at some point?

JG: Parker and I have yet to play a show outside the U.S. - but we do see our U.K. numbers growing. It could happen soon.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

PM: I’d like to write some great songs, play more cities and meet more of the people who are invested in what we do. That’s been the coolest thing that’s happened since I joined this band…we’ve got to connect with people who care about what we create. That’s special.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

JG: I have two tied for first: the week we got put in 50,000 Discover Weekly (plays) on Spotify was pretty cool. It was intense waking up and seeing all the interaction; to know someone every five seconds was listening in. The other was our longest tour run. I learned a lot; specifically, how important sleep is to the person singing every night. I didn’t do a good job.

PM: Mine is the first time The 10x went to Indianapolis. It wasn’t a huge show but half the people in the room were singing along with us. That was a crazy experience knowing that we had never been in that city before and people knew our music.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I’d play a U2 show (laughs)…

JG: I would too, but that seems insane.

PM: I’d say Lorde.

JG: We both look up to a lot of artists. I think Lorde or Jack Antonoff (Bleachers) would make a lot of sense for us. We’re at a place where we wish we were playing something like that every night, so the question is pretty real.

Rider - some dope wine; water so my voice doesn’t blow out during the set…I’d eat almost anything.

PM: I want a professional masseuse and a gourmet chef to cater to my every need (laughs).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

JG: It’s rough out here. What I’ve learned is that there is always something that will work for you. You have to find that and be consistent.

PM: Find your niche. More specifically: just be who you are. I know that’s corny but, as artists, we’re all a different combination of our influences and things that have inspired us. No one captures the same perspective on music as you can, so take advantage of it.

IN THIS PHOTO: Sam Fender

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I listen to a lot of smaller artists like Sam Fender, lovelytheband; Colony House and COIN. We also have tons of talented friends I listen to.

JG: I listened to Riah’s single, Nice, for three weeks straight. I didn’t listen to any other song.

IN THIS PHOTO: Riah

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

PM: I usually unwind by playing drums so…it’s my job, but it’s also always been my happy place. Doing this IS how I unwind.

JG: I work all day and then come home and work on music so...I think the unwinding happens when the work is good. I like when I spend hours on a song and make progress. I’ve heard it a lot and I feel it too - it’s all about the work.

When a great song is released and people love it, it’s a great feeling – but, here we are; making sure we are ready to dig back in and work more.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Since I mentioned it earlier: Nice by Riah

PM: NEEDTOBREATHE’s new song, Bridges Burn. We got to play with them once and, ever since, I’ve been a fan. This new song might be their best one yet