Ace Enders

Hammonton, NJ
http://www.myspace.com/aceendersandamilliondifferentpeople

6/23 Pontiac, Michigan – Pike Room @ the Crofoot
6/24 Grand Rapids, Michigan – The Mixtape
6/26 Madison, Wisconsin – The Loft
6/27 Chicago, Illinois – Beat Kitchen
6/28 Minneapolis, Minnesota – Triple Rock Social Club
6/30 Denver, Colorado – Marquis Theatre
7/1 Salt Lake City, Utah – Avalon Theater
7/3 Seattle, Washington – El Corazon
7/5 Portland, Oregon – Hawthorne Theater

more dates here...

6/20/09: Pittsburgh, PA Allnighter After Party Recap Here

6/21/09: Cleveland, OH Allnighter After Party Recap Here

With nearly half a million album sales to date and over a year since his last proper album, anticipation is at a fever pitch for Ace Enders’ upcoming disc When I Hit the Ground (Drive-Thru Records/Vagrant). The project comes on the heels of being the famed front man for alt-rock innovators The Early November, followed by 2008’s individual online offering The Secret Wars and spearheading a cover The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” for VH1’s “Save the Music” foundation (backed by members of Blink 182, Chiodos, The Starting Line, The Rocket Summer and many more).

Outside of connecting with his current crowd, When I Hit the Ground is indeed an album destined to expand the ambitious entertainers’ audience. Not only did Enders leave every last drop of energy on the creative canvas, but he explodes with gut-wrenching honesty and unparallel relatibility, wrapped around contagious choruses and chord structures.

“I think older schooled bands like Jets to Brazil influenced me to have integrity in what I’m doing and to play music for the right reasons,” notices Enders, simultaneously citing that act and Jimmy Eat World as stylistic muses. “They didn’t sell out and it’s not about looking cool, making money or trying to capitalize on some rock star image. Nowadays you have these young bands who get into music simply so they can party, and I’m not knocking partying, but it’s not what I’m based around. It goes a lot deeper than the surface stuff.”

Though Enders runs the emotional gamut from heartbreak to hope, he certainly sees the glass half full across the infectious title track, which initially addresses hitting rock bottom, but then picking up the pieces to hit the ground running. There’s also the unavoidable sing-a-long “Take the Money and Run,” which alludes to the high octane approach of his days in The Early November.

Given the amicable split and Enders’ continued interest in the material, he’ll continue performing a handful of that act’s tracks in concert. But he’s also excited to unveil a brand new band of backers dubbed A Million Different People (think the Ryan Adams & the Cardinals dynamic), who appear on both the album and the singers’ live dates (unless he’s doing a solo acoustic show).

Thus far the troupe’s earned tremendous fanfare on tour, especially alongside the lauded likes of Angels & Airwaves and Hellogoodbye. The experience of joining such prominent bills led Enders to see many familiar fan faces, but also expand the listening pool well beyond his original audience. Adds Enders: “We’ve played a lot of really big rooms that were sold out every night, plus both of those band’s fans were really friendly and receptive.”

But more than merely packing out venues and attracting throngs of attention, Enders seeks a sincere connection with those he meets along the way. He views When I Hit the Ground as a prime catalyst for that exchange and hopes it will ultimately be recognized for its personal risks and artistic strides.

“I would like to see it ultimately help people, that’s my number one goal,” Enders verifies. “And after that, I want it to be looked at like something I put a lot of effort into. I actually recorded three albums this year, but this is the one coming out because I didn’t want to just release anything. It’s gotta be the right one and I hope people recognize it as the piece of art it’s intended to be.”