28N





1. When were 28n formed as a band and how did you all get to know each other in the first place and just for the record, what's the story behind the bands name?

We formed on Christmas of 1996 under the original moniker of Pent.  We grew up in the same hometown of Newcomb, NY.  All of us were members of the high school stage band and often joked around about starting our own rock band.  When Nate and Kris received their guitar and bass for Christmas, our dreams became reality.  In our third year of existence we changed the name of the band to 28N, which stands for Route 28 North; this happens to be the only highway that runs through the small town of Newcomb, NY; forever a reminder of beginning.


2. Who have been the bands main influence musical and where do the band get it's ideas for the lyrics, are they taken out of everyday and personal experience?

We fell in love with the music of the early and mid nineties; bands like Live, Pearl Jam, Our Lady Peace, Stone Temple Pilots, Better Than Ezra, Nirvana, etc., these bands helped shape our compositional style.  My (Nate) lyrical style has changed in the eight years that he has been writing songs.  Early on the lyric was abstract, simply due to the lack of life experience.  During the college years the lyric really became more about relationships, soul searching, and questions of purpose.  Now I’m no longer asking as many questions, but instead I’m telling my story and I’m not afraid to get personal.  It’s a big risk to be that honest, but if there isn’t honesty in music then what is it really worth.


3. The band have released 3 EP so far and the latest, Stand, sold out. HAs that also been the case with first two EP and how do the band feel it has developed from EP to EP and are the band happy with how the EP turned out in the first place or are things the band would have liked to done different on them?

We never actually pressed copies of our first EP, we passed them out at our shows, free of charge.  That group of songs was the first to garner us attention as well as radio play, with the song “Sleepwalker”.  We pressed 500 copies of “Stand” that sold out and we didn’t press anymore copies, because we decided to put our money towards our next project.  I (Nate) feel like our songwriting and playing ability have improved great amounts.  We learned how to play our instruments while writing music in this band, and so we think our progress is very noticeable.  Working with producer Brent Bodrug on the new EP “This Planet Mercy” has added some new moxy to our sound.  There are always things that we would like to refine, but until we have the budget and time that we desire, we simply offer the best we can do with the tools that we have.  We are extremely proud of all of our projects to date.


4. Has there been any interest from any record labels for the band from Japan and Europe and what about within the States?

We’ve had interest from record labels within the States and we’ve also had European labels request our material for review, we’ve yet to hear from any Japanese labels, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed.


5. Could the band tell us a little about the tracks featuring on the new EP, This Planet Mercy, that's gonna be  out soon and why not a full length album, when it's gonna be released and about the title of the EP?

The songs on the new EP are more rocking than the previous material that we have released and we believe that every song on it is a possible single for everyone to hear.  Due to budget constraints, we weren’t able to record a full length album, hopefully within the near future we will be able to accomplish that.  Look for “This Planet Mercy” to be released in early 2005.  “This Planet Mercy” was recorded in Toronto, Canada; and one of the cities indigenous street performers inspired the EP’s title.


6. What's the bands personal point of view on todays music industry and the general music scene as it's seen on MTV and heard on the mainstream radio stations?

Regardless of what the industry does, as long as you create something worthwhile and meaningful it should be discovered by the powers that be and marketed to the masses; however this isn’t always the case.  Basically if the powers that be decide that they want you to be famous, you will be, there’s no doubt about it.  There’s plenty of good music out there, but we feel the industry is giving too much help to performers that really don’t have much to say.  Thank God for the Internet, it’s the greatest tool the independent musician has ever had.


7. Hows the local area where the band hails from when it comes to get gigs to play and get played on the local radio stations?

We lived in an area that was void of a musical community, but we made due playing anywhere that would have us.  However, the residents of our small community have always encouraged us.  The local radio stations were very supportive of us and are endeavors.


8. What's been the bands best moments in it's short time of existence and so far do the band itself feel it's been a struggle to get to where the band is now?

Our best moments have been winning a battle of the bands that allowed us to open up for Reel Big Fish at SUNY Fredonia’s FredFest in 2002, hearing our song “Sleepwalker” on the radio for the first time (Nate was in a car and almost drove off the road), and playing our first shows in New York City.  Struggle is the wrong word because it doesn’t feel like a struggle when you are doing something you love.  It has required sacrifice on all of our parts to keep the band together for this long, but it has been so very worth it.


9. What does the future holds for the band at this moment in time, any plans of touring in the progress and would there be any plans on either combine the first 3 EP from the band into a whole album or to re-release them in their previously format?

We are planning a summer tour of the Eastern seaboard of the United States.  We are also working on new material for a full length album, but right now our priority is “This Planet Mercy”.  There’s a lot of life in these songs and we feel that we’ve just begun to scratch the surface of what these songs can achieve.


10. Any last words to the fans People out there here in the end?

“Spin me around, open my eyes. In the middle of the sea, this is how it’s gonna be. And I know that, from the ground up I will rise above…”-Lyric from a new 28N song entitled “Envy Eyes”.  Thank you all for your continued support.

Peace