About
Ten and Six began in the small-college music scene of Hillsdale, Michigan. Initially starting with heavy-rock based jams between guitarist/singer Evan Moran, bassist Kyle Janke, and drummer Jonathan Dunn, the group originally styled itself “The Narrows” and performed largely in Hillsdale and Coldwater, while stretching to regional cities such as Detroit and Ypsilanti. Their style was improvisational and aggressive, with base material ranging from covers of The Velvet Underground, MC5, Led Zeppelin, and other older heavy rock influences, to sparse and ragged but potent and energetic original songs that initially followed in a similar vein.
Soon, however, then 19-year old Moran sought to develop a more distinctive and mature voice as a songwriter, and, with his multi-instrumental talents, set to work developing music from a wide range of ideas and styles (this variety providing the ironic band name “The Narrows”). He worked first with primitivist rock, writing first angular, distorted rock pieces such as “Two by Two” and “Mistress” that took the improvisational aspects of the group and focused their aggression and energy with wit and brevity.
Soon after, a change of pace came with the eccentric piano-based pop of “Trolley”, and was subsequently developed in the more elaborate and patient “Bedside Regiments” which furthered the young musician’s infatuation with more atypical sounds such as bells, sampled mellotron, pump organ, and mandolin. “Antique Heart” revealed a sentimentality gleaned through images of young love atop ambient piano and church organ tones, and “Paris Song” utilized contrapuntal celesta and piano melodies.
Tracked and produced by the band in basements, bedrooms, hallways, and practice spaces, these recordings came together to form their debut EP, Ten and Six, released in April 2009.
