Ready in 10 is a quartet consisting of Sal Nastasi (lead vocals / guitar), Marc Viola (lead guitar / vocals), Mike Elefante (bass) and Mike Moore (drums). The Babylon, New York, band has performed alongside Fallout Boy, The Fray and Goo Goo Dolls (to name a few) and one of its singles, “Green Eyed Girl,” was featured in an online advertisement for Sony Ericsson. It is my pleasure to spotlight them today. Answers are from Sal Nastasi.
Cendrine Marrouat: Hello guys, thank you for answering my questions. How did you all meet and when did you decide to create the band?
Ready in 10: Marc and I are friends from childhood, our fathers grew up together. In 2004 we were playing in a cover-band together and decided to start our own acoustic thing on the side to get our own music out there. Soon after we met Mike Elefante at a local gig we were playing at. He’s been our bassist ever since. We stumbled across Mike Moore at the end of 2008 and haven’t looked back.
CM: Does "Ready in 10" refer to something special in your life?
Ready in 10: Yes…the average wait for Chinese food!
CM: You released your second album, "31 Strong," in 2010. What is the story behind it?
Ready in 10: Each song has its own personality. We decided to record all of “31 Strong” ourselves in our own, Lot More Studios. So it’s not very flashy in a production sense, but it feels like Ready In 10 from front to back.
CM: How different is this album from your previous one, "Face the World"?
Ready in 10: We worked harder on these songs as a group before we sat down to record them. We played them live hundreds of times, each song with different feels and textures from what ended up being on the album. I think it shows in the overall feel of the CD.
CM: When I listen to your music, I hear a lot of great influences, including Bon Jovi, U2, Spock's Beard and Porcupine Tree. Sal's voice is a delightful mixture of Jon Bon Jovi and Bono. Who are your favorite artists and how have they helped shape the band's style?
Ready in 10: Bon Jovi and U2 are two of the biggest bands in the world…Thanks for the comparison! They are both definitely an influence, along with lots of others. From the Beatles and Led Zepplin to Kings of Leon, we try to let the music that all four of us love be part of our own sound.
CM: You have toured the United States extensively. Would you share your favorite moment?
Ready in 10: One of our first roadtrips ever, our bus broke down about 50 miles from the border of Ohio and Indiana…a day before our next show in Notre Dame. Though we had to cancel the next two shows, we played more wiffle ball, drank more beer and ate more Doritos than you could ever think possible! It was a great bonding experience for us. Oh… two days before we played on the middle of NYC outside of Rockefeller Plaza to a few thousand people, so we were in a pretty good mood!
CM: Thanks to the Internet, you have probably been able to reach globalaudiences. What about Canadian listeners?
Ready in 10: We’ve done a few interviews on Canadian Internet radio, along with a radio campaign in the US and Canada, which proved to be pretty successful as well. The Internet makes a lot of that possible.
CM: What do you want to achieve through your music?
Ready in 10: Global dominance. Just kidding! We’re looking to have a great time, tour around and tell our stories. We love to perform, so the more people that know about us, the better!
CM: As an independent band, what are the main challenges that you encounter?
Ready in 10: It’s sometimes tough to get attention from people that are on “the next level”. For good reasons, you can’t just walk into a radio station and say “play this”. So, being indie is a lot of work, but it's fun and we are enjoying the climb.
CM: What is next for you?
Ready in 10: We are always writing and tossing ideas around. We’d like to release a new album in late 2011, but the main focus right now is on our live shows and tour schedule.
CM: Where can people find more information on you and your music?
Ready in 10: We are on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Reverbnation, and of course… Readyin10.com
CM: Any last words?
Ready in 10: Thanks and enjoy!
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Cendrine Marrouat is a freelance writer/reviewer, blogger, published author and translator living in Canada. Official Website: http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com
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