www.facebook.com/form10yeg
From: Edmonton, Canada
Sounds like: Rock
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Form 10" and is there any meaning behind it?
CJ (Drums) - Well that’s a pretty loaded question, so I guess we’ll break it into parts. Greg, Aaron, you guys started the band. Wanna field it?
Greg (Vocals) - Well, Form 10 refers to an emergency medical services code used by Paramedics when a person in extreme mental duress will not willingly accept medical intervention. A Form 10 is the form used to include the police to bring the person into custody and care of paramedics. A few of us work in Emergency Medical services, so it only made sense to use the name. And it became more relevant when CJ came into the picture, as he’s a huge advocate for mental health. It all melded into a perfect storm, and it became a kind of mantra that we could attach ourselves to to make our music have meaning.
Aaron (Guitar) - As far as where the band started, Greg and I grew up together. Our paths kind of wove in and out of each other as we progressed into adulthood to the point where we both ended up living in the same suburban community. We always had shared similar tastes in music. I had been playing guitar for years and he had recently taken it up, and forming a band was a way for him to use his newly acquired skills. Originally we were much different band, we had a guy that played a Hammond Organ and worshipped at the altar of Jim Morrison. Our original drummer was very jazzy. Far from the Rock sound we’ve evolved into.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
CJ - “As in anything I do for my advocacy…” (CJ is a national spokesperson for the Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative and has been featured on BuzzFeed and CBC Television)…” I want people to hear the message that they’re not alone. I hope that people can relate to us as normal people going through similar experiences to them, and I hope they can relate. Honestly, if they can find solace or escape, even temporarily, from their struggles through our music, that’s what I’d love most. Although I speak for myself, I feel that the other guys can relate.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
What do we call it? “A Punk-Tinged Brand of Grungy Indie?”. Ultimately we’re a Rock band.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
CJ - Thrice, Story Of The Year, and Killswitch Engage: I really admire what those guys are doing to give a voice to Mental Health causes as well.
Greg - NoFx, Social Distortion, and Bad Religion.
Aaron - Rise Against, AFI, and Alexisonfire.
5. What is your desert island album that you'd never get tired of listening to?
CJ - "The Artist in The Ambulance" - Thrice
Greg - "Punk in Drublic" - NOFX
Aaron - "Ride The Lightning" - Metallica
Ben - "City of Evil" - Avenged Sevenfold
Rich - "Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. What’s your take on the current state of Rock?
CJ - My feeling on Rock currently is that it’s at a point of evolution. So many kids nowadays are taking an interest in music through programming and rapping (The Soundcloud Rap Wave) that they have started learning instruments even to just come up with progressions and beats. I hope that they’ll shuffle that talent into some sort of amalgamation. The scenes I grew up in (Punk/Emo/Hardcore), all those kids are gravitating that way, so they’re learning and playing instruments. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes more organic. It won’t be “Rock” in the traditional sense, but I think an amalgamation of what they’re doing with the whole Soundcloud Rap thing using actual instruments.
7. What’s the current music scene like in Canada both locally and countrywide?
Music is alive and well in Canada. Metal has a huge community, especially in Western Canada. We’ve actually played a lot of really cool bills with Folk acts. And there’s a really cool Synth-Pop thing going on. Canada also has a thriving country community, with a lot of our artists breaking into Nashville lately. It makes for a really cool festival scene!
8. What’s your take on legal/illegal music downloading?
At this point, is it ever really illegal? The current industry distribution model is online based. It’s hard to hold out. Even acts like Tool and The Beatles, who held out on releasing their catalogues forever, have licensed it.
9. What’s next for Form 10?
Currently we’ve started writing new material. Ben, our new guy, is a breath of youth and brings a ton of cool things with him. This time of year we kind of sit back a bit, write, make demos, and fill our schedule for the next year. As people with families, we try and fill our schedules in the summer to balance festivals and family time, so it has to be planned well in advance.
10. Any shoutouts?
The various members we’ve had over the years, Tom Morello, Cap’n Crunch, and the #form10family
