16th Avenue
Gig Seeker Pro

16th Avenue

Band Pop Punk

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"16th Avenue take the road to punk sucess"

Chris Avenue realized that fortunes may be about to change for his band 16th Avenue while driving home from work recently. He turned on his car radio and there it was emanating from his speakers, Tentativa Favorita the first single from 16th Avenue's debut CD In it to win it.

"The first time I heard it was on (103.5) The Pirate and I was super-stoked." Chris jokes that the thrill was soon to wear off. "Then everyday when I'd drive home at the same time I'd hear the song at the same time and I realized I was annoying myself. A little bit after that my girlfriend taped it when she heard it on (97.3) the Wave which is the biggest station in town and that was awesome!"

Since the recent release of their first full-length CD, 16th Avenue have been experiencing an upswing in the band's popularity, not only have they been receiving local radio airplay (a near impossible feat), their music has been played on Moncton's K94.5 as well. The band was also voted best band in [here]'s recent Best of Saint John issue. Two of the three members of the band chatted with [here] magazine before heading up the road to Fredericton where they were to open for Canadian Indie faves Mobile.

The pop-punk threesome comprised of Adam Avenue, Chris Avenue and Joel Avenue have been together since their early teenage days and that spirit still plays a vital role in the group's music. Adam elaborates. "For me and Chris it started when we were 13 years old. We went through a lot of guitar players. We eventually met Joel when we were 16 and that's when the name 16th Avenue came along. We were 16 and that's a cool age, so it stuck."

In a show of solidarity the threesome adopted the last name Avenue. A tip of the hat to Johnny, Joey, Marky and Dee Dee, the Ramones? Not exactly says Adam.

"It's just a silly idea but we're sticking with it." The band's also sticking through some difficult times searching for places to play, people to entertain and career moves to make in a city notoriously difficult for original music. They feel their 10 song disc is solid and they will be taking the show on the road to drum up new fans and hopefully new opportunities to make music. That road may take them farther than had ever before imagined when they used a few connections and landed them a management deal in Tokyo, Japan.

Back on home ice things are slowly on the upswing. 16th Avenue had been building a following by playing all ages shows. Now with a CD, airplay and local recognition they hope the bar scene may soon tip in their favour. Adam notes that the band's at a tipping point on home turf.

"It started off with the crowds from the all ages shows but now we're getting older fans because we have a solid CD with solid songs," he says. "It is getting better now. We've got more people coming to our bar shows which is good." While things are improving, Chris maintains it's still an uphill struggle.

"In the bar scene it's still hard," he says. "In the independent scene it's getting better. There are people like Coast Line Records and others putting on good shows and that makes for more chances to play. I can still remember playing a show when we were 16 and we played one Blink 182 song and the guy from the bar said that we should play more Blink 182 songs. When we've been trying to get our own music across. It just makes you sick." The group admits a comparison to the California pop-punk band may not have been entirely unwarranted in the earlier days of 16th Avenue. The simple three-piece arrangements of bass, drums and guitars lend themselves to that type of sound and the Ave's admit Blink was an influence on them but preparing to record their CD, the band began to find its own voice.

"We recorded three demos before this, and they did sound like your typical pop punk band." Chris says that what changed was how he wrote material for the record.

"I simply started not listening to music for awhile and writing with my acoustic guitar alone in my room," he says. "I just locked myself away and wrote melodies over weird chords. Now we've got our own thing going on."

If there are two words that can capture 16th Avenue's sound they may be pop and melody. While driving guitar propels the 10 songs on In it to win it, the songs are cleverly crafted three minute pop songs with melodies that become familiar after the first listen. Both trademarks of what makes a great radio single. Don't go looking for too much depth on the disc, although there are references to death. The majority of songs on the CD cover the rock 'n' roll standbys, girls and partying. Barely in their 20s 16th Avenue simply write what they know. Will the future hold more socially conscious content for the band? Chris thinks maybe.

"I can see as we get older (social) issues will probably become more of a concern to us and we may become a bit more political with our music. I mean I can say 'George Bush is an idiot', but maybe not in a song yet."

Adam adds not - Here Magazine NB - Nelson Hansen


Discography

"In It To Win It"

1. Check Your Life At The Door
2. Tentativa Favorita
3. Foolish
4. 06.18.06.
5. We Can't Afford Romance
6. Contagious
7. A Night In Villa
8. State Of Horror
9. First Fall
10. Winter Walk

Produced by Murray Daigle - 2006

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

When pop goes head to head against punk and heart broken angst, you never know what to expect. 6th Avenue is the band that will put it into perspective for you. Born in 2003, this trio, originating in Saint John, NB, pour out an energetic live show full of contagiously infectious anthems you won't stop singing along with. The may be only 20 years of age, but that hasn't stopped them from creating a sound that cathes ears and turns heads. They have built a solid following in the East Coast of Canada and even fans across the world, gaining respect even from pop punk haters with their blood, sweat and tears performance.

They were held up in Toronto studios with Murray Daigle throughout the summer of 2006. What was created. was a brilliantly crafted record that can stand up to the Hedley's, Good Charlotte's and Simple Plan's of today. Even though it was the band's first time in a studio environment, their pure intent and grit can be heard on every song. Carefully written, full of melodic hooks and truly a solid, all around record, "In It To Win It" has the potential to make 16th Avenue real (and worthy) players in the Rock N' Roll game.

With their new album only being released locally in the past couple months, it has already gone on to sell hundreds of copies. Their single has hit #1 on East Coast radio waves and they have been voted #1 band to look out for in Here Magazine. They have also broke the Top 4 most played acts on Purevolume.com with having over 8,000 plays almost daily. A feat even difficult for US major recording artists.