10 Years
by: Benji Womack
Photos by: Charr Crail




I was fortunate enough to get an interview with Louis Cosby, bass player of 10 Years at The Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA 2/28. 10 Years is currently on a U.S. arena tour with Korn and Mudvayne. They also have a hit song on the radio Wasteland from their debut album, The Autumn Effect, which has sold over 170,000 copies to date. Wasteland is now their newest video track; recently shot in LA with famed director Kevin Kerslake (Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots), this documentary style video captures the band on a level of social consciousness with the theme focusing on social injustices around the world.

Benji: How does it feel to be touring out with Korn, Mudvayne? Thats so outrageous?
Louis: Its funny man; we have been listening to these bands since they first came out. Im 24 years old and when they came out I was in like 6th grade and thats an impressionable age. These were the first bands I was listening to. Now here it is all this time later, were playin arenas with them. Ya know, its kind of surreal, it hasnt set in yet.

Benji: Did you think 3 years ago that you guys would be in the present status?
Louis: Naw! We always hoped and dreamed. We kind of had that mentality to always have our fingers crossed and take it one a day at a time. You think too big and you think too far ahead, you kind of set yourself up for not thinking about the present and what we need to do now. We will have a goal and such like that we are very day-to-day oriented. Try to make sure we do everything we could at that present time to make the future happen.

Benji: Where did the name TEN YEARS come from?
Louis: Thats actually the only thing we kind of dont reveal; its kinda a personal thing amongst the five of us. Management, label and girlfriends; no one knows. We kind of keep that under wraps.

Benji: Personally myself, I see a lot of laziness going around and I see no inspiration or desire for bands to want flourish to succeed to make it famous. Do you agree or disagree?
Louis: About?

Benji: Like local scene bands trying to make it.
Louis: Right! Right! There are so many bands out there and I think that this day and age you really have to stick out. You really have to be motivated and dedicated that when people say no you got to just push harder. Not everyone is going to like ya and a lot of promoters dont want to take chances on local bands. That was the same thing that happened to us. Youve just got to keep pounding at their door to get your foot in there to get that opportunity to get noticed. All I can say is concentrate and focus on the song writing, good songs and writing from your fuckin songs that come from the heart. Dont be writing songs like radio singles and all that kind of stuff. Its like no one said you couldnt write a good song and it could end up on the radio. When you try so hard it just comes off that way it just sounds very commercialized and not real. I think that everybodys got a shot in this day and age, but youve just really got to push as hard as you can to make that happen.

Benji: Why do you do what you do when youre on stage to try to get the emotions pumping through your body?
Louis: More than what we wanted out of this, the only thing we wanted out of this, was the opportunity to play live shows every night. Thats what we are, a live band and now it's almost like when I hear the intro music go on we just fucking black out. Thats when the adrenaline kicks in. Thats when you know the one thing out of our day we need to do and are supposed to do and have to do well, ya know. And it's just kind of like we all form as one in there and sometimes I dont even know the rest of the stage are on stage. Its just amazing, the adrenaline. If anybodys ever played in a live band, whether it's playing in front of 5 people or 5000 people, it's the same feeling to me every night.

Benji: I know youre halfway through the tour. What is the craziest thing youve seen or done on this tour?
Louis: What is the craziest thing Ive seen or done on this tour?

Benji: Yeah!
Louis: Man this one just started. But Mudvaynes toured before; it's almost like every day is like frickin spring break ya know. Guys are like passing out, dropping, loading and bringin people out in taxicabs. Its so much; fun its everything that you think it would be and ten time more. It's like you just got your license to do whatever you want. Half the time cops dont hassle the rock bands, so you can do whatever you want. You can get out of anything and uh oh man I dont know, whether it people running around bangin strippers in the strip clubs in front of everybody or vomiting on somebody, you dont know, its nuts.

Benji: What s up next for TEN YEARS after the tour?
Louis: Were going to Australia, Japan and some European dates with Korn. Then we are going to come back here and go on the road and headline. Play all our material like we just did. We just did two weeks headlining before the Korn tour and it went great, so its only going to get better.

Benji: What advice do you have for the new bands trying to get started in todays music industries? Dos and dont?
Louis: Stay dedicated, stay focused, dont become a legend in your own head before you get the chance to be one. Write good songs; find three, four, five or how many people you have in your band, dedicated members that will be ready to drop anything, anytime to get a shot to do this. And be ready to be dead fuckin broke. Your willing to put every last penny you have promoting your band and selling yourself. Everybodys got a shot. We are in the same position as any other local band out there any place you go. We just pushed and pushed till we got here, so here we are.