Breathe In

The debut album from 10 Cent Janes, Between Troubled Cities, is in many ways the savior of the musicians who make up the band. Without it, chances are their musical instruments would be quietly gathering dust on shelves in basements.

The story of the album – and 10 Cent Janes – starts in 2009, when the core members crossed paths with South African singer Shaun Behrens. Both sides had actively been pursuing their musical dreams for many years, and fatigue had crept in. The endless rehearsals, packing up after shows at 2am, the arguments over song arrangements...and all without the slightest hint of a record deal or a breakthrough. It had started to take its toll. For all of the band members, this was one last shot at figuring out if it was still even worth making music at all.

They came together in a band room and played a song that Shaun had written some years before (She Plans The Rain). Within a few hours, it was clear: it just worked. With an instantaneous chemistry, they were able to produce an end result that gave them the inspiration to discover what else lay within this union.

As 10 Cent Janes continued writing, the songs came to be a collection of stories exploring modern life in the city, sometimes told from inside the situations, and other times observed from afar. Themes of loneliness (“I’ve never been so invisible in plain sight”), despair (“In this place, for all that’s found, something is always lost”), infidelity (“I want to find something that will never fade”), seediness (“Downtown daydream of a dirty mind”) and ultimately hope (“I’ll find my way home”) can be found in the lyrics.

The music driving these stories is a by-product of the band members’ love for alternative rock from bands like R.E.M., Placebo and U2. On Radio, the album’s lead single, layered guitars and a driving beat create an edginess that eventually gives way to an anthemic chorus. Album-opener Time (For The Healing) meanders through moody verses and choruses before ending in a rousing promise of hope. On other tracks, such as Section 215 and You Remind Me of Someone, the overall gloom is punctuated by sections of quiet introspection.

Between Troubled Cities is more than just a debut album to 10 Cent Janes; it is a collection of songs that reflect their journey as individuals and as a band over five years as they rediscovered their joy for making music. These are songs written for the sake of the songs, and not as a means to some other end, like fame or fortune.

After all these years, it’s finally only about the songs.


All songs written, produced, and performed by 10 Cent Janes.
Engineered by Mik Simrock.
Mixed by Mik Simrock & Stephan Becker.
Mastered by Stephan Becker @ Fun De Mental Studios.

Backing vocals on Time (For the Healing) by Claudia Fink of Lucid (www.lucid-music.de).

Cover artwork: City (E)scape by Gavin Randall.