Biography
Alternative rock band 10 Years began in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999 with original members Mike Underdown, Brian Vodinh, Lewis Cosby and Ryan Johnson. After releasing their first album Into the Half Moon in 2001 Cosby was replaced by Andy Parks on bass and Jesse Hasek replaced Underdown as vocalist. Their second studio album Killing All That Holds You attracted the attention of Republic Records.
In 2005, the band released The Autumn Effect featuring a new recording of what would become their breakthrough hit “Wasteland”. It topped the Active Rock and Alternative Songs charts and became a minor pop crossover hit. The album and single were both eventually certified gold. In support of the album, the band spent two years touring the world with with Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, Korn and several others.
Division was released in 2008 and peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200, helped by its lead single “Beautiful” which reached the top 10 on the Rock Chart. The band toured with Linkin Park, then Mudvayne to support the album. Feeding The Wolves would be their last for Republic Records. It peaked at #17 and spawned two more Rock Chart top tens: “Shoot It Out” and “Fix Me”. In the summer of 2010, the band had the opening slot on Shinedown’s Carnival Of Madness tour alongside Sevendust, Puddle Of Mudd & Chevelle. Another tour with Sevendust soon followed.
10 Years' next two albums were independently released after a disagreement with Universal Music on the direction of the band. Hasek explained:
They wanted something different out of us than we wanted to be and just kind of trying to keep up with the mainstream junk per se. Our last album was called Feeding the Wolves because it was the first time we really felt like that we had to compromise more than we wanted to … It got to a point where I just told myself I couldn’t do that anymore.
Minus The Machine spawned three moderately successful Rock Chart hits in 2012 and From Birth to Burial provided one more in 2015. In 2016, Hasek contacted Vodinh (who had left three years earlier) saying that the band’s lineup was ‘toxic’ and it wouldn’t be ‘healthy for him to stay in the band’ as it was. Vodinh and original rhythm guitarist Matt Wantland rejoined, and founding member Ryan Johnson was ousted.
The band signed with Mascot Records and released (How to Live) as Ghosts in 2017, featuring their fourth Rock Chart top five “Novacaine”. 2020’s Violent Allies is their first album in fifteen years to not appear on the Billboard 200 despite both singles reaching the top 30 on the Rock Chart.
