Time and Distance

By Jenine Clancy
Stolen instruments and equipment, car accidents, canceled shows,
and the loss of members would break down any band, but Time and
Distance surely have lived up to their name. Lead singer Greg
McGowan has had a tenacious outlook on it all, saying his band
just keeps on “rockin and rollin.” That “rockin and rollin”
philosophy has been with McGowan since the beginning. Hailing
from West Virginia, in high school he created what he called a
“solo acoustic thing,” and in later years turned it into a
full-fledged band. While the band’s sound is heavier,
McGowan’s adds a melodic tone, resembling a feel from his
earlier work. In 2009 Time and Distances put out their first
full-length album, “Gravity,” on “Not Alone Records.” Produced
by former “Hidden in Plainview” guitarist Rob Freeman, the
album brought the band to a different level. McGowan says
Freeman would push them to “outdo themselves” and “to do things
they thought they couldn’t do.” Lyrically, everything on the
album is introspective. In the song “Away We Go,” McGowan
quizzically tries to figure out a girl singing “says she misses
me, but never wants to kiss when her friends are around.”
Psychology still plays a part in “For Real,” in which McGowan
defiantly sings “Because all we are is all we’re told,”
ironically telling the world he's more than just a lead singer
in a band. To promote the album the boys hit the road playing
with bands like Mayday Parade and The Material. Also,
they teamed up with forty-five independent record stores with
in-store listening stations. Like streaming online, the
listening stations allow people to hear the album before even
buying it… when asked if this was a good thing or a bad thing
McGowan replied “ I don’t know if it makes people want an
entire record or not. I personally prefer records as a whole
and we try to present our records as a whole picture, instead
of a bunch of songs, but if kids just like a couple that's cool
too… (just as) long as they're listening.”
Time and Distance’s fans are sure to keep listening
with more tour dates, a recorded Alkaline Trio cover and
some acoustic songs on the way, you can say luck is bound to
be on their side.
Time and Distance are playing at the Marlboro Recreation Center
in Marlboro, New Jersey on December 10th.