I was thinking last night about how it is a bit ironic that we decided to close this record with "first born." After all, it is a song that I wrote while trying to convince myself to leave in the first place and essentially create what became this story. I thought, if the story is to be conveyed sequentially (which it is) then shouldn't this song be at the beginning? I decided to test the theory. I closed my eyes, opened my ears and tried to detach myself from the situation as much as I could. I listened all the way through and tried to figure out whether we made the right decision, after all, hindsight is 20/20. Well, 37 minutes and 2o seconds later I concluded that in fact yes, we definitely made the right decision. When you reach track 10, the story has come full circle and maybe that's the most important lesson of all. Yes I got up the courage to go for it and I was able to accomplish some of the goals that I had set out. But in the end, even with those successes, I ultimately reached the same point of desperation and self-doubt that had forced my initial exit. A different day, a different state, but the same emotions.

So much of the message I hope to get across with my songs is that while you may not have the exact same dreams and aspirations as I do and while and you maybe haven't been in the exact same life situations that I have, the parallels of our "stories" are unavoidable. We are all shaped and therefore intertwined by our steps both forwards and backwards. In the same way that I as a 14 year old kid with no real sense of the distinction between love and infatuation could completely relate to Rivers when he sang about being tired of one night stands and questioning why he couldn't "make love come true," you, as whoever you are chasing after whatever it is that you are trying to grasp, should easily be able to relate to my own fears when I remind myself that "letting go has an ally, it just hasn't caught you (or in this case - ME) yet." These are universal emotions. We all feel the same things. The only difference is that (thankfully) you all aren't as incessant as I am on tracking the details. But then I never much cared who jen, lynn, catherine, denise, sharise or even louise really were. All that mattered to me was that while Rivers and I were both busy trying to figure out why we were alone, the second our thoughts connected, we no longer were.

****WARNING**** The blog you are about to read is bursting, riddling and seething with well-intentioned and light-hearted sarcasm. I could count on my hands the number of people whom I hold in higher esteem than the man I am about to verbally confront. Beyond that, the point of this blog is much more to poke fun at myself than at anyone else.****WARNING****

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If you were to poll the general population of the united states - men and women ages 15-50 - and ask them the following question:
which of these two FHS graduates would you consider (at this time) to be the more successful recording artist?

Alum 1 OR Alum 2

99.99999% would say Alum 1. I have a rather large family which would account for the less than 100% result. However, if you were to poll the 1,620 undergraduate student body at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, you would find a much different result (see below)

---WCCS charts reporting for 10/24/06---
1 DECEMBERISTS The Crane Wife Capitol
2 KILLERS Sam's Town Island
3 BECK The Information Interscope
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20 LUPE FIASCO Food And Liquor Atlantic
21 RHYMEFEST Blue Collar J
*22 ZEROCHANCE Better Days For Broken Hearts *
23 THE DRAFT In A Million Pieces Epitaph
24 BOB DYLAN Modern Times Columbia
25 HOLD STEADY Boys And Girls In America Vagrant
*26 RAY LAMONTAGNE Till The Sun Turns Black RCA*
*27 JOHN MAYER Continuum Columbia*



Wheaton students - I'm talking to you now...

PROUD OF YOU GUYS! Way to step up to the plate and make the right decision. you along with the entire town on Norton, Massachusetts (all 18,036 of you) have proven once and for all that unlike the rest of this country, you see right through Mr. Mayer's boyish charm. you too have not forgotten that infamous early spring day some years ago when zerochance headlined over and unanimously put to shame Mr. Mayers own villanova junction at the famed FHS spring jam. you knew then that it was only a matter of time before Alum 2 would claim supremacy over the airwaves. Give yourselves a pat on the back Wheaton Lyons -
Leslie Stahl (60 Minutes anchor and notable Wheaton alum) would be proud.


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Now a word to you directly Mr. Mayer:

John, I hope you can be a man about this. We all know that the right thing for you to do is to pack it in and move on. you've been hiding behind those insanely catchy hooks, those masterful lyrics and that awe-inspiring musicianship for too long now. Even your buddy Ray couldn't bail you out this time. My songs advocating the destruction of common household electronics have now proven their musical superiority in the eyes of these fine young citizens and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the country catches on.

John - Your time is up, MY time is now now!


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Hey Blake!


I am putting you on notice sir


you just better hope that I don't get the itching to pick up a tennis racket. because if i do...

YOU'RE NEXT!!!

My actions or rather in-actions as of late appear to frighteningly resemble those of this man

In other words, I have completely neglected my blogging duties. The truth of it is that I feel like I have written a lot of blogs in my head recently, I just haven't taken the time to type them up. Regardless, I'm back and so are my unfiltered thoughts.

The jump from the north back to the south always stings a bit. It's nice to be back here though.
Did you miss me???

I have been listening to this guy a lot lately

his songs just feel right to me right about now

I have also been eating a lot of these lately

oh and a lot of this stuff too



They finally put up a page for us over @ absolutepunk.net (Thanks Jason)
zc @ absolutepunk.net
I really like that site, I check it often. Even though you could probably consider me the antithesis of a punk rocker. And while I can't seem to upload any pics yet, this is a start. Plus I would love to do some reviews for them one day if that would be alright with this guy

Jason - if you are reading this, which you probably aren't, my email address is erick@zerochance.net. I am very opinionated and I have the ability to form complete sentences. Oh and I know all the words to just about every FOB song, if that helps.

I am very much looking forward to our show this coming Friday night. From what I understand, it is a really nice venue... in fact...

I am currently dusting off my acoustic guitar (well actually it's HIS - the one with the shirt on)


and Chase (pictured below)

is going to go to the store this week to buy some of these


Mostly though, I am excited to see the many of you that I have had the pleasure of chatting with on AIM (my sn is erickzerochance) over the past few weeks. I am more anxious to catch up then to sing about myself. But I will anyways. Oh and maybe, just maybe if you guys are into it we can have some borderline "dashboard" moments (sing-alongs for the "unemocated" - yes i made that word up).

In closing, I hope to see as many of you as possible next friday night. Check the main page for all the details. Plus I'm sure Allison will make sure that you are all aware!

Please keep in touch and know this much about me...
"I'm still the optimist though it is hard when all you want to be is in a dream"
that sums it all up perfectly



I'm starting winter with my head on straight... thank you - erick

"...I saw a bit of zerochance's set at J Hall. They're an endearing, earnest pop-rock four-piece from Atlanta that sounded a bit like Remy Zero, maybe--really good."

-MPMF official blogger Lauren Bishop

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"zerochance has the kind of name that seems inspired by something someone told them when they started. Now they're shoving the comment back in that numbnuts' face, like Skynyrd when they named their band after their redneck gym teacher. zerochance's new album, Better Days for Broken Hearts, is attracting major label attention and the band has opened for Sheryl Crow, Uncle Kracker and Michelle Branch, among many others; they've got the big time chops to back up those stats."

"Dig It: Infectious Pop with no fear."

- (BB) City Beat Cincinnati

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Hope this finds you all well. Sorry I have been lacking a bit on the blogs here. I posted one the other day on my personal blogspot, but it wasnt really fitting for mass consumption. Sometimes the thoughts in my head are best kept there, but if you are intrigued, it is still available. I hope the videos have sufficed in the mean time. I'm sure I'll have more to say soon and we will also keep adding videos.

We are heading out tommorow to the midwest and the camera will be along for the ride. I am looking forward to making some new friends. If you live in the area, you can get all the details on our performance over at www.mpmf.com

In my never ending quest to be "accessible", Allison (street team president) and I thought it might be a cool idea to set up a live chat with everyone. She will be sending out all the details in the coming days to the street team. It should be fun as I have had a great time chatting with everyone on AIM (which I will continue to do) in recent days. If you havent yet joined the street team, all you have to do is head over to www.myspace.com/zcstreet and add the street team as your friend. It is defintely the best way to keep in the loop with us. Also, by joining now you will be the first to hear about and have access to a lot of cool things that we have in the works.

Thank you all so much for letting me be myself. I hope that as this continues to build, you will continue to be a part of it.

I made this for you... I hope it keeps you company while I'm gone. thankyouthankyouthankyou - erick

i dont like it when people say that they "heart" something or someone. "heart" is not a verb. what also bothers me is the absolute non-committment of the sentiment that they are extending. it's basically like saying to someone "i like you a lot but i want to protect my stance on the issue in case i change my mind as to the degree of my affection for you in the near future." gosh! can't we just say we love things? why are we so afraid of the word "love"?

i "love" lots of things. for example, one thing i love is john's new record. yes, i love it! while i generally make it a rule to steer clear of any public discussion on him, i'm going to indulge myself here just a bit. my take is that "continuum" is john's "pinkerton." and that, coming from me, is an unparraleled accomplishment. it won't sell near as many copies as "heavier things," but it doesnt need to. whats great about this record is that it is honest all the way through. he is talking about exactly what he should be talking about right now and thats all you can ask for. honesty and introspection are the basis of what eventually becomes timeless art in our society. and that is ultimately what connects people to product. good and bad are subjective terms but honesty can't be argued.

i bring this up because i attended a rock show tonight that featured 5 or 6 of what i'm told are the "coolest" bands around. these, i'm told, are the bands that are making music that is so "cool" that it apparently demands the attention of several "connected" people who have the power to decide what you as a music fan should spend your money on. now, as someone who has a deep affection for this industry and also for the products it creates, i can't tell you how dissapointed i am. i just don't get how much "these people" dont get it. it makes me sick to my stomach and its why i cant sleep tonight. i understand how difficult it is to be honest in your music, trust me i do. i understand the fear of total exposure that many of these kids have and i'm not faulting them for that. i just wish that more of them weren't afraid to admit that they are scared sometimes or that they feel lost or lonely. but most of all i want them to know that they don't have to do it with a forced british accent or an obnoxious whine while sporting whatever $80 t-shirt urban outfitters is pushing this week. pete wentz can't be duplicated, but neither can you!

i guess what i'm really trying to say here is that you should never be afraid of being yourself. it is the only true ticket to success. "cool" will always be a temporary position and it is way overrated anyways.

ok i think i can sleep now. thank you for letting me be me, i am eternally indebted to you for the opportunity.

-erick

p.s. - these words make me smile really big, i hope they do the same for you:
"pain throws your heart to the ground, love turns the whole thing around, no it won't all go the way it should, but i know the heart of life is good"

Yes - incredible night - such a fun way for us to debut the new record live. A big thanks to Cheyenne Kimball and her crew for being so cool to us, glad to have them as friends and looking forward to doing more stuff with them in the near future. Check out the new video on the main page here and check back soon for more videos. We are currently working on something that we think is going to be pretty incredible. I can't give you too many details, but it is for all of our amazing fans and I don't want to say anymore than that right now. Thanks again to everyone for the e-mails and messages that continue to pour in. Keep sending us your pictures from the post show meet and greet and and anything else you have. The last 3 days have been more than we could ask for and for those of you who missed out or don't yet know, you will very soon.

my heart is yours

erick

So theres this girl and her name is Leah. She writes a blog about bands that come out of Atlanta, Georgia. From what I gather, everyone who lives in Atlanta and or follows the music scene here wants to know what she thinks. The thing I like about her blog is that she, like me, actually has an opinion and she's not afraid of you and everyone else knowing about it. I say "good for her!" There are a lot of sheep out there so it's refreshing to come across someone who is, well whatever the opposite of a sheep is. I have never met or spoken to Leah, but I get the sense that when I do, we'll get along pretty well. Oh yeah, back to the point of this blog about a blog. Leah recently came across our new record and had some things to say about it. Luckily for us, they were good things. Heres Leah's "opinion" of zerochance:

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Welcome . . . zerochance.

There is a new band in town, and they are just the good time that followers of mainstream are looking for. The name is zerochance, and the album is "Better Days for Broken Hearts." The record is ten tracks of poppy goodness that I might recommend to listeners of Bain Mattox or The Fray, just because the vocals are slightly high and full of catchy ranges that make me want to sing along, except I don't exactly know the words yet, but I will after another listen through. This especially applies to the song "Burn My Radio," which I caught myself bobbing my head to, the sure test of whether it's breaking past the surface or not. zerochance passes that one.

Lead singer, Erick Bellitto, has a distinctive voice, but that doesn't mean it doesn't remind me of one of my favorite bands . . . Mae. That almost girlish sounding voice is almost like Dave Elkins' except that Bellitto approaches his songs in a less rock kind of way in a certain respect. zerochance is riding the wave of chicks everywhere looking for that specific song that hits them where they've been broken, and with that, I think they can really find a place here, especially since this sort of sound seems to be on the rise.

Definitely good at what they're doing, I recommend giving a listen. They have a MySpace! Who the hell doesn't have a MySpace these days? Check it out, and enjoy.

SOURCE: www.confessionsofamusicaddict.blogspot.com

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Despite the relative quietness around this page as of late, we have been keeping busy. Vacations, concerts, movies, dinners... and then meetings and writing and auditions and then more meetings. Some of us stayed here, others went away. In the midst of it all though we were able to take a collective deep breath and slow things down for a few minutes after what had been a tumultuous but rewarding period in our quest. Nine intense months that included making a record that we are all really proud of, playing some really great and really big shows, meeting some amazing people, meeting some not so amazing people, making some new "friends" and a lot of other stuff that you have either already heard about (probably not from us) or will hear about soon enough. But we are all back now and eager to clue you in.

It's shaping up to be a very exciting next couple of months. There are new shows to play, new faces to introduce you to and an overwhelming dose of new enthusiasm. There will be more new shows, new faces, new blogs, a new website and lots of other "newness" coming your way shortly. So come on back and get ready to experience all of this with us.

If you haven't yet picked up a copy of the record, you can now do that very easily through iTUNES or through cdbaby.com or by using your paypal account and the link on this page. Three easy ways to take one simple step to have a good time.

Alright friends, we hope that you enjoyed your summer break or at the very least that you haven't melted. Stay cool - both literally and figuratively

=zerochance=

"everything in transit" by jacks mannequin is the best record i have come across in recent memory. if you disagree, i will fight you.

these are the other things that are currently keeping me afloat:

*LOST (season 1 and the first eight episodes of season 2) - it's very enjoyable but very frustrating
*Ronnie Day - i "get" him completely. i was at his show a week back and i felt more like a chaperone than a fan. regardless, i think he's going to sell a ton of records and i hope he does
*Randy Orton - enough said
*Billy Joel's new live record - "miami 2017" is an underrated song
*Running - i've been doing a lot of it. lately it feels like i need to get somewhere fast, i just don't know where
*Gatorade - it does more than water
*My keyboard, a pen and some paper - all in good time
*My new cellphone - kick ass
*Seeing Ashlee get so much news coverage
*Spending hours driving around Atlanta and looking at big houses
*The inspiration that comes from feeling completely lost
*Reading your e-mails and your messages - together we will conquer all of this

We have started a real street team. Allison is in charge and if you too are interested in changing the world for the better then you should get involved over @ myspace.com/zcstreet

Thank you

erick

"Permanent Ties" is sort of the thesis statement of this record. It is the right bookend. It is the unforeseen afterthought. The story wouldn't be nearly as interesting without it. I came this far just to realize that what I wanted was farther than I had ever imagined. Perhaps farther than I had the courage or ability to go. That has yet to be determined.

I fought very hard to have this song on the record. I'll never tell anyone why, but you can trust theres good reason.

I will tell you upfront that you need to listen to this song from 3-5 times before you really "get it"

This might help:

My aim is gracious but terminal
I fear the calm might keep me here
I'm not brave and I'm not invincible
my senses all resent my ears

You spent a lot of empty days
covering up your kneeling
and waiting on mine

I exaggerated these permanent ties
I feigned forever to get through july
I filled these pages with arrogant lines
hoping I could tear them up with you

Fame seemed like a useful fear
to my sunken eyes and restless years
it's o.k. to want just a little more
but these hands of mine too soon forget

CHORUS

It's a crime how one at a time
they cut to you and accept my youth
now that I've memorized this cities lights
theyre burning through our breathing room
I'm barely what you are

From this far away I could blame anyone
but I'll never escape if you won't run

Thanks to everyone that sent birthday wishes my way. I appreciate all of you to no end. Your messages in response to "First Born" have been overwhelming. I'm still getting a handle on how much of what goes on in my head merits a blog. It seems like the more open I am, the more you respond to it. I'll do my best to keep it up.

A lot of you have been messaging me and asking to see earlier blogs I have written that are no longer available on myspace.com/zerochance. So I set up a livejournal page here @ erickzerochance.livejournal.com

I put up every one of them over here and I will continue to update this page every time i add something on myspace.com.zerochance

This record is starting to catch on in some pretty important places and we owe much of that to you. I'll be back with more very soon. Hope you all enjoyed the holiday.

erick

That's how I've always felt about "first born". i carried it around with me for some time. i was so afraid to play it for anyone. i didn't want people to know that side of me. but i realized that in order for this record and more importantly this story to be complete, i needed to get over that. it is definitely the only way to conclude this chapter of my life.

At the end of the day you all will judge me (and this record) from your own perspective and i'll never be able to control that. the only thing i can strive to do is paint the most honest portrait of myself possible. it's a lot easier said than done, but i'm giving it my best shot.

The reason i'm sharing these thoughts and this song with you today is because my birthday is tommorow and it seems like the right time to bring it up. birthdays are always a little uncomfortable for me. when you devote your life to one solid cause, it's easy to lose track of the time. i've tried really hard to not to do that anymore. i've tried even harder to get a grasp on the small picture, as opposed to the big one that i obsess over every night. i know where i hope all of this leads me to, but regardless of what they tell you about me, theres no guarantee that it ever will. my point is that there are moments to appreciate along the way.

The most important thing i've learned since all this started is the value of the things around me. when your mission in life is to have everyone listen to what comes out of your big mouth, it's easy to take for granted the people around you with smaller mouths and even smaller egos. this will be the first birthday that I spend away from everything I used to know, but also the first that I spend with everything and more importantly everyone I know now. I am humbled by the people around me. When I left I wasn't sure I'd be able to find any real friends here. But surprisingly, in a place where hype is valued over truth, I have managed to establish the most amazing and fulfilling relationships of my life. I intend to make sure that you are always aware of that fact. I would much rather come across as cheesy and emotional than cool, calm and collected. i'll leave that to the cool kids. frankly i'm not that interested in being cool. at best, cool is a temporary position and i'm in this for the long haul.

If you call me tommorow and I sound a little unsure, please know that it is only because my whole focus right now is to make you all proud and to repay every opportunity i have been given.

Thank you for putting up with me, I promise it's gonna pay off one day.


erick

For everyone that's been messaging us and asking... yes that was "burn my radio" that you heard on the radio this week. hopefully it is something that you'll get the chance to get used to. we will be asking for your help with that very soon. in the meantime, keep your ears open and keep spreading the word. it's making a difference.

i'll be back with some more noble observations soon

you continue to amaze me

erick

i forgot to turn off my computer speakers this evening when i checked our messages and as a result was forced (as all of you just were) to listen to the first verse of "the southern air." that line actually feels quite fitting today.

theres always a bit of a letdown for me the day after a big rock show. it's like all that energy builds up over time and i try to get it out on stage with that show ending wentz-inspired jump, but inevitably some of it remains in my bones. last night was fun for us. it was a cool way to let the record loose on our friends and colleagues while being as "under the radar" as we can be right now. hopefully we'll still be able to do that from time to time.

the positive response to this record has been overwhelming. all of your e-mails and messages on here mean the world to us. unfortunately myspace only allows me to respond to 400 of them a day. i promise that if you havent gotten a response from me yet, you will very very soon.

i'll be shifting up the tracks posted on here in the coming weeks. in the meantime, the best way to hear the rest of the album is to purchase your own copy. which you can now do with a either a credit card or a paypal account. we are nothing if not convenient. for those of you that requested autographed copies and then when you got your autographed copy, you see that we signed our names over the lyrics and now you have no idea what i'm singing in the second verse of "first born," sorry about that - it was glen's idea (lol).

please continue to keep in touch. there are some very big things in the works right now, some sooner than later, and we think that youre going to be excited like we are.

thanks,

erick

the food poisoning seems to have worn off. i'm still pretty tired, but i'm getting there. i have a much deeper appreciation for webmd.com than i did at the beginning of last week. the same goes for white grape juice and dried organic fruits.

i am really into the jacks mannequin record. i should have given it a shot sooner. andrew has reached a new level with his songs. my initial hold-up was my general dislike of songs about mix-tapes. i can't relate. i stopped listening to tapes like 10 years ago. i thought everyone else did as well. anyways, tapes aside, really good stuff.

i'm not sold on the nick lachey "behind the music" - mostly because the first 40 min were all about 98 degrees (eehh). the last 20 minutes were pretty good, you got a couple good lines out of it and the overall "realness" that i appreciate from him.

the world cup has been positively boring in my view. i wonder how rivers feels about it.

how predictable was the ending of "one night stand" - it's like the more they push ecw on me, the more i start to reconsider my thoughts on cena. the chain gang may be getting a new member soon enough. well, let's not get carried away. thank heavens randy is back on raw. with the masterpiece "sidelined" i was quickly losing interest.

the record "bdfbh" has been selling amazingly well on here. so many thanks to everyone who has picked it up and also to those that keep sending us their support and good wishes. you can now purchase the record without having to create a paypal account by clicking the link.

the record release party on friday is going to be really cool. we are super excited about it. judging from your e-mails, it's gonna be a stoked crowd.

if you haven't signed up for the new e-mail list yet, you can easily do so on here (myspace.com/zerochance). it's quite a step up from what you used to get from us.

"industry buzz" is a funny term, but we are making the most of it. if nothing else, you get some pretty good dinners. when we sort things out, you'll be the first to know.

thanks for staying tuned in

erick

The day has arrived! Our new record "Better Days for Broken Hearts" is now available for you to purchase right here on myspace.com/zerochance.

I thought a good bit about what I could say on here today to give you guys some more insight into what's happening in our world as of late. I thought of addressing all the rumors and speculation and "what might be happenings" with this record and with this band in the coming weeks. Then I thought of trying to put into words the excitement that we are feeling right now from finally releasing this record and our "story" to all of you. I then decided that the best way I could sum up today is to repost my very first blog from a few weeks back. If this is a new beginning then what better place to start.

No matter what happens and no matter where this record takes us, always know that you are the reason.

thank you doesn't do you all justice

erick


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ENTRY 1 - "REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY"
Current mood: calm

Do you know those scenes in movies where a character is forced to jump off of a building in order to avoid being shot? they stay on the roof until the last possible second but inevitably, once the camera pans away, they jump. the juxtaposition of these two actions always got me. you escape certain death by accepting almost certain death. on a much smaller and less life-threatening scale you are now part of such a "jump".

For the past 8 months everyone involved in this project has been asking me to "blog." as you may have noticed, i remained on top of the building, relying on their bad marksmanship. last night, with 5 angry faces staring me down, I gave in. I have since come to the realization that the reason i so adamantly resisted blogging was that i've been keeping some things from you. nothing outlandish, i mean it's not like i'm hiding a foot-fetish or anything like that. it's more that i'm afraid to admit some of the things that i think about on a daily basis. mostly because i dont think it's relevant to anything going on in anyone elses life but also because i feared it would come across as pretentious. my issues are no more important than yours and so to burdern you with them seemed unfair. i then realized that in about 3 weeks we are going to be asking all of you to buy our new record. if and when you do, the cats out of the bag. all my secrets become yours. i'm left with nothing to hide behind other than the occassional misspelling of my name. so by not blogging ive only been delaying the inevitable.

Lately i have pondered the idea of us charging people to listen to my problems. all legitimate psychiatrists charge people money in exchange for listening to that persons problems. we are attempting to do the exact opposite. it didnt seem like a smart business plan to me, until today. do you want to know what changed my mind? you probably wont believe me. i take that back - if you've ever had a conversation with me then you might ... ok ... here goes ... the new nick lachey record. go ahead, take a minute to laugh or make a weird face ... i'll wait ... ok heres how - this past week has been quite trying on me. honestly i've been thinking way too much about some things that i thought i had already let go of. it's funny how we do that. we convince ourselves that we are ready to move on from a situation when we're really not. the only thing that has gotten me through this has been listening to nick's record. now you might wonder how a record about arguably the most publicized celebrity break-up of the past decade in any way connects with a guy who admittedly hasn't been on a date in quite some time. especially a record put out by the ex-brother in law of the woman whose company i have made the ultimate pursuit of my life (by the way i spent the weekend staring down her boyfriend but couldn't muster the courage to confront him, i know, i'm all talk). but thats the amazing thing about songs. when they work, they connect the dots for us. every note, every lyric, every breath on that record makes complete and total sense to me. i don't know how or why, but i stopped questioning stuff like that the second i left those state lines.

I spent ages 16-21 of my life trying to figure out why people people put up walls emotionally. and though i couldnt properly explain it, it makes perfect sense to me now. resolution is in the eye of the beholder. that comes with a heavy responsibility. maintaining the integrity of those walls. i played our new record ("better days for broken hearts") for a friend and he asked me if i was prepared to handle other people hearing these songs. he has a good point, to call this record brutaly honest would be an understatement. it is an accurate and exact depiction of the past two years of my life. i didn't pull any punches. in fact when it comes out there may be people lining up to take some jabs at me. and i am totally o.k with that. anyone who has spent any time with me could tell you that i'm not very good at keeping my feelings to myself. it's a character flaw, but one that i try to use to my advantage. being in the south has calmed me down a considerable amount. everything seems less harmful here and every moment seems more poignant. i'm hopeful that the patience that many of my friends here exude has rubbed off on me at least a little.

I met someone this weekend who told me that i was intelligent but that i needed to exude more confidence when i was around other people. i can think of a few who would beg to differ on both counts. however i rather like the notion. if there is any truth to that description then i hope i can continue to socially straddle those fine lines. and for what it's worth i took it as a compliment.

Every person and every situation that you encounter in your life should leave you with something and it's only a negative if you allow it to be.

I'm going to start sharing some more of my thoughts on here in anticipation of the record coming out. I'm not going to tell you what each song is about because that should be up to you. i'm not going to give you my political views or my opinions on the state of the music industry because that should be up to you as well. i am however going to do my best to give you an idea of whats happening in my head. i hope you can find some of it useful if not the slightest bit entertaining or at the very least use it as a way to pass the time between checking to see if you have new comments.

We are going to start putting up one song from the new record ("better days for broken hearts") about every week. hopefully it will wet your appetite.

If you take only one thing away from this whole deal i hope that you are able to see how genuine it is. theres nothing on this record that isn't real. it all happened. it's a true story and now seems like the perfect opportunity for you to settle in, watch and most importantly, listen.

thank you (for more than you are probably aware of)

erick

We put up "The Southern Air" for everyone to check out today. It will only be up for one day in anticipation of the records' release. The song speaks for itself.

While you are here (www.myspace.com/zerochance) be sure to sign up for the new and much improved ZC mailing list. If you sign up you will be guaranteed some pretty bad ass e-mails coming your way very soon.

It's a pretty amazing story and you have tuned in at just the right time. This is just the beginning...

thanks

erick

AMG JUNE FEATURED BAND

zerochance (AMG featured band)

zerochance | www.zerochance.net

If you want to hear what a band that is about to be signed to major record label sounds like, check out "Better Days for Broken Hearts" from zerochance. OK, so maybe it's a little presumptuous to guess their fate this early in the game, but all the elements seem to be in place. You've got three charming faces, infectious pop melodies, and its all backed by monumental ambition.

Zerochance recently relocated to Atlanta following a tip from close friend John Mayer. They've been quietly writing and plotting ever since, emerging just recently with a radio-ready album and a whole lot of buzz.

The fact is their record doesn't sound like your typical local band demo. Zerochance sounds like the kind of band that has gone on tour with people like Sheryl Crow, Uncle Cracker, The Calling , and... oh wait, they HAVE done that.

Without any help from a record label, indie or major, this band has gained some serious exposure. Just a couple weeks back, zerochance headlined SunFest down in Florida, taking the stage just after pop diva Ashlee Simpson .

There are so many young artists struggling just to make it in the local circuit that its truly inspiring to find a band that has the confidence and determination to secure big time shows.

That doesn't mean its always been easy. For every awesome slot they've had, singer Erick Bellitto tells us "there were 50 that turned us down." The key is that the band never lets a little rejection get them down. Zerochance maintains unwavering focus that has had impressive pay-offs and serves as a great example for other up-and-coming bands.

Atlanta Music Guide is proud to welcome zerochance to our city, and we are looking forward to seeing what they accomplish next!

"Better Day For Broken Hearts" comes out on June 6th. There is an invitation-only listening party for the new record tonight at Smiths Olde Bar. For the rest of us, zerochance will be performing at the 10 High on Friday June 16th with Rantings of Eva

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What a difference 18 months can make. I vividly remember getting up every morning, when I was back there, and checking AMG with the goal of learning as much as I possibly could about this town and it's music scene. I memorized names and job titles and bios and venues and anything else they listed. Often times when I meet people down here, they offer me their name, but before they can even get it out I cut them off with "I know who you are and I know everything about you." The ones that don't run away screaming (stalker) are often surprised and sometimes even frightened by how much research I have done on them. I knew that if I was going to conquer this place, I needed all the ammo I could get my hands on.

I fell in the love with the idea of this town long before I got here. From far away it seemed like it was the place I should have been the whole time. On certain days I question that, but lately I'm convinced.

I want to thank everyone at AMG for temporarily shining their spotlight on our "little band that could." I hope that no matter what the next couple of weeks bring us, we will always remain the "underdog" band. The underdogs have all the heart, and you will always have ours. Don't worry, they will all figure it out eventually.

thank you thank you thank you

erick

Hey everyone, thanks so much for sticking with us. The messages we have received in response to "Van Nuys" have been astounding. We are so glad that it has had the same effect on some of you that it has on us. And if you haven't quite "gotten" it yet, give it a few more spins and some more time to grow on you. I promise it will.

We are feverishly approaching the release date of the record and we could not be more excited to let everyone in on the secret. We will be posting even more new tracks in the coming days. In the meantime here is the final and full tracklisting.

"BETTER DAYS FOR BROKEN HEARTS"
1. Boxes
2. The Southern Air
3. Burn My Radio
4. Four Letter Words
5. Van Nuys
6. Trampoline
7. Villain
8. My Souvenir
9. Permanent Ties
10. First Born

Hope that entices you a bit to keep checking back. There are some very exciting things happening behind the scenes around here this week. As soon as we can fill you in we will. You continue to make this worthwhile.

thanks

erick