ION INDIE MAGAZINE January 2016, Volume 20 | Page 79

As a photojournalist covering many local bands in the New England area, I get to see firsthand exactly what
makes a band successful. Work ethic, dedication and talent certainly are key factors in “making it”. Some
bands never achieve anything more than playing local pubs, VFW halls and backyard “keggers”…and some
of those bands are happy playing at this level. But some bands keep plugging away, they relentlessly work
and grind in the local scene until they get their break. Go to a multi band local show sometime and sit back
and really pay attention. You get the narcissistic lead singer with an ego bigger than Montana, but no talent
to match. You also will see the band that’s very happy playing half-assed renditions of everybody else’s
music. But every now and then, you see a band that you know has “something”. You can see it, hear it and
even feel the vibes. I’ve seen CROSS THE DIVIDE a number of times over the past year or so. This local trio
has “something”…besides the required work ethic, dedication and talent. They’ve even carved their own
little niche, their own subgenre—“Storm Rock”. Check out brothers ZACHARY and CHASE PAQUETTE with
JAKE FRENCH…Cross The Divide.
Band Biography (Courtesy of Cross The Divide):
One of the fastest growing and most in-demand
original artists in New England is southern New
Hampshire based Cross the Divide. The threemember band combines heavy guitar riffs and
melodic vocals to produce a unique blend of
Progressive and Hard Rock styles’ served up
onstage with their engaging, high-energy
performance. In an increasingly superficial era,
Cross the Divide brings not only sweet guitar licks
and driving bass lines, but also deep lyrical content,
driving home themes of hope, strength, and justice.
The band has coined their own sub-genre for their
sound: Storm Rock--which they define as “intense
technical Rock with deep lyrical themes”. Though
the band has been in existence since September
2010, Cross the Divide did not truly begin to define
itself in the industry until mid-2014, when guitarist
Zac and bassist Chase welcomed their hard-hitting
drummer, Jake French, into the project. Since that
time, the band has played alongside many major
artists including GODSMACK, POP EVIL, SEETHER,
SKILLET, 10 YEARS, BUCKCHERRY, ESCAPE THE
FATE, STARSET, ISLANDER, FOR TODAY, THIRD
DAY, WE AS HUMAN, 3 YEARS HOLLOW…and many
Zachary Paquette
more. Cross the Divide is currently pulling double
duty, crafting an arsenal of genre-driving original songs, while playing out as often as they are able to be
booked; strategically placing themselves at venues all over. The band plans to release a new full-length
studio album in mid-2016.
A few questions for Cross The Divide:
Mark: If you could jam on stage in front of a sold-out crowd at any venue in the world with anyone (past or
present), who would you jam with and where would it be?
Zach: So many options...for Guitarists, either NOAH HENSON or GUTHRIE GOVAN is hands-down the best
guitarist I know of--and having met him, I know he's a fun dude. Noah Henson just seems like he'd be a
blast to rock out with. Other instrumentalists I'd love to play alongside, MARCUS MILLER and MARCO
MINNEMAN…that would be a jam!