The Ward brothers, Jay 17 and Carl 13, grew up, and still live, in Scotts Valley California, near Santa Cruz. From a very early age their musician parents noticed and nurtured their love of music. Jay began writing songs at the age of ten and recording them in the family’s home studio. Carl originally started on the bass but gravitated towards the drums and percussion because “it’s fun to hit stuff.” While still 16, Jay entered a local songwriter’s showcase competition with nearly 100 other local Santa Cruz area songwriters, many of whom were professional musicians with multiple albums and years of touring experience. Jay made it to the final 8 where he was nearly ten years younger than the next youngest competitor and still finished 2nd. After performing live on local radio staton KSCO, the buzz about Jay and Fall Forward really began. In early 2013, Jay and Carl went into Gadgetbox Studios to record their debut EP, “Boxes & Strings” featuring 6 of Jay’s songs, including “Awkward”, “The Bright Side” and “Estrogen” the three songs that propelled Jay to his the finals of the Songwriter’s Showcase. Gadgetbox owner, Andy Zenczak, and Jay co-produced all six songs. Andy remembers getting the call from Jay’s dad and his expectation for what working with a 16 year old and a 13 year old were not high but when the family stopped by to tour the studio and play him demos of the songs, his attitude changed in an instant. “That demo rocked my world” Andy recalled, “I was honestly floored by the whole experience.”