Exclusive Interview: Ball in the House
Credit: Photo by DJ Paradis
Boston-based vocal group Ball in the House return with their latest single “Take A Chance” — a shimmering, heart-on-sleeve pop anthem that radiates optimism, nostalgia, and pure feel-good energy.
Built entirely from the human voice, this track is a dazzling showcase of what happens when vocal artistry meets sleek pop production. Fans of The Weeknd, Pentatonix, and Zara Larsson will instantly connect with its smooth blend of retro ’80s shimmer and modern polish.
From the first beat, “Take A Chance” feels like sunlight breaking through synth-colored clouds — all warm bass lines, punchy vocal percussion, and glossy harmonies that move like ocean waves. Every sound on the track — from the rhythmic pulse to the soaring melodic hooks — is crafted by voice, an impressive feat that blurs the line between human performance and electronic precision. It’s a reminder that Ball in the House continue to redefine what a cappella can be: not just harmonies and beats, but full-bodied pop production powered entirely by the human voice.
Lyrically, the song taps into that universal moment of romantic vulnerability — standing on the edge of something new, heart pounding, hoping the other person feels the same. “Take A Chance” captures that dizzy rush of possibility when love is still untested but full of promise. “This song came from the early memories of dating my now-wife,” shares Kevin Cincotta-Guest, who wrote the track and anchors it with his warm bass tones. “The nervous excitement, the unwavering belief. It’s a reminder that love is always a risk… and always worth it.”
Credit: Photo by DJ Paradis
There’s a cinematic quality to “Take A Chance” that makes it easy to imagine over a neon skyline or in a coming-of-age film montage — hopeful, emotional, and timeless.
Tyler Nordin’s expressive lead vocal soars above the lush vocal bed, while Jon Ryan’s vocal percussion locks in a retro drum groove that gives the song its nostalgic heartbeat. With Oscar Hall and Wallace Thomas rounding out the baritone and tenor layers, and auxiliary textures from JourneyDay and Cincotta-Guest himself, the arrangement is rich without ever feeling crowded — a testament to the group’s years of chemistry and craftsmanship.
Ball in the House have long been known for pushing boundaries in vocal music, and “Take A Chance” might be one of their most irresistible releases yet — a sparkling pop gem that celebrates love, risk, and the magic of harmony in every sense of the word. Whether you’re falling for someone new or just need a sonic pick-me-up, this track hits that perfect spot between nostalgia and now.
We spoke to Ball in the House about their journey so far.
Credit: Photo by DJ Paradis
Do you have an interesting moment or story from your early life that has had a significant impact on your journey into music?
Jon (founder/vocal drummer): It was 100% seeing Prince’s performances while watching the movie Purple Rain as a kid that got me into wanting to do music. But my musical formation happened earlier, at a boys choir school in Cambridge, where we learned to sing, play piano, sight read music, etc. Tying directly to the band, this school is where I met Dave, who would later join me in Ball in the House and be part of it for 25 years.
Are there any artists that were influential to your musical journey? How have they inspired your sound as an artist?
Jon (founder/vocal drummer): Prince, personally (obviously!). But for the band, Boyz II Men’s sound and vocals, especially on their a cappella and semi-a cappella tracks like “Thank You” and “Yesterday”, were huge influences on what we wanted to do. In the early years, Rockapella was one of the few professional a cappella groups out there, so their arrangements and sound - 3 upper voices, bass, vocal drums - were influential as well.
How would you describe your sound to new listeners? What do you think sets you apart?
Jon (founder/vocal drummer): R&B/Pop/Soul, harmony based, rhythmically driven. Being a cappella definitely sets our sound apart. But even among a cappella groups, we tend to go for a more direct sound that highlights the song and the performance, rather than highlighting the arrangement with ultra complexity and frequent musical shifts - something I hear frequently in other a cappella groups, and that, to me, takes you out of the song.
What's your creative process? Where do you normally start when it comes to writing and recording? Do the lyrics come first?
Jon (founder/vocal drummer): I love this question because everyone in the group writes and arranges, and everyone’s process is different. As the vocal drummer, I tend to start with a groove and bassline, then build a melody around that, then lyrics last - although frequently there’ll be a title or snippets of lyrics early on that will help shape the song. The majority of our songs start with a single person writing the bulk of it, then later bringing it to the rest of the group to help with anything from lyrics, writing a bridge, arranging the song, etc. And then once we’re in the studio recording, there are occasional tweaks as we record and hear things back and make suggestions. It’s a fun process to have many great musicians around to collaborate with.
Have you had any challenges or adversities in your life that you feel have shaped you as an artist?
Jon (founder/vocal drummer): Oh yes! So many. One of the biggest was in the early days of the band - we had spent a lot of time and money recording an album and it sounded amazing. We had a manager, an entertainment lawyer, radio promoter, major label interest, the whole thing. We had started cracking charts with the first single and were super excited for the big album release day - which was scheduled for… September 11, 2001. So instead waking up that day to hear our song on the radio and hear about sales reports, we saw planes being flown into buildings and nothing but news on the radio. By the time radio started playing music again, all the momentum from our big major label push was gone. It was devastating in so many ways. But, as time went on, it started getting easier for indie bands to get music out there and we had good success with live performances. We even started performing educational programs in schools. And so much of this felt rewarding and somewhat under our own control. So we’ve learned to use what opportunities we had and to find a career - and joy - in ways so different from that early major label push.
Are there any moments or achievement from your career so far that you’re most proud of?
Kevin (bass vocalist/studio producer): I think our proudest achievement is creating our arts and education programs. We all find educating young aspiring musicians/singers, and the general public, about how to discover your passions, expressing yourselves in a positive manner, and using your voice to do good, is an important part of our work. By using our platform: a cappella and singing, we hope to inspire all who want to listen, and show our audiences, as a team, what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. Along with our educational shows, I’d say traveling internationally: we’ve been to China twice, South Korea, Singapore, Russia, and making our debut appearance on the first-round GRAMMY® ballot last year with our single “Knock, Knock!”, written by our high tenor, Wallace.
Which do you prefer, the creative process or live performance? Or do you enjoy both equally?
Kevin (bass vocalist/studio producer): We all have different preferences, but I’d say, generally speaking, we enjoy both the creative process and the live performance aspect of what we do. The creative process: the planning, rehearsing, recording, even the business side of it all, leads to us being able to perform live. They go hand in hand. As an independent band, we all have different roles within the band: Jonny handles booking and contracts, Oscar focuses on follow-up and organizations Tyler and Wallace does social media and website, and I handle recording and production. We all work together to make it all happen.
Do you as an artist require fans to fully understand your message in each song or do you encourage subjective interpretation from every listener?
Kevin (bass vocalist/studio producer): I think it’s a mix of both. I can’t speak for the rest of the songwriters/arrangers in the band here, but generally speaking, for our original music: unless the songwriter and/or arranger have a specific message or emotion in mind they want to express through our music, we hope that our listeners will interpret our music the way they want to. Through our performances, whether we’re singing a cover or an original song: if the audience can connect to the music in some way, shape or form through our delivery of the music, then we’re doing our job.
Congratulations on your latest single, “Take A Chance”! It’s been receiving a wave of incredible reviews and features! What was the process of creating the song?
Kevin (bass vocalist/studio producer): Thank you so much! The positive feedback means everything to us, and as the songwriter, it hits at a different level, since the song came from such a personal part of my life. The journey of “Take A Chance” actually goes all the way back to 2021. I wrote the very first draft in September of that year, just a month before I married my wife. I was thinking back to the early days of our relationship, when we had that big “are we doing this for real?” conversation. We decided to take a chance on love, and that leap of faith became the heart of this song. That first version had the hook and a rough outline of the chords and form, but it was in a different key and much slower in tempo. I let it sit for about a year before coming back in 2022, when I shifted the music to a brighter key and a more upbeat feel. Then life stepped in, and our first son was born in 2023! So, the song stayed on my hard drive until early 2024, when I finally pulled it back out, finished the arrangement, and shaped it into what it is today. We started recording in the summer of 2024, went through some band member changes, and kept pushing forward. This past spring we finally wrapped recording, just in time for my second son to arrive! At that point I teamed up with our tenor Tyler: he handled all the vocal editing, and I mixed the track during late-night shifts with the baby. By May, I was able to send the final mix off to Bill Hare, a 2x GRAMMY®-winning engineer (widely known in the a cappella world), who mastered it. So it’s really been a journey, equal parts music and family, and I think that makes the song even more special.
What are your future plans? Any new songs/projects on the horizon?
Kevin (bass vocalist/studio producer): Yes! Over the past few years, we’ve been diving back into songwriting and slowly rebuilding our collection of original music. That creative spark inspired us to take the leap and start recording a fully original album, something we’ve dreamed about for a long time. We’re now a little over halfway through the process, with several tracks in post-production, and even more new ideas taking shape as we go. It’s been quite a journey: between lineup changes, becoming new Dads, and balancing life on the road, but for us, that’s part of what makes this project so meaningful. When we’re home in Massachusetts, we hit the studio, but when we’re touring, we’ve recorded everywhere from hotel rooms to Airbnbs. We make it work! The album is our main focus right now, but here’s a little exclusive: we also have a remix of one of our recent songs sitting in the vault, and we can’t wait to share it soon! Keep an eye on our socials for updates on all the new music coming your way!
“Take A Chance” is available now on all major streaming platforms
