Three albums in 13 years might seem a bit too leisurely of a recording pace for some bands, but not Ten Feet.

After experiencing the ups and downs of the music industry early on, founding members Andres “;Dres”; Delos Santos and Josiah Kekoa realized that keeping their schedules on “;Hawaiian time”; is more important in 2008 than ever before.

“;Now we know what works and what doesn't,”; Kekoa said earlier this week. “;The sound didn't really change ... it's just gotten more clean, more comfortable, more simple.”;

The release of their latest album, “;Everyday,”; in August marked the end of a three-year journey back from an uncomfortable hiatus that started in 2004. They'll celebrate with New Zealand's Three Houses Down and local favorites Natural Vibrations, Kawao, Ekolu, Rebel Souljahz and Island Rhythms during a CD release party at Aloha Tower on Saturday.

DELOS SANTOS WAS apologetic when he arrived 10 minutes late for an interview at the Star-Bulletin newsroom on Monday afternoon.

He called a few hours earlier, warning that surf was up in town and the water was calling. And for the guys of Ten Feet, that could only mean one thing.

“;Surfing is everything,”; he explained. “;The ocean is a church for us.”;

Kekoa and bassist Jon Irei showed up soon after, still shaking saltwater from their ears. Tanned and content from their “;business meeting”; off Oahu's south shore, Kekoa echoed Delos Santos' sentiments about surfing and its effect on the Ten Feet sound.

“;When I come out of the water, I'm fresh again,”; said Kekoa. “;It makes me forget about everything else ... (and) helps with the songwriting and all of that.”;

It was the same activity that led to the formation of Ten Feet in 1995, following a historically epic summer of surf. Kekoa and Delos Santos, who returned to Hawaii after graduating from college on the mainland, would bring guitars to Sand Island Park and jam after catching some waves.

“;We never really wanted to be an island band,”; said Delos Santos. “;We'd just chill at the beach and kanikapila for all the boys.”;

At the urging of friends, they recruited drummer Nate Martin and guitarist Ericson Carnate. Original bassist Jojo Guzman migrated from another local band to complete the lineup.

Citing musical influences including the Eagles, Kalapana, Bon Jovi and Jimi Hendrix, Ten Feet began the difficult task of building a following. During the next four years, downtown venue Mango's and Liquid Surf Den at Puck's Alley helped introduce them to new fans, along with endless gigs at graduation parties, baby luaus and other private events.

“;It was fun,”; Delos Santos said. “;We'd make less money doing 10 gigs in a week than what we make in less than half an hour at a gig now.”;

BY THE TIME their debut album, “;Island Feeling,”; hit stores in 2000, Ten Feet had succeeded in gaining a loyal fan base.

According to Delos Santos, they sold approximately 10,000 copies during the first week of sales, landing the album at No. 3 on the Billboard World Music chart. That was followed by a Na Hoku Hanohano Award and four straight years of touring throughout Hawaii and the mainland.

“;We were making a lot of money back then ... close to six figures, if not six figures each, after the (first) album came out,”; said Delos Santos. “;But what happened was that the second album got rushed.

“;And I was burned out.”;

As “;Island Feeling Pt. II”; was released in 2002, Delos Santos announced his departure from the group. The grind of traveling and dealing with the business side of touring took all the fun out of making music and performing.

“;It just felt like work already,”; said Kekoa. “;But we're older and wiser now, and we see the land mines before we hit them.”;

TEN FEET CONTINUED without Delos Santos for two years before deciding to take a break in 2004.

Both Kekoa and Delos Santos agreed that everyone in the band remained on good terms, which helped pave the way for them to head back to the studio in 2006 to start work on “;Everyday.”;

  Anchored by a wildly popular rendition of Jason Mraz's hit, “;I'm Yours,”; the new album represents Ten Feet's best work, according to Delos Santos.

“;It's really representative of who we are,”; he said. “;Before, we were trying too hard.”;

With 15 tracks, 10 of them original compositions, “;Everyday”; also pays tribute to Ten Feet's roots with a cover of “;Heartaches and Heartbreaks”; and George Harrison's “;Something,”; another track the band says was influential on their overall sound.

Although some bands take issue over playing another artist's music, Delos Santos sees it more as an opportunity to remind fans of their influences, and it allows them to put their mark on some of their all-time favorite songs.

“;It's the best album we ever made,”; added Kekoa. “;People should buy it. They just should.”;