ome people just always do their own thing no matter what other people may tell them. Some people just seemed specifically created to do what they do. One of the best examples of these observations has to be Anberlin frontman Stephen Christian. Whether it’s fronting the widely successful indie alternative act, Anberlin, turning down the volume to bring us his long awaited side project Anchor and Braille, or running his own non-profit organization, Stephen Christian lets his cool demeanor and passion for life shine through everything he chooses to put his hands in.

Making the transition to a major label in 2007 and releasing the band’s fourth record, New Surrender, the newly married frontman and activist seems ready more than ever to take the next big step, whatever he chooses that step to be. Both Stephen and Faceless International co-founder, Sarah Freeman, were able to answer a few of our questions.  

First off, let me say congratulations on all the success Anberlin has been experiencing with New Surrender. What’s new in your life?

Stephen Christian: Everything feels new, I feel like with the push that Universal gave us, Anberlin has been still steadily rising which is always a great feeling. Anchor & Braille comes out at the end of June, something I have been working on for years now, & Faceless is taking their first trip to the Ukraine this year which is really near to my heart.  

How did it feel to have “Feel Good Drag” claim the number one spot on The Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart after 29 weeks of climbing?  

SC: Sometimes I think the exhilaration of a challenge is much more intoxicating then the sigh of relief when the goal is reached. I didn’t jump up and down like I thought, it was more a weight was lifted off that I felt that we had accomplished our goal and the fans & label had given this moment to me. It’s something I will have with me for the rest of my life, something I will never forget!  

What made you want to re-record “The Feel Good Drag” for this new album?   

SC: The fact is I knew I had an amazing radio song sitting on the end of an album that very few people bought. Why not? I guess my hunch was correct.  

How was the transition from Tooth N’ Nail to Universal Republic? Is there anything you miss about being on a smaller label?  

SC: I miss the family atmosphere that Tooth and Nail gave us. I was friends with everyone I worked with there; which turns out positive and negative. At Universal they are all professionals, they know exactly what it takes and how to get you there. They just don’t really know you very well at all, which, again, is positive and negative. I am just elated that I had the opportunity to do both. If I could combine the two into one label it would be ideal. ‘Toothrepublic’ has a ring to it right?  

Aaron Sprinkle recorded your first three albums. How was it working with new producer Neal Avron?  

SC: Incredible. It was the hardest I have EVER worked on a record, he pushed me far beyond what I am used to and challenged me to be better. I think I will never go into a record the same again. I wish we would have started with Neal and ended with Sprinkle.They are both incredible in their own way. Both of them are genius’s for sure.  

What is the current status of your side project Anchor & Braille? Is Aaron Marsh of Copeland still on board?

SC: Aaron Marsh has always been on board as producer, but never anything more. He is an incredible musician and producer and I can’t WAIT to get started on the next album. I have material coming out of my pores!   

Where would you like to see it go in the future?

SC: I would love Anchor & Braille to begin touring in Anberlin’s off time. I want to put out at LEAST two records with it, hopefully three. I would love to start songwriting with people, it’s a craft that I have had the opportunity to hone after these few years. Working on other people’s songs and making them the best they can be is a rather exhilarating feeling. One I hope to experience more and more as time goes on.  

Something that a lot of people don’t know about you is that you started a non-profit called Faceless International with your long time friend Sarah Freeman. How was Faceless International started and what are some of its main goals?  

Sarah Freeman: Faceless was started in 2006 in Haiti with Stephen and I, along with another dear friend of ours, Seth. While in Haiti, we saw how the group we had with us came back changed, and ready to make changes in their life, after learning about life in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Because of this first group, we knew this experience had to be repeated through other trips. Our goal with Faceless is to use music and the arts to encourage young adults to make a difference in the world-specifically fighting against Human Trafficking and modern day slavery.  

SC: Exactly what Sarah said, but to add I don’t think we knew right away that human trafficking was going to be our goal; but when we looked around the world at all the various hurt we realized that nothing else in this world caused us as much pain or sorrow as the little girls who are trafficked around the world. I think we both saw the deeper we dove into the trips and causes that human trafficking was going to be our primary task to abolish.   

What are some of the organization’s current goals?  

SF: One short term goal is to create a regional program in various cities around the country that would best enable young adults to make changes right in their own communities. We believe change in the world, starts by making change right in our own cities! Additionally, we have many more exciting trips planned for winter of 2009 and spring/summer of 2010. We have several goals for the future including building a school in India and a safe house for trafficking victims in Tennessee.  

SC: Wow, I don’t even need to answer! Sarah is brilliant! I would love for more and more people of all ages to come along side Faceless and help. I would like to expand our reach into Africa where it’s not just human trafficking they fight but a huge AIDS crisis. I can NOT wait for this year’s trip to India, we are going to go into Mother Theresa’s Nimal Hriday (pure heart) home for the dying destitute, something I have always wanted to do.   

With such a busy touring schedule, how do you juggle both endeavors?  

SC: Sarah. Without Sarah this would crumble. She keeps me up to date and we work together through email, and meet in Nashville whenever I am home. Seth and Lori provide some much needed backbone to help see these trips through. She understands my schedule but knows my heart is in this. God could not have worked this out any better.  

Sarah, is this kind of work something that you were always interested in?

SF: I always saw the power that youth and young adults hold and I always truly believed that music is a great catalyst to encourage this power. But I never dreamed I would be able to help with a company like Faceless. I was a youth leader for some great youth and then a teacher for some great students in Florida. Working closely with them, really showed me the potential that the next generation holds. They need our generation to enable them, to guide them, and then to give them the opportunity to lead and make a difference. I never dreamed that I would be doing this, but honestly, I can’t see myself doing anything else!  

What kind of support for this cause have you seen come from the entertainment industry?  

SC: Well Faceless is a new company so even though we have several bands involved it is no where near huge organizations. But honestly, it doesn’t matter, because I do not care if people get involved with Faceless, I just care that people GET INVOLVED! I would love it if everyone in the entertainment industry just picked a cause of their choice then fought for it! But its not just entertainers, each and everyone of us can make a difference in our world if we simply put our mind to it. You don’t have to go around the world to create change! It can be in your own state, city, school, or neighborhood! GET INVOLVED!  

You were recently up for the Myspace Impact Awards. What was the plan if you had won the prize money?

SF: We are not giving up on this! We hope to get nominated again! With the money, we really want to get our school built in southern India. In all of southern India, there are only 2 free schools. Schooling in India cost approximately 200 rupees or $4 a week to attend. Most people in India do not make 200 rupees a year. We want to build as many free schools as we can in India to give the children the education they need to escape the chains of poverty that lead to modern day slavery. We fully believe that with more education for children in impoverished countries, modern day slavery can end.  

Tell us a little about your connection with the Dream Center in L.A.

SF: We are dear friends with many of the organizations that come out of the Dream Center. Currently, the dream center has over 200 ministries to Los Angeles. One of their newest endeavors, and one that we are really excited about, is a new shelter for trafficking victims in Los Angeles. Currently there are only around 30 beds for victims of human trafficking in the United States. Each year, there are an estimated 50,000 girls trafficked into the United States. Simply put, we need more beds and the Dream Center is making this happen. Because of their hard work, their will be over 100 more beds available for victims.  

Where do you see yourselves and Faceless in about ten years?  

SC: God willing, I would love to be doing Faceless full time with my dear friends Lori, Sarah, & Seth. I would love to continue to song write here and there, play with my (future) kids, then go work on Faceless stuff in the basement of my house which I will convert into a Starbucks.

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Sleeping Giant | Awake & Conquer
Written By: Jameson Ketchum

ast November, I was privileged enough to join The Wake Tour beginning down in Dallas, TX. What I saw there was nothing short of amazing. Sleeping Giant, a driving force with the heaviest of breakdowns and an unmatched live show, headlined the tour with their very unique brand of hardcore and a message with a purpose. Sleeping Giant preaches hope, repentance and forgiveness while keeping the brutal beats constantly coming. But this is no ordinary inspirational band. For the past several years, Sleeping Giant has been taking their message of love to the underground, screaming, pleading with anyone who is within shouting distance to awake and realize their own potential as a Christian in a dark and broken world.

With a new record coming out this month, the boys from Redlands are poised to plead with you once again. However, the making of the new album, entitled Sons of Thunder, proved to be a difficult one. With vocalist Tommy Green living in Utah and the rest of the guys residing in California, schedules clashed and a brush with the elements kept the recording process interesting,

“I was in Utah and they came out twice and recorded vocals in my basement”, Green told us recently. “My family and I were essentially without a home for the entire process due to a roofer screwing up on our apartment and flooding our house so we were living out of suitcases for like eight months not knowing where we were going to end up, and a family at our church let us stay at their empty place, so the guys came out and we did it up out there.”

Green feared that the end product would suffer due to the distance between the band members and a feeling of disconnection. But after a first listen, Green was positive that this was the honest record that he had wanted to give to us; a raw, stripped down album that ended up being exactly the type of worship that God had put on his heart to make. Construction disasters and distance worries aside, SG was able to produce their most fierce tracks to date.

Always the self reflecting poet, Green pulled from himself for the new material.

“I write who and what I am for the most part, in love with God and absolutely sick in love with Jesus for all that He is to me and has done for us. I am a worshipper, but this record came from a deep place of pain and frustration and rage and serious injustice I see everywhere.”

And we would expect nothing less from Sleeping Giant. Since 2006, these guys have been known for their intense shows, super heavy breakdowns and willingness to spread the word of God without a relenting bone in their bodies. When you talk with Green, the first trait that jumps out at you is his passion… about everything. He hurts when he sees man hurting. He sees the brokenness in the world and he longs to tell people that there is more and that they themselves have the power to awake and change things, both in their own lives and the lives of others.

“We release the goodness and love of Christ and it transforms. It changes minds and thoughts so we do not waste away spiritually, emotionally, or physically. It is about revolution. This place is not permanent, so Sleeping Giant rises up worshippers to sing the knowledge of God and call out to those who need God and know that really, we were made to live forever.”

As for their live shows, expect a full on worship service with tribal like dancing and a call to arms each night. Standing in that arena in Dallas was unlike anything I had ever seen before at a hardcore show. People were falling to their knees, praying and crying out for answers, for something, for God. Green was the perfect man to guide them through the beginning of their journeys. His passion for the craft, his rage against the injustices and wrongs that man has done against God, his pleading with the crowd to search for more all came together into one beautiful set of songs that, I’m sure, changed lives that night.

“We could just play the heavy stuff and act like the whole point of our existence isn’t all about Jesus, really we could play the game. No.  Music was made by God and is made and meant for God. We play our music because God loves us and gave us the passion for sound and music, but we gave it to Him. Top to bottom, anything else spells compromise.”

Green went on to tell us how easy it would be to slip into the snares and traps of becoming a “normal band” but he believes that their most important goal is to ignore the possible fame and to remain pure in the eyes of the Lord. “Worshipper is an identity that you are once you step into relationship with Jesus.” This identity is apparent any time you see SG take the stage. “Our main goal is to be with God, to know God more and make God known. We want kids to see the kingdom of heaven in their midst; worship, glory, power and love.”

On The Wake Tour, I witnessed healings firsthand. People, who may or may not have believed in anything before they came that night, came to the stage after Sleeping Giant’s set and asked for prayer for healing and they were all healed instantly. I had never seen anything like this let alone musicians who cared enough to not only stick around for hours and hours after a show, but actually put their arms around their fans and pray with them. This is the type of thing that sets Sleeping Giant apart from their peers. This is the type of thing that has gotten Sleeping Giant to where they are today. They are at the point where they can confidently cry out to their crowds, “Arise sleeping giants!” And we will all listen and begin our journeys.

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We Shot The Moon | Head In The Clouds, Feet On The Ground
Written By: Jameson Ketchum

onathan Jones has been a mainstay in the indie pop scene since the formation of Waking Ashland in 2003. Since then, Jones has had his share of ups and downs, disbanding Waking Ashland, and a struggle with what his new outfit would look like.

Now, armed with some of the most infectious tunes you’ll hear this summer, Jones, along with his new band, We Shot The Moon, are standing on the edge of something great and he can’t wait for you to listen. We chatted with Jones outside The Venue in Boise, Idaho to get his take on the past, present, and what is in store for We Shot The Moon.

Tell us a bit about this new record.

Jonathan Jones: I would love to tell you about our new record. We just got done recording a record called A Silver Lining. It’s going to be 11 songs and it should come out in late July. We recorded with Mike Green a couple months ago and we couldn’t be happier. It definitely showcases the band we’re trying to be and it’s a more honest approach. The lyric writing is very honest and I think the melodies are a bit stronger this time around.

Waking Ashland broke up in mid 2007. What were you thoughts on continuing in music? Or was that choice a no brainer?

JJ: When Waking Ashland broke up it threw me for a loop because it was a bit premature. It was my choice for it to break up because I was extremely unhappy but when all was said and done it threw me for a loop and I took a couple months to decide what I wanted to do. Eventually, as I regained my senses, it was like well wait a minute, this story is not done, I have more to say, I want to write more songs, I want to try this again, so I started We Shot The Moon.

I know that some of the guys from Sherwood helped you out a lot.

JJ: They did. Sherwood was a part of We Shot The Moon as far as helping record the first record but now Sherwood’s involvement is minimal. Dan Cook and Joe played on the record.

Would you say your influences changed much from the time you were writing for Waking Ashland to when We Shot the Moon began writing?

JJ: Not really. I mean if anything I’m back to where I was in Waking Ashland which is a good thing. For awhile I think I thought too much about music, I was over thinking things, trying to be something I wasn’t, and now I have just kind of been real honest and have a direct approach. I feel like I’ve taken up where Waking Ashland left off.

You told me awhile back that this next album would be a lot more focused on aspects of your faith. Was that something that ended up shining through on this new release?

JJ: I think the theme was that I’m getting older and I need to take life a little more seriously and so I wrote a record that kind of reflected that. There are songs on the record like “A Silver Lining” that are about being found, the concept of being lost and being found. It’s obviously not a new concept but I took my stab at that because I felt for awhile that that was me so I decided to write a song about it. There are other songs such as “Candles” that is similar and very faith based. It’s a good honest approach. I’m excited for people to hear it.

What are some of your favorite tracks of the new record?

JJ: “Woke Her Up”, “Miracle”.

Miracle is my new favorite song.

JJ: Yeah, playing “On The Brightside” live is crazy. We’ve been playing that live and it’s been awesome. People have really responded well and the song means a lot to me. It’s more on the poppy side and I don’t know, I’m trying to please everyone I guess. I’m trying to just write different types of songs. I think a lot of people will like that song.

We were just listening to that song today and loving it.

JJ: Thank you.

Do you still have fans requesting that you play Waking Ashland songs? Will you play them?

JJ: I do and for encores I’ll do it. I’ll definitely do it if it’s that kind of night.

Do you feel like that stuff is behind you though?

JJ: No, that stuff is a part of my life. I love playing it. It just has to be the right mood if that makes sense. It is in the past and We Shot The Moon is a new band with new guys and they get it. They know it’s my past and no one is bitter. It just has to be that special night where it feels right.

I am absolutely hooked on the songs “In the Blue” and “Welcome Home”. Can you tell us a little bit about the meanings behind those songs?

JJ: “Welcome Home” is about coming back from tour and feeling lost in life. Just giving so much and not feeling like you’re getting much in return. It’s about making it in life. You set these goals and then its about wondering, “Am I really going to achieve this dream or am I going to be like thirty and look back and say wow I tried hard but it didn’t really happen for me” and “Welcome Home” kind of tackles that. There is also a Holy Spirit reference in the song.

I can’t think of what part that is.

JJ: You’ll have to listen to the song to find out. It’s there.

And “In The Blue”?

JJ: It’s about a girl, my high school sweetheart who I continue to write songs about which is crazy. There’s like three songs about her on the new record which blows my mind because I don’t ever really talk to her but I still seem to be hung up on it.

Is it just nostalgia though?

JJ: I don’t think so, unfortunately, I wish it was.

Tell us a little about your solo album you just released.

JJ: Oh thank you. I released a record on i-tunes and all the digital outlets called We Were Young and it’s really piano driven. It’s recorded in a simpler fashion where there’s no tricks really. It’s pretty raw sounding.

Did it only come out on hard copy in Japan?

JJ: Yes but I think when I do a solo tour I’ll have hard copies.

Have you seen a good response in Japan?

JJ: Oh yeah it sold really well. It had a good first week.

I’ve heard you state before that Switchfoot was a huge influence on you wanting to be in a band. What it’s like now being in that position where you’re the one influencing people to start playing music? Have you experienced people saying that kind of thing much?

JJ: Yeah some people do its pretty trippy and flattering. I don’t know how to respond sometimes. That’s like a big thing because I remember what Switchfoot was to me so when somebody is coming up to me saying, “Man you really influenced my writing or I’m playing music because I really like what you do, its helped me” I’m like wow I don’t know what to say. All I can do is smile because it’s the reason I play music. To know I’m affecting someone positively, it’s huge, it’s everything.

Who are you currently listening to? Is there anyone out there that is currently impressing your socks off?

JJ: I liked Augustana’s last record. That was cool. I’ve been listening to Andrew Bird a lot. Who have I been listening to? I wish I had my ipod with me. I guess I’ll just leave you with Andrew Bird. He’s enough.

What will we see coming from We Shot The Moon this summer?

JJ: A ton of touring. We’re going to be switching labels. We’re shopping our record right now. We’re not going to be put out on Militia Group and hopefully people will see a refreshed band that’s playing consistently and there are some new things we want to do with media outlets that I can’t talk about quite yet.

Well thank you for talking with us.  

JJ: Absolutely. Thank you.

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Mattie Montgomery of For Today | “Bringing Strength To The Weak And Life To The Dead”
Written By: Jeremy Seick

our Faith is your own and how you are led to present it is between you and God. Some let their actions speak for them, others choose to use their words, preaching the truths of the gospel in love. For Today utilizes both, and they are not afraid to let you know what they believe. On their new album titled Portraits, they profess fiercely, “We are not ashamed!” In Jeremiah, the Lord declares, “Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. For today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land... They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you...” There is a point to what they stand for, and why they stand for it, and as For Today boldly stands to speak truth into the lives of anyone who will listen, God richly blesses them and uses them to make His great power known all over the world. You want proof? Frontman Mattie Montgomery has hours of stories, from calling off the rain to speaking in languages that they did  not know to healing through the name of Jesus Christ.

“God just provided for us, abundantly. That’s what He does for anyone and everyone that is willing to put their well being in His hands--not just us.” For Today stands as a ministry of the gospel. Mattie states, “[We want] to see the whole world come to know Christ. Not just the kids in this scene. Not just the people in our city. Not just the people in America, but for every single soul on this earth to know the peace, the hope, and the purpose of a personal relationship with our Creator.” Standing strong in their convictions, For Today exists not only to seek the lost but to strengthen the saved. One listen through their last album titled Ekklesia and you will get it.

For Today shows how passionate they are by taking their ministry on the road all summer long through four different countries. Mattie tells us, “We are doing a CD release tour of the mid west June 5th-13th. After that, we are heading to Costa Rica and Panama for a week, then starting Scream The Prayer with some amazing bands and good friends of ours. That will run from June 26th-August 2nd. The day after that, we leave for two weeks in Australia with our brothers in Saving Grace.” He adds, “It’s going to be a crazy summer, but it will be tons of fun.”

Be sure to check their tour dates and make it out to a show near your city, you will not be dissapointed. Also, do not forget to grab the new album Portraits which will land in stores on June 9th.

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RYFO Network | The Back Story
Written By: Nick Greenwood

ost of us are enamored by the tragedies and glories we see when we watch shows like VH1’s Behind The Music.  Being enamored by watching glories is fine.  Tragedies, no.  Why do we love watching artist’s pitfalls and wounds?!  It’s sick if you think about it.  We watch, in anticipation of the dirt that we know is coming.  Five years ago, I was struck with a desire to come alongside these guys and girls.

A few years ago, friends of mine asked me if I’d play bass for their soon-to-be-signed Sony Records band (that will remain nameless).  Without regrets, I turned down the offer just before they signed their huge record deal.  Watching them get launched in to the system was exciting, though at the same time, tragic.  I watched as several good friends of mine immersed themselves in to a system that didn’t want to know about their faith, values, etc., or even care about them as people.  Before I knew it, their once important faith was no longer visible.  Bad choices were made, and the things that went on while on tour were anything but God-honoring.  This broke my heart.

Since then, I’ve been talking with anyone that would listen, asking questions, and configuring and reconfiguring ideas.

Finally, last year I made a trip out to Nashville to host a discussion forum with various music industry representatives.  The product of that meeting is RYFO.org

On Touring Artists

I would first stress how important it is to build your prayer team through RYFO.org.  Having fans adopt you through RYFO.org provides you with a team of committed praying people who will actually pray for your ministry and prayer needs regularly.  Post a Myspace blog or something letting them know they can support you through RYFO.

Second, I would suggest tapping in to our Host Home network, EVEN IF you are touring in a bus.  Getting a home-cooked meal, a clean place to shower, and free laundry machines can be crucial!

On Problems Facing Artists

Obvious money is big struggle for most.  Many artists on RYFO.org post “provision” as a prayer request.  There is less money in the industry these days, making consistent touring important to the life of a band.  CD sales are down, so touring has to increase.  And in that we see another problem; artists are driven to be on tour more, and therefore away from home more and more, separated from their usual systems of support, community, and accountability.  Marriages are strained, a healthy understanding of true community is often distorted (or forgotten about), and so often killers like apathy begin to set in.  Many Christian artists go days upon days without opening their Bibles, despite the countless hours a day they spend in their van/bus.  And slowly, a once-passionate group of people potentially begin to become susceptible to attack and rendered useless for anything of lasting purpose.  Even those with the best intentions are tried and tested…some fall, some make it.

Host Families

As I briefly mentioned before, we pre-screen all RYFO affiliated Host Homes.  Anyone interested in becoming one must first fill out a lengthy application, requiring of them specific info that we use to determine whether or not they are an ideal Host Home, and then we conduct a phone interview and call their neighbors and references.  There is no guarantee that the home is 100% legit, but we do our best to determine whether or not it will be a restful, clean, encouraging place for bands to stop.

An artist will log in to the site, find a home on the RYFO Map in the area they are passing through, and message the home through the site, requesting a stay for a specific night.  Typically, these homes are the most diehard prayer supporters and encouragers.  Bands look forward to their stays at the Host Homes.

On Crazy Fans

There is no guarantee, though we do our best to weed out the crazies.  We try to make it pretty clear during the initial fan registration that if you are a “super fan”, move on.  Don’t make RYFO.org your home.

Though on the occasion that a crazy psycho fan does slip through, artists can let us know, and we can ban the fan from the site, or from certain site privileges.  This hasn’t been needed yet, probably due to the culture of the site.  It doesn’t lend itself to idiots…they don’t get too far.

Help

Register. Adopt some bands.  Pray for their posted prayer needs.  Go to their adopted artist’s shows and bless the artists by bringing them the “needs” they post (socks, tooth paste, vitamins, sour patch kids, etc.).  Apply to be a RYFO affiliated Host Home.  Offer your professional services to the RYFO network (mechanics, chiropractors, restaurant owners, etc.)…let us know if you have something to offer.  Spread the word about RYFO on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Buy a RYFO t-shirt.  And partner financially with RYFO, a 501(c)(3).
On Future Plans

We are always striving towards finding new creative and innovative ways of providing on-tour care to touring musicians.  Right now we are working out some ideas that will hopefully do just that!  Look for 6daytour.com this fall!

We’d also love to see prayer bridges built between bands and fans.  Most fans don’t think about praying for bands.  Why is this?!  Most of us just don’t think to.  We hope to see bands that join the RYFO family receive consistent prayer and help, by directing their own fans to support them through RYFO.org.

Also, we have a goal to see at least two RYFO Host Homes in every major venue stop across the U.S. by 2010.  

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Ivoryline | Prepared To Walk The Line
Written By: Jameson Ketchum

n a scene known for being oversaturated with copycats and one hit wonders, there has been a new class of performers quietly working away in support of their innovative yet underrated material. One such band is the Tyler, Texas outfit Ivoryline. With one independently released EP and one full length album under their belts, the boys from Ivoryline have wasted no time getting back into the studio to record the follow up to their debut album on Tooth N’ Nail Records entitled There Came a Lion. Drawing comparisons to heavy hitters such as Anberlin and The Almost, Ivoryline is poised to join similar ranks with their second full length release slated for the near future. Vocalist Jeremy Gray was kind enough to answer a few of our questions while taking a break from writing the album.

Where are you guys at right now in the writing process?  

Jeremy Gray: We are right in the thick of it. We have about nine songs written so far, and each one surprises us. One of us is constantly saying “this one is my new favorite!” So yeah, we are very excited. Right now, I’m focusing on writing lyrics and melodies, praying for inspiration so the words will be poignant and meaningful in a way I could never achieve on my own.  

Do you have any titles for the album locked down quite yet? Themes?  

JG: I have already written down a ton of possible album titles, but frankly, I don’t know if any of them will stick. With “There Came a Lion”, that phrase came to me. Sure, I had my eyes open, but I really feel like the Lord was like “bam! Here’s your album title.” It just struck me when I read it. So I’m open to Him disrupting my plans for the album title (laughs). Most of the title themes I have written down so far have to do with desire, coming alive and living from the heart.  

What would you say is going to be the major differences between There Came a Lion and this upcoming release?

JG: Hard to say. The overall feel, sound, mood, whatever you want to call it of this record is going to be different. I guess you could call it more serious, more urgent, and more intimate. The songs of this record also have more dynamic range. I think the heavier parts are going to be heavier, and the prettier parts, softer. But the really cool thing is that we didn’t try to do any of it. Everything we’ve written has been natural and honest. We didn’t know what this record was going to sound like. I hope people who listen can feel that true quality of what we’ve written.  

You guys toured quite a bit for your previous album. How was life on the road? Will we see aspects of those experiences on the new record?

JG: Life on the road is a roller-coaster. I mean, you never know what’s going to happen in a given day. You don’t have that security of being at home in your comfort zone, in your hometown, with your friends and family. The only thing you know is, tomorrow you wake up and do it all again. Different city. Different people. It really has forced us to become closer than brothers. We know each others strengths, weaknesses, struggles, and moods. And I think for the most part, we’ve learned to love all of it.

Some tours we’ve felt God’s favor and presence and things have run like clockwork. Others, we feel like we are fighting for our lives – battling sickness, depression, lack of money, discouragement and the like. It really is true though. You learn more when you are pressed. Much of the knowledge and bits of wisdom I’ve learned have been in the hardest times on the road. All of that will be reflected in the lyrics of this next record. Just not sure exactly how it will be worded yet.

What are some of your plans for the summer?  

JG: After two weeks of Warped, we are driving back to the East Coast to tour with Emery. That tour is “Thee Summer Bailout Tour” and we’ll be on that for about a month. So we’re stoked. We’re also going to still be working on the record whenever we can while we’re on tour and the time we do get at home.  

You guys seem to have a great connection with your fans. Is that something that was always present or was it something you had to work at?

JG: It’s something we’ve always tried to have and honesty with our fans has always been a goal of ours. But yes, we’ve worked for it though. We’re learned over the years how to play better live, how to better involve the people in the audience to really create an experience for them. We love our fans. It still amazes me that so many people have listened to and enjoyed our music. We are truly blessed, and we are going to do everything we can to keep that connection with our fans vibrant.  

What would you say makes Ivoryline’s music unique?

JG: I find it hard to answer that question from my perspective. To me, our music is unique simply because we are creating music, which becomes songs, which becomes an album out of nothing. We write music that gets us excited, and work toward those moments when something we play or sing actually freaks us out! (In a good way) I guess what makes it unique is that we each put ourselves into the song in some way. We always write and craft the songs as a group, so we are constantly meshing the feelings and opinions of four different guys together. Lyrically, we try to write songs that people can relate to, be inspired by, be challenged by and feel connected to in a meaningful way. Having people sing along to our songs has always been an honor for us. We love it. We also know that it’s hard to be unique these days and that’s not really the point. So we don’t try. We just are ourselves.  

What are some of your sources of inspiration while writing lyrics? Do you feel like you have to be specifically inspired or can you just sit down and bust out song after song?

JG: I definitely thrive off inspiration. I pray for the Lord to inspire me daily with the songs he wants me to write. Something really has to resonate with me for me to write it down and then sing it. I definitely don’t crank out songs. It’s more of a crafting process. There have been a couple times when the Holy Spirit has inspired me (written through me) and I have been able to write a song from start to finish without stopping. The main source of inspiration for content comes from my life directly: things I’ve learned, ways I’ve crashed and burned, relationships, my faith and relationship with God. Also, I’m a big reader so I have drawn measureless inspiration from authors like John Eldredge, CS Lewis, and John Piper to name a few.

What are some long term goals for Ivoryline?

JG: Honestly, we want to keep writing music and touring as long as we feel it is what we are meant to do. It’s amazing that we are able to do what we love as our career, and we realize that. We try to never forget how far we’ve come and focus on our blessings. It’s so easy to get lost these days in what you don’t have, or comparing yourself to all the other bands and their success. That’s all a trap though. Every day is a gift. Ideally, we want to be able to support our families when that time comes around. If we’ve learned anything so far through this band though, we’ve learned that God will surprise us. His plans are so much great than ours, so for the most part, the long term is up to Him, and we will fight to make it happen.  

Who is currently on constant rotation on your ipod?

JG: Recently, I’ve been listened to Bjork almost non-stop. Her greatest hits record is amazing. I just love how emotion and different her sound and her voice is. I’ll also rotate in some Radiohead, Interpol, the Killers, Nada Surf.  

Is there anything else you would like to add?

JG: Thanks for talking with us. To those of you who read this, we hope to see you a show soon!

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Once Nothing | Non-Stop
Written By: Jeremy Seick

uns N’ Roses was right when he said, “You don’t know what you go till it’s gone.” But Once Nothing got a taste of this quote on their last two shows. It is hard to see a favorite band call it quits, but you know what they say, ...something about all good things having to end... I guess.

Though I hate it, that was the case for Once Nothing. Touring non stop over their nine year life span, member changes, countless EP’s... well I will let them tell you. I got a chance to talk to ON recently and those that followed these guys closely know that there was not much closure given about their decision to part ways. I dove in and asked them about the break up, as well as about them coming up in Pittsburgh, stories of the road, their nine years together and what is next for them as individuals, apart from Once Nothing.

With your more recent signing to Solid State Records and things really starting to pick up for you guys, was this a hard decision to make? Or did it just seem right?

Once Nothing: It was an extremely hard decision to make.  Once Nothing was our lives for a very long time.  I figured out that we did somewhere between 700 and 800 shows in 4 years, and that’s more than some major artists do in a lifetime.  I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t animosity or bitterness between us at times because of it, you can’t go from spending that much time with people to not having that career without it.  I can tell you that we’re all friends now and still love each other like brothers.

The reason we got for Once Nothing coming to an end was fairly brief and left fans with a lot of questions. Is there anything that you can add to the explanation?

ON: We always believed that we’d be able to achieve whatever we wanted by hard work.  And in a sense, that’s very true; we did what we set out to do.  We were able to tour with some awesome bands, record a real record and have it everywhere we went, and spend months at a time on the road.  That being said, there’s a lot of crap that happens within the upper rankings of the music industry.  I always read interviews where people say, “Watch out for the music industry, it’s waiting to rape you,” and I never believed them.  The odds are so stacked against the artist.  With the decline in record sales and the myspace generation of bands that pop up literally overnight and have huge careers, it’s extremely stressful and difficult to keep the good old fashioned band running.  We always felt like playing shows was the best way to make fans, but when you’re passed up for tours for overnight bands, or are booked by kids that just want to say they did it and don’t keep to their guarantees, or any of the other world of financial troubles it makes it really difficult to keep it up.  The passion for playing and touring was never an issue, Once Nothing was just dealt a bad hand in the “music business” realm which burnt some of us out. No one wants to kick a dead horse forever, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”

How would you describe touring for 9 years?

ON: It’s very adventurous.  Especially when you start with very little and work your way up. Like a van, then van and trailer, and bigger trailer, and you’re playing shows local and someone offers you a show in a city you’ve only heard of, and then you’re going on tour and YOU’RE paying to be on tour, and the people you meet in every city that become close friends, and the problems you run into, and then you’re being offered tours with bands that you’ve looked up to.  There’s a million things to take in and reflecting on it is very vast, but I can’t/none of us would ever trade it for the world.

What were some of your favorite spots to play?

ON: There were a bunch of cities that always treated us like we were at home.  Obviously Pittsburgh, but shortly thereafter Sterling, Virginia was always great to us, they were the first place outside of Pittsburgh to really believe in us.  Also there’s a town in Ohio called Dover where we had the most insane shows...their town had Once Nothing Thursdays, which is hilarious.

Any favorite memories or good stories?

ON: Too many to choose from.  We toured with Gwen Stacy and A Plea for Purging long before any of us had labels and we ended up playing this venue in Michigan where only 2 people showed up.  We all cut our sets down to 3 songs a piece, but went crazy and had a lot of fun cheering for each other and acting like idiots (stage diving, pile ons, *horrible moshing).  Though the bigger things we did were amazing, it’s little things like that where you make the friends that stay that are nice to reminisce on.

You guys are known for your gritty brand of Blue Collar Metal. How have your upbringings and lifestyles helped to form your style?

ON: It’s kind of just the way Pittsburgh works.  People here work hard and have a different kind of attitude.  We were dogged for sounding “Too southern to be from the north,” but our radio stations play a lot of southern rock every day, so how can you expect not to take influence?  I think the rough and tumble  lifestyles that show in Pittsburgh gave us the drive to leave it.  For whatever reason it gets passed up on a lot of tours and in all actuality, there aren’t many bands that make it out, so we just had to keep pushing ourselves further and further out until someone finally noticed.

What were the last few shows like emotionally? And what were the responses from the crowds like?

ON: They were exhausting emotionally.  We played the 2 places where we’ve always been supported the most, Sterling, Virginia and our hometown Pittsburgh, Pa.  The fact that they came so far after the breakup announcement gave us an attitude of just wanting closure on it, but those shows were amazing.  Sometimes when things were going wrong I know I felt like it was us against the world, but at the last shows I was completely surprised by how many people came up to us and said that we dramatically influenced their lives.  That’s completely insane to me.  It went so far as I had a bunch of kids tell me that I was the reason they’ve picked up the bass guitar, which was the most gratifying thing I’ve ever heard.  To me, people like Flea and Cliff Burton made me pick the bass, and to be that for someone else is the biggest honor I could ever ask for, and it just made it that much more emotional to do it for the last time.

As for the crowds, I don’t know if I can describe it.  Kids were headbanging the entire show with us and yelling the words and some were even crying at times.  It was just proof to us that we were part of something way bigger than any of us in the band, and it was sad but also amazing.  Both nights kids rushed the stage at the end and I’m certain I gave more hugs between those two nights than probably combined years of my life.

What now? Can you talk briefly on what is going on with the different members?

ON: Todd has moved to LA for awhile for a change of scenery and to pursue his solo acoustic career more.
Giuseppe is a hired gun, playing drums for Haste the Day now.  Steve is filling in on bass for War of Ages this summer/fall while their bassist takes time off. Geoff is now fronting Gwen Stacy and they’re on tour. Jordan is...I can’t say yet, but he’s pursing a potentially awesome opportunity.

Dave and Josh have a lawn company together and they hangout and work on their trucks. Ryan and Kevin are both happily married.

It will be hard not to see Once Nothing touring through our town twice a year, but eventually that hurt will turn into a callous. Once Nothing is right when they talk about overnight Myspace bands blowing up then burning out. ON was not that band. They hustled and worked hard because they loved it and they loved us. It made me think that maybe I could have done more and maybe they would still be with us. Like a friend dying has been the death of ON. And though we cant go back and save them, we can do our best to make sure it won’t happen to anymore of our friends. Although maybe that is just life.

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