smartpunk

> *When and how did you form?
>
three and a half years ago the 4 of us came together and decided that we wanted to pursue our dreams and passions and follow music full time. i was still in college and we went to atlanta, georgia and recorded our demo with matt goldman. we shipped it off to various labels and got amazing response. we assessed all the contracts offered and realized tooth and nail gave us the biggest opportunity and a fighting chance.
strayer (guitarist) joined us may of ‘05 and has made such a positive impact on our live show.

> *What are your day jobs?
>
fortunatly for us we have the opportunity to tour enough that we don't have to work, but the last job i had was substituting for the polk county school system. deon has worked for his dads pipeline business, strayer worked @ blockbuster, nate used to mow lawns, and i dont think joey has ever had a job.

> *How would you describe yourselves to someone who has never heard you?
> *If we were to search your practice space, what would we find that is not
> music related?
>
somewhere between 80's new wave and indie-rock. i have no idea. i dont think that any bands like to give themselfs labels, i dont think any of us want to fit into any mold. we lie to ourselfs and pretend were original. but were all products of things that have gone before us. so for us, we get our inspiration from everything from the cure to the rolling stones.
our practice space is actually a recording studio owned by a guy name steve johnson. he is such a funny guy, i think he collects everything. there are telescopes, a car, old 80's instructional drumming videos, old computers, random tapes, mic stands made of car stearing wheels, workout equipment, and the latest edition... a pair of boxing gloves that we used alot during this last practice.

> *On your next release, is Aaron Sprinkle going to be producing it?

yes we are going to seattle this august to record our third record. aaron has been such a good producer and been more of a friend than just an engineer. he has a very hands off attitude, and leaves us up to our own decisions. at first this was hard for me to understand, but then it taught me that i need to learn how to arrange and come up with harmonies, and figure out what fits where soley on my own without outside influences. i am looking forward to this record. more than i can tell you. i am so confident in the few songs that are completed, though joey sent me the 18th demo this morning.
>
> *When can we expect the next release?

darker, not different, just darker. i hate when bands change to where they are not the same band anymore, so there is definetly going to be some type of cohesion between albums, but this one will be the most introspective for sure. i would like to think that this is our london calling, or ok computer. not that i think this album will compare in greatness to either of those, but this will be the album all the others are judged by.
i think that the first record very nieve, very innocent... man vs. nature. we knew there was a big world out there, but we had never seen it. the second record was about interpersonal communication with others. it was all about friendships, relationships... basically others, like man vs. man. this album is almost going to be a biogrophy of the human mind, reaching into the desires of the sub consciouss that everyone deals with but no one talks about. this is going to be our man vs.self record. if you can't tell i am elated to be working on this! i just finished the last song (*fin) yesterday @ richards cofee shop in winter haven, florida.


>
> *If you weren't in this band, what would you be doing?

i think about that alot. not because i want to be out of the band but because i am so future oriented. i think i would be in either med school or getting my mba. i ultimetly want to work with an orginization like world vision, or unicef. i want to do something that is going to change the world, and change peoples minds about helping the world. i wouldn't even doubt it if i were to end up in a 3rd world country building orphanages for the rest of my life. who knows. and who cares. i am really content in this moment and whatever happens in the future i know will be amazing.

>
> *What do you admire most about the other band members?
strayer is such a character. he is the latest member of the band so i have only had about 2 years to get to know him. he has an electric personality on stage and him and i have this chemistry on stage that i dont share with anyone else ever!

joey and i have been friends for about 10 years, when i first met him he was invading my little punk scene, and i made fun of him because he had really long black hair and was wearing a metallica shirt. since then we have have become co-dependent on each other when it comes to writing. like john & paul. not to that level, but kinda like that. joey is the best song writer i have ever met. he can write any style of song in a matter of minutes, and it is amazing!

knater and i have become brothers. i love him like one. seriously. nate is so humble and founded in what he believes. most people his age would be all over the map trying to live it up, but he knows who he is. and thats more than i can say for most 25 year olds!

deon and i have been friends the longest. he is the most loyal friend i have ever had. we butt heads the most but thats because we are both so passionate in what we do. he is the realist and i am the dreamer. when we are home me and him hang out the most. we got off tour and 24 hours later were calling each other trying to figure out what were going to do that night. tonight he is having a bbq at his house! were all going over there to cook the rack of ribs we bought yesterday. sorry vegans!

i count seth our tour manager, keoni our tech and kyle our manager as apart of the band as well. i admire them for sticking with us. we are so adhd i dont see how they put up with us.

>
> * What are three things you'd like to do as a band that you have yet to do?

i want to go to japan.
i want to have enough money that deon can open up his resturaunt he always talks about. or the rest of the guys and myself always talk about it, cause randomly he is a really really good cook.
i want to watch xmen 3 together.

>
> * Final thoughts?
well i leave to go to haiti tomorrow morning. knate, seth, and myself are going to help build an orphanage in a remote part of the country. if i die can you have them play nico's "these days" at my funeral. i would also like for tony danza to make an appereance at my funeral. not that i am a fan of his, it just would be so random if he showed up and everybody was like "how the hell did stephen know tony danza?"

quadrangle questions

THE QUADRANGLE Questions:
1. How is this tour going?
the tour just ended about less than a week ago. it feels good to finally be home after those 9 weeks. but it ended brilliant, it was probably one of my favorite tours we have ever done. the other bands were really really good, and im always up for traveling anywhere, meeting new people, and playing shows.

2. How was the tour in Australia?

unreal!!!! i would never expect to sell out a tour in another country, and especially not a country on the other side of the planet. new zealand’s parachute fest was unbelievable as well, playing in front of 18,000 people singing along was a bigger rush than i can explain in mere words.
surfers paradise felt a lot like florida, sydney and melbourne i would move to in a heartbeat. perth was beautiful but we didn't get enough time there at all. and new zealand has the best rugby team in the world (the all blacks) so everywhere we traveled was phenomenal.

3. Some people would put you in a category of not only rock but Christian Rock...does this bother you guys in the sense that you just want to make music without being a label?
yes it bothers me, not because i am ashamed of my faith in the least bit, but because christian music is not all that unique or, in my opinion, or original in the least bit. i think that if you like a bands music you should like buy their CD regardless of what race, creed, sexual orientation, or religion they belong to. music is universal. i would hope that people would judge our music, individual songs and live show by what they see and hear, and not ignore it, or downplay it just because the band holds has faith in something bigger than themselves.

4. Were you worried about getting labeled as a band?
well we knew coming into tooth and nail that we would automatically be labeled, but our hope was that people would be open minded enough to see past the labels and give our art (music) a chance.

5. Would you even put yourself in any category?
no way. every time you put yourself in that genre you are destined to die with that genre. if you labeled yourself ‘grunge’ you died with that scene, if you call yourself ‘emo’ you are destined to disintegrate when the fad is over. but if i had to label my self i would call us straight up rock. because as we all know rock and roll will never die.
6. Radio stations have been picking up the single Paperthin Hymn, how does that feel to know your songs are on the radio?
i could have never predicted that something i put down on paper, then onto a record would ever be broadcast on the radio. in a word its very humbling.
7. Is that a goal you always thought about reaching?
no that seemed like too lofty of a goal a year ago. now it is teaching us to reach for the unobtainable, try our hardest, and make bigger plans then we ever thought possible before.
8. Each song has strong guitar sounds and catchy melodies so any reason you picked Paperthin Hymn as a single?
i think paperthin hymn is right in the middle of our music. its not as poppy as day late friend, its not as slow as symphony, and not as heavy as feel good drag. its right in the middle. and i hate it when you buy a bands album and that one song sounds so different than all the rest. i believe if you like paperthin you would like the rest of the album.
9. When tooth and nail signed you what were initial reactions?
we had no idea the ride we were in for. for sure. i never imagined we would be touring non stop, around the world, and NEVER thought that people would take to us, and buy the records like they have. my sincere thanks to each and every one of you that helped us along the way.
when we signed we were excited but nervous for sure. we were so nieve that everything advancement or opportunity was the biggest thing that could ever happen. sometimes i wish i could go back to those days.

10. Was it stressful to make the demo because you really wanted it to make an impression?
no, i think we as the band were giving up on music. we were making the demo as a last ditch message in a bottle type of deal. if something landed then great, if it didn't, well we had something to walk away with and show the grand kids. but we got allot of attention from major labels right off the bat, but that is not where we thought we would best belong. so we signed with tooth.
11. What’s the main difference in Never Take Friendship Personal from Blueprints for a black market? 
the biggest thing is confidence. for drums nate was comfortable. he had turned from a prodigy to a professional in the matter of one album. deon experimented more with playing on his own then following the lowest note of the guitar. me and joey pretty much did our own production. aaron was absent for a good majority of my vocals. but it turned out great. it pushed me to do it on my own, get better at my weakness’s instead of relying on aaron to come up with something. i want to continue that on this next record and do the vocal production completely by myself... since ‘friendship’ was pretty much just that.

12. What were you going for sound wise on Never Take Friendship Personal?
raw energy. we wanted to pull off a live show on a record. aaron (sprinkle the producer) really enjoys making radio rock albums, and we like dirty, gritty music. so when we finished friendship i think we had the amalgamation of the two.
aaron had never seen us live before he recorded our first record, so coming into the second one we asked him to come see a couple of shows to get the idea of the impact, and energy we wanted to hear on the record.

13. Would you say you experimented with guitar sounds more?
yes! joey did all his own guitar tones on this record, he experimented for hours with sounds and different types of guitars. i think he spent more time coming up with the sound than recording!

14. The first song is Never Take Friendship Personal and so is the album, why?
the name for the album came from a hard time we in the band had just dealt with prior to getting into the studio. we had just kicked out a member because his focus was ‘sex, drugs, and rock and roll,’ where ours was simply rock and roll. the music came first to us, but he had already adopted the rock star idiosyncrasies, and none of us could handle that. in a near fist fight between him and i once he yelled, ‘why don’t you go write a *&@#$ing song about it’. i one upped him. i wrote a record.
15. The album has done well, selling over 100,000 copies. Were you worried about the sophomore slump?
oh yes. i thought for sure the first album would be better then the second. no question. i think everyone is scared of the sophomore album. you have your entire life to write the first record, but only a year and a half to write your second. that is pressure. especially since i write my songs out of personal tragedy or experiences. and being in a van for a year and a half, your days are more monotonous than monumental.
16. Stephen, you said you try to make every song a true story , are you ever worried that your writing about someone or something that people you know will know its them or a situation involving them?
yes they know. a lot of them are not flattered in the least bit. some friends have distanced themselves from me in hopes their failures will not appear on the next record. but i cant help it. i cant just write a song for the sake of writing a song. it wouldn't resonate in people as much as it does if all the songs were not relatable. i want people to feel or have felt in their own lives every song that comes across their radio. poppy boy band stuff could have a catchy chorus, but it means nothing. i want my life and my music to have meaning.

17. You started the band with Deon and Joey out of boredom, is it funny in a way to look back because Anberlin is a successful band?
its a conundrum. we never in a million years thought that our boredom would turn us into the busiest people i have encountered. we rarely have time off and when we do there is always fly out dates, practice, interview, or some business matter to discuss. but i would not have it any other way. i try not to take a single day for granted!

18. You 3 also had to teach yourselves everything, was there ever time you got fed up?
not fed up, frustrated but not fed up. i think that this business is so huge the more you know the more you realize that you have no clue.
i try to read and explore as much of it as i can. i don’t want to be nieve as to where our name is represented. i want to know at the end of the day that i have done everything in my power to follow my dreams and passions to the best of my ability and not let life pass me by. it is time consuming like i said before, but completely satisfying.

19. Both Nathan’s joined the band later, what were you guys looking for in new members? Why did they fit with the band?
nate young has been with us since the beginning of anberlin essentially. strayer started as our merch guy, then he went to guitar tech and finally he started playing guitar for us when he was ready. more than their ability to play guitar like eddie van halen i think we want somebody who meshes well with us personality wise. we spend ALOT of time together and if somebody is going to act like a rock star... well, we know the ending of that story.

20. For the Paperthin Hymn video, why decide to work with Chris Sims? 
chris simms had only really done hard core bands up until working with us. we wanted the video to be a little darker and more thought provoking than our previous video day late friend. with that in mind we turned down a lot of directors and treatments before finally settling on chris. he did NOT let us down.
21. Inspiration for video? The ending kind of surprised me because you think the girl is going to die with the boy by her side by in the end it's him that ends up dying. 
hospitals. the whole song is about a series of deaths that occurred to a couple of us in the band, including joey’s sister who was only 29 and had a one and a half year old son. we were trying to portray the emotions that were behind the song, and i think it worked.
22. What’s up next for Anberlin?
nathan young and myself are going to haiti for 2 weeks to help build an orphanage. its something we have wanted to do for some time, and being that we had a couple days off it worked out perfectly.
in june we will be headlining a couple weeks before meeting up with hawthorne heights in late june.
that carries us up until we meet up with story of the year and do a canadian tour with them which ends in late july.
we end in seattle and being recording our 3rd record (out this fall), and will be up there for nearly 2 months. after that we are trying to make an australian/new zealand/japan tour happen with our good friends copeland.
so as you can see were staying busy... following our dreams. (and loving every minute of it).

indie vision music

eah you guys have been on tour for like forever. Congrats on getting as big
as you guys are. You're an amazing band. I am coming to see you with
Hawthorne Heights when you play the Orange County Fair in July! I'm bringing
the family along.

Here is the interview:

An Interview with Stephen Christian of Anberlin:

By Brandon Jones/Indie Vision Music



I first met Stephen back in 2001 when his old band played a Church I was
going to at the time. We hit it off and I was impressed with his humble
demeanor. He is a passionate guy with a lot to say. It's that same passion
that leads him to front one of the most amazing rock bands of today,
Anberlin. With that said, I'll be conducting a little interview here with
the man behind the mic.



Brandon/IVM: So first off, tell me a little bit about yourself. Where you
grew up what your hometown is like. Just the simple essentials.

i consider my hometown st joeseph, michigan. even though i have spent the majority of my years in winter haven, florida my heart is elsewhere.
st joe has such an innocence about it. childhood memories attached. the pier, the beach, the sand dunes, peerless canvas, my grandparents, etc. the fall, leaves burning, a slight chill in the air, that is where the heart is.


Brandon/IVM: You're going to hate me for asking these questions but I'm
going to do it anyway. What recollections do you have of your time with
you old band. Any good or bad things to spill? What have you learned since those
days?
i loved those days. nieve, hopeful, everything was exhilarating. the music was a cross between hotwater music and stevie vai. it was God-awful music. rather embarrassing if you ask me, but we all have to come from somewhere.
those were crimeless moments. it taught me about finding a firm foundation and humility... though that was easy when your as horrid as we were.



Brandon/IVM: Anberlin signed to T&N in 2002 and you released one of the most
incredible debut records I'd heard in a long time. What was that debut like
for you to accomplish? Any comments?

truly an acomplishent. we had no idea what we were getting into. we had walked into the studio with only 10 songs. we had no more no less. and even one of those was not ours. aaron taught us a lot (the producer) about the industry ins and outs. which ended up to be more impactful than his production.


Brandon/IVM: How has your relationship with T&N been? Have they treated you
well? Are you pleased with your current position?

i am sure that there are good and bad things about every record label. working with tooth and nail has been brilliant. i have made some invaluable friendships* that will far outlast this band.
the disadvantage of any indie is that they do not have the money to throw at clear channel or mtv to make the band happen (whether the band has talent or not.) the positive to indie labels is that they have the heart and soul. if you eat, they eat. they are along side you through the good or bad.
major labels have the money. but if your not putting up the numbers they want they have no passion or vision for your band. so which is more important... money or passion; and that's how we made our decision. there is a light that never goes out.
*one side note: another negative attribute to an indie label is that there is a lot of idle chatter, rumors, and talking behind peoples back that happens @ smaller labels. ours is no exception. sometimes it feels more like a high school than a label.


Brandon/IVM: Never Take Friendship Personal was a natural progression from
Blueprints for the Blackmarket, what is your take on the subtle differences
between records? How have you guys improved?

i think when you tour 10.5 months a year it is inevitable that you are going to put on a better and better show. with that much touring you also learn your instrument exceedingly so. i think walking into the studio the second time we had obtained one major thing that is clearly lacking on our first record. confidence.
we knew who we were and what we were setting out to achieve. aaron manipulated our sound on the first record and on the second record he was much more hands off.
we grew as people, had seen more places, experienced more failures and more success’s. life had been good to us, i had a lot to draw from. i think this third album may be our pinnacle record. it’s who we always knew we had inside us, it just took us 2 records of experimentation to finally get it down on paper and eventually record.

Brandon/IVM: What was the recording process like the second time around?
for drums nate was comfortable. he had turned from a prodigy to a professional in the matter of one album. deon experimented more with playing on his own then following the lowest note of the guitar. me and joey pretty much did our own production. aaron was absent for a good majority of my vocals. but it turned out great. it pushed me to do it on my own, get better at my weakness’s instead of relying on aaron to come up with something. i want to continue that on this next record and do the vocal production completely by myself... since ‘friendship’ was pretty much just that.


Brandon/IVM: You've dropped small hints of a future writing session for the
new record. When shall we expect to see Anberlin in the studio again? Will
an album drop this year?
we are going to end our canadian run in seattle @ the end of july and that is where we will begin this next project. we will be in the studio for about 6 weeks which will take us well into august.
we are not sure when the album will drop but it will probably fall somewhere between dec.-feb.


Brandon/IVM: How do you feel about a major label? Do you seen Anberlin
moving in that direction any time soon? Any comments on the matter?
i want to go where my heart leads. tooth and nail is bending backwards for us right now. if this continues and they and us feel that working together would be in both our best interest then we would love to stick around. underoath just resigned to tooth. it was incredibly smart. they knew that tooth could push them to the level exactly where they needed to be. if we feel the same we will stay as well.
honestly as of late i have been reclusing from the the idea of business and fame so i let our mngt, handle all that stuff. i just want to write music.


Brandon/IVM: Switching gears here for a second....

You're a Christian playing in a rock band. How do you feel your role (and
purpose) as a Christian is affected by rock n' roll. What place does
Christianity play in the making of music?

my purpose as a human is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind. my purpose as a musician it is to make the best possible music and entertainment for the listener. the amalgamation of the two is the controversy. we seem to be too Christian for the general market and not Christian enough for the christians. conundrum.

the other day a youth pastor wrote me how he felt we “wasted an opportunity to preach @ our sold out house of blues show, though (he) can see Christ in our actions, lyrics, and lifestyle.”
i asked him “if you saw Christ in our actions, lyrics, and lifestyle did we not preach?”
the thing is people bring into the music an expectation, if we do not fill that than we are not following Christ as they see fit.
the summation of my argument is thus...
i have an audience of One.
one day i will have to stand in front of that audience of One and keep an account of every action, word, (or lack of actions or words) when i die.
i am not called to be an evangelist, pastor, or teacher @ this stage in my life. right now i am called to a band called anberlin. if God does call me to that in the future i am sure he will let me know through other ways than a youth pastor writing me on myspace.
i hope this does not come off bitter. i am not bitter at all, just stating an ongoing explanation of particular actions.
I write my songs based on personal experience, the overflow of the heart so the mouth speaks. God is intwined with my life in every facet. and those facets of my life He is not intwined with i wish he would rid me of. so it is natural for God to appear in so many of my songs, whether ambiguous, in spirit, or by name.
i have NEVER sat down and said,”how can i make my religion apart of this song... how can i market my faith so i can break in the christian charts. “
for those who market Christ as a product, there is a special place in hell for them. Christ can not be bought and sold. people taint something so sacred and beautiful and holy with a price tag.
i am sure that there are a lot of good souls (as starsailor would say) in the Christian music business (jeremy camp being one) but as a whole, my God in heaven, i believe that if Christ were to walk through their temple (gma) that there would be whips and tables flying in every direction.
conundrum. me. the first part of this question i was asking people not to judge my actions, and here i am judging others. oh well.
there is my humanity coming out.



Brandon/IVM: Your band is openly embraced by Christians worldwide. How do
you feel about this acceptance and what would you say to your Christian
fans?
i do not distinguish between listeners really. i would that the entire world, no matter what race, creed, religion, or sexual orientation, could listen and appreciate anberlin.
but i do understand that many of you reading this are Christians so let me direct my attention briefly on those with similar faith.
do not forget that you are a wretch.
let me explain.
in the hymn, amazing grace, we sing ‘amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.’ what (christians) forget is that we are still the wretch and the only thing that separates us from others that pass in and out of our lives each day is grace.
somewhere along the line we thought this priceless grace was owed to us. we feel in some way that this grace puts us above others. we are better than the homosexual or the prostitute. you are not. our righteousness is as filthy rags. our good deeds or paying tithe don’t mean shit. as soon as you believe that you some how have earned this, or worked hard enough for this grace, you have lost the point entirely.
it is not by works that you are saved...lest any man should boast.
realize that we are still that wretch, and you should treat those around you as above you.
the more i sin, the more i fail, the deeper within my selfish nature i give into, the more i empathize with the prostitute who washed Christ's feet with the expensive perfume. i have that whore. i am that homosexual. i am that beggar. i am the widow and orphan.
you are that whore. homosexual. begger. widow and orphan.
when you forget that, you are no better than the Pharisees and saducees that Christ himself rebuked repeatedly.
grace. it is for everyone. act like it.

Brandon/IVM: What purpose do you feel we as Christians should fill for those
of us working in the music market?
i believe that a great example of this is my dear friend Chad Johnson that works with tooth and nail records. he has one hand in the workplace and one hand working for furtherance of his faith. yet his hands are connected onto the same body.
and that's how we should be. just because we are followers of The Way does not mean that we can not be connected to the world and its happenings. we can not be nieve to what is happening around us. (james 1:27 says ‘unspotted’ but there is a difference between connected and unspotted)
to a jew we become a jew, to the greek a greek, i become all things to all people that i may help others find what i have found (paraphrase to keep the christian -ese to a minimal).
we need to set the example and the bar. we need to be the hardest working and complain the least. we need to bring hope in a very dark industry. we need to show the love and grace that was extended to us to those who view ‘sex, drugs, and rock and roll’ as a requirement on the job application. we need to set our self's apart and not above. im going to write that again. we need to set our self's apart and not above.

*thanks chad for being a wonderful example

Brandon/IVM: How has your faith affected your presence on tour and on stage
as a performer. What is like going out on tour with big time rock bands and
still holding on to your faith, sharing with others around you?

this a tricky question because i am not here to pat myself on the back by running down the list of who’s, and where’s, and how’s . so i will say this;
i try my best to preach the gospel at all times and when necessary using words.
as far as those of you who are pursuing music as a career and will one day go out with general market bands: know what you believe, know why you believe. concentrate on a strong foundation between you and God.
that is what is going to keep the momentum of faith pushing you through the hardest and most temptation filled moments of this business.

Brandon/IVM: How do you feel about Christian individuals who choose to share
their Faith through the music they compose. If we are to encourage freedom
of expression and thought, should Christian artistry be accepted? Do you
feel there is a certain level of intolerance in the music scene at large for
Christian Artists?

honestly christian music as a whole isn’t that good. its not that the ‘outside’ world is intolerant its that christian music is not talented in the least. we follow whatever the rest of the world is doing, but about five years to late. if they have a boy band... we will start a boy band a couple years later. ‘they’ have a creed band, well we will start one. for God being the creative force perpetuating this universe we sure are unoriginal!

christians who do come up with something new and are TALENTED still shine in the general market regardless of belief system. look at underoath, zao, mae, further, juliana, etc. there was even keith green who jimmy hendrix upon winning most talented guitarist award could not accept it in good conscience because keith green was obviously better.

i think the christian church stifles creativity. we have labeled art and the arts and psuedo-homosexual so pastors/priests shy away. which is ridiculous. david danced naked before the alter, but if someone wanted to simply show God how in love with him they were by dancing (fully clothed) they would be excommunicated. paul shaved his head as a vow to God, but if we have a tattoo with the same meaning we are ostracized.
in other words there needs to be a revolution of creativity in the church and maybe in a couple of generations we wont be copies* of everything we see in the music industry, but leaders paving the way in experimentation.

*side note. this is complete proof of our ‘copy’ mentality. if you go to a “christian bookstore” they have lists of which christian bands sound like what “secular” bands. sad. but true.


Brandon/IVM: What are your thoughts on young bands of Christians wanting to
play both markets just out of their love for their Faith? I know we can get
a bit jaded with age but some of the young at heart are really passionate
about their newfound faith. What is your opinion on the matter?

purity of heart. if you really want to play both markets for love of their faith than pursue it. but maintain the purity of heart not just today, but in five years from now. there is a lot of money in the Christian music business right now (it is the fastest growing segment of the music industry currently) but don’t sell out.
but here is my enigma... if you are sold out to your faith why are you playing the Christian market at all? does that make you a better Christian by playing Jam for the Lamb fest ‘07?
actually i think if you want to be truly sold out for Christ than be the doctor to those who are not well. did not Christ say “go into all the world and preach the gospel”? then why are you playing first assembly of Christ in God’s youth group? you should be playing the bar down the street. sure i there is need of edification of the Church, but edify it then get out!
for some reason we feel if one is sold out to Christ then they are a christian band and travel with only other christian bands and sign on to victory in Jesus record label.
how horribly warped.
but this is what it breaks down to... go where the peace is. trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

Brandon/IVM: I'm not big on the Nashville Christian Music meat Market but how do
you feel about the independent Christian scene or artists who are Christians
making music directed at the entire world rather than a sub genre  culture?

good for them.

Brandon/IVM: What are your thoughts on social and world issues? Any certain
issue that touches your heart and tugs on your soul that you'd like to touch
on? What are you most passionate about?

right now i am really reverting back to james 1:27. pure religion. i leave in one week to haiti for two weeks where i will help build an orphanage in a remote part of the country. i want to begin to get out of this country at least twice a year from here out to help those in need.
but as far as causes i am impassioned about world vision is an amazing org that anberlin has been working with for some time. invisible children has really touched me, if i could help them more i would. mercy ships is phenomenal. but the most moving thing as of late has been the killing and genocide that is happening right now in defar. it hurts. i feel so powerless in the situation. i never wanted Rwanda (hutu and tutsi) to happen again and it is happening and i can’t do anything about it.
my hopes would be that everyone helps in whatever capacity to make this world a better place.
“become the change you wish to see in the world”
-ghandi

Brandon/IVM: Okay enough of these questions, on to the fun stuff (and sorry
for twisting your mind for a moment ;)



Brandon/IVM: We now know that the great and wonderful Stephen Christian has
a side project called the Stephen Christian Side Show Circus. Want to
elaborate (kidding)?
wow is that the name of it? hahaha great. well there it is ladies and gentlemen.
no i am not sure the name of it just yet. but there is one song that aaron marsh (copeland) and myself have worked on up on stephenchristian.us . *it is not mixed or mastered, but you get the direction. i am really really excited. it is just another outlet. it doesn't have the energy that anberlin has but i believe its more ardent and apparent.


Brandon/IVM: You're recording your solo (or have recorded) stuff soon, how
has that process evolved? What's it been like going out on your own?
i love being on my own in the writing process. it has expanded my horizons and taught me how to be a better song writer, i also play a lot of piano and guitar on this project, something i have played around with but not had much chance until now to do.
i have no idea what its going to do, or even where its going to come out. but i don’t care. its one of those things in life i just wanted to accomplish. so even if no one else hears it or likes it, i will have the sense of accomplishment.

Brandon/IVM: About how many songs do you have prepared for the record? Who
is recording with you (on instruments)? Will you tour solo?
piano/guitars/vocals- myself
piano/guitars/production- aaron marsh (copeland)
drums-john bucklew (copeland)
bass- louis d. (gasoline heart/the kick)
vocals- ana becker
violins- racheal p.
etc.

we have about 4 songs done. 3 unfinished and 4 that still need to be recorded.
i would love to tour on it but right now anberlin is on tour about ten months a year. which leaves little time to expand my side project.

Brandon/IVM: Please don't tell me that Anberlin will break up anytime soon?

no way. that won’t happen. anberlin is my priority.

Brandon/IVM: What label is planning on releasing your solo record and when
can we expect it to street?

i have no idea. i would love something like burnt toast or secretly canadian, because i want this record to be more like art than a capitalistic venture.

Brandon/IVM: What is rockin' your stereo lately? Any new bands that you're
into?
wow.
this could be a long one.
just went to an OURS show last night. it was a spiritual experience. i felt closer to God than any church service i had been to in some time. im really in to blues lately. buddy guy, muddy waters, johnson, etc. im in a state of musical reclusion. we are about to record so i try to steer away from anything that might influence a melody/vocal/lyric line.
so jazz/classical/ or blues are apart of the purification process.


Brandon/IVM: What bands have been most enjoyable to tour with?
all.
i cant think of one tour i regret. well one. but still.
everything is a learning process. we are about to go out with jonzetta again. they are a new band on tooth and nail and are a lot of fun to hang out with.
after that we are out with the most relaxed guys in the business. hawthorne heights. then out in canada with the most adhd people in the business story of the year. so its going to be an interesting couple of months.


Brandon/IVM: Have you ever considered guest spotting on one of your favorite
band's records? Has anyone asked you to lend your vocals to a track or two?
i would love it. not a lot of people ask. though i did sing on a band that i produced record. they are called the vow and everyone should check them out @ myspace.com/thevow.



Brandon/IVM: Who do you think will produce the next Anberlin record? Any
dream production jobs you'd most desire?

aaron sprinkle will be recording the next record.
i am not big into producers, so as long as it sounds good i don’t care. the rest of the guys are all into that stuff. they have the stronger opinions when it comes to recording.

Brandon/IVM: What can we expect out of Anberlin in the next two years? Any
big changes? Any chance for a cover article in a major music mag?
next two years.
haiti in may.
headlining 2 weeks june.
hawthorne 2 weeks june/july
story of the year 2 weeks in july
recording august/sept
japan oct.
and that's as far as i know.

as far as me personally i would really like to get my solo record out and my book published.


Brandon/IVM: Congrats on the recent radio play your single has been
garnering. That's a huge feat in today's clouded music climate. Is the
single on the rise, are more stations playing it? Any chance for KROQ here
in Los Angeles to play the tune? I haven't heard it yet but I've sure
requested it.

i am not sure about kroq. they are the top of the top. they can pick and choose anyone they want. they have been out to a couple shows, but still no word on them. i hope one day.
yea the radio has been quite a success for us. it is cool to see people in the crowd that look like they should be at a tool or marliyn manson show singing along.

Brandon/IVM: What has your hometown reception been like to your music? What
is the crowd situation like? Are a lot of people showing up?

it has been great. this was our first time playing house of blues orlando (about a week ago) and it was sold out! it was amazing. the best part of the entire night was just the smile on my families face. everything else was extra curricular.

Brandon/IVM: Favorite food?
mexican and Italian


Brandon/IVM: What was the last great film you viewed?
eternal sunshine for the spotless mind.
i know its older but i just watched it again the other night.


Brandon/IVM: How do you feel about Disneyland in your backyard? Ha.

overrated.

Brandon/IVM: Is it true they almost own an entire city in Orlando?

yep. and then some!

Brandon/IVM: Do you guys have side jobs when you're not on tour? If so,
where do you work and how is it?

i used to, but we tour way to much for any employer to give us a job. but the last job i held was substitute teacher for the polk county school system. my favorite was teaching 4th grade. old enough to spell their name, young enough where they haven’t hit puberty.





Brandon/IVM: Last great book you read? What are your favorite mags to read?
i read like i am about to go blind.
i am currently reading ‘knowledge of the holy’ by a.w. tozer. it is mind altering. he is my new blaise pascal.
11 minutes by Paulo Coelho (not for the faint hearted)
freakenomics- a economists perspective on sociology
and tipping point- marketing book
lovely bones* don't read it. its really boring. drags on forever.
that has all been on this past tour.
but it is either read or play video games. so obviously i am no good at halo.



Brandon/IVM: Do you read Relevant, what do you think of it? I love the mag,
they have some great articles and I am a proud subscriber.

i think its great. i called them when they came out with their first issue and said “its about time!”


Brandon/IVM: Do you ever read HM?

no.


Brandon/IVM: Dude, I am out of questions. Seriously, I have nothing left to
say and I'm staring at my ceiling right now drooling for some odd reason.
Uh. Yeah.

good because my fingers are plotting a mutiny that was so many questions. but its you brandon. so i’d do it again.


Brandon/IVM: Any parting words? Any prayer requests for us readers and fans
of your band. How can we best support you guys when you're out there working
hard? I'll be praying for you guys for sure. Anyway, take care and best of
luck to your future and all that God has in store for you guys. Peace.

i think i have said quite enough. maybe too much.

prayer requests.
direction. focus. that we may become men of integrity.
safety in our travels.


until we meet again,
stephen christian


Brandon, Indie Vision Music