dear george, bethany, and joe. the mechanized voices, (which are produced by one jack partker) are saying the following: s-h-o-u-t shout it from your l-u-n-g-s oh we s-i-n-g-i-t-l-o-u-d. there may also be a brief reference to peppermint mocha being the tastiest beverage offered by the ubiquitous franchise chain, starbucks coffee, but it’s impossible to be sure.
What is the deal on the Pour Over Me album? Where’d it go? Why is it so secretive? and why haven’t you guys made it more available?
dear cspears20. ok, so here’s the deal with the pour over me album. it doesn’t exist. it never has. i don’t know what you’re talking about. not even back in 1996 when it was recorded live at ubc when we were meeting in the hippodrome theater and well before we could play or sing thus making it slightly to greatly embarrassing to acknowledge its existence or point someone in a direction to procure this none existent thing.
What is the meaning of the Polar Bear on Lost?
dear sean. i don’t know the answer to this one. (wow. that’s two very disappointing questions in a row. you people should ask things that i’m an expert on, like stuff pertaining to glassblowing, and the sport of cricket, or the rodeo competition of barrel racing.) i didn’t even know there was/is a polar bear on lost. this is because i don’t watch lost, and here is why: j. j. abrams can’t be trusted. yeah, i know what you’ll say, you’ll say, “but lost is awesome. if it ended today, i’d be happy.” you would speak naively! this would mean you have lived your life thus far spared by the devastation mr abrams leaves in his wake. but chances are great that soon you will feel the pain completely that i allude to. he lulls you in supremely and then crushes you with his farcical conclusions. sure, he creates a complex and compelling story layered with subtext and subtlety and interwoven storylines and you swallow whole and then comes the climax and denouement and you will say aloud, “no! this is ridiculous!! you’re ruining everything! how could you do this to me? do you hate me? mr. abrams, you are an evil, evil man.” and there is history supporting this! felicity! alias!!! go look at the message boards. bet you didn’t know that the last season of alias involved vampirezombie things and large red floating spheres. well, it did! and so i swore, “no more mr abrams, no more! never again will i fall for your savage malevolent brutality.” and so, it is with light heart and conscious that i await the reviews for the last season of lost and will begin my watching if at its (the nationally syndicated television show lost’s) conclusion you inform me that my fears were excessive and needless and that i will not be disappointed. (i have a theory about this, about mr abrams inability to finish a story. i once read an article that jj has a box in his possession that he was given by his father that is a mystery gift of sorts. it was a gift to jj but he has never opened the box. he believes the mystery of what’s inside the box to be better than what is actually inside the box. jj abrams doesn’t know how to open the box. that last sentence is intended to be profoundly metaphorical.)
what’s the significance behind Birmingham (We Are Safe)!!?
dear tim. it is an enigma, a conundrum, a mystery, the name of this song. it cannot be confirmed or denied that this song has historical links to a specific city in the u.s.a. or the u.k. and whether it also functions as a phonemic pun[1], but there is great likelihood that both are the case.
Any speculations as to why the Afro to Non-Afro ratio is so high within the band?
dear nick. i had to do some research on this one. turns out most of us are black.
why can’t you make kings come back on tv?
dear mark. as you know i have contacted the director/creator of kings. i have let him know that we would really appreciate the show’s return. also, as you well know, i have informed him that if this is not possible, the shows return to television, that we would appreciate at least one more episode, as there are still a few things we’d like to see developed with the storyline before we can, as they say in the profitable industry of psychology, “let go.” i let him know that it would be fine for him to just dump it on a writable dvd. i sent him a blank one, so don’t worry. we could watch it at my place if you’d like. i let him know that the script would be forth coming as i was almost finished with it and it really would be fine to shoot it as a two hour finale-sequel to the finale. i don’t know if such a thing exist, a sequel to a finale that is really the finale, but it should, and will soon! i let him know just how exciting it would be to see my vision for the show’s ending brought to life and reiterated the fact that i would only trust such a thing to his capable hands. needless to say, i’m very excited about all of this.
What is up with the squirrels on the Foreverandever etc. music video? Why squirrels?
dear caleb. it seems you are unaware of the malevolent nature of the squirrel. there are a number of proofs for the fall (the transition of humans from a state of innocent obedience to god, to a state of guilty disobedience to god) that we have been given here on planet earth. you know, earthquakes, tsunamis, war, telemarketing, and, of course, the squirrel[2]. for more on this:
courtney. we only have one christmas tradition. actually, two. but one is way better than the other. one is eating egg casserole together. also, there is the opening of gifts.
and then there is the one where we sit around a tiny tree wearing a crown (the tree, not us) and we place pieces of paper with things written on them like, “king of kings,” “prince of peace,” “emmanuel,” etc. while announcing aloud what it is that is written upon our piece of paper. each year i ask what the tree with the crown is about and it eludes my memory now. my mom made it up and she’s reading this now, i’m sure, so perhaps she’ll comment and let us all know what is going on with the tiny tree with the crown and the words and such. also, i’ve listed three traditions. of the three my favorite is the tree. you know, what’s with the tree? please comment if you have a tiny tree with a crown. we used to make egg nog every year. everyone feared e. coli and so this ceased, this tradition of the making of egg nog. we attempted it again last year and no one got sick, so things look promising for its return. what is christmas without a little fear and trembling?
Are you guys going to post more rockumentaries? The bits were very original if not amusing. Oh, and what were some of your fondest memories during the recording of the album?
christian yes. we have grand plans for more rockumentaries. the next one might be about the coming apocalypse that will occur in 2012. jack is convinced of our impending doom and has started stock piling supplies such as hormel meat products and water and various other non-perishables. he also realizes he will be in need of a companion to shred with since the rest of the band is taking him less than seriously, and so he embarks on a friendship with one steve3po, a robot drummer extraordinaire. jack teaches steve all of the songs that he will need him to know post apocalypse but is troubled to discover that steve3po is more a fan of taylor swift than slayer. also, the band is destroyed by asteroids and various other natural phenomenon. this will be the first use of explosive effects in a rockumentary. it is still not clear whom will hit whom, mike d or jack, or what blunt object will be used.
Have you heard about the bird?
What will it take to get you guys to follow my twitter?
ok, now for the real question. Where is the strangest place you have found inspiration/God spoke to you for a song?
isaac. the strangest place i’ve ever found inspiration for a song was here: http://www.molossia.org/countryeng.html. i will say this, when i am driving long distances it is impossible to not write a song. i am unsure of the meaning of this, but it is proven fact. and yes, we will follow your twitter. oh, and as for the bird…
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
oh and, can you PLEASE come to St. Louis?!!!
katie. i do not have a favorite color, per se. i like most all of them. however, i do enjoy the way some of them go together better than others. you know, how like pink and turquiose can say, “welcome to panama city, florida,” but, when considered individually, i find them all of equal value. i probably use black most though.
2. The Eschatology of Bluegrass. The Columns. Did you write the Columns? Because that is the most profound, confusing thing I have ever read. I understand the story of the Lark (I’m assuming that the Lark is anything/anyone who gives hope to someone and lifts their spirit with it) lifting the weight of human existence, but other details elude me. Who is the boy with the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen? Is he representative of Christ? How come when he admits that the death of the birds is his fault, neither a pebble nor nettle appear in the garden? Why is the priest so upset by this? Why is the ratio of pebble to nettles (or, sinful actions to sinful words) the golden ratio?
I have a couple more questions, but I don’t have time to type them right now. If you wanna answer them, but don’t want to post it all here, can you just e-mail them to me? It would be awesome. my e-mail is [email protected]
taylor. yes. the columns are all my fault. and i am as confused by them as you are. i’m still figuring stuff out. like, why does one third of it have to do with memory and the assignment of language for meaning? the boy with the bluest eyes references kyle, or humans at their best, or well, the portions of us that act out redemption, or the person of christ. the pebbles and nettles didn’t appear because he was not at fault. i can almost say why the priest is troubled by this, in the same way i can almost say why grace is so unsettling. it is actually the addition of pebbles to nettles that is equal to the golden ration which is, in mythic layman’s terms, the mathematical equivalent to beauty. to understand that the entrance of depravity into the story is what brings the suffering we experience, we are able to find beauty and share in the suffering of christ. i am attempting to insinuate that pain might be the most transformative vehicle we have here on planet earth in light of the suffering of christ.
what do the columns mean in everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die?
confusedman. i wish i knew. please see above.
Sometimes I find myself so deeply in praise listening to your music. This sounds silly, but I was curious if you do too? I mean do you get to deeply praise as you play, or is it so very much about the next bar, the next change, what whoever is playing whatever back there?
Put another way, (but not quite) do you get to enjoy your music as much as I do, or is it more like work?
jjddgg. it most definitely doesn’t feel like work. and sometimes, on very rare, mystical occasions, everything material disappears, or at least seems to. and there are a handful of moments, like maybe listening back to a final version of a song, when my chest fills with a reverence and i feel like i had nothing to do with this thing that i’m hearing, as if i weren’t even present in its construction, as if it were dropped from the sky, and i think, “i can’t believe i get to be a part of such a thing as this with such generously talented people whose gifts i’m astounded and moved by.” and these moments are filled with awe and amazement and held onto tightly.
do you compose alone, or with the band? what’s the process like? does it have to do with what’s going on in church… or just personal life?
timgo. it happens in as many ways imaginable, i suspect. my favorite way to go about composition is to get a rough file together that has an inspirational starting point, whether that be as simple as a beat or a rough arrangement with acoustic, that we start passing around. you can think of it as a word document that keeps getting added to and amended with each handoff, the storyline taking twists and turns unforeseen by the previous person. it’s like playing the icebreaker telephone game, you know how a group sits in a circle and one person whispers something into the person’s ear who they are sitting next to and then that person turns to the person sitting next to them and is supposed to whisper the same thing to them and it goes around the circle and by the time it’s back to where it started it’s resemblance to the original message is very slight. we work in protools, abelton live, reason and logic. some songs have a life in all four mediums. we view the computer as compositional tool so it plays a very large roll. the content, as far as lyric and overarching theme go, pertains, almost entirely, to the conversations and spiritual formation that we are participating in here at our church in waco.
Do use any type of hair product?
jacob. yes i do. bed head hard head by tigi. it is the stuff of science. also, there is the lack of showering. and then there are the happy, happy thoughts. these are probably the most necessary of things in the styling of the hair. it takes massive amounts of concentration to pull this off.
Have DCB considered doin a sweet collaboration with an awesomeness of LeCrae? The combination of DCB’s pop musicness and solid theologies (I love could I lie hear in your arms - when I read the hidden (maybe not so obvious is better) meaning!!) with LeCrae’s ridiculous skilz would be chart poppin yo! … or could you get bwack to freestyle instead?
deHow. it is most likely that bwack will freestyle at any second.
Does Keppler and the music of the spheres tie in to Church Music? When you posted about it on Xanga it piqued my curiosity but I fail to see the correlation.
beth. yes. keppler and the music of the spheres factors greatly in the making of church music. well, that’s slightly disingenuous. the construction of the album church music resulted from a conversation stream about good sound and bad sound. is there such a thing as good sound? is there such a thing as bad sound? pythagoras plays into this conversation as does keppler. can beauty be assigned a number? (is it mathematically explainable. is the limiting of perceived chaos good and helpful in our understanding of god.) that is the question we toyed with most i think.
At a ‘meet & greet’ on your tour I had the great delight of shaking your hand. I was taken aback by your personable and friendly demeanor (and my comical state of being 'starstruck’), and I never got to ask you (though it was probably the wrong place anyway):
Is there ever a day that goes by that you don’t think about the ones you’ve lost?
I ask you because, besides the good Lord, A Collision is the closest thing I have ever had to a grief councilor.
(BTW I later told my mom about our encounter. "Of course he’s friendly,” she said, “he’s a Texan!” I laughed; she’s from Plainview.)
kena. yes! we texans are most decidedly friendly! of course we are. we ride horses and wear hats. who wouldn’t be friendly when you get to do that day in and day out. no one, that’s who! and no.
Are any of your tracks going to be released for Rock Band/Guitar Hero? I’d love to have some good Christian music to play along with. :-) Both games have free editors you can use to upload your own tracks.
computersherpa. no. that is, unless you make one. please let us know when you get it finished. or, maybe bwack and jack will do this if i can get them in the same room again after that fight over the turkey baster.
How about a Christmas concert…..at my church, Mughty Wind Worship Center…..your UBC….wherever. : )
Sound good?
paul. this sounds like a fantastic idea! we should make this happen, ubc, christmas time next year (maybe). you’re a genius!
Why do you not use capitals when you type?
nadine. THAT’S ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE.
Do you know what your Meyers-Briggs personality type is? INFJ perhaps? And what ramifications, if any, has this had on your career/personal life?
vanna. no, i’m unaware of mr or mrs/miss meyers or briggs and what they have to do with my career or personal life. they should stay out of it! i’m going to go look this infj up and see what it is you think of me.
1. What is “nationalistic Christianity”? 2. I too would like to know more about The Columns, because that little segment found me in way over my head, y'all. :) I began to feel a little defeated about it each time it came up, only I went ahead and read it out of curiosity. And it was neat… AND the Lark Ascending that you opened your Remedy dvd with… THAT is majestic music in my soul, and I can’t get enough of it. Irrelevant, I know- that wasn’t a question. Let’s see… 3. How does music composition happen? As a visual artist, I get things about visual expression, but MUSIC? So many things at the same time… Words, music, LAYERS of music, rhythms… 4. Do you mind if I quote you at random about things like “I am what you would call "winded”… In context of course. 5. Do you listen to Weird Al, ever? Because -stay with me here- you and he have a thing in common to me, that has something to do with putting words together with each other and with music in a way that seems humanly impossible. As if there were only one way that those words and music could have come out right, and you GOT it. There’s genius going on there, I’m sure of it. Or in the case of you all in the DCB, more likely divine inspiration, of course.
sherylee. you are demanding. there are like six questions here. when i speak of “nationalistic christianity” i speak of culture. i am admitting aloud that the version of the gospel that i am attempting to follow is, and has been, shaped by the culture i have grown up in, which is, particularly, the bible belt of the united states of america. a favorite author of mine made this joke once: an older fish swims by a couple of younger fish and says, “so, how’s the water today?” to which one of the younger fishes responds, “what’s water?” this is intended as a metaphor for culture. it is dangerous to not acknowledge what we can barely acknowledge. maybe. see above for more confusion on the columns. i should say now, that the columns are about feeling, what language can make you feel and intuit, almost. it’s like smelling a color. maybe. as for music composition, see above. no, i’m comfortable contributing to your interactions with others through the borrowing of language such as, “i am what you would call, ‘winded.’” you could also use, “you know, space stations in 2008 aren’t nearly as cool as they were in 2001. you’d think we could make one that looked like, you know, a space station or something with super long curvy white hallways and rooms with one person standing on the ceiling and one person standing on the floor with really cool lounges and stuff.” if you did this you would be quoting me misquoting the guy from the mac commercial, not the cool guy that was in die hard, but the uncool guy who is actually way cooler than the cool guy and who is also the guy who is the occasional foil on the jon stewart show and was also in the movie, “baby mama,” which i haven’t seen. he was not in the movie, “species.” i haven’t seen that movie either. and no, i don’t listen to weird al. i mean i’ve heard songs like, “eat it,” and have even laughed out loud at them. i do have a weird al story though. it goes like this: i was skiing with my wife in colorado and a guy walked by and my wife goes, “hey look! it’s weird al!!!” to which the guy responded angrily, like, he was seriously mad, “gallagher. i’m gallagher!” he was carrying his skis in that really cool over the shoulder way. it was an honest mistake. i mean, my wife doesn’t listen to weird al either.
if you weren’t in an awesome rock band, or a world renowned author, what would you envision yourself doing for a living?
endoftheroadj. yes, if i wasn’t a member of a rock band of awesomeness and if i did not spend all of my time rocking faces plum off while penning tomes the world will read for generation after generation i would most definitely drive trucks, as in 18 wheelers, as in burning the open road, the productivity of the great industry of america loaded in my trailer, me with a really cool cb handle like “ace of space” or “full moon hauling” saying really cool things like, “hey good buddy, you’re breaking the ol needle, brush your teeth and comb your hair we got a bubble gum machine in a brown paper bag at mile marker 223. i’m pulling into the chew ‘n choke to shake off the christmas card i just got. this is 505 wishing you all the good numbers, i’m clear.”
You should write another book. Are you and hogan going to in the future? I’d be interested to here your theological waxing on many a topic.
timothy. timothy, you are both wise and smart, ‘smart’ being another word for wise. oh yes! i am a master of words! (and other single distinct elements of speech, which are also known as words!) it is truly stunning that i haven’t written more books, because, as i mentioned earlier in this response, like, as in the last sentence before this one, i am a master of words. and you know what books are filled of don’t you? that’s right, words! but fear not. oh yes, we shall write again. yes, we shall and will, ‘will’ being a less cool version of the word shall. wow. there i go again. i’m amazing. (yes, to answer your question for rea, i do enjoy writing and have been working on a couple of things for the past few years. hopefully we’ll see some of the ideas come together in a form that is accessible to the public in the not too distant future. the future is cool. and there may be some left of it, and so, barring death or christ’s return, there shall and will be more. the past is pretty cool too. there’s always more of it!)
Are the songs on “Church Music” telling a chronological story about the history of music in the church in the order that they are presented on the album? (e.g. Track 1 is the oldest hymn still in use, Track 2 is about such-and-such that the earliest Christians used to do in their liturgies, Track 3 is yada yada yada…) Or am I being too pedantic in my attempts to interpret the origin of each one?
david. no, you are not being too pedantic. it is in fact the history of church music (in our opinion, as in, we secretly inserted into each song a slight nod to a pivotal moment within the evolution of music in the church) in chronological order, and the end of the album is a nod to the future. (see above for more on ‘the future’.) granted, we really don’t expect anyone to figure it out. it was more just our way of having an outline of sorts to write into. we like puzzles and this album was most definitely a puzzle for us. glad you’re attempting though. if you’ll send me what you’ve come up with, i’ll happily let you know if you’re on the right track. but yes, the way you have described your approach to cracking the thing was exactly our approach in constructing it. much props. (what does that even mean? props? what is that short for?)
Are you guys going to release a live record for this tour?
kyle. no. unfortunately, we are not.
What is the robot at the bottom of your blog saying?
And, what happened to Jason Solley? (Ok, sorry, but it’s been itching me forever….)
joseph. the robot is saying, basically, “look! it is a complete work of art.” and as for solley, he hurt his ankle. (we were told by a drummer who used to play for lennie kravitz that anytime something happened to an artist while in the middle of a tour and the situation was such that it was difficult to discuss properly in the public sphere, (since you know, things are always more complex and less exciting than what the imagination can create with the inability of real live conversation to take place, as in the exchange of dialogue, as in i talk and then you talk and then i talk) the official statement released would be, “they injured their ankle,” or something to that effect. this made us laugh and so we adopted that answer for awhile, since, of course, we were constantly being asked, “what happened to solley.” it was of course a joke, as it would be ludicrous that someone would injure their ankle and cease to be in a band, and so this was funny. the reality of the situation was that we all, jason and the rest of the band, mutually arrived at the conclusion that life had unfolded in such a way that had taken jason in a different direction and it was best for both him and us if he ceased being a part of the thing. he moved from waco to fort worth where he still resides. we love him deeply. hope that helps a little!)
hypothetically, if darren king recorded material for church music, why would it be kept hidden? and if a youtube video showing him in the studio existed and then didn’t exist anymore (hypothetically) why would it cease to exist?
thomas. hypothetically. if one darren king recorded material for church music and it were indeed kept hidden, there must be a theoretical reason. i can think of several. one, the band might be embarrassed to have mr king appear on the album. they might feel it undermined the musicianship that is present elsewhere. i mean, if people knew that it was mr king they were hearing in a few splendid moments of the recording, say, birmingham, maybe, or even what a miracle, like some of those fills in the second verse, maybe. yes, one reason may indeed be that to associate with such a musician as mr king would be detrimental to the credibility of a band like ours. hypothetically, that would be a reasonable explanation. doubtful, but possible. another that comes to mind has to do with darren king’s band having struggled to rid themselves of the “christian band” label for the duration of their band’s existence. the fact that they sued their label for marketing them as such comes to mind. so perhaps, hypothetically, this played a part. or, hypothetically, perhaps the crowder band just didn’t think names that started with d and ended with n looked aesthetically pleasing in the font chosen for the album insert artwork. or perhaps the “king” thing intimidated the bwack, since he often refers to the drumset as “my dominion of which i rule justly and goodly”. yeah, the “king” thing seems most likely.
Do you eat squirrell?
bobby. no.
Have you recovered from your fall in Atlanta? (I’ll be editing the video next week). Great show!!!
amber. yes. after a week of rehab (this is not true, this is blatant exaggeration) i am as good as new. i’ve been watching for the video and am excited to see just what happened. it definitely contributed to the memorable-ness of the night. and, thanks!!!!
What is the most random memory that you can recall in your whole life?
brandon. my mom giving me permission to bite my brother on the arm after he had bit me while playing in a pool shaped like a frog.
What kind of strings do you put on your acoustic guitars? brand and guage.
ashok. elixir acoustic light gauge.
Where do you find the bands that open for your concerts? And, do you know where I can find chord charts (not tabs) for songs on Church Music? It’s been about as easy as finding Bigfoot so far.
cory. the openers for our concert happen a couple of different ways. one, if we are on a tour, we approach bands whose music we have heard and enjoyed and think more people should hear and we then ask them if they would like to go on tour with us. if we are not on tour and are most likely doing what is known in the industry as, “one offs,” then the promoter is usually the one responsible for the opener. so, if you see us heading to your area and arent on a tour with openers already announced, get in touch with the promoter of that particular event and see if they think it is a fit. as for the chord charts, i’m unsure at this point, but stay tuned as we have been working on both tabs and chord charts to post on our site for free very soon. as for bigfoot, i hear he was last seen at bwack’s. he had joined them for dinner. apparently he (bigfoot) really likes pot roast. who knew?
What were some of your fondest memories during the recording of the album? Any interesting new insights/challenges/inspirations?
christian. learning how to record drums on our own was the largest challenge that lead to many new insights and recording tricks as did marrying all of the tracks together. one of my fondest memories was when bwack got mad at me for talking to him while he was trying to track some fills. i captured his admonish for me to stop talking to him and played it back repeatedly throughout our recording sessions. it brought all who heard it great joy and much laughter.
what happened to Jason? what happened to Taylor? probably something personal you aren’t able to share so publicly, but i am curious. this is a genuine question.
justin. please see above regarding jason. as for taylor, he wasn’t a fit, for the band or himself. it was fun while it lasted, as they say.
do you have plans of having a show in Toronto?
cj. yes. we are currently in discussions about a canadian tour. oh, canada! p.s. little known fact: i know all of the words to the canadian national anthem and consider this a unique character quality in myself. it is quirky and unexpected and way more useful than you’d think.
Have you read anything by George MacDonald? Specifically Lilith? If not, shall I bring you a copy at the New Castle, PA show in February?
janet. please bring me a copy as it sounds like something i’d very much enjoy after a brief read about george on wikipedia, plus his picture is super awesome! [insert pic]
Okay so around every fall, it seems as if you ucome out with something new. Last year being the dvd… So my question is, are there plans of releasing something new next year? And will you be playing any new songs at passion 10 this january?
zack. at this point we’re unsure. there are a couple of things that are intriguing to us right now but we’re being slightly indecisive. so, we’ll see. and your observation of our release timing is spot on.
what bands, artist, do u listen to?
timgo. i love music, don’t you? currents and recurrents: civil wars, paper route, phoenix, black eyed peas, lady gaga (gosh, what a badly put together album), switchfoot, animal collective, the xx, passion pit.
my favorite line:
“And what was said to the rose to make it unfold, was said to me here in my chest, so be quiet now and rest.”
was there any inspiration behind?? check this video out
p.s. i think you would really like “the singer trilogy” by calvin miller
krislaansma. that line is a loose adaptation of an 11th century sufi poet, rumi. i loved the hint to rose-of-sharon imagery and i love embodying acts 17; using items from outside of our faith to point to the one true god causes in me much joy. it is also one of my favorite lines in our songs. i still find it deeply meaningful. and i will totally check out “the singer trilogy”. thanks for the recommendation! and amazing video. hadn’t seen it but had heard of the flower and didn’t think it could actually be that spectacular!
How did you find writing for Church Music? Seeing as the album is continuous, and you’ve mentioned about sequencing the thing from the ground up, how’d that work? Did you write everything first, then sequence, then build in recorded parts, or did you compose “in the box?”
I love how you’ve managed to integrate technology into your music and live shows…Do you usually have an idea for a synth part in your head, and then work out how to do it, or do you mess around and come up with stuff by “accident” and then tweak it? GEEK ALERT: have you seen Max 4Live, and do you (i.e. bwack) have any cool ideas for it?
WHEN ARE YOU TOURING IN THE UK?! I was at the London Passion concert but had to leave before you came on :(
Finally, what other Christian artists inspire you musically, and spiritually?
ben. writing for church music was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. it was a nightmarish puzzle. and yes, we accomplished the solving of it by all of the means you described. we wrote some of it first, we built in some of the recorded parts, we composed in the box. we came at it from every angle available. the sequence sort of dictated itself, due to the particular piece of history that was inserted into the song. the thing that was most difficult for us was marrying the tracks so they played continuously. for each file we had to import tracks for all of the elements that were in the previous and subsequent song that would carry over. this would lead to files with ridiculous numbers of tracks. the horsepower necessary to have this many tracks running and mixable is and was ludicrous. much creativity was called upon to solve the mixing/mastering dilema. there is a reason pop records don’t play continuously from start to finish (unless they are live recordings of course). as for synth parts, yes, often times there is a melody and sound that is particularly demanding that it be found and played precisely as imagined. but there is an adequate amount of simply dorking around and a particular sound will actually demand a particular part. usually, the “accidents” are my favorite. and i have not seen max 4live. i’m certain bwack has. and i’m certain his little mind is spinning with potential usages. i will now check it out and see what is up with it. thanks for the geek out tip. as for the uk, i’m excited to say that passion is coming back there soon and are kind enough to let us tag along again. hopefully our timing will be better this time around and we’ll get to participate with you. and lastly, as for christian artists, they are mostly writers. g.k. chesterton, francis schaeffer, steve turner (wrote a fantastic book on art and the church, much of schaeffer’s thoughts reiterated), jurgen moltmann (i would say the writing of jurgen has been some of the most formative, i most love his preoccupation with eschatological hope and his understanding of the holy spirit’s activity within the trinity and that theology should have as a basis the experience of the spirit of god and should reflect two things, the experience of god in all things and the experience of all things in god. the recognition that the human experience of god is the foundation of human theology and that the experience of the spirit can be defined as an awareness of god in, with, and beneath the experience of life which gives us assurance of god’s fellowship, friendship, and love.) c.s. lewis (of course), bonhoeffer (i love the fragmentary, unsystematic nature of his theology, granted he was young when he met his death, so this may be the reason for this rather than intentionality. i just prefer to think of theology as symphonic rather than systematic.), the desert fathers, blah blah blah (feel like i’m typing too much here), owl city, mute math, mike crawford and the secret siblings, civil wars, paper route, eisley, welcome wagon, sufjan stevens, danielson, jon foreman, switchfoot, august burns red, norma jean, flyleaf, bifrost arts! now i want to go listen to some music.
soo…
remember that one magical night y'all spent in manhattan, kansas? wasn’t it great? yes, it was. whats the probability of that giving that a second go? closer to 90 or 95 percent?
also, whats the deal with birmingham? civil rights implications? anything to do with electricity and england? or maybe a more lexical thought, i.e. a pun for “berm”, like a bridging space? just wondering…
have a wonderful day. or evening. and both.
ben. i am stunned. firstly, yes, you are correct, we need to return to the place of magic. secondly, as mentioned previously, i’m dazed and in a semiconscious state, which is just another way to say, “stunned” and without sounding redundant. you’re the first to announce the various references intended in the naming of the song. i really thought i was being clever and that this would be my little secret to cause me to smile wryly upon contemplation of my cleverness. i’ll not say more, other than, yes. and thank you. you too.
You guys work to provide your fans with a channel of worship through your music/tours/etc…what would you want fans to do for you (something that allows us to be generous, in Christ’s name, for you guys, perhaps?)
also, i think it would be cool if you did a rocumentary with family members so we could sort of “meet them”…although this could lead to privacy issues, i guess…but might this be a possibility for the future?
crystal. thank you. this is the first time i’ve had such kind words offered on behalf of the fan collective. my eyes watered a bit when i read your first question. the good news is we’re easy to please. we like bags of gold. yes, please, generously send bags of gold to the following address: 1701 dutton, waco tx 76701. also we like candy. really, any kind will do. and carmel apples. and cotton candy, the pink kind, not the blue. actually the blue is fine too. also, we love the oceans and tropical breezes. they could be sent to the above address as well. ah, i jest, i jest, of course, of course. i thought hard about this question for a very long time, as in a few days. here’s what i came up with, really, if you have taken the time to write such a question, i’m confident you’ve already participated in what we’re offering in a way that mutually encourages each other. i suspect you have passed along our music to your friends and foes, that you have prayed for continued creativity and meaningful full relationships for this creativity to announce things on behalf of, that you have prayed for our safety and our families, that you have prayed for our church, that you have joined us on these various tours and by your very presence expressed to us that what we are doing is meaningful to you and your journey with christ. these things are more than could be hoped for. so, thank you. and for the rest of you, let this be a lesson to us! we’re all in this thing together. what a beautiful thought. i have been transformed by the generosity of your question. amazing. and no, it will be unfortunately rare that the family members appear in the rockumentaries as they are less than enthusiastic about presenting themselves through such a medium. also there is the risk that they be hit be some blunt object, like a car. never the less, i presented your question and was met by a hearty, “no thank you”. sorry.
would you please share some of your favorite reason patches?
tj. yes. one of my favorite sounds is bit sutra on the malstrom with the rv-7 reverb on large hall. that sound is imaginative and fanciful and removed from reality, bizzare and exotic. another equally compelling patch to me is jaco’s hendrix-trip going through scream on tube with damage at just past 12oclock and p1 at 12oclock p2 at 1oclock body res at a little less than 10oclock scale at 11 oclock auto all the way off type b then through the foldback distortion with amount on slightly shy of 3oclock and foldback almost all the way up. now that is a dirty dirty tone there. a pad that i enjoy that has a lot of movement would be feedache in subtractor with hall reverb on the rv-7 with everything at 12 oclock except dampening at 11 oclock through the two band parametric eq with a dip at 500ish all the way out, so the q is on about 1 oclock and the gain is all the way down, through ecf-42 freq just past 3 oclock res at just below 12 oclock envelope amount at just past 2ish vel at 2 ish mode 12 a all the way down d just shy of 12 oclock s all the way down release at just shy of 12 oclock. hold that down and listen to it move. if there is any harshness adjust the eq dip and the envelope frequency.
I don’t really have a question- I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for loving and serving the LORD, for using the amazing talents and gifts that He has given you to honor HIM, and most of all, for sharing what you believe with the world. It is my prayer that all who listen to your music will both experience and come to personally know the power and love of God! Thanks again!
brittygirl. dang, again with the watery eyes. why is this getting so mushy? you are welcome. and thank you for such kind words. i found them meaningful.
love your music! I had heard your song “How He loves us” many times on the radio and liked it, but one night at work while I had the radio on, (I am a nurse at a hospital-3rd shift) It’s like the Lord just revealed to me the true meaning of the song all of a sudden and such anointing of the Holy Spirit came over me. I come to tears just about every time I hear it now. Thanks for letting the Lord speak through you! You are such a blessing!
Barbara. you also are welcome, and thank you. any chance you’re pals with brittygirl or crystal?
What was your favorite thing about going to school at Baylor? [i’m planning on going there next year..=D
betho. my favorite thing about going to baylor was/is the people. i met so many great folks there and everyone is/was super nice. also, there was the heb that was a block away. i really liked walking to the heb. (heb is a grocery store).
Is today your birthday? Oh Happiness Birthday! :)
runner. yes, it was. thank you for the kind wishes.
What is your relationship with Jerry Jones?
It seems that you two make a great team and am wandering when you will be seen again giving him a high five?
What is your favorite line on the record?
@kylelreed. thanks kyle for your question. yes, jerry jones looks to me for pretty much everything. like, you know, when he was planning on building a stadium he asked, “dave, what should it have, this stadium?” and i said, “a tv. it needs a really big tv. people love television, but they love really big ones best. yes jerry, it should have a really big tv.” and he said, “well, what would you show on the tv?” and i said, “well, the game of course. i mean, you know that the people who come to a football game love football, because, you know, they are at the game, so you should show football on the tv, it just makes sense.” and he said, “ but they can watch the game in real life, you know, since they’ve come to the game, shouldn’t we put something else on the tv, like law and order, or csi?” i said, “no jerry, you’re not listening. these people love football and they love television, put the game on the tv and they’ll tell all their friends about it. they’ll say, ‘man, i went to the cowboys game and wow, that television is amazing.’” jerry said, “that doesn’t make any sense. i would think they would go to the game and say, ‘wow, what a great game.’” this went on for a while and finally i convinced him to not show law and order. when we reached an agreement about what to show on the tv, i gave him a high five. he needs this from me, affirmative high fives. and so, i’m certain there will be occasions in the future when i’m called upon and i will deliver. as for my favorite line on the record, i think it is: “can you overcome this heart that’s overcome”.
how long did each band member date their better half before proposing? how did each pop the question?
bungee. i dated my better half for 6 years. i proposed by placing an engagement ring on a necklace she (my better half) had given me and which i wore daily around my neck. we had an ongoing joke (i know! so annoying, the inside-couple-joke) that involved her pulling the necklace out of my shirt. the joke wasn’t funny, wasn’t even a joke really, just one of those “couple” things that is stupid to other people but makes the couple laugh and laugh. and so i counted on her, at some point in the day, to pull the necklace out, and, of course, she would then, upon execution of this inside-couple-non-joke, discover the engagement ring. if it didn’t happen that day, then perhaps the next, but at some point, she would surely pull the necklace and this moment, whenever it came, would be special, hopefully. this created an element of danger which i enjoyed as you see it was impossible to know what the circumstances would be creating this moment we would look back on with fondness for, hopefully, many years to come. the day i placed the ring upon the necklace i had planned a trip to austin to take her (my better half) to dinner with knowledge that we may or may not be engaged by the time we got to the chosen restaurant and that this restaurant may or may not be the very place where the engagement might occur. we arrived at the restaurant still unengaged. the restaurant was/is called “the oasis” and it overlooks lake travis, quite serene and known for its view of the sunset. we were seated at a table with a fantastic opportunity for observation of the setting sun, complete with a guy playing guitar and singing songs on a stage in the corner of the room. my wife dismissed herself shortly after being seated to go to the ladies room and when she did, i summoned the fortuitously placed guitar-playing singer over. i informed him that i may or may not be getting engaged that very night and to pay very close attention as this engagement might transpire at any given moment and if he saw the moment transpiring if he would please be ready to come strong with a song that is appropriate, as we will hold this moment in memory for a good bit of time, it would be greatly appreciated and i would compensate him accordingly. actually there was no mention of compensation, perhaps there should have been. regardless, he seemed agreeable and actually excited, as if i’d given purpose and clarity to his existence. she (my better half) returned, and the meal was consumed without incident. the guitar singer guy and i exchanged anxious glances through out, him nodding, me shaking my head indicating, “no. the thing of which we spoke has not yet happened. don’t play the special song right now.” desert arrived. she eyed my neck. she reached. her fingers on the necklace. the pull. the slide up against my neck and shirt. the ring’s arrival. her surprise. my question. her tears. my tears. our hug. our sitting staring at a finger. a moment of quiet happiness. a nod to the guitar-singer-guy. his huge smile and knowing nod back accompanied by a wink. his stopping of one song and his starting of another. his look, triumphant. my excitement at everything playing out perfectly, as if orchestrated from the beginning of time, everything falling into its proper place. his first words into the microphone…”well, i stopped at a road house in texas…” my confusion. i knew this song. it was by glen cambell. it was about driving trucks, as in 18-wheelers. this made no sense. the guitar-singer-guy winking at me again. here are the lyrics:
Well, I stopped at a roadhouse in Texas
At a little place called 'Hamburger Den’
I heard a song on the jukebox
A tune called 'Truck Driving Man’
The waitress then brought me some coffee
I thanked her but called her again
I said that old song sure does hit me
Cause I’m a truck driving man
So pour me another cup of coffee
For it is the best in the land
And put a nickel in the jukebox
And play the truck driving man
I climbed back aboard my old semi
And then like a flash I was gone
I put my hand upon the shifter
Cause I’m on my way to San Antone
When I get my call up to glory
They’ll take me away from this land
I’ll pull this old truck up to Heaven
Cause I’m a truck driving man
So pour me another cup of coffee
For it is the best in the land
And put a nickel in the jukebox
And play the truck driving man
as you can imagine, my face was nonverbally communicating a lack of understanding and firm bewilderment. as he sang the song i explained to her (my better half) that i had asked him to play an appropriate song and this, his song selection, was the reason for my confusion, i could not figure out what exactly was fitting about it, what was the guitar-singer-guy trying to tell us, it is a song about another song about driving trucks? to this day i do not know. (please see the question regarding what my occupation would be were i not occupied as i am currently) meanwhile, the guitar-singer-guy finished the song still looking triumphant and greatly pleased as he approached our table. he asked if we liked it. we lied yes. we then told him we were most likely moving to denver colorado in the near future. he again displayed great excitement and said he had, “a song for that,” and returned to his stage in the corner. he began strumming chords and proceeded to sing a song about west virginia called, “take me home.” i mean it was by a guy whose last name was “denver”, and it was about home, but i mean, west virginia is the geographical location the song is referencing. i’m pretty sure the guitar-singer-guy was a genius and his high art was lost on us. as for the rest of the guys and their respective engagement stories, you’ll have to ask them.
Colgate or Crest?
jana. colgate.
is there anything in particular you hope to find under the tree for you this year?
aaron. i truly hope to find a nook. and a bunch of goats sent through oxfam.
What are you top three favorite books?
ellie. oh wow. this is really difficult. books by dead guys are way different than books by not yet dead guys. in fact, they seem almost a different thing altogether. ok. i’m not even going to think about this. infinite jest, david foster wallace, spirit of life, jurgen moltman, extremely loud, incredibly close, jonathan safran foer. only one of those are dead guys, and he shouldn’t be.
First a question…When you record songs, do you see them playing out like a video? I ask because that’s what happens when I listen to them. I see a video playing out to the song. I am curious to know if you experience the same thing.
Second a statement…David, you remind me so much of my former youth pastor/worship minister. He just has a lot less hair. Your voices, you sense of humor, the way you speak about worship…is totally Dale.
abi. to your question, no. i do not see the songs playing in video form. i would love to see what it is you see while listening. that could be cool. to your statement, please pass along to dale the following: dear dale, i’m sorry. i know what you’ve been through.
Ok, I do a TON of research on your music and literature, and I have a lot of questions about things I just can’t figure out.
1. In the CM Magazine, you talk about how each album correlates with another (ex. Can You Hear Us? and Remedy). So, there will be 6 albums and a 7th to complete this “period” of albums. By using the word “period,” are you insinuating that this is the first of 3 groups of albums that the band will produce? Or, to make my question more specific, are you going to produce 3 sets of 7 albums making a total of 21 (3x7) albums with the final album being the one that connects all the albums together?
taylor. to number one: no, i’m not insinuating this is the first of 3 sets that will eventually total 21, although your idea is intriguing to me. i rather think i’d have to pick up the pace to finish the 21 collection and i fear that would be a pace i’m not physically/mentally/emotionally able to satisfy. but seriously, a fantastic idea. i will say, since you have paid so careful attention, that the most interesting thing we will have done as a band will be the 7th piece of this period. and when i say period, i intend the usage that is applied to art in hindsight, as in, the usage being typically descriptive rather than prescriptive, as in, “his blue period,” etc…
1.) Could DCB possibly come to my church and speak to the youth? It would be kinda cool to do like a testimonial tour or a small acoustic tour for the youth ministries across America. You have no idea the impact you guys make to teenagers out there who need Christ more than ever in their developing years. It amazes me to see the teens get into DCB and understand the power of worship through you guys’ music. I’m a Sunday School teacher for high school girls (I’m in college) and I’d know they would love you guys to come! :)
2.) David, can I have your pickles?
3.) ….and your white hat in your youtube videos? K, thanks.
mina. 1) no. 2) no. 3) no. ps. as to the first “no”, it is a wonderful idea, but unfortunately everyone in the band has families and we have put firm (well, semi-firm) limits on the number of days we can be away from home, because, you know, everyone would very much like to keep their families as they are fond of them. i should also add that we do do a number of concerts/appearances/smallish-little-get-togethers each year because we value exactly the kind of thing you have described. and, of course, i’m not ruling things out completely, there may be a point in the not too distant future when all of the guys would enjoy a small vacation, because, you know, they are having kids left and right and they would probably be happy for me to run about the country-side hanging out with nice folks just like yourself and your kids, so, who knows! but for the immediate future, sadly, no, i don’t think i’ll be coming to your church to speak.
The robot says something like “You are a work of art” in German. I think.
My question is in two parts, with a small introduction:
The influence of Delirious is very obvious throughout all of modern Christian music - even yours (the cover of Obsession, for example [which is off the hook, if I may say so]).
Question Part 1) In how many and which other ways would you say that Delirious have influenced your characters, work, music, lifestyle, etc?
Question Part 2) Now that Delirious have finally gone to sleep, how do you think that will affect modern Christian music, and in what direction do you feel modern Christian music will go from here?
(Your thoughts on Christian music’s direction would be quite interesting regardless of Delirious’ ending.)
Nathan. hmmm. that’s a big question, number one. i’m not sure how i’d quantify the influence, although i’m like you, i know it’s there. i can say that the level of musicianship that they have demonstrated has always inspired me. they have done church music in an excellent, culturally relevant way, and it is and was beautiful, and this i applaud. as well, the confidence that martin exhibits onstage makes me want to do what i do better. i am too full of pride and aware of self and these things become more clear to me when i watch him onstage. if only to abandon my consciousness of self long enough to see what lies beneath the posturing, that’s what i feel when i observe him sing. in response to question two, unfortunately i don’t think it works like we think it does, as if there is a void that will be filled by someone. i think there is just a void. and i also think that their presence didn’t eliminate the possibility of further innovation. it’s like the free market, the number of jobs is limited only by the limitedness of our creativity and inventivenss. it is not as if there is only so much to spread around. there is the infinite horizon that beckons and all that is needed is to step into it. what i hope is ahead for the music of the church is to bridge the divide between high church and low church. i think the ground is fertile for this to be realized in a way that was not possible 5, 10 years ago. the idea of this is exciting to me.
what year were you born?
jen. 1923. year of the pig in accordance with the chinese calendar.
What are your favorite books?
scott. again, this is just a very hard question. so, this time, i walked into my living room. in my living room there is a coffee table of sorts, one that is squishy on top, covered with material that has little buttons on top of it, and it is open underneath on all four sides and the idea is that you put things in it and these things are visible to anyone looking at the coffee table type thing. in this coffee table type thing i have books which i like. the books that wind up in the coffee table thing are those special ones which i would like access to on occasions of whim. here are some of them: 4 books by dave eggers, 4 books by chuck klosterman, 2 books by jonathan safran foer, 4 books by david foster wallace, a book by douglas coupland, a book by paulo coeloh, 5 graphic novels in the vein of blankets by craig thompson, a book called the architecture of happiness, a book called fruits, a book called mix tape, a book called ambience, a book called book design of graphic designers in the world, a book called reinventing the wheel, a book called 1001 albums you must hear before you die, a book about art called the history of art, a book of photographs taken by marty stuart called country music: the masters, a book by brian greene the frabric of the cosmos, a couple of richard dawkins books (god bless him), a book called the games we play, a book called the pictorial history of waco, some other picture books having to do with scenic drives and strange architecture and gnomes, a french childrens book called le jardin des minimiams, biographies of einstein churchill and reagan, a book of art by mark ryden, a book called tom cruise: an unauthorized biography, a book called everything that rises, a book called giraffes? giraffes!, a book called the seuss, the whole seuss, and nothing but the suess, the tao te ching, a book of portraits from vaniety fair, a book of photography by jeff bridges. i should now mention that my “theological” section is in my office which i am not currently in and it dawns on me that this might have been of more interest to you.
why the hair/beard funky thing? don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome. but… why? just curious.
rochelle. i have no idea. it is quite regal though, isn’t it?
[1] as would be the name of the winsome town in which we reside and affectionately refer to as home when mispronounced with a short “a” vowel sound.
[2] also, the one cent piece, representing one hundredth of a dollar. this is useless. it can’t even buy a flashlight, much less a steering column. i’ve asked, trust me on this one.