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TUESDAY CONVERSATION: Tauren Wells of Royal Tailor

Every once in a while, an artist comes along that shakes things up and challenges the status quo within the Christian industry. You don’t have to go too deep into Royal Tailor’s debut album Black & White to figure out the Houston-based band is one of those artists.

Whole Notes had a chance to talk to lead singer Tauren Wells about its unique sound, it’s vision for today’s students and how growing up in the church shaped the band members as individuals. Check it out in part one of this interview:

Bonham: How did the band come together to develop such a uniquely diverse sound?

Wells: It’s just all of us being who we are and coming together and making something that we’re proud of. What I really love about our band is that we didn’t go into the studio and think, “I wonder what secular band we could be a Christian version of.” We believe that believers can create the template and they can make something new or as original as possible. I think we’re blessed and God has given us favor to do that. We all grew up listening to a lot of different stuff. In this band, you’ve got everything from bluegrass to black gospel. You never know what somebody’s going to answer when people ask what the influences are because they’re so varied. We just are who we are and we do what we do.

Bonham: It feels like you guys put a bunch of stuff in a blender until something unique came out.

Wells: It’s a very tasty smoothie.

Bonham: Were you aware of the fact that you guys were mixing together a compilation of sounds that was fairly unique to the Christian market?

Wells: Oh yeah, absolutely.

Bonham: So are you guys all from Christian upbringings?

Wells: Yep, we all grew up in church. We all grew up loving God, going to church. Blake’s mom is actually the music minister at her church. We all went to Bible college. Blake, DJ and I went to Indiana Bible College and Jarrod went to Gateway College of Evangelism.

Bonham: I always enjoy talking to people who grew up in church and aren’t bitter about it.

Wells: No, I’m very thankful. It’s the church that kept me. I had a very influential student pastor, David Morehead, who really inspired me and made me realize that there’s a calling on my life and to embrace that and to chase my dreams. God has really shown us favor and allowed us some really incredible opportunities. There’s no regret here. We’re thankful for the church and we love the church.

Bonham: There have been a lot of comparisons made between the band and some other artists out there. You do share some of the same sensibilities with Maroon 5. Your vocals at time bear an uncanny resemblance to Michael Jackson. Are you humbled by those comparisons or do they frustrate and maybe annoy you?

Royal Tailor (L to R: DJ Cox, Tauren Wells, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram)

Wells: We’re very humbled by it. We’ve been given some great comparisons to other artists that our sound evokes. One thing I think that’s kind of funny about it is if you asked any of the people we were compared to if we sounded like them, they would probably say “no.” It’s like this. I don’t know if you’ve ever had this experience. Someone will come up to you and they’ll be like, “You look just like my brother!” Then you see the picture and you’re like, “Oh, we’re both humans.” It’s kind of like that. The biggest thing is when we get compared to Backstreet Boys. To me, that’s a stretch, mainly because we’re not a choreographed dance band and we all play instruments.

Bonham: Do you think the varied comparisons pop up because of how diverse the band is from one song to the next?

Wells: Yeah, and I think that’s cool because (listeners) can identify with it and really appreciate what we’re doing.

Bonham: Having read your blog, it seems pretty obvious that you see this as a calling. How does that translate into your performances and your lifestyle away from the stage?

Wells: Well, we believe that student culture and culture as a whole has suffered from the symptoms of a visionless life. We are dealing with a myriad of issues that are all coming from two core dilemmas. One, it’s visionlessness as far as getting a true glimpse of who Jesus is and what He’s about. The second thing is getting a vision of who we are in Christ and what that means for our lives. If we can give people a vision of those two things, who Jesus is and who they are, then we can effectively create change in the world. In everything that we do in live performance and message in between songs and story thread videos and small group resources and student ministry resources, everything that we do is geared towards showing people who Jesus is and who they are in Him and inspiring them to connect the dots between the two so that they can be an effective world changer for the cause of Christ in their own unique way. They can use expressive art or science or whatever they want to communicate Christ to the culture.

To follow Royal Tailor, check the official band site here.

Click here for part two of Whole Notes’ interview with Royal Tailor lead singer Tauren Wells.

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Dara Maclean drops “Suitcases” ahead of debut release

Her debut album doesn’t even release for three weeks, but new artist Dara Maclean is already making a significant mark on the music scene with the hit single “Suitcases.” It’s just a taste of what listeners can expect from the July 12th Fervent Records release of You Got My Attention, produced by Dove Award-winner and Christian music veteran Ian Eskelin.

Maclean wrote or co-wrote all 12 of the tracks on the album and will be taking her soulful pop style on the road for over 100 shows through the spring of next year. The Fort Worth, Texas, native has been singing at the age of eight and has since led worship and been actively involved in youth ministry.

Check out a video of “Suitcases” below:

To keep up with Maclean’s music and tour dates, visit her website here.

Norman Hutchins looks forward to seventh solo album

Tomorrow marks the release of If You Didn’t Know, Now You Know, the seventh album for gospel artist and preacher Norman Hutchins. The project continues to share pieces of Hutchins’ engaging story, which includes a past bout with blindness and issues with his estranged father.

Much of the album came from his recent experiences leading worship in the church.

“While we were singing, God dropped these lyrics in the atmosphere,” Hutchins said in his latest bio. “We would start out with a familiar song that everybody knew and somehow in the midst of singing I would hear another melody. Words would just begin to drop in the atmosphere and I would look at the keyboard player and tell him to follow me.”

To keep up with Hutchins’ music and ministry, visit his official website here.

Upcoming album releases (June 28):

Relient K – K Is For Karaoke EP (Gotee Records/Digital Release)
Planetshakers – Nothing Is Impossible (Integrity Music/Digital Release)
Falling Up – Your Sparkling Death Cometh (Independent/Digital Release)
Darlene Zschech – You Are Love (Fair Trade Services)
Norman Hutchins – If You Didn’t Know…Now You Know (Impact)
Various Artists – iWorship Resource System DVD (iWorship)

Upcoming album releases (June 30):

Various Artists – Ska Lives Vol. 2 (IVM)

Join Whole Notes tomorrow for a conversation with Tauren Wells, lead singer of Royal Tailor.

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FRIDAY FEATURE: Simon Grenehed of Blindside, Part 2

Here’s the second part of Whole Notes’ interview with Blindside guitarist Simon Grenehed:

Bonham: Do you recognize those young guys from 15 years ago that were on the scene, hitting it hard and playing the small venues? Are you guys the same or is there a different purpose behind what the band does now?

Grenehed: We were formed by those years. There’s something that happens when we get in a room together. That’s not going to change. But also, you become different individuals the older you get. The last couple of years playing outside of the States, we’ve been trying to figure out our own sound and style as well, which has just come from playing in different types of settings. We’re super excited about the live shows because of the new material. We just started playing a couple of those songs live and we’re really excited about how they’re coming out.

Bonham: As one of a few bands that went from the Christian independent rock scene and then found success in the general market, how comfortable have you been bouncing back and forth between the various venues in which you find yourself performing?

Blindside

Grenehed: The whole Christian scene is something we were unaware of when we started the band. It was something we got to know when we came over to the States. That was never our main focus. We were just playing and didn’t have too many goals. When things happened in different directions, we just kind of flowed with it. But I do think that we don’t have any problem playing in front of whoever is in the room or whatever kind of crowd. We learned when we opened for a lot of bands that we’re out to conquer the audience. They don’t know who you are when you start out. But we do feel comfortable just being in all those places. For us, it can be something really powerful when you play in a Christian venue and everybody is focused on the same thing. But also, I think you can get into that same mode when you play anywhere else. We have a couple songs where for some reason they’re not about a band on a stage. It’s about everybody in the room. It connects to a feeling or a melody that people can meditate on in whatever form like want to and express it in their own way.

Bonham: Do you feel like bands such as yourself, P.O.D. and Switchfoot have more responsibility because of your ability to connect with a mainstream audience better than other Christian bands have been able to do?

Grenehed: No. (Laughs) We are who we are. As far as being in whatever venue in front of different people, if you stay true to that and your core and what the band is about, people feel it if it’s real. I think that’s what will show in the end. It’s not about what you say on stage. For us, it’s been going out with bands that don’t necessarily have the same faith as us. It’s so much about relationships. If you’re spreading the word in any way, it’s going to be through who you are off the stage as well.

Bonham: What’s going on in Stockholm these days within the church there and how have you guys plugged back into that community?

Grenehed: I don’t know man. It’s funny because every time we talk to people in the States they’re like, “Yeah, I heard about all the things going on in Sweden!” We’re like, “Where did you go?” Sweden is a very secularized country. I think it’s like four percent or less Christian. But there are some amazing movements going on. For us, it’s more staying within whatever church or community where we already are and really working there.

Bonham: What is the game plan for how you’re going to tackle this new project with touring and promotions, especially considering the new reality within the music industry where record sales are harder to come by?

Grenehed: That’s exactly why we didn’t rush it and go do things the old fashioned way. That’s why we did the web campaign and released the songs streaming one at a time. We just tried to figure out different ways we could do things in an innovative way. Now that the record is out, we’re going to focus on touring and getting the music out there. Of course we’re very excited about getting back to the States. We have a tour that’s staring in September and we’re playing Cornerstone Festival as well. We’re ready to get back on it. It’s always hard. It depends on the kind of feedback you get from the fans. We really understand that we have to start at zero and go from there. Everything isn’t planned out yet. We’re going to take the information we have so far and see what we should do next.

Bonham: You guys have been one of the better bands for embracing video. Will that continue with this record?

Grenehed: We definitely believe in having something visual out there. We’re going to try to focus on that and get some video material out so people can see what the old men look like nowadays (laughs).

For special content, check out Blindside’s album site here or hit up the official band site here.

Click here for Part 1 of this interview. Join us next week for Monday Music News plus an interview with Royal Tailor and a review of Peter Furler’s debut solo project.

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FRIDAY FEATURE: Simon Grenehed of Blindside, Part 1

It’s been four years since Swedish post-hardcore band Blindside released The Black Rose EP and six years since it’s last full-length project (The Great Depression). After spending some quality time with their families, the band appears ready for another strong run with the INO Records/Sony RED project With Shivering Hearts We Wait, which released earlier this month.

The album reunited Blindside with Howard Benson who produced the band’s breakout Elektra Records projects Silence and About a Burning Fire. Benson is noted for his work with such rock acts as My Chemical Romance, Papa Roach and Flyleaf.

Whole Notes caught up with Simon Grenehed recently on a phone call from his home near Stockholm, Sweden. In part one of this interview, he talks about why the band was away from the scene for so long, how it reconnected with producer Howard Benson and what has impacted the band’s evolving sound:

Bonham: You guys have been off the map for a while. Some people might have thought the band was done.

Grenehed: Yeah, that’s what a lot of people thought, apparently. I think we’re to blame for that a bit as well because we haven’t told people what we’re up to lately.

Bonham: Were you taking time off to spend with family, to recharge?

Blindside

Grenehed: Partly it was that. There’s a couple of kids in picture now, but as far as the band and the music goes, I think we’ve been working for a very long time. We were supposed to release a record in ’07 that fell through because of record company problems. We’ve been writing for a long time. But the reason we haven’t told people that much is, my whole view of the thing is that if you don’t have anything to say, just don’t do it (laughs). We didn’t want to give people false expectations about where we were because for a long time we didn’t have anything going for us. We didn’t have a record company. We had a lot of music but we didn’t really know how to restart things again.

Bonham: You guys got caught up in some of the fallout from the record industry implosion.

Grenehed: Definitely. We released About a Burning Fire (in 2004) and it did a great first week and then the record company merged with another company and so all the people we’d been working with for the past few years were suddenly gone. It was a tough blow but it also pushed us into making new decisions and finding other ways to work it.

Bonham: Was there anything positive that came out of it the situation and being able to stay home for an extended period of time?

Grenehed: Yeah, definitely. When things started to look like we needed to take break, even when we didn’t understand it or want to do it at the time, I think we really needed to because you really find your identity being in a band. You become Simon of Blindside. I think we focused on doing others things that didn’t have anything to do with the band to kind of find out our own identities and took the time to focus on our family life. We took day jobs and stuff like that and I think it was good for us.

Bonham: What else has kept the band busy in terms of tying back in to your local community and things like church involvement?

Grenehed: That was part of it as well. When you’re a band of faith and you go out and tour, that becomes your church basically. We’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure that out at home. It’s a very different situation, but both have their pros and cons for sure.

Bonham: So do you feel recharged and ready to roll again?

Grenehed: No. (Laughs) We’ve been working too hard at our day jobs. We need to get on a vacation and tour. No, I think we’re very ready to go on tour. Of course it’s a very different situation with kids in the picture. You can’t motivate for your family to go away for a month.

Bonham: Who in the band has children?

Grenehed: Christian has two kids and Thomas has one kid.

Bonham: In my opinion, Howard Benson was the producer of your two best albums to this point (Silence and About a Burning Fire). It seems like you guys have a good relationship with him and he brings a lot of great things out of the band. Why has that been such a solid partnership and how did you end up working with him again?

Grenehed: When we were in hiatus, so to speak, we really had time to think what we wanted to do with the next album. One of those things we wanted to explore was if we could do another record with Howard. Of course, at that point, we didn’t really have a record company or anything and Howard was getting Grammy nominations and stuff like that. It was very different. We were worlds apart. But we just thought we should send the demo over there and see if he liked and if he wanted to do something. We’ve become kind of close to his whole team over in L.A., and have special ties with their families. So as far as recording goes, we felt like we were at home. Those guys are basically the ones that we’ve been working with over our careers. It was very easy to get back into the same working relationship and of course they’re all super professional. It was a nice ride to go over there and record. We understand each other very well and they know our good things and our bad things. It was a good ride. We also tried to push it and try different ideas. We’re really excited about how the record came out.

Bonham: The band has changed quite a bit from the Solid State years to now. What has been the genesis of Blindside’s sound and how it’s become more diverse over time?

Grenehed: We’re totally a band that follows our hearts and tries not to have any boundaries. That happens more the longer we’ve played together. That shows on this record too with all the strings and electronic parts. When you first start playing, you get inspired by all the bands around you. I think, for us, after a while when you learn how to play, you start figuring stuff out on your own. We haven’t listened to any good new rock bands in a long time and so it’s easy to get into the rehearsal space and focus on your own thing. As we follow our hearts, whatever comes out, comes out.

Bonham: What was the band’s mindset as you approached the writing of this new record? Did you have a theme and did any of the recent struggles play into that?

Grenehed: Of course, Christian writes the lyrics but it’s always difficult for us because we don’t have a theme when we get started. We go in there to find out things as we move along. We write the songs and look back and say, “Okay, this is the theme for this record.” That’s been the case the last couple of records now. I don’t want to say we were bitter or anything. A lot of the hiatus was self-chosen. Once we did start writing and we knew we were going to do a record, it was more excitement to be able to do this one more time. But thematically, we’re still trying to figure that out.

For special content, check out Blindside’s album site here or hit up the official band site here.

Click here for Part 2 of Whole Notes’ interview with Blindside guitarist Simon Grenehed.