RockOm

By Trevor Harden, Trevor@RockOm.net

Since forming in 1985 as a band of middle school students, the rock quartet known as Live has grown to become one of the most popular and enduring alternative rock acts of the past two decades. They gained massive mainstream success with their sophomore breakthrough album Throwing Copper in 1994 and have since gone on to sell more than 20 million CDs worldwide.

Live frontman Eddie Kowalczyk is currently on an acoustic tour called Open Wings, Broken Strings with Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer and Art Alexakis of Everclear. He is also working on a rocking new solo album to be released in spring of 2010 (details and mailing list at eddieklive.com).

Eddie sat down with RockOm's Trevor Harden to discuss his spiritual journey, rediscovering the Bible, the power of performing acoustically and more...

Trevor: Since Live's first album, Mental Jewelry, you've always allowed depth and spiritual truth into your lyrics. That album came out when you guys were very young so was there a catalyst that started you down that spiritual path? Can you speak about where that longing for something deeper came from?

Ed: Sure. I was baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic but never really got into it much beyond the routine of occasional church going and the formalities of the religion, never really digging that deeply into it as a child. Then as a teenager, I had a natural tendency to dig a little deeper than what was handed to me as a kid, in terms of spirituality and religion. When I was about 16 or 17 in high school I noticed that I was really interested in meditation and seeking Truth and a deeper meaning to my existence. I ended up wandering into a metaphysical bookstore that was near where I lived one day and saw a book by J. Krishnamurti called You Are the World; I bought it on a whim. It ended up being a book about questioning conditioning. He put everything into question in terms of what we accept as true or real and why we do so. It was maybe the first time I did that - to look at the ideas and beliefs I held about God and Truth and ask myself if they were accurate and what I was getting from it.

So that started my questioning which then led into years of meditating and reading. I've always been an avid reader of scripture and philosophy and never went to college so that was kind of my education. In the mid-1990's I met Ken Wilber and became really good friends with him and read his book called A Brief History of Everything which was a major watershed opening of my mind. Then about four or five years ago I did something called the Big Mind project with a man named Genpo Roche, a Zen master who developed a piercing kind of Zen questioning process. Since then I've come full circle by re-investigating the Bible from a metaphysical point of view - reinterpreting scripture in a way that relates to consciousness. That has been the main focus of my life for the last four years. It's definitely not a type of Christianity that people would recognize as typical or dogmatic; it's about the furthest you could be from fundamentalism but nonetheless Christian in nature. I'm really discovering the Bible for the first time in terms of unlocking its potential to teach us about reality.

Alongside all of that, it's music all the time. Music and songwriting is an extension of that search and has given me a lot to think about. It's been a fount of inspiration for me throughout the years and people seem to dig it.

Trevor: What are you finding in the life and teachings of Jesus that you weren't finding elsewhere or that you're finding unique?

Ed: It's unique in it's power, unique in it's breadth of influence. But you have to get away from looking at it as just a moral code and dig deeper into the language of the Bible and I'm interpreting it as it relates to consciousness itself or being itself. One of the simple ways that I see the power in it is every time the Bible says God or Lord or Christ is to relate that directly to consciousness itself, which is ever present and intermingling with your own being at a very deep level. So that unlocks an interest in prayer and meditation that was there but is now even more driven to a deeper place, understanding that as we touch that deep level that our life becomes the fruitage of that. We're happier, our relationships become more harmonious... "you shall know them by their fruits" stuff starts to happen. There's an extra sparkle in my eye and a smile that wasn't there for a while by ucovering that because of the depth of this prayer and practicing going to that place where we all become one. There's a very powerful silence there and it really reveals a lot.

As a musician and artist, you can't really ask for more than that. I come out of these periods with incredible inspiration and want to sing about it. Being able to go full circle and pick up the Bible again has been very powerful for me because it was a book that I really just didn't understand in a way that meant much to me for years. It's a sort of a coming home, but in my own way. It has been really, really exciting and powerful.

Trevor: You're currently offering the free download of your song "Forever" on eddieklive.com. It's a beautiful acoustic version of the song with the great line, "The darker the night, the brighter the dawn." Can you tell us a little about your inspiration for this song?

Ed: Again, coming from rediscovering the Bible and words like faith, that particular lyric is trying to express that when we see our ideal - the best case scenario, the most loving scenario, the fullest life, God or Truth - to keep our attention there in spite of what is appearing as an obstacle or limitation. As you keep the faith and keep your attention on that ideal and get more and more stronger doing that you find that the negativity leaves. You discover you've moved past the limitations and closer to the ideal in ways that are beyond imagination. Everyone has experienced that but this was just putting it into a context that is hopefully inspirational to people. It's something that has had an incredible impact on my life.

Trevor: All musicians talk about that mystical thing that happens in a live setting where there's a unity and connection you have with the audience. I'm sure it happens at both the loud rock concerts with the band as well as in the quiet, acoustic solo performances that you're currently doing. Can you talk about how the texture of that is different in both of those settings?

Ed: It's really different. Look, I love to rock. I've been in a great band for years and love to turn up the amps and have all the lights going and the big PA. But there's a part of you that sits by yourself in a room and writes a song that doesn't get to be on stage then. He has to recoil back into a little place of being there, but not really. Stripping it down and making it an acoustic, intimate setting really allows that guy to come forward. I had really kind of missed him. You obviously have that when you start out, when the crowds are smaller, but as the band gets bigger and your art succeeds, it becomes a persona that is designed to fill these big spaces. With this "Open Wings, Broken Strings" tour, the idea was to strip that down and put artists on the bill that were also ready for those types of things in their music. There's a fullness about the show that everyone is sharing in and the crowds are just loving it. A lot of them have said to me, "I never knew it could rock that much or be that compelling." That trips me out because that's where the music comes from, but I guess yeah, if you've never seen me acoustic you wouldn't know. This is just another view and it's really neat.

Trevor: In that setting you can talk about the meaning behind the songs and share the background a little bit. Are there any of your songs that you're particularly enjoying "clearing the air" about? Is there any song that you really enjoy telling the real story and meaning behind because it has maybe been misunderstood in the past or is perhaps a bit cryptic?

Ed: You know, I keep them that way a lot. I actually just did an introduction to "Lightening Crashes" the other night and said if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what this song meant, I'd have a lot more dollars. I basically stepped off it again by saying that I have a feeling about what it means but people have received such different impressions about that song in lots of good ways that I don't want to influence that. I've said it's about reincarnation for me at periods of time in my life but I still tend to back away from that because there's something about the openness of it - letting it be interpreted in the way people receive it - that is really powerful.

www.eddieklive.com

by Josh Garrels

Visit Josh at...
JoshGarrels.com
MySpace.com
iTunes

Josh Garrels has spent the past seven years moving around the country while recording his own albums in spare bedrooms, space heated garages and old attics. He experiments with a unique fusion of folk, breakbeats, and soul music by layering elements of electronic sampling and organic accompaniment. Lost Animals, Josh's latest album of B-sides, collaborations and singles, comes off the heels of 2008's critically acclaimed Jacaranda, which Paste Magazine chief editor Andy Whitman calls "quietly uplifting, sorrowful, real, and transcendently hopeful music."

Featured Track:
"All Creatures"

Click to Play

"'All Creatures' derives it's chorus from an old hymn written by St. Francis of Assisi. He had found a deep connection with nature in relation to God, as he would address 'brother sun, and sister moon' while communing with the birds and animals of fields. Much like St Francis, I've found serenity in worshipping the Creator of all things by delighting myself in his creation. Yet at the same time, when I see the perversion, destruction, and exploitation of his creatures, great and small, I find myself lifting up a cry for mercy, justice, and redemption of all things.' (Josh)

RockOm Round-up is a quick glance at what's going on around the world in the areas of music and spirituality...

• Good Vs. Evil Do Battle Joyously - "Hellfire and damnation, and a whole lot of heavenly singing and earthly argumentation. That's what you get in 'The Message Is in the Music (God Is a Black Man Named Ricky),' Jackie Taylor's red-hot new musical for the Black Ensemble Theater." (suburbanchicagonews.com)

• Meshell Ndegeocello: Sacredly Profane - "'If you could lick your balls,' chuckles [musician] Meshell Ndegeocello, 'you would!' With that playfully indelicate visual, Ndegeocello illustrates a point she's been making through music for the better part of her career: Spiritual growth need not preclude sensuality." (seattleweekly.com)

• In Search Of Beethoven - "Where did a man so flawed and troubled by life, love and illness find the spiritual depth to write music that was so moving and even joyous? Where does the hope come from?" (brisbanetimes.com.au)

• Unrelenting Desire for Spiritual Freedom Through Music - "Various literature and textbooks in the history have referred to music as the food for the soul. If the right chord touches the heart, it is said to soothe the mind and body of an individual, freeing them from all worries and stresses that are pent up inside. Nizar Lalani and Njane Mugambi are two people with a mission of accomplishing spiritual freedom through the music they create." (thenews.com.pk)

• Q&A with a Jewish Rock Star- "Rick Recht, a top touring international Jewish rock star, is distributing free copies of his brand new album of inspirational Shabbat melodies, Simply Shabbat..." (jewishinstlouis.org)

• Q&A: Michael Buble talks new CD, love and religion- "As I get older I have a different concept of what God is to me and — it's not that I'm into organized religion — the truth is that I don't know. I'm sorry if that offends people out there, but I'm just being honest, I don't know..." (news.yahoo.com)

A casual interview with neo-reggae band Passafire on their new album, connecting with nature and "being in the zone"
By Trevor Harden and Tom Crenshaw

When you think of the South, one thing that usually doesn't come to mind is reggae music. Even still one of the hottest bands rising up the charts today (including being prominently featured in the iTunes store and newsletter this week) is Savannah, Georgia's Passafire. Their latest album, Everyone on Everynight (out this week on LAW Records), pushes the boundaries of reggae music, giving the genre a "hard rock meets pop" edge that few (if any) other bands have attempted. In other words, though you will certainly hear musical influences in the parts of Passafire's music, the whole is something quite unique and noteworthy.

RockOm met up with keyboardist Adam Willis and drummer Nick Kubley before their show in downtown Savannah, GA to discuss the new album, seeing signs, their thoughts on God and how it feels to connect with an audience.

Trevor: How is Everyone on Everynight different than past records?

Adam: On the last record we had a year and a half while on the road to write the songs, put them together, try them live on the road and all that. For this record, we didn’t test any of these songs on the road. We got together after touring and had all this inspiration from traveling and locked ourselves up and wrote.

Nick: There was a lot of pressure to come up with a new record fairly quickly, but I think it was good. We all thought, “This has to be done quickly and it has to be really good.”

Trevor: The album's title comes from the lyrics in your song “Prelectricity" [one of RockOm's Featured Tracks this week]. This song talks about light pollution and the loss of connection with the stars, which used to guide people for many centuries. What was the inspiration for this track?

Adam: The song is about civilization and modern societies and how with the way we live now, the cities are so far removed from the natural world that you kind of forget about it. To us as a band it’s really important to reconnect when we’re somewhere, like when we’re out West we’ll go camping. We just hope to stay in touch with that because it’s really easy to forget about the world we live in and the natural beauty, especially when you’re in a vehicle all day traveling and playing in big cities.

Nick: You really don’t notice it until you’re out West in the middle of nowhere, driving in the middle of Wyoming for example. There are a million more stars that you see.

Adam: We just can’t forget about who we are, the people in the world around us and the world we’re living in. It’s very easy to do that nowadays and that’s what this song is about: distractions.

Trevor: Your song “Here in Front of Me” [the other RockOm Featured Track this week] talks about looking for signs and coincidences and even being disturbed or upset when we do see them. Was there a story behind these lyrics?

Adam: I think it came from when we were out West on our last trip. To me – and I didn’t write the lyrics, [guitarist/vocalist] Ted did – it always felt like this cryptic description of our band, all the good and bad we’ve been through, and our drive to keep going.

Nick: Yes, like the part that says, “It’s actually happening.” Is that what you’re talking about?

Adam: I don’t know if that’s actually what he means by that.

Nick: Ya, I don’t know either. [Laughter]

Adam: I think on this one we wanted to create a visual in the listener's mind and then they do whatever they want with it. But we are a people who think about the signs and notice things. I feel like personally I’m destined to do this and the signs are there.

Trevor: Let's look back to one of your older songs, “Feel It." There’s some language in there about “recognizing the eternal fire within.” What does that mean to you personally?

Nick: It’s taking notice that you have an energy inside you, a flame that needs to be kept going.

Adam: For me it’s definitely symbolic of God or a higher being. That’s how I always interpreted it.

Nick: “Feel It” doesn’t necessarily have to be about God. Ted says that in the song – “whether or not you think there is a God above.”

Adam: For me it does, though.

Nick: I’m not sure I believe in God completely, but I do think there’s something else there.

Trevor: And the way Ted has structured it, he’s left it open for interpretation.

Adam: Yes, I think we try to do that with all the songs. When you try to cram a message down someone’s throat, that doesn’t seem to work too well. If you leave it open for interpretation, people can understand it in their own way so they can use it to be better and go forth.

Nick: That’s the song we get written to about the most. A lot of people write us and say how that song in particular got them through tough times in their lives – crazy shit like that. This one kid was saying that he was thinking about killing himself and then he didn’t because of this song. That’s heavy.

Adam: It’s rock and roll, it’s a good time, but if there’s something in there that can uplift people or change them for the better or help them, that means we’re doing something right I think. It’s so easy to wield the weapon of music in a negative way. You can influence people to do just about anything.

Trevor: Reggae music usually carries with it this kind of positivity, spirituality and activism. Do you hope that you’re performances and songs are a little more than just “music” for people?

Nick: I always wanted my being in a band to be something more than just playing for people. If we can make them forget about their problems for an hour and a half then I think we’ve done our job. Yes, I’m in a band but why am I really here? I’m good at playing music and I need to use that for something positive. I think we all feel like that.

Adam: If you have a skill or an ability --

Nick: -- you should use it for good.

Adam: I think there's an obligation to do that.

Nick: Not everyone can play music or get to the level that we’ve been able to get to. Once you’re there you should do something with it.

Tom: You’re playing for a home crowd [in Savannah, GA] tonight and you’ve previously been out playing across the country. How do you know you’re connecting with the audience when you’re in a new setting, other than them rocking out? What do you feel?

Adam: That’s a hard thing to describe but it’s definitely real.

Nick: It’s not a tangible thing. It’s either there or it’s not. I think that time we played in Minneapolis, opening for 311, there were like a thousand people there and they were all just standing there with their arms crossed. But that night was one of the nights where we sold the most CDs. We sold a shit-load of CDs after thinking, “Oh my God, these people hate us.” [Laughs]

Adam: Aside from the obvious stuff – like people dancing or singing the lyrics – I think when you’re on stage you can feel positive energy when you’re reaching people. There is this invisible connection that can happen. Without running the risk of sounding cheesy, I firmly believe that. And there are some times when you walk off stage that you know something really magical just happened. It goes from us being on stage and them being out in the crowd, to us all participating in this thing together.

Nick: It’s like everyone’s in on this unspoken... agreement.

Adam: That’s good. That’s a good way to describe it.

Nick: It’s still not that good of a way to describe it. [Laughs] But I don’t know how else to say it.

Trevor: Moving on, let’s close with…

Nick: It would be like being in the Zone… in sports. [Long pause] Sorry. [Laughter]

Trevor: One more plug for the new album, what’s your personal favorite track on the disc?

Nick: My favorite is “Queen of Spades” because to me it’s the Southern Rock song on the album and I’m really proud of it. I feel like that embodies where we’re from – Savannah – and being in the South. It’s got this twang to it and crazy slide solo.

Adam: It’s tough to say a favorite but the one I keep going back to is “You’re Here.” I just feel like it’s really upbeat and positive and the lyrics are just cryptic to me. In listening over and over again it seems different every time. I feels like I hear new things in it each time.

LINKS:

Passafire's main website

Passafire on MySpace

Everyone on Everynight on iTunes

"Though everything else may appear shallow and repulsive, even the smallest task in music is so absorbing, and carries us so far away from town, country, earth, and all worldly things, that it is truly a blessed gift of God."

[Felix Mendelssohn, composer]

Muse is the biggest band you may have never heard of. Actually, that's not the case so much anymore with the band's upcoming appearance at MTV's Video Music Awards, songs on Guitar Hero and their buzz-worthy status. The group has in fact blown up... and for good reason. Their symphonic, classically-inspired, over-the-top hard rock is quite unlike anything you've heard and vocalist Matt Bellamy's apocalyptic lyrics have young people everywhere heading for shelter. But what makes Muse who they are? And what has inspired these intense, gloomy lyrics?

On the eve of their long-awaited album The Resistance (out September 14th on Warner Brothers), the London Times sat down with the band to discuss the new album and where they draw their inspiration from. Matt Bellamy says:

"People associate the band with science fiction, with theories about the universe, about geo­politics and all that sort of stuff, and I’ve certainly gone on a lot about those things, but I think one of the reasons I’ve moved towards them is because, when I’m hearing or thinking about a certain piece of music, it can conjure up such large, existential-type feelings, emotions and ideas."

He goes on to say...

“If I’d been listening to Berlioz or Beethoven in the 19th century, I would probably have said to you, ‘I’m hearing the sound of God.’ In the modern secular world, and given the fact that I’m not religious, I turn to other subjects, be it ideas about space, or political questions.”

Check out the whole interview on timesonline.co.uk and watch for the release of The Resistance in a few short weeks.

At a meeting of the American Psychological Association, Jack Lipton, a psychologist at Union College, and R. Scott Builione, a graduate student at Columbia University, presented their findings on how members of the various sections of 11 major symphony orchestra perceived each other.

The percussionists were viewed as insensitive, unintelligent, and hard-of-hearing, yet fun-loving. String players were seen as arrogant, stuffy, and unathletic. The orchestra members overwhelmingly chose "loud" as the primary adjective to describe the brass players. Woodwind players seemed to be held in the highest esteem, described as quiet and meticulous, though a bit egotistical.

Interesting findings, to say the least! With such widely divergent personalities and perceptions, how could an orchestra ever come together to make such wonderful music? The answer is simple: regardless of how those musicians view each other, they subordinate their feelings and biases to the leadership of the conductor. Under his guidance, they play beautiful music.

[SOURCE: Today in the Word, June 22, 1992]

We all have our own preferences, ways, personalities and idiosyncrasies, but it is only by surrendering to the Great Conductor (whether you call that God, the Absolute, universal energy, nature, or otherwise) that keeps our lives in balance and all of our actions singing in chorus with others and our surroundings. We can try to struggle and fight to have our own way (and yes, there are times for solos), but the beauty of the music is magnified when there's harmony with those around us.

"For who accepts harmony, the Way harmonizes with him." (Tao Te Ching)

"The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. Both recognize the pivot, that God is at the center of the jaunt. So the blues, on one hand - running away; gospel, the Mighty Clouds of Joy - running towards."

[Bono, U2]

RockOm Round-up is a quick glance at what's going on around the world in the areas of music and spirituality...

• O.A.R. breaks the mold - Reggae/Rock band O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) says, "I certainly refer to God at some points in time. I don't mean that for any certain religion. When I feel close to something, I refer to it as God. Maybe a lot of people connect to that. But I'm certainly no preacher." (baltimoresun.com)
• Christian band Skillet seeking mainstream fans - "I do find that to be the hardest thing," [vocalist John] Cooper says, "because I've always wanted to have a message to my music. I've never wanted to compromise that and I don't want to let my Christian music fans down... In the end I thought, 'OK, I'm just going to have to write with my heart.'" (reuters.com)
• Morrison revisits his "Astral Glory" - A review of a recent Van Morrison performance where he "reclaimed Astral Glory's themes of rebirth and awakening in a manner that dispelled criticisms he has endured over the years for seeming uninterested." (boston.com)
• One blessed voice - "Onkar Singh puts all his soul into singing Sikh devotional hymns, which will soothe any ears... 'Spirituality to me is being able to rise above the day-to-day stresses of life and see the bigger picture,' Singh says from his home in Brantford, 'to be able to put situations and circumstances in a perspective which allows you to remain in a state of bliss, regardless of what is happening around you.'" (torontosun.com)

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.

Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep Playing."

Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.

That's the way it is with our Heavenly Father. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.

Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.

[Author unknown. Found at sermonillustrator.org]