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10 Questions with ... Slingshot57
April 23, 2007
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NAME:Slingshot57TITLE:Musician
Brief Career Synopsis:
Slingshot57 was started in Fall 1997. We've played over 700 dates in 30 some odd states and just ventured to Canada for the first time. We've had a handful of songs used on three seasons of MTV's "The Real World," some songs on radio, played most every type of venue from bar to church, but really we just like to stay busy playing out and being with people.
Line-up:
Ben - vocals
Nash - guitar
Paul - guitar
Tim - bass
Daniel - drumsDiscography:
The EP (2004)
Stay the Course (2002)
Five Smooth Stones (2000)1) Where did ya'll meet? And why did you start a band? And what does the name mean?
I wish I could say that our story was filled with lions and tigers and bears, but really it's simple. Like most bands, we have gone through a number of line-up changes to get to where we are now. But we all either knew each other already or through joint friends or acquaintances. Why Slingshot57 was started? To be useful and do something that matters. We love music and we love people. It's our passion to connect with people through the medium of music and from that point earn the right to be heard and meet people where they are at. And just love them.
The name "Slingshot" is just from the story of David and Goliath, that with faith in God you can overcome anything. The "57" is Psalm 57 about making God your refuge.
2) Introduce the band members using personality traits and musical background.
I will use great liberty to paint a picturesque scene of each member, alphabetically of course, in order to not imply a hierarchy or discriminate, and at the same time potentially ignoring the constraints in the "introduction" you originally requested.
Daniel: A golden retriever, willing to do most anything you ask, content to sit around a fire playing with a ball of yarn. He manages to play drums with the intensity of a puma pouncing on its prey.
Nash: A very swift and agile fellow with an extensive vocabulary garnered solely through home schooling. He is capable of causing "Star Wars" panoramas in your mind merely by playing his guitar.
Paul: A walking handlebar mustache whose natural state is floating down the Mississippi in full pirate attire and playing the soundtrack of a never ending pig roast with his guitar.
Tim: Without question the warmest face due to his pearly white smile combined with how impressively thick his beard is, making him not only a dependable diplomat to any and all but also quite possibly the hottest (temperature wise) bass player in existence.
Ben: I sing.
3) Currently an independent band, yes? Doing anything to change that status?
Yeah, we are definitely independent. We have booking and management but no label. Well, if we were trying to change that status, whatever we are doing is not working. Ha ha! No, seriously, our approach with labels has been passive for the most part. We aren't anti-label, just never really connected with anyone on the industry side of things that seem to understand us or like our music very much. [Smile] Putting it frankly, to this point the labels we have met with have been about as impressed with us as we have been with them.
4) You're playing the Yellow Tangerine showcase at GMA Week. Come here often? And how much do you love it?
We are really excited to be playing the Tangerine showcase. It's cool to get to play with bigger bands and just have the opportunity. So we feel very blessed to be a part of it. We come through Nashville every now and then, mainly passing through on our way south for dates. But we like stopping and seeing friends and our manager who more often than not will buy us a meal. Ha! Otherwise there hasn't been much reason for us to be down there. But with GMA week, this will be the longest we have ever stayed for it. We generally play and hang out for a while and get out! It gets pretty deep pretty quick down there, ya know?
5) Have you guys had much radio airplay? What can we do to change that? Cut your hair and make you more AC friendly?
We have had four singles chart on the R&R Rock chart. I'm afraid to actually answer the rest of that question because I'm pretty sure most evidence would suggest that you are right. A funny side note, in reference to "radio singles" per say, we were asked by a label to consider being "lyrically more Christian-friendly." My response was not so funny.
6) Seriously though, what urges you to make music? Is it only about the music or is it about the listeners/fans, too?
This is a good question. I will do my best to not take off and say too much here. We really just want to be useful and do something that matters. We fill our lives every day with routine and useless activities that don't impact anything. Just by choosing to follow where we believe God is leading us and by communicating what we feel God is laying on our hearts in a language that transcends all others, we have the chance to impact eternity. That is what we want. That is why we do what we do.
We want to meet people where they are at, earn the right to be heard, and love them, however it looks. People far from God don't need the baptized alternative, they need truth and they need to see Jesus in us as believers. And we are not always so good at that. I am convinced that I will gain more mileage with someone by being transparent, allowing them to see the good, the bad and the ugly of my faith, than by feeding them all the right lines that someone, somewhere has deemed to be "Christian-friendly."
We are very passionate about our music, but only because we want to serve our Creator the best we can with what we have. We know he can and will use even our faults and failures to reach those farthest from him. So, yeah, to us it's about a lot more than the music, the melodies, the listeners and definitely a lot more than the success or lack there of when it comes to the industry. We don't want to settle for just throwing rocks in the same pond, not when there is an ocean right behind us.
7) Which do you enjoy more: the process of recording a record or the performance of said record?
We are a live band. It's what we spend most of our time doing, so the latter is the most enjoyable for us probably. We definitely love recording though. We have just never had anything but really complicated recording experiences. As you can tell from the "discography" section, apparently recording for us is difficult, whether it's a van engine blowing up, destroying our budget, or patiently waiting for someone to make our studio time a priority. So, we end up demo-ing a great deal of songs, hoping to share them. [Smile]
8) Does Country editor Jim Asker (who suggested we talk to you) know you have a link to Fox News on your website?
Hmmm, not sure but he will soon enough. [Smile]
9) If you weren't making money as big rock stars, what would you be doing?
The easiest way to answer that would be to just say "probably be in this band." Turns out we don't make a great deal of "cashola." But it's weird because I don't really think about it. I get to do what I love and no one can steal my joy. But some of us would probably be in school, traveling with another band, planting a church, working on the mission field, running a venue or managing a band, something like that.
10) Myspace says that Champaign, IL, is home. How much do you love it there?
I have no idea if Champaign will always be home, but considering how big of a Fighting Illini fan that I am, I must say I love it here very much. Family is here and that makes anywhere home. A few of the guys live in surrounding towns and feel the same way about their hometown.
Bonus Questions
1) Who would be a dream artist to record with (any genre)?
Living, Dave Grohl, and passed on, Johnny Cash
2) What is your favorite city to visit?
Wow, we have tons of them for different reasons: Chicago, NYC, Miami, Las Vegas but I would probably go with Washington D.C. Due to our hunger for knowledge, we are avid museum attendees and outside of the National Aquarium, which was exceptionally disappointing, D.C. has a wealth of history and info to soak up.
3) What is your favorite road meal?
Definitely not lasagna! Home cooked stuff is without a question our fav, but generally and quite unfortunately the dollar menu at McDonald's is the best our budget has to offer while on the road.
4) Musical guilty pleasures?
I'm sure we each have one. For me personally, I'm a pretty big Kelly Clarkson fan.
5) Any practical jokes on the road?
None that would be wise to share in this context, but I would discourage anyone, I mean anyone, from using the coffee pots in hotel rooms.
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