10 Questions with ... VOTA

NAME:VOTA TITLE:Band WEB:www.votaband.com

Line-up:
Bryan Olesen (lead vocals)
Case Maranville (bass)
Scott Rutz (drums)
Riley Friesen (guitars/keys)

Label:
INO Records

Discography:
VOTA (2009)

1. Introduce the members of the band using personality traits?

Scott Rutz: Master of all trades
Case Maranville: Friend to all
Riley Friesen: Young man, old soul
Bryan Olesen: The dreamer

2. What's with the name change from Casting Pearls to VOTA? And what does VOTA mean?

New musical direction + new guitarist/keyboardist + new record label + new management + new booking agency + renewed vision = new band name! With the name VOTA we wanted a name that we could define. We wanted a name that is all our own with no set meaning or vision that we would have to step into or adapt to. We are VOTA.

3. Other than the name change, what's new with band?

Our new album released February 10. iTunes chose VOTA for their Discovery Download campaign and we broke a label record by giving over 180,000 copies of our song "Hard To Believe" for free. We partnered with Food For The Hungry with the release of our album to raise money for people in need in Kenya. We are donating funds from every sale of our new album to go towards this special project. USAID is matching money that we are donating so we are literally sending $40 to Kenya with every album sold. We've raised over $100,000 for this project so far. You can see the details about this project and listen to our new album in its entirety at www.votaband.com/kenya.

We are setting up our "180 Tour" high school assembly program as a non-profit 501(c3) organization. The "180 Tour" is a public high school assembly program that encourages students in their character and decision-making. The program is designed to draw students out to evening concert events where they can hear the gospel. More information is at www.180tour.com.

We are currently on the newsboys' "Join The Tribe" tour. The tour will visit over 40 cities this spring. The tour has been going great so far. We are making many new friends and fans.

4. What's the message you hope to convey through the debut album?

This album touches many different messages and emotions. Overall this is a hopeful album. There are many songs that just explode with emotion about the wonder of being loved by the Creator of galaxies. "Free to Fail" I feel really takes a deeper dive into the gospel. "Save Ourselves" really touch on the fact that humans so desperately want love but struggle to find it and keep it. "Honestly" talk about how so much of the Church walks alone in their Christian walk rather than living in true community. "Everyday Is the First Day" talks about how sometimes grief can be so overwhelming we can barely move on. I think this album really captures the ups and downs of life.

5. Is there any special story behind the current radio single?

"Hard To Believe" is about the fact that the Creator of sun, moon and stars is in love with us. God wants to be a part of our day and every aspect of our lives. That fact simply doesn't sink in sometimes. I prove that I don't get it when I'm bored, when I'm anxious, when I'm swimming in worry; during those times I'm not fully realizing all I have in Christ.

6. Was there a moment in the studio, working on the record, that you thought, "Ah-ha! Wow. Now we have a record!"?

We are really proud of this album. It is so disappointing when you buy an album and end up only liking the radio songs. I feel we've made a great album that is a wonderful, diverse listen from start to finish. In the end we had 13 songs and couldn't figure out which songs to cut. So we found a way to give our fans all of them.

7. What's your favorite song to play live?

I think on this newsboys' tour "Hard To Believe" is a fun song to do live. I'm not playing guitar on this song so I'm free to go wherever I want. It's fun to roam the stage and even sometimes leave it!

8. What's your favorite city/venue to play?

I love really cool old theaters and am a big fan of old architecture and so I love some of these old theater venues we're playing. It's a joy and honor to play concerts there. On this current tour every city has been so wonderful to us that it is hard to pick a favorite.

9. Life on the road isn't a cakewalk. How do you remain friends while being co-workers?

We respect each other's strengths and weaknesses. We talk things out when things need to be addressed. We have a wonderful team. The strength of our friendships actually helps get us through the tough days.

10. If you weren't doing music, what would you be doing?

Probably something else as crazy, uncertain and as challenging as music. I hope to continue writing songs for other artists someday.

1) What song (ANY song) do you wish you had written?

Bohemian Rhapsody

2) Who would be your dream artist to record with?

Robbie Williams

3) If you could join any band, past or present, which one would you join?

Newsboys, oh wait, I've done that!

4) Any musical guilty pleasures?

Van Halen

5) What is your favorite meal on the road?

Indian