-
10 Questions with ... This Beautiful Republic
February 2, 2009
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
TITLE:Band
Line-up:
Ben Olin (vocals)
Adam Smith (guitar)
Cameron Towes (drums)
Jeremy Kunkle (guitar)
Brandon Paxton (bass)Label:
Forefront Records/EMIDiscography:
Perceptions (2008)
Even Heroes Need a Parachute (2007)1) What are some highlights from the past year?
Toured with Family Force 5 on the "Heart Support Tour" where we learned a lot on many different levels. We also got to hear stories about things that young people have been struggling with through the Heart Support site and really opened our eyes to the needs they have. Those stories inspired a lot of the content contained on "Perceptions," our second album, which was also a huge highlight for the year. We feel like it more accurately represents who we are as a band even than "Heroes" did a year before. We're proud of it and we've been blown away at the reception and support of it. We were lucky enough to have Aaron Gillespie featured on a song, had Mark Hall of Casting Crowns pay us a valuable compliment and made a lot of new friends on the road. It was a great year.
2) Do you have any interesting or funny stories from radio station visits in the past year?
I don't know that it was a "radio visit" but KLTY in Dallas invited us out for Celebrate Freedom this year. We played, had a great time and won over the crowd. I think we surprise a lot of people with the live show. As we walked off, one of the organizers for the station came to me and said, "Whoa, I didn't know that you guys did that!" It was a very positive reaction and, honestly, my favorite one to get from anyone after a show.
3) What's the message you hope is conveyed through the new album "Perceptions"?
That we all have differing views on everything and there is very rarely anything that is black and white. We hope that people will adopt a mindset of grace, forgiveness and giving people the benefit of the doubt because we rarely have all of the information. God does the same thing when he looks at us. He sees us differently than we are. I think it's a valuable idea that can bring people a lot of peace.
4) What is your favorite city/venue to play?
Lima, OH, Phoenix, and Twin Falls, ID
5) Is there any special story behind the radio single "Surrender Saved My Life"?
This is a song that was directly inspired by the Heart Support stories. One of the overwhelming themes in what I was reading was that people were placing high value on trivial things. There was a theme there: we as humans continually do that until we realize that those things are what keep us from progressing and finally let go. It's when we let go that we can see that the most clearly. So we wrote a song about that and hoping to encourage people to take that final step and let go.
6) What is your favorite song on "Perceptions" and why?
I don't write a lot of things about my personal life. I'm a more observational writer than anything but it did get pretty personal for me in a song called "A Point Between Extremes." It's about how I've been trying to find a balance in my relationship with Jesus.
7) What's your favorite song to play live?
"No Turning Back" is a rip-roaring good time live.
8) Was there a moment in the studio, working on Perceptions, that you thought, "Ah-ha! Wow. Now we have a record!"?
I think for me, it was when we stripped down "Change the World." It was a full band song for a long time and it took on many forms through the writing process. I think when we finally stripped it to just a piano and a vocal, it helped to broaden the spectrum of the album and make it a lot more rounded.
9) You've spent sometime in Europe. Was there a favorite place that you played?
Holland (The Netherlands). The fans there are wild and so unbelievably supportive. They have no concern for what other people think of them when they're at a show. They participate and are never "too cool for school," like a lot of the U.S. audiences are. We're going back there next summer and I'm so excited for it. I think those shows are going to be ridiculously fun.
10) If you weren't doing music, what would you be doing?
Selling something. I have a marketing degree so it's what I do. [Smile] But when our band parts ways, I'm hoping I'll be able to switch to road managing. I think that'd be a blast.
Bonus Questions
1) What song do you wish you had written?
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
2) Who would be your dream artist to record or write with?
David Bazan, Muse, Cody Bonnette, Ben Gibbard. If I were to record with anyone, meaning to add my vocal, it'd be incredible to be on a Foo Fighters song. They've been a favorite of mine for a long time.
3) If you could join any band, past or present, which one would you join?
I don't know that I'd want to join any other band because I think I'd just be intimidated. I'd be a fill-in for a tour though! That'd be pretty awesome. Fill in for The Almost, As Cities Burn, The Classic Crime, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New... that'd be stunning.
4) Any musical guilty pleasures?
"Womanizer" by Britney Spears. There's just something about Britney Spears preaching discernment that I find alluring, interesting and not to mention the song is hookier than anything I've ever heard. [Smile]
-
-