Creations | Repent and Trust
By Joanna Lugo

lunt and brutal in the most beautiful way possible, a more than quaint statement that describes the overall purpose and origin of Creations’ new album entitled The Gospel. In and out of the music scene, the guys of Creations are actively pursuing truth and attempting to impart that knowledge to as much of the world as possible. As is evident in the following interview, The Gospel is lined with biblical propaganda and truth. Everything about this band screams a challenge to “repent and trust in Jesus,” and that, dear readers, is a challenge accepted.

I find myself dwelling on the continuous flow of blunt titling and contradicting words. Can you discuss how you came about designating these titles to specific songs and the overall album?

Creations: As a writer I like to keep things interesting and this whole album is thought provoking in itself so when I sat down to title the songs I wanted to be both blunt and also poetic, in that the titles also allow you to ponder the song.

It seems to me that this album has become, in a sense, a translation of the Bible, much like the ESV, NIV, or KJV. How have you transposed the literal Gospel into the actual full-length album interpretation?

Creations: I wouldn’t call it a translation seeing that my greek and Hebrew aren’t up to par, but in my lyrics I really wanted to use scripture. I study the bible and at the time we also had a minister who is a friend of ours proof read the album. We wanted to be as biblical as possible and wanted little if no room for error.

What would you say the overall message of this album is?

Creations: The overall message would be this: To Christians I wanted this album to say repent and trust in Jesus. Give up you idols, swallow your pride and live like Jesus. To non- Christians I wanted this album to say repent and trust in Jesus. He is our hope and he loves us so much even though we don’t deserve it.

“We need to start realizing that God is the creator of all things and he graciously gives us so much more than what we deserve. Idolatry is a dangerous road to journey and it starts with losing sight of the giver because all we want is the gift.”There seems to be a frequent rebuking of what we might call “luke-warm” Christians throughout several songs such as “The Wolf, The Clothes” and “The Rich, The Poor”. How then, is this intentional and why do you feel the need to repeat this general message in various forms?

Creations: The songs on the album that deal with false teaching and “luke-warm” living were written in light of the truth of the gospel. The need to repeat this message comes from the importance of valuing that truth. I wanted to point out that this “problem” will show itself in many different aspects of life. We want to raise a since of discernment, so ultimately I used scripture to bring those who would be upset with the songs (mostly Christians) to scripture.

What does the phrase “worshiping creation instead of Creator” mean to you and how do you go about implementing this concept into your music?

Creations: So many times in my own life I find myself focusing so much on what I have instead of the one who gave those things to me. In my personal study of scripture I found that I was idolizing and worshiping my possessions, and that is sin. We need to start realizing that God is the creator of all things and he graciously gives us so much more than what we deserve. Idolatry is a dangerous road to journey and it starts with losing sight of the giver because all we want is the gift. Do you love God for who he is, or because of what you can get out of him? If the latter is true you do not love God.

What does the musical and lyrical writing process look like for Creations? What specific elements (musical, lyrical, spiritual, technical, etc.) do you include in this process?

Creations: A lot of our process musically comes down to James. He is the writer for that aspect of the band and then we all come together and discuss how to change or how to improve. Lyrically I write the albums but I always want input and a lot of the times I have used Jonny and also James to help write. We value the gifts God has given to each member and try to use them as much as possible.

What is the purpose behind including distinct verbiage such as “why do you treat the cross like a prostitute?”, “you’re not a Christian”, or even the opening monologue of distorted vocals?

Creations: I guess we just don’t like beating around the bush. We wanted to be thought provoking and my lyrics cut straight to the point.

Not only do the music and lyrics have an impact on anyone who comes across it, but I find that the album artwork has a similar soul-puncturing vibe to it. Will you please discuss the visual aesthetics of the album artwork?

Creations: We really wanted the artwork to be a depiction of the lyrical content. In the artwork you have the symbolism of God’s glory in the bright side; the depravity of man in the darkness, and the cross which reconciles those who believe, and bridges the gap by grace.

What are the near and distant plans for Creations and more specifically, where do you feel like the Lord is leading you on this musical journey?

Creations: We are writing a new album right now, and are very excited. God has been teaching us a lot and we can’t wait for people to hear a different side of creations. We are called to go into all the world and preach the gospel, so that’s what we are going to do. This is the journey of life whether we use music or not. We want to glorify God with our lives and talents so we are excited to be able to do that.