elentlessly touring behind a new powerhouse record as the drummer of scene kings Underoath, waiting to release a new record with The Almost where he takes center stage, and running a quickly growing clothing line aptly named Pig Cloth, no one will ever call Aaron Gillespie lazy. At a young age, Gillespie was told that he would never be a good drummer and to not waste his time trying. The past decade has been spent proving those people wrong. Currently on Warped Tour with Underoath, Gillespie took a break from the festivities to answer a few of our questions, even without the comfort of a Slip N’ Slide to return to.
I want to talk to you a bit about the power of music. I remember in particular the first time I saw you with The Almost. When you played “Amazing Because It Is”, the whole room seemed to be lifted. Almost everyone’s hands were lifted in praise. What is going through your mind at times like those?
Aaron Gillespie: It’s strange, I’m well aware that I totally don’t deserve anything in this life, and being able to “lead” a room in song is beyond a blessing, I’m really blessed.
With every new album, it seems that there is always so much pressure on Underoath, yet you always deliver something progressive and original. What do you attribute this steady progression and improvement to?
AG: Well, thanks!! But I believe with my whole heart that Underoath sounds the way it does due to the fact that we can’t ever agree on anything. It takes us two
years to agree enough on ten songs for a record. Also, I think that we never really “try” to do a “certain” thing. We just go in and write and what comes out is what you hear record to record.
Sounds like organized chaos. Has it always been this way?
AG: Yeah I think so. I think it’s bad to do anything in a “contrived” way. I really and truly believe that when you don’t “try” things are perfect.
You started in Underoath when you were 14 years old. What have you noticed about changes in the scene since you began playing music?
AG: Man, the scene has changed every year for the last ten years and I believe with my everything it will continue down that path, these days I feel the music “scene” is in a sad, sad place. I feel that it has become more of a clothing style and something you tell people you do and less of a passion, and I’m speaking for me not any members in either of my bands. There are really talented people out here who do things with real passion as well. I want to make that clear so I’m not generalizing.
What do you see as some contributing factors to musicians losing that passion that you don’t see much anymore?
AG: I wake up a lot of days and feel like this whole thing has just become a fashion, a fleeting moment, and it scares me. The media, I feel, in a lot of ways has made all this just a façade, when in real life music is something used to save people. This is a question that could take days or weeks. Life is made up of passion and honesty and its draining to see things in music develop like they have, but here we sit, and I’m sure there is a reason.
I think we all see the scene trending this way, and there are a lot of factors in play, but what advice could you give readers, a way that maybe we can all work to bring some passion and life back into it?
AG: Honesty. Whatever you do, do it for real, regardless of the state of things. People know fake, they do. U2 is here after all these years for a reason, they are real. Period.
The Almost is working on their second full length. What can you tell us about it? Where are you at in the recording process? How has this recording experienced differed from the others?
AG: Umm…The Almost just finished our second record, unfortunately I can’t tell you much about it due to the fact that a lot of things are not finalized artistically and such at this time. However, I can say it is at mix at the moment and we are really excited. I feel this may be the most honest thing I’ve ever been a part of.
Now that you’ve been going with The Almost for a few years now, do you feel like you belong at the front of the stage or do you think your home will always be behind the kit? Was that a difficult transition?
AG: I like both for different reasons, I mean it’s great to be able to reach out and touch people, and connect in an actual, tangible way. As far as drums, I’ve been doing that since I was a little boy so I think I’ll always feel more at home behind a drum kit, and the transition feels natural at times and other times it’s like I’m naked in front of a ton of people, in other words, I’m still trying to get used to it.
Do you feel a different type of honesty and vulnerability when recording Almost songs than when you do with Underoath?
AG: I don’t know, maybe. I feel like with The Almost I’m out front which is totally different and great and also showcasing to my personal mess. So I guess the answer is yes.
Who are your biggest influences as far as drummers go? What about for lyrics?
AG: Dave Grohl is my favorite drummer, and as far as writing goes it’s not always other singers. I get influence from a lot of things; life, books, movies. It’s a bit of a long list.
Care to indulge us on just a few?
AG: Man, I really truly love Donald Miller. He has really vindicated me in a lot of ways, and in more ways than I’ll ever understand. I guess I just love the way you’ll see something and it changes you. There is beauty in the specifics that ruin it, I feel.
You’ve got a wife at home as well as a clothing line. How do you find any time for your personal life when you’re in two hugely successful and busy bands?
AG: It’s hard man real hard, my wife is super, super gracious and I truly see God in her, I can’t explain it, it’s such a beautiful thing. But I don’t that you can ever “properly” do the band thing and be married. I feel that I’m called to what I do and that makes it a bit easier, but I don’t think you can ever really deal with it.
How is Warped Tour going so far this summer? Is it a unique experience each summer or do you feel like you’ve settled into a pretty good routine with it?
AG: Warped is always fun man, its sort of where we got our start and we’ve been so blessed out here. But to be honest I feel like we have really settled into it; great people, sun, fun, so it’s a killer way to spend the summer. The only thing missing is a Slip’N Slide.
What is the funniest or most interesting thing that has happened on Warped so far this year?
AG: Warped is what it is. But two days ago I dropped my phone in a Porta-Potty. It was bad news. I now have a new phone.
This scene is obviously always evolving and changing with new trends coming and going. Where do you see yourself as a musician in even 5 years? Where do you see the scene going?
AG: Man I don’t know. To be real with you, I’m terrified of the next five years. I struggle constantly with the feeling that the music I/we play will become non-relevant or out of touch, but either way I’m going to keep trying to be true to my calling and what it is I feel is right.
If the day comes where you don’t feel music is your calling anymore, what do you see yourself doing?
AG: Man, you are asking the crazy ones!!! I don’t know, I would hope that I would be allowed to play music forever. When the time comes I would love to go to culinary school.
Whether or not you’re into either of Gillespie’s bands, you can’t deny the fact that this is a guy that truly cares deeply about not only the music scene itself, but the people that make it possible. Whatever is coming down the path for Gillespie, it’s apparent when you speak with him that he is still a kid at heart who is just enjoying the ride as much as we all are. Thank you for speaking with us Aaron.
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Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster | Music In Their Veins
riginal Vox man for Underoath, Dallas Taylor, had way too much southern blood poundin’ through his veins to continue making music that didn’t have any cowbell, banjo, or at the very least, a southern riff. Enter stage right Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. The story of the infamous criminal Ma Baker and her sons set the scene perfectly for the three albums that Maylene would produce and perform to this day. It is the progressive, southern sound of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster that’s keeping metal fans on their toes, always anticipating the next record release, and their latest June 2009 release was sure to not disappoint us. While touring in support of III, Dallas Taylor took a couple minutes to answer a few questions regarding Maylene’s story and sound.
Everyone has a story behind the creation of their band, but yours is particularly interesting being so many years after Underoath and such a different style than Underoath was. What is the story behind this southern metal project about an outlaw and her sons?
Dallas Taylor: I think I always wanted to be in a band like Maylene, and after Underoath I had the perfect opportunity to start the band. The story is based off of a lady named Ma Baker and her sons. Her and her youngest son were gunned down near my hometown in Ocala, Fl. She thought she was doing the work of God, and kind of got what was coming to her. You only live once so how you treat others affects you in the long run. A kind of divine justice.
This story has been very well accepted in the scene through your fierce live shows, do you feel that you have enough material for a IV or possible even a V, or is it too early to tell?
DT: Well we really don’t know how long we will keep with the story. We just write the music we love, and if the story seems fit to continue on then we will keep it going, but if not we will for sure still continue writing music, but we will continue it on until it seems time to stop with the story side of the band.
her sons."
Do you feel like all of the songs that you write need to follow closely to the tale of Ma Baker? Or are there certain guidelines you give yourself?
DT: No, not at all. We write mainly about situations in our own lives which ends up translating to the story of Maylene and her sons. We really do not follow the story of Ma Baker super close; it was just a story that inspired us.
Growing up in Ocala, Florida, was it a stretch for you to start writing music with a southern flare?
DT: (Laughing) I guess you have never been to Ocala, Florida. It is a very rural town and was given the name “Horse Capital of America” and I grew up 20 miles outside of it. I lived on a dirt road until I was around 10. I had horses, and was pretty much on a farm for most of my youth. So if you want southern, where I grew up is about as southern as it gets.
Now on your third release, you have gone through a few member changes, has that affected or changed Maylene at all?
DT: Yeah I feel it has made us a better band overall, and has given us a lot of new aspects on writing material. It has been such a blessing having the new guys in the band.
Is there an ultimate goal or message that you want listeners to grasp when listening to Maylene and the Sons of Disaster?
DT: Yeah, just know we are normal guys that play the music we love. We want to be a band that people can relate to, to feel apart of. God Bless and thanks to everyone that supports our band.
The new Maylene and the Sons of Disaster album is online and in stores now, so be sure to get yourself a copy.
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Brandt Russo | Go And Do Likewise
ost people have a basic outline for how they would like their lives to play out; graduate, find a good job, get married, buy a house, have kids, live the American dream. Brandt Russo abandoned these societal restraints for a life of poverty in hopes of following God’s words exactly. He lives where most of us wouldn’t dare step foot in; he eats out of trash cans and sleeps wherever he can. The best part? He does it all willingly and with a big contagious smile on his face. He started a t-shirt company called Can’t Ignore The Poor and he even has a documentary coming out this fall on the plight of the homeless in America. Here is how Russo explains how he came to be in this position and what the rest of us can do to help.
Give us a little bit of your background as far as your upbringing in the church?
Brandt Russo: Basically I grew up in a church building. I’m hard pressed calling it “THE CHURCH” because of how far I wanted to run from it, and how misunderstood and far from accepted I was. Sunday morning and evening, Wednesday nights, and of course, every event that found itself scattered across the week means I was in that building. I was there mostly for the ladies; apart from the fact my parents forced me to go. This went on all growing up until around 16 or 17 when I would just tell my parents I was going to a church function but in reality I was sleeping with my 26 year old girlfriend at her house. “The Church” told me a million things to give up, but never offered life, at least NOTHING near the ‘abundant life’ offered by Jesus in John 10:10. The new living translation goes as far as calling what Jesus has to offer “a rich and satisfying life”, a far cry from anything I ever found in the hallowed walls of my local congregation. It wasn’t their fault, and I’m not bitter, but I knew there was more to Jesus then the lock in’s and 30 minutes of commanding us to pay them their 10%.
to do it."
What was the final straw that made you want to drop everything and live this way?
BR: I will live my life giving a portion of the credit to my friend Shane Claiborne for this one. His book, The Irresistible Revolution, had a MAJOR part to do with my conversion. After bible college, getting ordained as a minister, and being turned down over and over by churches, I decided to give up on church, at least the way I had been brought up to do it. I moved to Texas, worked at a pita shop, and for the first time in a long time, studied Jesus’ words with NO filters. It was in the small town of College Station, TX, that I began to re-read the gospels along with Shane’s book and some other ancient Christian literature that sparked a fire inside of me that was unlike anything I had ever felt. I met a new Jesus. A Jesus easily neglected by the local church and rejected by religious elite. The Jesus I never seemed to know. The Jesus who blessed the poor, rebuked the rich, loved the broken hearted, the homeless, the whores and crack addicts, the Jesus who came to bring those who claim to sight, blindness, and not only offered freedom to the oppressed, but oppressor as well. The Jesus who recklessly destroyed my preconceived ideas about Him (portrayed by America), and His plan for my life, and this is when I really started my journey as a disciple.
What did your parents, friends, and family think?
BR: Honestly, that I lost my mind (and I did). Everything I used to believe, I gave up. I sold EVERYTHING and gave it all away, and it was the most freeing thing ever. I grew up learning of this “one rich man” that Jesus asked to sell everything, and couldn’t. As I read on in Luke, I realized He asked ALL of His disciples the same thing. It blew me away that this small truth was tucked away (to the pleasure of those religious who seemed to love comfort more then the real Jesus). What better way to truly follow Jesus then to do what He had his disciples do, yes? After that move, I soon realized why Jesus said in Luke 12, “I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.” You ask Jewish kids to sell everything, give it to bums, and live without worry and you will have some angry Jewish mothers on your hand. My mom is isn’t Jewish, but Cajun women can be just as feisty. The division caused by me leaving my job, my stuff, and my pursuit of the American dream was one like a resetting of a broken bone. With all the time away, it was able to heal correctly. My relationship with my family is better now then ever, but it was hell when I first decided to live the way I live now, and if it had never changed, Jesus would still hold my heart as much.
Tell us a bit about this bus that you drive around and what function does it serve in terms of you helping others?
BR: I just had a dream one night when I was hopping at train down to California to have a mobile homeless shelter that never closed, and in three days of broadcasting that dream, I had my bus. It was just an old out of commission school bus that has been converted to run off of used cooking grease and has beds and a kitchen and a small bathroom. It’s so cozy. I made it to be a safe haven and home. I just got a little tired of churches spending hundreds of dollars on transportation to get me to come speak. Its amazing how much of a lesson can be learned when I drive up to an affluent church that wants to hear my stories of the streets and the urban poor, with three hitch hikers, asking the pastor to give them the provisions they had for me. There is almost no need for a sermon then. It truly has been a gift from God.
How did Can’t Ignore the Poor get started?
BR: Basically, when I was taking a break a year or so ago in Texas with my friends, we watched a documentary called Born into Brothels. It was about a woman who moved to the red light district in Calcutta, India, to help the children born of prostitutes. The kids grew up destined to take over the roles as either prostitute or pimp. She taught them how to use disposal cameras and sold the photographs at auctions in NYC to help get them an education and a better life. That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I have to do something more for these kids. My friends had an old screen printing press in their garage and we threw together a really crappy design and printed on thrift shop tee’s and sold them on campus and Myspace. Long story short, they blew up and I kept expanding the company. Every month we find a new grassroots charity to donate to, and some months the money just goes to the local homeless and urban poor in our lives. Cant Ignore the Poor (its Jesus in disguise) is my idea of the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. When we take in the homeless, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, attend to the sick, visit the imprisoned, we are doing it ALL to Jesus Himself. Mother Teresa said that in the poor is Jesus in His most distressing disguise, and that has been my motivation behind CITP. It just seems like people want to give, but are more eager with an incentive, like cool t-shirts (laughs).
What can anyone do to help you out?
BR: I always have needs when I travel, because there are always people with needs. I could make a list of things I needed, but it truly wouldn’t matter, because it’s not about me. I have everything I need. I woke up this morning breathing. My eyes are able to process beauty. My ears can hear the sounds of life all around me, and even if that weren’t so, I would still find reasons to rejoice. Jesus fed folks, but they were hungry the next day. Healed them, and they eventually died. Everything donated to me will run out, so instead of giving me anything so I can give it away, let’s cut out the middle man. Find someone who TRULY needs love, and that’s how you can help me.
Tell us about the recent filming of your documentary entitled “Adopt a Jesus”.
BR: Well, a documentary maker friend of mine wanted to bring a film crew out on the street with me in my bus for 14 days and tape everything that happened, and since I’m too lazy to write a book, I thought it was a grand idea. What better way to open the eyes of the people than through the stories of those who have been silenced (whether by the media, stereotypes, etc). We traveled, picked up every hitch hiker we saw, fed every hungry person we could, and just went where God lead us. We got kicked out of church parking lots; cops called multiple times, and had the greatest anti protest in the parking lot of America’s largest and richest church, Lakewood. It’s quite an amazing film. When I watched it for the first time, I cried so much, remembering the stories of the beautiful, broken people we met. My hope is that the stories shared and the truths revealed will change hearts, much like mine has been changed.
Do you ever miss the “normal” life? Or do you think God has called you to do this for the rest of your life?
BR: What’s normal, really? There is nothing normal about following Jesus. The apostle Paul says that we should work out our salvation DAILY, so I have no idea where I will be in 5 years, much less the rest of my life. Whether I’m in a stinky school bus living in near poverty to try to emulate the life of Christ, or I get a degree in education to teach at a public high school, I pray that I still give my all to anyone who is in need. I don’t ever see myself on shopping sprees when there is such inequality in the world. I don’t ever see myself living in luxury when 30,000 kids (under the age of 5) are dying everyday of malnutrition and the preventable diseases it causes. I guess my life from now on will be pursuing “loving my neighbor as myself”. That should end poverty, right?
What advice would you give to someone who is maybe feeling a similar call?
BR: Just go and do. God would never penalize you for trying, especially when this was the path that every disciple and apostle once took. They didn’t spend their lives with nothing, wandering the streets with no shoes or food, but it was a beautiful time that changed their entire way of living life. We are all capable of love, so love someone. We all have something to give, so give it away. When 8% of the world’s population owns a car, we have to realize that we are among the wealthy elite, regardless of how broke we feel. Start where you are, find ONE PERSON to love, deserving or undeserving, and love them.
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reeley Estates has been around for near a decade and has become a staple in our music world. But what seems to separate Greeley from other bands is their ability to evolve with the times. Their growth as a band has allowed them to continue doing this thing that they love. All the while their reputation grows as do the stories. We caught up with Greeley Estates front-man Ryan Zimmerman and asked him a few quick questions about their past, this evolution of sound and what we can expect next from Greeley Estates.
You guys have been at this for a while. When did Greeley Estates start, and what is the back story behind your beginning?
Ryan Zimmerman: Yeah, we have been a band for, I think about seven years now. Our old guitarist Dallas and I just started writing songs together for fun not ever expecting to do anything with them. Dallas was just learning guitar and ended up teaching our other guitarist Brandon how to play while I tried to figure out singing which I’m still trying to figure out. We played a few shows and from there I guess we just couldn’t live without it. We had some great fans that would show up every show, even though we were horrible.
What was it like coming up in the Phoenix scene?
RZ: It was great coming up in the Phoenix scene, especially like 4 or 5 years ago. It was huge and every show was insane with lots of bands coming up around that time like Scary Kids, Blessthefall, Job For a Cowboy, A Change of Pace... Definitely a great time to be apart of it. Its settled down a little so we will have to work on getting it going again (laughs).
Since you have been playing for so long, I know you have some crazy show stories, any stick out in your mind?
RZ: The craziest thing to happen to me personally was getting knocked out on stage at Warped in Idaho in ‘05. I got hit in the head with a guitar and it knocked me out cold. By the time I woke up, we had time to play one more song so we finished the set covered in blood. I guess it made for a good show.
You guys made a very progressive change in your sound with Go West Young Man Let The Evil Go East, what brought about this change?
RZ: Brandon and I always wanted to go a little heavier with the music. When Dallas left, Brandon took on the job of songwriter and made it happen. We definitely have a better time playing the heavier stuff live.
Who are a few of your favorite bands and how have they influenced you?
RZ: Bands like Norma Jean, The Bled, Finch, The Used were all bands that really got me into this genre of music. I listen to all kinds of music but as far as influence they would be some at the top.
Your tour dates section online is blank right now. What is next for Greeley Estates?
RZ: We will be out on the road in the fall. We have just been working hard on the new record and didn’t know how long it would take us. I know we will be doing a tour with Stick to Your Guns and Evergreen Terrace in the fall.
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Saving Grace | The New Zealand Powerhouse
ometimes the lights in the U.S. are too bright to see the stars. But if you were to dim that light for a minute you would see that there are a galaxy of bands waiting in the wings for their chance to be noticed. In the small country of New Zealand hides a band that since 2005 has been diligently working to get their sound past these borders that mark our plots of land. This incredibly brutal band stands behind what they believe through ridicule and judgment while forking over thousands of dollars in cash to come and play in North and South America, hoping to spread their message. We have watched this band for a while and decided that they deserved some notice from these United States and hopefully our overseas readers will take notice too, though I feel that we may be the last ones in on this secret.
First things first, you guys are from New Zealand, educate us on what the music scene is like there.
Saving Grace: The scene in New Zealand is very different to the likes of the scenes in Europe or the United States in the sense that it is such a small country and there are basically only a handful of underground labels and promoters. There is also a huge lack of touring opportunity here, because of the size of the country and also a lack of venues and interest in the type of music we play aside from a few major city centres. In New Zealand, a hardcore band playing between 8-12 shows is considered a massive tour. Major labels and mainstream music acts don’t really have that problem and there are a number of great artists who have gone on to become extremely successful and very well recognised worldwide.
What do you see as some of the biggest differences in the music scene down there in comparison to here?
SG: The main difference aside from the size of the country geographically and the size of the scene is definitely the fact that the Gospel is a taboo thing to speak about in the metal and hardcore circuit over here. In New Zealand, it is very difficult for a Christian band to be accepted, and for the first couple of years of our existence we were pretty much despised nationwide for being outspoken about our beliefs on stage. Things have changed in a big way for us in the past couple of years, but we are still the only heavy band that is doing it.
Aside from that, things are very similar in terms of fashion, trends and musical style... American hardcore and metal has always been a big influence on the bands over here.
Has it been a challenge breaking into the U.S. metal scene?
SG: Well, with the help of the Internet it was been extremely easy for us to gain recognition worldwide as soon as we got signed and put out our first album, this is one thing that a lot of bands need to be grateful for because a few years ago this would have been impossible. In this day and age if a band does well or is snapped up by a label, that label can pick up the costs of recording and a little bit of promo to get the CD out there and Myspace will take care of the rest... it’s crazy. There is also a great network of Christian zines, radio stations and clothing labels in the U.S. which are doing so much to help out bands in the scene, I think now more than ever before it has become accepted to be a spirit-filled metal or hardcore band and to have worship and evangelical messages at shows... However, as I mentioned earlier, back home this is entirely different.
We are looking forward to having a lot more to do with bands, promoters and labels in the U.S. over the next couple of years and God is already opening many doors for us... Hopefully we will have some exciting news for everyone in the next month or so!
What U.S. bands have you had the chance of touring with so far?
SG: At this point we have only toured the U.S. once and it was throughout October last year with our good friends in Wrench In The Works, Sovereign Strength and Man of Sorrows... For all of us this was a childhood dream come true! We did a couple of weeks from Texas to California after we got off tour in Mexico with Man of Sorrows and our pals in For Today.
For us it is extremely expensive to come to the US with flights alone costing around $10,000 USD but the things that we saw God do in our lives and hearts as well as the people around is priceless... We look forward to coming back early next year for a much lengthier run throughout North America and possibly Canada.
You guys are absolutely brutal. What influences have helped form the Saving Grace sound?
SG: Thank you! We all grew up on such a vast variety of music, mainly metal, hardcore and hip hop so there are many different elements flowing through our sound over the years, however our main influences include a lot of older Thrash and Death metal bands such as Slayer, Sepultura, Morbid Angel and Deicide as well as mid 90’s euro hardcore bands such as Arkangel, Reprisal and Maroon.
What drives the messages behind your music?
SG: First and foremost the good news of the resurrected Christ and the love of God! We have always maintained to touch on a variety of important topics that we feel strongly about. It is important for us to write music and lyrics that people from all walks of life can relate to, or be impacted by in some form or another, however we don’t have a problem with speaking about the truth no matter how confrontational or uncomfortable it may seem. If the Gospel is always delivered in an easily digestible format, then you have to start asking some questions.
The new album we are writing and recording now is lyrically the most honest material we have written yet. Nick, our vocalist and main lyricist pours his heart out on many tracks speaking on some very touchy and deep personal issues that he has had to battle with for years. I am excited in my spirit to see how the Lord will use us once again with the new record. It’s always a blessing and the biggest privilege to see and hear how your music has had an impact on somebody somewhere in the world, and for us to be chosen to plant seeds of the Kingdom in peoples hearts through a ministry such as Saving Grace is the biggest honor we could ever receive.
Thank you so much for the support and taking the time out for this interview.
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Pig Cloth | w/ Jamie Gillespie
entioned previously in this issue, Aaron Gillespie also runs his own clothing company with his wife Jamie. Pig Cloth has a message that it’s co-founder would like to share with us.
How did the idea of Pig Cloth come about? Why a pig?
Jamie Gillespie: We wanted to have another way of communicating with people and to share our faith. Aaron is able to share from stage, which is great, but this is a more personal way for us to share our faith. Aaron’s nickname is “pig” and so we thought it would be funny to print shirts that were corresponding to what Aaron was actually doing in real life such as “pig on tour” “pig on drums”, and that is when we decided to have a clothing line and decided to call it “Pig Cloth”. We used the items as our “tools” by printing Bible verses on them. I definitely didn’t think this was God’s plan when we started, but I learned that God’s plan is usually a lot bigger than we ever imagine.
Tell us about how you choose your designs.
JG: Pig Cloth knows that there are a lot of talented people out there, so we have what you would call “design contests”. I know what you are thinking! It’s really great though! We get really great stuff! And our buyers are our designers so it’s really a win-win situation! Sometimes we have gone to the big guys and bought some designs as well but we have found we enjoy dealing with the customers. They are fun!
How do you decide what verses to put in each design? Where did that idea come from?
JG: I think that depends on what we are reading at the time, or maybe what we are dealing with at the time. Sometimes depending on the item (boy/girl) we sometimes try and find a verse that is particular for that sex. I think it’s so important for the age group that we are selling to understand what their Creator thinks of them, because He loves them and teens don’t know that these days. That’s terrifying to me. So if a graphic t-shirt can catch their eye and when they take that off and inside they see a Bible verse telling them that Jesus loves them, that’s God using Pig Cloth.
What are some of your short-term goals for Pig Cloth?
JG: Oh goodness, a lot more collaborating with some more designers. I would like to promote Pig a little more. But then again, I am not sure if I have the time (laughs). Aaron and I run Pig Cloth alone so we stay busy but we do have wonderful people that lend a helping hand. Matthew Alvarado, Zach Reed, Tony Damico and Spilt Ink, Pig Cloth couldn’t work without you so THANK YOU!
What are some of your long-term goals?
JG: Maybe a fashion show! Oh, that would be fun! Maybe Warped Tour if I can handle the heat! Maybe do a tour. Maybe retail.
If you notice they are all maybe’s. I honestly don’t have any “goals” for Pig Cloth. I just take it as it comes. We are truly blessed to be part of Pig Cloth and work with the people we work with and I have no idea what God has planned for us so I just pray we stay in His will and glorify Him always!
Aaron has a paragraph on your Myspace stating that you’re never too far from God to come back to Him. Do you see Pig Cloth as a straight up ministry tool? What do you want people to walk away with?
JG: I think it can be. Maybe not directly but I think it can be a wakeup call maybe in someone’s life or maybe a reassurance, I don’t know. I am not exactly sure what you would call Pig Cloth. But I am sure of this; I want people to walk away knowing that we aren’t here to judge them. We as Christians are here to LOVE, bottom line. So people that wear Pig Cloth should know that we love them! And that most of all Jesus Loves them!
RETURN TO FEATURE | MAGAZINE ARCHIVE
1,000 Words | Artist Interaction
gone peachy."
e knew that we would be facing this problem when we decided to start this magazine. We knew it would have its up and downs and as business goes we knew we wouldn’t always get what we wanted. We knew we would have to improvise, plan ahead, and at times, admit defeat. So far God has been blessing us immensely with great artists to interview and present to you, our readers, which is our main goal. We couldn’t be happier. But, as I said, not everything has gone peachy.
The most recent lesson we’ve learned is some artists just don’t take the time to fully answer their questions. What I mean by this is that we’ve had to scrap certain articles and interviews because of the content returned to us. It wasn’t that it was crass (for the most part) or incorrect information, it was just too short to make anything out of. One sentence answers to a question that we felt would provide the artists with an opportunity to explain something that could reach readers and better promote their own bands seems to be the popular thing to do lately.
I can’t be judgmental here. I have no idea what that person is going through at the moment or if they simply thought that they were giving a full answer. What I’m saying is that doing interviews and answering people’s questions, especially when it comes to their art and their faith, I would hope that artists would be a little more joyous in providing those answers. We feel like we are giving them another medium to speak through and continue to influence with their words. We would hope that they would take advantage of this offer. Do some not realize that their art and the way they live their lives is directly impacting others’ lives? This is what frustrates me more than anything.
The fact that we have had to drop interviews with artists that I would consider largely influential in today’s scene just makes me sad. Artists, we are giving you the opportunity to not only promote your livelihood, but to further spread the word of what is backing your entire life and decision to do what you do.
I understand that we live in the MySpace generation. A generation revolving around speed and easy access to whatever information you need. Now more than ever, it has become easier for fans to connect with their favorite bands. Can you imagine being a fan back in the day when the only chance you’d have of asking a band member a question was if you happened to catch them outside of a venue? No wonder these guys were held up so highly. Now, we have more ways to connect, on both ends. What band doesn’t have a MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and who knows what else? And these are all great things for getting your music out there but we have to remember how important actual physical fan interaction is. I could follow a band on all these sites, read their bios, keep updated with all their current events and still have no idea who they are on the inside. Especially in this genre, it is so important for listeners and readers to know more about the people who are providing us with this art, this worship. We want to know the individuals we are supporting with our money and our time.
Let me back up a bit. Yes, MySpace and other networking sites are beneficial to the music scene in a lot of ways but also I find it very detrimental. These sites are giving any artist with a Mac Book a chance to put their music out there, which is great, but sadly we have forfeited our views on quality. What most would consider sub-par quality is now being masked by the overwhelming ideals of quantity. There are over night sensations being made without the band ever having played a show or booked a single date. The passion, the drive, the hard work-it’s all gone-replaced by an outpouring of less than great artists. So who can tell what is real anymore? Who deserves to be supported, listened to, and promoted? Truly great artists with stacks and stacks of potential are being overlooked because as soon as they release a track, there are 100 imitators ready to jump on that particular sound.
As you’ll read in our cover piece this month, Aaron Gillespie talks about this scene becoming something its not and I whole heartedly agree. Clothing lines for example: I love clothing lines, especially those done by artists; but once again, the market is vastly oversaturated with anyone who can create a MySpace. Where has the concept of paying dues gone?
As an avid music fan myself, I have always wanted to dive deeper into what I give so much of my time to. Reading interviews in various other publications is what inspired me in the first place to start off down this path. Even though I’ve learned a great deal about both the journalism and the music industry in the past years, I still feel like a true fan at heart, I still have faith and that is why I’m here. I look up to these musicians as much as any other kid who throws their album on while on long drives or just before bed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting an “us against them mentality”. I’m a writer but I’m also still a reader. We should be embracing all these things that make up the music scene today but not forgetting how important personal touch, hard work and originality really is.