Live.Awake

Godward Art Series: The Listening

// May 16th, 2007 // Church Life, Music

Following the theme of shallow pop culture and the church’s response to it, I’m going to highlight two bands that I think are doing some great things. Today I’m looking at The Listening. Tomorrow will be Tree63. There are some others that could and should be mentioned (like The Choir), but I’m going to leave that up to you to add to the discussion in the comments.

Obviously, culture and art are not limited to music. But, music is what I’m personally most interested in and this is my blog. Go get your own blog!

The Listening first began as a band called “The Rock and Roll Worship Circus” coming from Longview, Washington. The vision behind the band was simple. From an interview with the band:

The lord called us all to quit wasting our time making music to move the hearts of men. Rather, he called us to the most difficult of all challenges—To make music with the intention of moving his heart, and only his heart.

Starting down this road meant the death of a lot dreams for us. Visions of thousands of adoring fans cheering for us and our music, magazine covers, fame, and all the foolish splendour of rock and roll was dead now. A lot of our “music business” mindsets had to die. Self-promotion had to die—All of those plastic pearls that the world sold us had to die. God called us to be his band—A band that would function only to serve him. We had to be content with his calling whether it meant playing in front of one million people, or just one person. Jesus.

The band recorded their first album. It was a hit, and the Christian recording labels came calling. Now, many people don’t know that most of the major CCM recording labels are now owned by Sony, BMG, Virgin, etc. The marketing strategies, commerce driven methodologies, and world views of those companies are quickly trickling down. The same machine that drives American Idol, is now in the driver’s seat of CCM. Gabriel Wilson of the band says that all the attention from people wanting to promote them was nice, but

there was one thing that always bugged as about what the record labels had to say—They wanted to tweak us. They thought that with just a different “look”, we’d sell more records. Or if we just put a few more “easy, normal sounding worship songs” on our record, but not without changing it for the sake of marketing. But marketing was never the goal of making this record. We made this record to move the Lord’s heart, first and foremost. Why wasn’t that good enough?

They finally got in contact with a smaller worship label in California called Sovereign Productions that would give them the freedom to be the band they felt called to be. They have evolved into something more complex than a simple worship band. Their recent change in direction becoming “The Listening” marks a new emphasis on authentic creativity in their music and more poetry lyrically. Muscially they are reminiscent of Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Air, and Sigur Rós with maybe a touch of the Beatles and U2 for good measure. From another interview:

Interviewer: You changed the kind of music you make, but have you change the lyrics?

Gabriël: Yeah, we have changed the lyrics in some ways. Instead the songs have been very congregetional. Like for churches to sing. Now the songs are very personal. Very much from the Lord his heart to people. Instead from peoples heart to God, people expressing their art to God with their songs. now the lord is expressing his heart to the people with our music and our lyrics.. Just a change in vocals, but very much the same approach.

My favorite quote from them has to be: “Rock and roll is what we love, but worship is who we are.”

Here are two tracks from their album. You can pick up your own copy HERE.

“Glory of the Feared”::

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“Hosea in C Minor”::

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These guys may or may not be your cup of tea, but I contend that their heart reflects something of what the church needs in this critical hour. Learn the language of your culture and use it to create new bridges designed to give the lost a clear pathway to Grace.

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