CLAY COUNTY DAYS 2008myspace.com/claycodaysgospelCOMING TO CLAY COUNTY DAYS 2008 will be Caedmon's Call, Group 1 Crew and Undue Favor! This year Clay County Days will open with gospel night featuring three wonderful groups on Friday, August 29th. Entertainment for the day begins at 1 pm. For directions or info call 606 813-1237.
Caedmon's Callcaedmonscall.comCaedmon's Call returns to what they do best with their new album titled Overdressed. The seminal folk-pop act has moved to a new label home at INO Records with this release, a revival of their acoustic guitar-driven sound. Overdressed also features the return of Derek Webb to the Caedmon's fold, adding his vocals and songwriting to the album and upcoming tour.
Band leader Cliff Young proclaims this their most organic record yet, returning their sound to its acoustic-yet-engaging beginnings and harkening back to their popular 40 Acres project.
The band also reunites Webb as they move to INO Records, home to MercyMe, Skillet, and Todd Agnew. "I have long been an admirer of Caedmon's Call rich musical legacy," says president of INO Records Jeff Moseley. "Now with the addition of Derek Webb for this record, it just feels like a natural fit. I am thrilled they are a part of the INO family and that we can share in the future of Caedmon's Call." Webb's return to this album's line-up doesn't mean he's giving up his solo career; in fact, he's just released his fourth solo album, The Ringing Bell.
The band’s album title Overdressed stems from “the idea that we’re overdressed as believers and in the church—it’s talking about sin, depravity, shame—that we’re not who we were intended to be” but tend to try to disguise it, a theme that recurs throughout the album.
It also refers to the project’s less-produced sound; Overdressed was produced by the band and mixed by Shane Wilson, who helped the band craft a sound both raw and accessible.
The project’s highlights include the singable, harmony-rich singles “There Is A Reason” and “Need Your Love,” Webb’s typically insight-filled “Share In The Blame,”and “Sacred,” one of Danielle’s contributions to the record.
Continuing the missional focus that informed Share The Well, “Two Weeks In Africa” tells of the “life-changing dose of perspective” a mission trip can give. It’s also about how “easy it is to forget, when in my bedroom pacing around talking on the phone, the Dalits and people picking through the trash, and a girl living in a pipe under the freeway.”
“Two songs on this record that Andy [Osenga] wrote are two of my favorite songs we’ve ever done,” says Young. One of those is “Hold The Light,” a song Osenga wrote to his small group. “‘Hold the Light’ is easily the most personal song I've had on a Caedmon's record,” explains Osenga. “So much of this record is about family and community and how they give us strength when we don't have it, and for me, this song serves as the prime example for how deeply that honest community can affect us.”
Caedmon’s Call has sold over a million units of its 14 records to date but has always been more of a community itself than a band. This group is known for it’s multi-talented members; Cliff and Danielle Young (two of Christian music’s best-loved voices), Derek Webb and Andy Osenga (both respected singer-songwriters), Todd Bragg, Garett Buell, Jeff Miller and Josh Moore (all top-notch musicians).
The ever-evolving collective helped bring a renaissance of acoustic music in the Christian pop scene and earned the band a large and loyal fan following, known as The Guild. Caedmon’s also helped launch or boosted the careers of artists like Bebo Norman, Jill Phillips, Waterdeep, and Andrew Peterson.
The band is also a longtime promoter of missional living, through their longtime partnership with Compassion International, and more recently with the Dalit Freedom Network, an organization fighting caste discrimination in India, and the band’s own Share The Well Foundation. The idea of the foundation is central to the band’s message, “to change the perspective, change the church culture, and what it means to be a believer,” says Young, from sitting in the safety of a pew to impacting a hurting world.
---------------------------------
CLAY COUNTY DAYS 2008myspace.com/claycodaysgospelCOMING TO CLAY COUNTY DAYS 2008 will be Caedmon's Call, Group 1 Crew and Undue Favor! This year Clay County Days will open with gospel night featuring three wonderful groups on Friday, August 29th. Entertainment for the day begins at 1 pm. For directions or info call 606 813-1237.
Group 1 Crewgroup1crew.comWhen the conversation turns to musical influences, not many groups are likely to mention Michael Buble, Beethoven, Stevie Wonder and flamenco music in the same breath. But it’s the diversity in what inspires them, not to mention their distinctive faith backgrounds that makes new Fervent artist Group 1 Crew stand out in a crowd.
And if their unique hybrid of hip-hop, rock, funk and soul wasn’t enough to distinguish Group 1 Crew on its highly anticipated 2007 self-titled debut, their passionate message of hope and encouragement can’t help but set them apart—especially in a genre of music that typically glamorizes violence, the degradation of women and the acquisition of all the luxuries money can buy.
Instead, captivating and relatable songs like "No Plan B," "(Everybody’s Gotta) Song to Sing" and "I Have a Dream" encourage listeners to pursue their God-given ambitions, no matter how outlandish they may seem.
Group 1 Crew’s Manwell, Pablo and Blanca have teamed together for one unified purpose. Unlike many popular groups where members individually vie for the spotlight, Group 1 Crew even wanted its name to have a singular message that communicates the band’s desire to shine the love of Christ through the power of song.
Founded in a rather unlikely way, the group got its start when Manwell, a former solo artist and veteran emcee started a Bible study with his friends and fellow musicians Pablo and Blanca. A few years later, Manwell met Jeff Adams who would quickly become the band’s manager. And it wasn’t long after that the band played a showcase for Fervent label execs in Nashville and signed a record deal.
With the natural camaraderie that comes with friendship and long hours of making music together, the group shares a passion for making a unique contribution to both the Christian and mainstream hip-hop scenes. But in addition to making music that has street cred, one of the group’s main priorities is reaching its peers with its message in a relevant, non-Christianese way.
Manwell understands the importance of speaking a language his peers can understand because he didn’t always connect with the words that fellow Christians often use to communicate their faith, either. "Before I became a Christian in high school, I didn’t know anything about God at all," Manwell confesses. "I was a horrible kid. I was kicked out of three schools, did the whole crime thing—robbing, stealing, trading merchandise and all that jazz."
But after going to summer camp before his senior year in hopes of meeting a girl, he met God instead. "The first night there, God showed up at the camp. When I say 'showed up,' I mean to this day, I still remember it," Manwell adds. “The entire room was just on its face—it was a moment of pure humility. All I could say was 'I’m not worthy' and 'I’m dirty.'"
While Blanca didn’t exactly share Manwell’s tendency to get in trouble, she also didn’t grow up in a Christian family. After her parent’s divorce, however, the family was later reunited at a high school play. After seeing the spiritually themed show, Blanca says that "God hit me, and I knew it was time to get right." And from something she describes as "so simple," she got saved and wanted to give her singing talent back to God.
Unlike Manwell and Blanca, Pablo grew up a little differently— as the son of a pastor. But like many teenagers who embrace faith early on, Pablo went through a rebellious phase where he followed the crowd instead of Christ. But when he was 19, Pablo says he "started going to church because I wanted to and not because my parents woke me up to go. My faith was becoming my own, and there was a hunger to know more."
If there’s one thing for sure about Group 1 Crew, it’s not like anything you’ve heard before whether it’s the dancehall groove of "Clap Ya Hands," the funk-laden opener "Love is a Beautiful Thing" or the candid account of reaching out for God, the group addresses in "Forgive Me." Ultimately, Group 1 Crew hopes, too, that even people who don’t normally attend church will easily be able to identify the hope in Jesus that has personally changed each band member’s life.
"We want our show to be one that everyone can come to and walk away experiencing the love of Christ in a non-threatening way," Manwell says. "Our music isn't for one specific demographic, it's for anyone with a pulse. There’s love in our music, and it has meaning for anyone out there. I think once people see that, they’ll get what we do."
myspace.com/groupone---------------------------------
CLAY COUNTY DAYS 2008myspace.com/claycodaysgospelCOMING TO CLAY COUNTY DAYS 2008 will be Caedmon's Call, Group 1 Crew and Undue Favor! This year Clay County Days will open with gospel night featuring three wonderful groups on Friday, August 29th. Entertainment for the day begins at 1 pm. For directions or info call 606 813-1237.
Undue Favorunduefavor.comLife was about to become a lot more amazing for Christy Burnham, even as she was at a low point in her life. The singer/songwriter/pianist and member of the group Undue Favor is a lifelong Christian, but after volunteering to go on a six-week mission to Brazil she found herself wondering where she was both physically and spiritually. "I was there and very alone," said Burnham, "I really had to come to grips with where I was with myself.
"The six weeks were life changing. I had to get things straight with my relationship with God. I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian school. I knew a lot about the Bible, Christianity. However, it hadn't become real to me. In Brazil it did." It was there, that she found faith in a God who loved as opposed to the Bible just being "a bunch of rules."
Life has gone on to take some other amazing turns, particularly in the evolution of Undue Favor (which also comprises her sister, singer/guitarist Kelly Cox). Take the donor who came forward with a gift that allowed Undue Favor to record "Life Amazing" in Nashville in the summer of 2006. "The Lord knew what we needed to bring the music to a new level of excellence, and then He provided it", said Cox. "It all came together in an amazing way," Burnham said. "We had an amazing donation from an individual who wanted to remain anonymous but believed in what we were doing and the message we wanted to share," Burnham said.
The album features some tremendous singing and harmonizing from Burnham and Cox, and the rock/pop sounding songs, mostly written by Burnham, deal with personal issues while also making it clear that the music has a mission in mind. "I feel strongly that what we share is a message for everyone. What people say they see when we're on stage is that they see love. Love between two sisters. There's so much conflict in the world. People want to see love. I feel that message is for any person around the world" Burnham said.
"Music has a different way of communicating. I can share my story. I am totally convinced that people are hearing it."
After Brazil Christy married her husband, Andy Burnham. They have three children and recently moved to Tennessee. Kelly recently moved there as well with her husband Tim Cox. "After touring in New England for several years we knew the Lord was getting us out of our comfort zone and into the brave new world of a national ministry", Cox said. "Very Exciting!"
The group's interesting name was carefully chosen. "We needed a name that represented us," Burnham said. She believes her life has been filled with favor and grace. The very definition of grace is unmerited favor.
"We understand that God has given us favor far above and beyond what we could imagine! So what else can we do but sing our hearts out to Him in gratitude", Cox said. "We desire to spur others to grow in the Lord; to know what peace and comfort can come from walking closely to Jesus Christ. THAT is life amazing!"
-------------
