Christian music finds its way into mainstream - Odds are, every music fan likes at least one Christian band. Maybe that band doesn’t explicitly sing about salvation and the teachings of Christ, and maybe that group doesn’t outright call itself a Christian band, but those who have listened to popular radio in the past few years have probably been jamming along to a Christian band without even knowing it.
Not convinced? Consider two groups that have received plenty of radio play in the past few years: Switchfoot and U2.
Both bands were conceived as Christian groups and gradually broadened their messages while improving their sound, making them accessible to audiences of millions.
U2’s early songs included lyrics such as “I was lost, now I’m found” and “I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined and heard my cry.”
On its most recent album, “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” the band sings, “Lay down your guns all you daughters of Zion, all you Abraham’s sons.” They even included a song titled “Yahweh,” which is a conversation with God, asking, “Why the darkness before dawn?”
And while many of Switchfoot’s earliest songs were about the struggles of faith, its latest CD, “Nothing Is Sound,” deals more with universal struggles and hardship of life.
More and more, Christian and spiritually driven songs are finding their way into listeners’ radios and record collections, not by pushing an agenda or spouting scripture, but by writing music and lyrics that all audiences enjoy.
“Anybody wants to listen to a good song, and if a song is great, it’s going to appeal to anyone,” said Bryan Olesen, lead singer of the Lincoln group Casting Pearls and guitarist in newsboys, arguably the world’s most popular Christian band.
“There’s a lot of good bands out there labeled as Christian who are writing good songs. Switchfoot is doing well in the mainstream because they’re writing good lyrics.”
David Zach of the Lincoln band Remedy Drive said people generally think Christian music is worship music more likely heard in church than at a rock concert.
“People think of it as organ music or a choir,” he said. “But it’s actually a whole subcategory of music. It’s its own little music industry.”
Contemporary Christian music finds its roots in 1970s folk and country, reaching popularity with artists like Emmylou Harris and Michael W. Smith.
Today, bands such as newsboys, Casting Crowns, Jars of Clay, Relient k and even Switchfoot are challenging the traditional meaning of the label “Christian.” The word can no longer be used to describe a certain style of music or a certain level of Christian lyrical content.
“You’ve got Christian music that goes from extreme hardcore rock to stuff you’d hear in churches,” Olesen said. “You’ve got stuff labeled as Christian music that some Christians wouldn’t want their kids listening to. It’s open to a bunch of different interpretations.”
Some bands — newsboys, for example — explicitly express Christian messages in their lyrics and offstage actions.
Others, including Switchfoot, U2 and pop-folk artist Sufjan Stevens, opt for a more subtle approach, possibly because of the negative connotations the word “Christian” can carry.
“No offense to anyone who plays Christian music, but people have a weird conception of that word,” Zach said. “They won’t even give some music a chance because of it. The problem is, people hate Christianity. They hate this message because it’s a very close-minded message in their minds, so it’s not very accessible on the surface.”
Zach said the bands which shed the label and stop writing lyrics in “Christian-ese” can gain more appeal without losing the meaning of their work.
“Some people think (Switchfoot) has abandoned their purpose, but I don’t think so at all,” he said. “The things (lead singer) Jon Foreman says strike true to me more than anything I’ve ever heard from the pulpit.”
At the same time, artists benefit from the label when it serves as an indicator of music with a specific message.
“Most Christian music is the sort of music where you get caught up in contemplating it,” Zach said. “This is where I think the Christian label is really important. I really believe in this kind of worship music.”
Tami Weissert, vice president of media and communications at the Lincoln-based Back to the Bible, credited contemporary Christian’s rise to the changing nature of the music.
“In the past 20 years, the Christian market has not had quite as contemporary of a sound as it has in the last five years,” she said. “But there’s also a positive message that’s grabbing the public at large.”
It’s also grabbed local musicians such as Casting Pearls and Remedy Drive.
In fact, the popularity of Christian music has played a part in Back to the Bible’s newest project, Edge64 — a $50,000 recording studio and concert venue. It will be available for Christian bands to perform in and record demos at a low cost to send to major labels.
“It’s tough for local bands to get discovered,” said Arnie Cole, executive vice president of Back to the Bible. “We’re hoping to encourage local bands. A lot of them are filled with talent but lack the resources. We want to be a pipeline to places like Nashville.”
The popularity of Christian music is also heard on the airwaves. Not only are Christian bands getting more mainstream play, but Christian stations are claiming strong market shares.
Omaha’s KGBI (100.7 FM), which also serves Lincoln, began broadcasting in the fall of 2004. Little more than a year later, it now attracts as many — if not more — local listeners than some country, classic rock and adult contemporary stations, earning a 2.1 and 3.0 share in the Omaha and Lincoln markets, respectively, according to the last Arbitron reports.
The bands that get play on Christian stations just want to keep producing songs for Christians and non-Christians alike, Olesen said.
“I want to write music that everybody likes, but I do feel a certain calling,” he said. “A lot of bands just want to be the next Switchfoot, but you can’t lay out the perfect formula for success.”
Olesen also said it’s important that people not shun a band simply because it describes itself as Christian.
After all, they could be passing on the next U2.
“You hate the negative connotations that the label can bring, but most of these bands don’t have an agenda,” he said. “They just want to put out great music.”
Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com
By JOEL GEHRINGER / Lincoln Journal Star
