Christian Music Online

Third Day

March 11, 2006 – 8:19 am

Third Day guitarist Mark Lee said he considers his job a calling from a higher power.

David Dobson Band members, left to right, Mark Lee, Brad Avery, Mac Powell, Tai Anderson, David Carr. Their last album hit No. 8 on billboard charts.

“The band has always had a goal to make music that will point people to God,” Lee said by phone from Memphis, Tenn. “Back when we started playing together nearly 15 years ago, we wanted to be like the band Petra. We wanted to play music that was inspirational.”

That goal has kept Third Day — composed of Lee, bassist Tai Anderson, guitarist Brad Avery, drummer David Carr and vocalist Mac Powell — together in the studio and on the road. The band has released nine albums to date and has been involved in such charities as Habitat for Humanity and World Vision.

Lee said that being a high profile Christian musician brings responsibilities. “We join with causes to help people. When we worked with Habitat for Humanity a couple of years ago, we helped build eight houses, three in the United States and five around the world. And we look at it this way, our music may be forgotten some years down the road, but the houses will still be there.”

That’s the philosophy that got Powell and Lee together in the first place. They wanted to make something that would last. “Throughout the years the lineup has evolved but it always comes down to Mac and me,” said Lee. “We both decided in our senior year to make music that mattered and helped people, rather than bring them down.”

For the band’s new album “Wherever You Are,” the band has a specific theme in mind. “We came into it after our last tour on the last album. The last album (the Grammy Award-winning “The Wire”) was written specifically for people who aren’t familiar with Christian music or terminology. And while it’s one of my favorite albums, it wasn’t our most successful.

“But there was a song on it called ‘It’s a Shame’ that we’d play live. And each time we did, the audiences’ reactions were unbelievable. So, we decided to make an album full of songs like ‘It’s a Shame.’ And that’s how we came up with ‘Wherever You Are.’ ”

The album peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Top 200 album charts and has been on the chart for more than 16 weeks. The single “Cry Out to Jesus” became an anthem during last year’s Hurricane Katrina crisis. “We look at bands who use their popularity as a platform to help others. U2 comes to mind, and Bono’s work for global causes has always been an inspiration to us. And he has inspired us to take on some issues ourselves.”

While Third Day is only a vehicle for causes such as World Vision, fans have helped more than 15,000 children all over the globe to receive food and clothing. “It’s important for us to not only sing about helping others but actually doing something about it,” said Lee.

---

---