The Official Monthly Jars of Clay Email News Digest
7/26/97
5,521 Subscribers
web site: http://www.jarsofclay.com
CONTENTS:
*JoC's Mission: from Charlie
*The Official Jars of Clay Website
*Update on Much Afraid
*Internet message from Steve Mason:
*Message Boards
*Concert Review: 6/19/97 Atlantafest, GA
*Prayer Requests
*7-Ball Magazine Much Afraid London Interview
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*JoC's Mission: from Charlie
As to the mission or "purpose" of Jars of Clay:
When we first started, it was so unplanned and unexpected, that we barely had a mission. We hadn't taken ourselves seriously enough to. After the first record, our mission was to creatively express our faith and our struggles through (hopefully) quality music.
As we toured more, learned more, and as Flood received mainstream attention, our mission didn't really change, other than giving us more of a burden and legitimate ministry with the "lost". We felt more of a purpose playing in clubs, theatres, etc., where non-Christians would feel comfortable coming to see us play, and giving them a fairly non-threatening confrontation with the Gospel. We love to ask questions through our music, and challenge people to think on their own........bring up issues, wrestle with them, present them as we see them through our faith and through the Gospel, but don't always leave people with easy answers. It's when we wrestle with things and doubt our faith that we really grow. And God is always faithful to reveal Himself to us in amazing ways. He's not intimidated by our questions or doubts. So this has tied in to our mission recently.
Recently, we've been fascinated by Romans 12:4, the one body having many parts. Some musicians are called to stay in the church and minister and teach Christians (feeding the flock). Much of our role we see is "bridge building". In other words, being a light in dark places, and being an example of Christ and Christianity in places where many people have either had a bad experience with the church, or none at all. Really, a lot of it is just loving people and letting them observe our actions and attitudes. We love the fact that non-Christians are drawn to our music, and have seen the Lord use this in incredible ways. And our desire is to create music that is original, and meets the standards of music that the "world" listens to. If we can do this, then lyrically we can meet people where they are, and share with them and leave them with stuff to chew on.
Peace & Love,
Charlie Lowell
Rom 8:38,39
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*The Official Jars of Clay Website:
As the anticipation for the release of Much Afraid continues to build, we will be including music, artwork and lyrics at the official website. This will begin somewhere around the date of the Crazy Times release, August 12. Old sound files and pictures will remain, but many new files will be added.
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*Much Afraid Release dates:
¤ August 12, 1997: Release of Crazy Times to Christian and Mainstream Radio The single available in stores will be packaged on a multimedia enhanced CD including interviews, song excerpts, and a B-cut selection available only on this disc.
¤ September 9, 1997: Much Afraid will be released on VINYL to retailers.
¤ September 16, 1997: Much Afraid CD & Cassette will be released to retail stores.
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*Internet message from Steve Mason:
I think there's a considerable difference between the first record and the second.. Having any amount of attention for a song on the radio allows everyone their chance to take a shot at us.....so, we'll see what the response is to the follow-up. However, we're terribly pleased with the outcome of the second record....now it's up to the kids to decide. there is more electric guitar on this record than on the last, and there's more live drums versus sampled loops.....the product of a bigger record budget. everything said in regard to the first record is right, to some degree. now, there's time and money to do more, so we'll see....hope you all enjoy it! Jerry - thanks for your honesty and support on Usenet during the "oh-so-controversial" club shows.
peace, love and cheese & onion enchiladas.
Bogey from Telex
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*Message Boards:
Official "website approved" area: http://www.ccmusic.org/zone/jars/ Unofficial but equally cool: http://www.usmo.com/~wolverin/wwwboard/
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*Concert Review #1: 6/19/97 Atlantafest, GA
by Libby Perry
Thursday evening at Atlantafest gave a whole new meaning to the word "Flood". Following a heart changing challenge from speaker Jay Strack and a brief intro for Audio Adrenaline, a GA June cloudburst dumped buckets of water on the SouthernStar Amphitheater at Six Flags. Most ran for cover, but some ran front and center for the better, but wetter seats. Taking a big chance, I ducked into the Jars' merchandise tent where I was kindly welcomed along with 50 or so other dripping fans crammed in the small space. After an hour downpour and a few cancelled shows, Jars delivered their message.
No oriental carpets spread tonight ... the stage had to be cleared with giant squeegees and instruments towel dried. A wet and chilly crowd of several thousand fans heated up quickly when Jars took the stage! The *old* songs were painted with some new strokes, including a slow groove Liquid and a surprise stop/start on Flood! Charlie played a kickin' B-3 solo to cap off Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows and Blind rocked from soft to hard. Pretty amazing stuff!! Dan presented Worlds Apart with his own expression of God's grace and it's inability to be earned, but freely given. Worlds Apart shared with Mancy A'lan Kane (from their debut) was a true testimony of the call of Jars of Clay. Jars can stretch a song live to incredible lengths that can't be heard on the CD.
I don't remember if Steve ever switched from electric to acoustic at all. The electric guitar certainly changes the flavor, but I think the basic groundwork is so solid, it retains the distinct Jars sound! The songs performed slated to be on Much Afraid were Crazy Times, Fade to Grey, Truce, and Overjoyed, making it's September 16 release still seem far off!! Even though it was close to midnight, Jars greeted a line of fans a mile long. I know, cause I was in it! :) I left content with the knowledge that God speaks clearly through the fellowship of strangers huddled in a merchandise tent and even more clearly through the music of those whose hearts beat for Him!
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*Prayer Requests:
From: Elmo81383@aol.com
My youth group is about to go on our missions trip in August and I would like some prayer for that! We will be going to Jamaica this year. Jamaica is in desperate need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There is a lot of drug use there and a very strong spirit of witchcraft. Please pray that our team of 52 will be totally prepared spiritually, mentally, and physically(we usually do non-stop ministering from about 6am-12or 1 in the morning!). But mostly pray for us being spiritually ready.
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From: vanoudt@ozemail.com.au
Both my mother's ear drums burst today...she's in incredible pain, and the doctor's not sure whether they'll grow together again. Also, she's totally deaf at the moment. PLEASE pray for her, as she's in a lot of pain.. Thanks
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From: fuzzy@tbe.net
Hi. My name is Mariana. Can you please pray for my father? He is an alcoholic and he needs help or it's going to kill him. This is very hard on my family especially me because I'm the family's scapegoat. Please pray for us. Thank you. You are in my prayers too.
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From: thecommonground@hotmail.com
I would like to thank all who prayed for me and sent me emails of encouragement when I was dealing with my fears. This experience gave me renewed strength. It appears God knew I would be needing it for the next step. My mom has just discovered that she has what is called an auto-immune. Unfortunately, her immune system now cannot distinguish between bad and good and is killing itself. The result of this is a form of arthritis that has no cure and not only affects the joints, but eventually, her vital organs. According to the doctor, only 10 percent of the cases act as fast as hers. And in those 10 percent, the patient is totally and painfully crippled within a year's time. And then it attacks the vital organs. I ask that everyone would please pray for her. From what we have been reading, the only true cure out there is the hand of God.
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From: lestay@telapex.com
One of the things I like about Earthen Vessels is the Prayer Request section. I pray for each one. Well, right now I'm in need of prayer and help. I'm thinking about creating a Mormon discussion group. What that will do is to get people aware of the dangers of this cult and let them show how people get involved. It may last a month or so. I'm in need of helpers, people to join, and prayer.
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From: 09631763.a96.mail3@mail3.dlsu.edu.ph
Aunt Emma has been discharged from the hospital already, but she is confirmed as permanently paralyzed. She needs prayers and letters of encouragement now. She has been depressed. Please let her know people are praying for her. Thanks brothers and sisters!
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7ball MagazineJuly/August 1997
The Exclusive 7ball London Interview With Jars of Clay
by Frank Chimento
(The members of Jars of Clay talk about the good and bad of making two million new friends.)
We're in London, England, Aquarium Studios. Jars of Clay is working on final mixes for their sophomore record, due on shelves in September. Lead vocalist/frontman Dan Haseltine and I arrive at the studio just as the band is breaking for lunch. While the staff at the studio prepares steak and omelets, someone pops This is Spinal Tap into the VCR -a favorite movie of most bands because of its sharp satire of the music industry. Dan, however, has his mind on something else: He's just had a phone conversation with their management company, which still expects the new record to be a "modern rock" record.
"They keep asking if it's like the Smashing Pumpkins or something," he tells the others. "So, I told them again, 'NO! It is an alternative pop record,' in the same vein as Sting or Seal or Sarah McLaughlin."
It's still very, very acoustic based," lead guitarist Stephen Mason tells me. "Dan is singing incredibly well these days; there will be a difference there, just because he started singing when we first recorded our first song. He's had a lot more experience under his belt, as the rest of us have, so hopefully, there's a noticeable, musical maturity."
Knowing that the record company is nervous about the name of the new record, I ask Dan if it's still going to be called Much Afraid. "Yes," he says emphatically. "The record label doesn't like it. They're afraid it's too dark or something and they might have trouble marketing it, but that's what we want."
It makes sense that everyone involved would be feeling the pressure about now. In some ways, their past two years have been a blur of Cinderella success. Since 7ball featured them in our very first issue and we picked them to play on our stage at Cornerstone '95, the Jars of Clay phenomenon has found them opening for the likes of Michael W. Smith and Sting, playing both mainstream and Christian festivals, as well as on several major TV programs and recording one song each for two big-deal Hollywood blockbusters and a jingle or two for Coca-Cola.
What amazes me is how humble they remain: The members of Jars of Clay are as down-to-earth as ever. They work very hard to maintain ties with family and friends, and they go to great lengths to stay in touch with their fans. They don't want any of this to go to their heads.
Still, they keep a pretty hectic schedule, which might explain why, although we all live in the same city-Music City, USA- I had to sweat through getting a passport, and flying several time zones across the ocean (in the largest plane I've ever seen) just to catch up with them.
After lunch, we discover that producer Steve Lipson and engineer Heff Moraes were busy putting the final touches on "Overjoyed." As we listen, I'm noticing how fantastic Dan's vocals sound when guitarist Matt Odmark jokes, "More mojo on the vocals, please!" The rest of the guys laugh (must be some sort of inside joke).
The producer has worked with the likes of Annie Lennox, Sophie B. Hawkins, Simple Minds and even Cher. In a thick British accent Lipson tells me, "I produce a lot of solo artists and haven't worked with a band since Simple Minds. But, when I heard these demos, I flipped my lid. This is incredible music."
When I compliment Dan on how well he sounds, he seems humbled by the comment, and breathes easier (as if his body language was screaming, Thank you and you have no idea how hard I've worked at singing better). I also noticed how good the harmonies sounded. Based on this song, Dan is right, it does remind me of Sting, but not in a rip-off sort of way. Just in the style, mood and the quality of the sound. "We're all real excited about the record," Dan says. "We're in this place of not knowing how people are going to react to it. We're at a real apprehensive point."
The rest of the band also owns up to worrying about how the album will be received, both critically and commercially. "However many we sell," says Stephen, "we feel like we've made the best follow-up we could have dreamed of. Just the opportunity to do another album and record with a great producer has been worth it" Matt, however, is more specific in his concerns. "You can't really say that if we released the record tomorrow and it sold 100 copies and that was it, we wouldn't be disappointed. I really hope people like it as much as, if not more than the last record. It's the record we wanted to make. In that sense, I think we feel a bit successful already." To which keyboardist Charlie Lowell adds, with a grin, "And I'd like to sell at least 6, 7, 8 million records. I think I would be overjoyed if we did that."
Given the expectations, I ask the band if they're confident in the material, and what some of their favorite tracks are. "I'm at a loss to name any one song," Matt says. "I really like 'Much Afraid, 'Portrait of an Apology' and 'Frail.' But it's been exciting to put together a record where I really believe in all 12 of the songs." Stephen feels that at least one of the tracks, "Overjoyed," took on a life of its own, before it was even finished. "There's something about the song that almost feels like we didn't write it. Like we've watched it and recorded it, and watched it come into being. A producer made the comment when we were close to being finished with that song that, if he could write a song, that was the kind of song he would want to write. Which was an honor." Charlie picks two tracks which Jars have been working with for some time: "'Fade to Grey' was the first song we ever wrote as a band and it appeared on our demo. We did it several times in the studio for this record until we were happy with it. And 'The Wish,' originally called 'Five Candles,' which was written for the movie Liar, Liar, and didn't make it in the movie." Dan says the band struggled with balancing topics it wanted to cover and commercial expectations. "There are elements we could have done better at sealing ourselves off from the commercial side of it. But we feel like this album far exceeds the first in the spiritual content and the issues it deals with," he says.
Many fans will note that the album title, Much Afraid, is the name of one of the main characters in Hannah Hurnard's classic book, Hind's Feet On High Places. Dan confirms that novel was, in fact, the inspiration for much of the album. "Her book is an allegory of the journey from fear to faith," Dan explains. "Of moving from a place where we're motivated by our fears to being motivated by God's love for us. In the past year, that's a place where most of us have been." Stephen says the album encourages listeners to confront those things of which they're most unsure. "Hopefully we show how the Gospel can be relevant in those places as well. We pray there's an underlying message of hope throughout the record that can also be caught and understood by non-Christians."
Apparently there was something about the song "Flood" to which hundreds of thousands of radio listeners and music video viewers related, because it received a ton of airplay this past year, in both formats. So, how will Jars create an album that must be embraced by Christians to be accepted, but must be relevant to non-believers to be a commercial success? Charlie says the band shoots for both: On the one hand, they want to create art that they would want to listen to; on the other, they want it to reflect how the Gospel has affected them. "It doesn't make much sense to talk about one without the other," he says.
Stephen chimes in agreement. "All things for the glory of God, artistically and spiritually. I think that we have been called to do both. We are a Christian band in that the songs we write are influenced directly by our Christian beliefs. The tough thing is getting past the perception that a lot of people have of Christian music. We want to push the envelope, but we are in no way embarrassed by our Christianity."
Charlie continues, "To be real specific, 'Overjoyed', 'Much Afraid' and a hymn we wrote, called 'Him,' are pretty much explicit songs speaking about relationships with Christ that I don't think could be misunderstood for a human relationship. Then there are songs about the different things we struggle with day in and day out."
"And then there are other songs, too," Matt adds, "which deal very specifically with relationships and do not address themselves to God or to Christ. 'Crazy Times' is similar to 'Flood,' in that it talks of our basic need as humans. I think that's a song that can invite a non-Christian to really consider Christianity as a place to come as is." It's also similar to "Flood" in that it's a song that stands out and rocks.
Over the past two years, Jars of Clay has had opportunities that few Christian artists have had, to take it's music before thousands, sometimes millions of non-believers. How does the band feel it has responded to that challenge? "We understand our call to be witnesses of Christ through our action, through our concerts, through our interactions with people, just through life in general," Matt says. "In our concerts we try really hard to let the music speak, but hopefully in a way that's clear. We do understand at the same time that ultimately winning souls is the Lord's job. And we understand our responsibility on stage, as anywhere else, is to be witnesses of who we understand Christ to be and what He's done and hopefully to live in a way that reflects that."
"Thank the Lord, He uses us in different ways to reach different kinds of people," Charlie continues. "We really feel confident that this is the way, at least for right now, that the Lord has chosen to use us. We pray that we will be obedient in our actions and in our art and to the ways He wants to use us."
Stephen adds that, "People come up to us at shows and share that, you know, because our record's on such and such a station, they've been able to say, Hey, have you heard that song by Jars of Clay? It's been awesome to see how kids have been able to use that to minister to their friends who don't know the Lord."
The virtual overnight success Jars of Clay experienced came with its share of pressures, both in how the band related to each other and its peers. Charlie says there were times their accomplishments made them feel a little guilty. "When we see bands that have been around for years like King's X, who we really look up to, and they don't really have a lot to show for their hard work, there is a tendency to feel kind of weird and a little bit guilty. But then again, we can't really take credit for anything that has happened in the last couple of years. We definitely attribute it to the grace of God. We can be grateful we haven't had eight years of playing in bars."
Dan says another surprise result of Jars' success was "thinking you're more than a normal person. I started to distrust people. I stopped being able to relate to people because, I thought they wanted something from me," he recalls. "You become real distant, and then it filters down into even those friendships you have that are real. It took me a while to handle that aspect of that fame. Even now I still struggle with it."
The band grew so big so quickly, it robbed them of the chance to grow before they were famous. Stephen says that put a serious strain on their relationships. "Being put out on the road forced us to get to know each other better than I think we really cared to. It's no mystery the deeper that you go into a relationship, the more dirt comes to the surface. We had some unpleasant times, but through that, well, it was one of the first times that I experienced true grace and a friendship that went beyond hanging together. It called me into accountability. God was faithful to strip us of our pride. We're thankful, because we are that much tighter as a result, and more in tune to how each of us feels."
Even as Jars became better friends, the band faced criticism that it frankly wasn't a very good live unit. The group feels that criticism has become less and less valid over the past several months. "You can only learn that by playing," Matt says. "We just didn't have the luxury of years of playing in front of small audiences and really learning how to perform. That's one of the trade-offs for not paying your dues, I suppose. So, I think we've learned a little bit more of what that is about. Hopefully, it has translated into us becoming a better band."
Dan says none of them were prepared for the demands of touring. "None of us had that experience before. It was my first attempt to be a front man," he says, laughing. "There was a lot of pressure to be natural on stage when I'd never had that position before.
"A lot of it is just getting comfortable on stage." he continues. "We can joke a little bit more and have fun, rather than being so concerned about what we look like. You can just enjoy the time you have there and just have fun with it. I've learned to have fun and not take it too seriously."
As much as the guys from Jars of Clay would like having fun to remain in the foreground, the criticisms do hurt and the pressure to top their previous success is very real. That success, Matt concedes, has often made Jars an easy target." If some people felt like our first record was a joke, it's hard not to take that personally," he admits. "Part of me would like to say, 1.8 million records, a few people must have liked it, people who didn't think it was just one good song and a bunch of crappy ones. I believe, for what we set out to do and what we had to work with and who we were, we made a pretty good first record. It's definitely true that the bigger you get, the more people feel like they have a right to voice their opinion on what you do and be as harsh as they want to about it."
We cling to the promise that we are just one small part of the body of Christ," Matt continues. "We're not the saviors of Christian music or the youth or Generation X or anything like that. We're very aware there are people who won't like our music. And that's OK. But we would appreciate it if you give us your prayers nonetheless, as much as we feel called to lift up our brothers and sisters who reach people we're not going to be able to reach. There are people who the Lord has given us the opportunity to reach that other people won't reach, either. It would be a really neat thing to see fewer lines drawn in general in the church, whether it's musical lines, lifestyle lines, denomination lines, whatever. It would be a really cool thing if we could learn a little better what it means to be a little less judgmental."
Apparently, after several high pressure days of working side by side on this much anticipated project, the men of Jars of Clay have begun to have an effect on their engineer, Heff Moraes.
" I don't really care about religion or Christianity very much," admits Moraes." I don't have any tine for it. But Steve [Lipson] and I have worked with a lot of artists-most of which haven't achieved the level of success these guys have- who come in here and use drugs and they're cocky and rude. These guys are different. They are a pleasure to work with. They say 'please' and 'thank you' and they're not full of themselves. If Christianity gives people the desire to behave like these guys do, then it's probably worth checking into."
Comments like these make all the difference to Jars of Clay. When I mention to them what the engineer said, they are utterly shocked. They are so happy, they immediately tell me the difficulties they have had with these two guys over the months of recording. " We just gave up about talking about God with them," Dan says. They were very harsh and we didn't seem to be getting anywhere. You have no idea how happy it makes us to hear that, while our words did very little, our actions left an impression. I think that's what we're about as a band, just building relationships and trying to love people."
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