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Thoughts on "Christian" bands

Perhaps you have heard Tim Foreman’s quote when asked if Switchfoot was a “Christian” band.  He replied, “We are Christian by faith, not by genre.  I recently read two magazine interviews that also tackled the whole idea of “Christian” music.

In the January/February 2009 issue of Relevant Magazine, I liked what Mark Nicks of Cool Hand Luke had to say.  He starts off by saying that he makes music that he would want to listen to.  He then contemplates the results of a “Christian” band, which is supposed to glorify God through music, yet the end result is often a secular sound-alike band.  The effect makes Christian music “laughable” to non-Christians.  According to the article, Nicks wants to make good music without compromising the message.  He continues, “It’s not that we don’t talk about Christ enough, it’s just that we don’t do it in such a way that is marketable.”  You can read the entire article online.  There is so much more good additions to the whole “Christian” versus “mainstream” debate.

A short article about Manchester Orchestra in the May 2009 issue of Spin magazine mentions that all of the members of the Atlanta band grew up in Christian homes.  Frontman Andy Hull was interviewed for the article and said, “We’re not a Christian band.  I try to write through a lens rather than on top of a soapbox.”  Nice!