In keeping with my promise for a weekly expository music blog...
Jeremy Enigk
Jeremy is my musical role model. He has inspired me to seek out new musical and lyrical ground and express my faith naturally through my music, rather than focusing on an explicitly Christian message which can sound cheesy and insincere. Throughout the 90's, Enigk accomplished musical fame as the lead singer of groundbreaking Seattle alternative/emocore band Sunny Day Real Estate. Mid-decade, he realized his life was crashing and cried out for help. He recounts the story thus:
"For a long time I dwelt on a lot of pain in my life. Pain that I had tried to get rid of in many different ways. I watched myself slowly shrivel up into a hopeless, bitter and lonely person. Well one thing led to another and I could not take it anymore so I took a shot on calling upon God. He answered me. My pain was gone. I was full of joy. I had hope again. All the hope that was squeezed out of me was replaced ten times. I have given my life to Christ".
Sunny Day Real Estate finally broke up after releasing The Rising Tide, and Jeremy became frontman for The Fire Theft, who arose from the ashes of Sunny Day Real Estate. Their song "Uncle Mountain" contains my favourite line of all time:
"I want love, if love wants me,
I want God, if God wants me"
Jeremy now performs solo material, generally with accompanying musicians and sometimes a string ensemble. His vocals featured on two tracks on MewithoutYou's Brother, Sister.
The Subways
Originally known as Mustardseed, and later Platypus, The Subways are Billy Lunn (guitars/vocals), Charlotte Cooper (bass/vocals), and Josh Morgan (drums). They formed in 2003, hailing from Hertfordshire, England. They play pulsing garage rock; if you like bands like The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, you will love The Subways.
Iain Cook
A fellow student at my university, Iain asked me to play clarinet on his first EP entitled "Similar Songs". During the recording session, I was messing around playing airily at a break between takes, when Iain all of a sudden said, "Wait, do that again. That sounds kind of dreamy. I like that. Let's use it". So that is how I ended up using improper clarinet technique on my first professoinal clarinet recording.
Iain plays piano and enlisted the help of several Trinity Western University musicians during the recording and performance process, including TWU Orchestra violinist concertmaster Brielle Goheen, and cellists Elisabeth Fallon and Brian Chan (who also contributes to In Medias Res). Iain plays with a community of musicians in Knoxville, TN. Definitely check Iain's music profile out, and purchase some tracks!
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