Interview: The Glorious Unseen
by Shane Stiles
Recently I was given the gracious opportunity to interview The Glorious Unseen, BEC Recordings best and brightest act. Hailing from Nashville, TN this band isn’t just a worship band, they’re so much more. I discussed the band with singer Ben Christ. Enjoy.
What was it that drew your youth pastor to start the separate group that eventually spawned The Glorious Unseen?
WELL, I THINK IT WAS A GENERAL DESPERATION FOR GOD THAT DREW US TO START THAT SMALL GROUP. ALL OF US HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM CHURCH AND FROM RELATIONSHIPS FOR ABOUT A YEAR. SO, IT WAS THAT DESIRE FOR COMMUNITY THAT DREW US BACK TOGETHER.
How exactly did you go from being an average praise and worship band to being on BEC?
BEING IN NASHVILLE, THERE’S A NATURAL EXPOSURE THAT YOU GET IF YOU PERFORM MUSIC IN ANY CAPACITY. THERE’S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF MUSIC AND MUSIC BUSINESS STUFF GOING ON AROUND THERE. HOWEVER, I WASN’T SEEKING AFTER A RECORD DEAL OR ANYTHING. I GUESS THE FIRST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS IS THAT I BEGAN WRITING MY OWN WORSHIP SONGS. SOME OF THOSE SONGS CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF A LOCAL PUBLISHING GUY AT EMI CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP. I SIGNED A PUBLISHING DEAL WITH THEM, AND TOOTH AND NAIL IS AFFILIATED WITH EMI. CHAD JOHNSON, ONE OF THE MAIN A&R GUYS AT THE NAIL, GOT EXCITED ABOUT THE WORSHIP STYLE I WAS DOING. I THINK HE HAD ALSO HEARD ABOUT IT THROUGH SOME OF THE BANDS ON THE LABEL – AS I ALREADY HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME OF THOSE BANDS…
Was this a strange transition for you? Did you ever think that it would develop into this?
IT WAS A BIT STRANGE AT FIRST – BECAUSE GIVEN THAT I HAD NEVER REALLY PERFORMED THESE SONGS OUTSIDE OF MY OWN CHURCH, IT HAS BEEN A BIT OF A TRANSITION TO START CARRYING THEM OUT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PLAYING IN MANY PLACES. BUT, AT THE HEART OD IT ALL, WE’RE STILL AT THE CORE JUST LEADING WORSHIP WHEREVER WE GO… WE DON’T HAVE TO PUT ON A ROCK SHOW. WE’RE STILL JUST BASICALLY DOING THE SAME THING WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE – JUST TO NEW AUDIENCES EVERY NIGHT. AND MANY OF THOSE AUDIENCES HAVE NO IDEA WHO WE ARE – SO SOMETIMES IT DOES SEEM STRANGE. BUT, WHEN GOD SHOWS UP AND STARTS WORKING THROUGH US – IT IS SO REWARDING.
Being able to share your voice and message with thousands of people as opposed to the small group setting you started in must be a great achievement for you. Would you say this is one of the more rewarding experiences in your life? Explain.
OH OF COURSE – IT IS DEFINITELY VERY EXCITING. HOWEVER, THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLEFIELD. BEING ON THE FRONT LINES OF WHAT REALLY IS A BATTLEFIELD SUPERNATURALLY IS VERY CHALLENGING. I HAVE FACED MORE CHALLENGES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS THEN I EVER HAVE BEFORE – AND I BELIEVE THIS TO BE BECAUSE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT IS SERIOUSLY IMPACTING PEOPLE IN WAYS THAT CAUSES THEM TO SEEK GOD AND BECOME HONEST BEFORE HIM. THE ENEMY HATES THIS – SO THE ENEMIES FIRST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO WANT TO DESTROY US HOWEVER HE CAN. SO YES, THERE ARE MANY EXCITING THINGS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO THIS – BUT ALSO MANY CHALLENGES. IT IS A DAILY DECISION TO CONTINUE ON THE PATH THAT GOD HAS PUT IN FRONT OF ME.
What do you want people to get out of your music? Do you feel you have more to offer to someone who is already christian or to someone who may not be christian? (better question: who do you think praise and worship music is better aimed at?)
WE HAVE STUFF TO OFFER TO BOTH CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS. PEOPLE WILL GET HONESTY OUT OF OUR MUSIC. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT GOD IS REAL AND WANTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH EVERY PERSON – PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN HIM AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE REJECTED HIM. WE’VE REALLY SET OUT TO CREATE MUSIC THAT GOD CAN COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE THROUGH. WE’RE NOT TRYING TO WRITE “WORSHIP” SONGS SIMPLY SO THAT WE CAN SING THEM IN CHURCH. I’M WRITING SOME BRUTALLY HONEST LYRICS – ESPECIALLY IN THIS NEW ALBUM – AND I THINK ALL PEOPLE WILL FIND SOMETHING THAT STIRS THEM.
The amount of change between Tonight The Stars Speak and The Hope That Lies in You is fairly apparent. How do you feel you matured in sound between albums?
WE’VE WRITTEN A MUCH MORE DYNAMIC ALBUM. THIS ALBUM WAS WRITTEN BY US AS A FULL BAND – AS OPPOSED TO THE LAST ALBUM – WHICH I PRETTY MUCH COMPLETELY WROTE BY MYSELF. I FEEL THAT I’VE REALLY IMPROVED MY VOICE A LOT OVER THE PAST YEAR AS WE HAVE TOURED SO MUCH… LYRICALLY, I’VE ASKED A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS IN THIS ALBUM. I’VE BEEN A BIT MORE BOLD LYRICALLY THIS TIME THEN IN THE PAST. THE SOUND OF THE ALBUM IS FRESH AND EXCITING – BECAUSE THERE WERE 5 OF US THIS TIME CONTRIBUTING IDEAS. I’M SO GLAD I DIDN’T HAVE TO WRITE THE WHOLE ALBUM MYSELF, BECAUSE HONESTLY I WAS FEELING LIKE I DIDN’T HAVE ANY NEW IDEAS MUSICALLY. IT WASN’T UNTIL ALL THE GUYS STARTED CONTRIBUTING THEIR PERSONAL SONG IDEAS THAT I GOT REALLY EXCITED ABUOT THIS NEW RECORD..
Now three EPs and two full lengths in, what’s next for The Glorious Unseen?
WELL, HAHA – I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT IT LIKE “3 EP’S AND 2 FULL LENGTHS”. THE TRUTH ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE’VE REALLY ONLY DONE 24 SONGS IN OUR CAREER HAHA. THE EP’S YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT I’M ASSUMING ARE “EMBRACING THE CALL” – THE FIRST RECORD I RECORDED INDEPENDENTLY, “CRIES OF THE BROKEN” ‘ THE ACOUSTIC VERSIONS OF THE SONGS ON “TONIGHT THE STARS SPEAK”, AND “HOW HE LOVES” EP – WHICH IS SIMPLY A COUPLE SONGS FROM THE NEW RECORD “THE HOPE THAT LIES IN YOU” – RELEASED A MONTH EARLY… SO REALLY, “EMBRACING THE CALL”, “TONIGHT THE STARS SPEAK”, AND “CRIES OF THE BROKEN” ALL HAVE ALMOST THE SAME SONGS ON EACH… AS FAR AS WHAT’S NEXT FOR US – WE’RE GONNA KEEP GOING ON THE ROAD THIS FALL AND SPRING AND SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES COME OUR WAY… WE WOULD LIKE TO PLAY AS MANY GIGS AS WE CAN. WE’RE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT TOURS WE CAN GET ON. I WOULD LIKE WHATEVER WE DO TO CONTINUE TO BE VERY MINISTRY FOCUSED – SO WE’LL SEE WHERE THAT TAKES US..
In your bio, you say “I felt like this was music that even kids into Underoath and hardcore music could worship to. That’s where I found my musical niche.” Could you explain what you meant by this comment? What are your main influences when writing musically?
MY MAIN INFLUENCES WHEN WRITING ARE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD. I DO LISTEN TO A LOT OF HARDCORE MUSIC – BUT CLEARLY OUR MUSIC IS NOT HARDCORE. IT’S TOUGH TO DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHY A HARDCORE KID WOULD LISTEN TO THE GLORIOUS UNSEEN. WE’VE GOTTEN A LOT OF POSITIVE REVIEWS RECENTLY FROM GUYS IN CHRISTIAN HARDCORE BANDS – SO THAT HAS HELPED OUR “CREDIBILITY” IN THAT MARKET. I FEEL LIKE IT COMES DOWN TO THE HONESTY IN THE MUSIC I GUESS. WELL, ALSO THE STYLE OF WORSHIP HELPS A TON. THIS ISN’T HAPPY-CLAPPY PRAISE AND WORSHIP. BUT YEAH I THINK THE HONESY IN THE LYRICS HAS DRAWN THAT SCENE IN… ALSO, IT’S BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAVE ALREADY HAD WITH HARDCORE BANDS AND SUCH. IT’S NOT LIKE I’M SOME GUY WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT HARDCORE MUSIC IS TRYING TO WRITE WORSHIP MUSIC THAT HARDCORE KIDS WILL LIKE. I USED TO BE IN HARDCORE BANDS. I’VE BEEN AROUND THAT STUFF FOR A LONG TIME.
There seems to be a bit of a dark undertone in your records. You’ve gone with a reoccurring theme of being lifted up. Have there been some life experiences that have driven you to write from this angle?
ABSOLUTELY. I MENTIONED BEFORE HOW I OFTEN FEEL AS IF I’M IN A SPIRITUAL BATTLEFIELD, I’M ALWAYS IN THE MIDST OF THE FIGHT – NEEDING GOD TO COME AND LIFT ME AND RESTORE ME. THIS LIFE OF FOLLOWING GOD AND ALLOWING HIM TO USE ME TO SPEAK TO A CULTURE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN DIRECTLY SPOKEN TO IN THIS WAY BEFORE IS A TOUGH JOURNEY. WHAT WE’RE DOING IS SOMEWHAT GROUNDBREAKING IN THAT IT IS A NEW STYLE OF WORSHIP – IT IS SPEAKING TO A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE THAN THE AUDIENCE THAT MOST MODERN WORSHIP HAS SPOKEN TO.
ALSO, THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ASKED IN THIS RECORD. I HAVE FELT THESE QUESTIONS WEIGHING ON MY HEART – AND HAVE ALSO HEARD THEM ECHOED AMONG MANY PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE MET ALONG THE WAY… I FEEL THERE ARE TIMES FOR ALL OF US WHERE WE HAVE THESE QUESTIONS COME TO OUR MINDS, WHERE WE WANT TO ASK GOD – “HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO ME”, AND ALSO THINGS LIKE “HOW CAN YOU STILL LOVE ME IN THE MIDST OF WHO I AM??” THIS IS WHERE WE CAN BE BRUTALLY HONEST WITH GOD – AND TELL HIM OUR HEARTS. I DON’T WANT TO JUST WRITE HAPPY SONGS WHERE WE CAN ALL FEEL GOOD, CAUSE THE TRUTH IS I DON’T FEEL GOOD ALL THE TIME, I AM OFTEN TIMES IN THE MIDST OF A STRUGGLE – SO I HAVE TO CONVEY THIS WITH HONESTY.
Who did you record The Hope That Lies in You with? Are there any interesting stories about the recording process?
WE RECORDED THIS RECORD WITH KEVIN BRUCHERT – A GUY WHO HAS RECENTLY MOVED TO NASHVILLE AND BECOME A PART OF OUR CHURCH. HE USED TO OWN A RECORDING STUDIO IN RICHMOND, VA – BUT HAS RECENTLY FELT THE LORD CALL HIM TO NASHVILLE. IT’S AN AWESOME STORY ABOUT HOW GOD HAS RESTORED HIM INTO STUDIO WORK AGAIN. WE HAD QUITE AN ADVENTURE RECORDING THIS THING. THE DRUMS AND PIANOS WERE DONE UP IN ROCHESTER, NY AREA IN AN OLD WAREHOUSE. MUCH OF THE VOCALS AND GUITAR STUFF WAS DONE OVER AT EMI STUDIOS IN NASHVILLE. WE HAD TO JUMP AROUNF QUITE A BIT IN FINDING WHAT PLACES WERE OPEN TO RECORD IN, BUT GOT IT DONE!
One of the things we most appreciate about The Glorious Unseen is a sense of honesty and vulnerability. Does it take a lot out of you to write these songs? Do you view it to be at all therapeutic?
YEAH, I GUESS IT IS REALLY THERAPEUTIC FOR ME, CAUSE I’M ABLE TO SAY WHAT’S HONEST TO ME EACH NIGHT. THESE SONGS ARE JUST PRAYERS. SO BASICALLY, I’M PRAYING CONSTANTLY FOR AN HOUR EACH NIGHT WHEN WE’RE PLAYING… IT DOESN’T TAKE A LOT OUT OF ME TO WRITE THEM – IT ACTUALLY GIVES ME LOTS OF EXCITEMENT TO WRITE THEM!!
How do you feel God has blessed your life?
WELL, I’M ALIVE – I HAVE MY BASIC NEEDS MET. I GET TO BE USED TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS IMPACTING PEOPLE TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS HIM. AND I KNOW THAT HE IS THE ONLY WAY ANYONE WILL FIND TRUE FULFILLMENT – SO WHAT MORE CAN I ASK FOR?
If you weren’t in The Glorious Unseen, what do you think you would be doing now?
PROBABLY DOING FINANCE OR TAX WORK SOMEWHERE – MAYBE BAR-TENDING. THOSE ARE ALL THE KINDS OF WORK I HAVE DONE BEFORE THIS BAND… BUT I HAVE A NATURAL URGE TO WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS PEOPLE ETERNALLY – SO I WOULD PROBABLY BE PRETTY MISERABLE IF I COULDN’T DO THAT IN SOME WAY…
