The Falcon   |   Volume 81, Issue 26

Published 6/02/10   |   Log In

Music, faith ideas reflected by songs

Junior Andrew Zook performs earlier this year at a house show.
Photo credit: Falcon Archives.

Local artists work with religion, love, questioning in art

By DUSTY HENRY, Features Editor

Published: June 2, 2010

God is a topic that transcends religious affiliation. Whether someone recognizes him or herself as a Christian or agnostic, everyone has a view on God. Artists are not exempt. From those who question the morals of God to Christian musicians trying to defy the label of worship band, artists have different ways of approaching how they talk about faith.

Noah Gundersen, Sea Fever and Tony Kevin Jr. all play music in the same Seattle scene. They know each other and are friends with one another. Some of their acoustic folk rock styles overlap, but their views on experiences with faith come from very different vantage points.

Noah Gundersen: Getting back to the spirit of things

Gundersen is new to the music scene but has not shied away from singing about God, faith and what he refers to as, "the deep shit you get yourself into when asking questions."

On his latest release, "Saints & Liars EP," Gundersen recorded a track titled, "Jesus, Jesus." The lyrics act as a dialogue between Gundersen and Jesus Christ near the end of the world. The song features Gundersen asking questions about evil in the world, the cruelty he has experienced with believers and the fairness of salvation.

"The first person I played it for didn't like it," Gundersen said. "People are gonna have their opinions."

Gundersen said many people have come up to him and expressed that they have been going through the same questions and emotions and have wanted to say them out loud.

"Jesus, Jesus" was not a hard piece for Gundersen to write and compose. He said writing the song took him only a few hours. He got lucky with it. Gundersen described how when he writes songs surrounding faith, especially in this context, he has to be intentional and needs to be in the right headspace.

Gundersen first played the song at a concert where he opened for David Bazan, the former Pedro the Lion front man who left his Christian faith. Gundersen described playing the song as laying his soul in front of the audience. It has gotten easier to play since then, he added.

At 20 years of age, Gundersen moved to Seattle from Centralia in October 2009 to pursue a career in music. He said relationships, religion and people inspire him.

Though Gundersen was raised in a Christian home, he does not claim to be of the same faith. He said his parents have been really respectful of his views.

"This is going to sound cheesy, but I align myself with the spirit of art," Gundersen said.

A few months ago, Gundersen had an epiphany on how he sees God. He refers to it as "the spirit of things," connecting spiritually to things through art. In a Christian culture, what Gundersen believes may seem very "new agey," he said. Gundersen does not call it a religion, but said he feels like he has come to a good place.

"I don't like to use the word God," Gundersen said. "I feel like we've raped that term."

Sea Fever: Being Christians without the label

On the other end of the spectrum, the band Sea Fever is made up of five Christian musicians, four of whom attend SPU. Though they all profess a belief in God, they do not necessarily hold themselves to the Christian music label.

"As Christian musicians we really look at, or I really look at it, as Christians making music," said junior Andrew Zook, lead singer and guitarist. "Whatever it is we are creating is going to be influenced by our faith and how that's received may be completely different from one individual to the next."

"We say we're Christians but it's not like we're going for like Christian record labels or the Christian music scene rally," bassist and junior Chris Hanson said. "Our goal isn't to play at Creation Fest."

Hanson quoted Professor of Music Eric Hanson, who told him to not make music that is Christian because of the genre, but make great music that is honoring to God and is, therefore, Christian. Chris Hanson added that Sea Fever does not write music that is necessarily overtly Christian.

Zook has never felt that Sea Fever has been judged in the music scene for their faith, nor have they hidden it, he said. The local music scene has been accepting of the band's beliefs, Zook added.

"It's really about that whole idea of being all things to all people," Zook said. "I don't think that we necessarily have to fit into the Christian genre to be Christian musicians."

Regardless of whether or not an artist directly associates him or herself with a particular religion, there is still a lot to be said about faith that can be explored in music.

"There are songs that talk about God, there are songs that talk about hurt, there are songs that talk about pain," said sophomore Tyler Scott, drummer. "In that, God is represented in the music that Andy writes and the music that we play."

Tony Kevin Jr.: Fighting against judgment, Christian stigma

Two years ago, Tony Kevin Jr. picked up a guitar at the House of Paine in Marysville, Wash. After hearing him play, a friend encouraged Kevin to pursue music. In October, Kevin was laid off from his job and decided to take a year off to focus on music.

"I'm a different kind of Christian than most," Kevin said. He holds social justice and other issues and values on a different scale than other Christians, Kevin said. From his experiences, the majority of Christians are judgmental. Most Christians are focused on the wrongs and sins that people commit, Kevin said. In the same light, Kevin said he struggles with the fact that he judges these Christians.

"I see something beautiful in every person I meet," Kevin said. He described how it is hard to be with people who say they love Jesus then judge people. Because of this, Kevin likes playing music for non-Christians more so than playing for Christians, he said. From his experience, non-Christians have been more kind and loving toward him, Kevin said.

"I tried to fight the fact that I was a Christian," he said.

Kevin has been a part of ministry for 10 years, but feels he has only truly been a Christian for three, he said. Before, he felt he was doing ministry to get recognized and be praised. It was three years ago in Marysville, the same place he picked up music, that he started living in a real way instead of a fake way, he said.

Kevin said his songs may take people off guard and that audiences should be prepared to be shocked. Some of his songs deal with Christian themes but often through the lenses of having a sense of humanity, imperfection and a desire to look at a neighbor and have compassion.

"Keep an open mind," Kevin said, "and if you can't, this (music) probably isn't for you."

When writing songs, Kevin said he tries to keep faith issues and topics vague. That being said, his music still comes out "super Christian sounding," he said.

"It's so much a part of who I am that it might seem pretty prevalent," Kevin said.

After having a bad experience with judgmental people at a local church he attended, which he wished to not disclose, Kevin has not been able to connect with worship music. He still associates worship music with his issues with that church. Although there are awesome people there and the church has a solid Scripture base, the majority of the people irked him, he said.

Kevin described how he does not like the way modern worship songs are composed. He said the music, such as that heard on local radio station Spirit 105.3, tends to sound the same. Modern Christian music is commercialized and very cookie cutter, Kevin added.

Although he is a Christian and musician, Kevin said he feels no particular obligation to promote Christianity in his music. A few years ago he might have felt that he had some duty, but right now, he feels his job is to be himself and make friends, he said. If someone asks him about his faith, he will talk about it, but he sees his main priority as being loving, kind and compassionate.

"Be real and be loving," Kevin said. "Forgive me when I'm not."

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