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BUILDING 429
Every building block leading up to who Building
429 is today has prepared them for such a time as this. The many
valleys and mountaintops they’ve faced together have molded
them—breaking them, making them, and priming them for what looks
to be their most rewarding period yet.
In a way, Building 429 acts as a culmination and a beginning for
the trio, a stepping stone in a faith journey through the highs
and lows of life on the road and the busyness of music, to a
place of solace and contentment in who God wants them to be.
If anything, Building 429’s eponymous INO Records debut is a
testament that the band is ready to go to the next
level—spiritually, musically, and otherwise. You could say
they’re starting over: with a clean slate, a reinvigorated
sound, and a renewed message.
Not that they haven’t already reached exciting plateaus in their
past 10 years together. Having played 200 shows a year as an
independent endeavor, Building 429 burst onto the scene in 2004
with their first project on a major label, Space in Between Us.
The album’s breakout single, “Glory Defined,” was a
record-breaker at radio, a chart-topper that earned the band a
wide mantle of accolades and industry recognition. Topping eight
separate charts and declared as BMI’s Song of the Year, the band
went on to capture the Dove Award for New Artist of the Year.
Jason Roy (lead vocalist), Michael Anderson (drums), and Jesse
Garcia (keys, lead guitarist, background vocalist) moved forward
to release the next two of their studio efforts, 2006’s Rise,
and 2007’s Iris to Iris, which were received favorably, making
significant appearances on Billboard’s Christian charts and
heavily impacting Christian radio.
“This record feels like the beginning of a new season in our
career,” says Jason Roy, Building 429’s front man and chief
songwriter. “Having recently departed from Word Records, it felt
like we are starting everything over for the first time. You
don’t always get that opportunity, so it felt like this was the
time to do a self-titled record. We understand a little bit more
about who we are and what we’re trying to do.”
It was during this new season that Building 429 came in contact
with INO Records. Roy recalls vividly the first meeting he had
with label president Jeff Moseley. Having been a part of
Christian music’s major-label system for three albums, the
bandleader wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the occasion
was an eye-opener: Roy knew this is where his band belonged.
“Jeff said to me,” Roy recalls, ‘People aren’t looking for
hooky, poppy songs anymore. They’re looking for life. And life
can only come out of an overflow of your relationship with
Christ.’ ”
“Jeff looked at me and said, ‘Son, you’re about to make a new
record. You’re writing songs. You’d better be in the Word,’ ”
Roy reminisces. “When he said that, a trigger went off and I
said, ‘This is the guy we’re working with, no question.’”
With the INO partnership and a refocused sense of ministry
firmly in place, Roy, Anderson and Garcia set out to record
Building 429 alongside producer Christopher Stevens, whose
recent projects include tobyMac and Sanctus Real.
The band’s new-found methodology is at the forefront of
“Overcome,” a no-nonsense power rocker that declares Christ’s
triumph over this world—a victory that frees up believers to
worship, while allowing them to face up to any challenges life
may throw their way.
“Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world,”
says Garcia, with resolve when talking about the song, using a
quote from 1 John 4:4. “Our Savior has overcome that world and
there is nothing for us to fear.”
One of the more buoyant songs Building 429 has ever recorded, is
the album's first single “End of Me.” “All I longed for I found
finally, at the end of me,” Roy sings in the chorus, reminding
the listener that true fulfillment in life is found in
surrendering control to Christ.
“God has continued to work in a real powerful way teaching us to
step aside and allow Him to do what He wants to do,” says Roy in
regards to the song. “It is my constant reminder these days to
live my life by God's design. It always amazes me how God works
through us. Earlier this year my wife and I traveled to
Nicaragua with World Vision, and that trip has become a
cornerstone in how we watch God move. When we talk about World
Vision at our concerts each night, it continues to blow our
minds to see the power of God move in people as they respond by
sponsoring thousands of children. Once again, a humbling
reminder of what He can do through us.”
Building 429 doesn’t just excel at the high-wattage
performances. They also have a knack for nuance, as with the
heartfelt “Always,” a soaring ballad underscored by piano,
guitars, and strings. It doesn’t take long for the song to
crescendo and explode into a powerful refrain, with Roy reaching
into his upper register.
“Everybody at some point reaches a defining moment in their
faith life, a moment with massive questions that we don’t have
the answers to, questions you can’t ever really tie a bow
around,” Roy says. “‘Always’ is my attempt to answer those
questions. God has said that He is before us, He is after us,
and He will be with us along every step of the way. All things
work together for the good of those who love the Lord. This life
is just one piece of the puzzle.”
Realizing that levity and melody are also an integral part of
rock ‘n’ roll, Building 429 stretches its wings and goes places
once unvisited with “Shoulder,” a bluesy piece that Roy likens
to Train’s “Drops of Jupiter.” From top to bottom, the song is a
pick-me-up—one of those moments that have become signature in
the band’s repertoire.
“Staying alone is definitely not our strength,” Roy says of
“Shoulder,” a song inspired by his friendship with Anderson and
Garcia. “We’re kind of a brotherhood of sorts. We’ve been
through a lot of stuff together. The reality for us is that as
long as we stay together, God will continue to mold us for the
challenges ahead.”
Of this more lighthearted material, Anderson says, “For a while,
our live show was pretty dense and serious. What we’ve realized
is that we need those worshipful moments, but we also need
moments in our show to let the audience have a little fun.”
But somber or jovial, rocking or inspiring, Building 429 is no
longer operating from the perspective of trying to replicate
past fortunes. More so than the music or the sound of things,
the band wants fans to remember Building 429 as its most
meaningful project thus far, a signpost that testifies to how
much the group has come along in its ministry.
“I’m more confident than I have ever been in my life when it
comes to my calling, when it comes to my brothers, when it comes
to my band,” Roy concludes. “That confidence is not in myself.
That confidence is in the fact that the Lord is going to do
something great with us. We’re just excited to be along for the
ride.”
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Learn more about the artists and speakers who will be performing
at Get Revived!
Building 429
Philmont
100%
Sound of Light
Justin Wallace
Jake Richmond |
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Philmont
There
are many delightful contrasts running through rising pop
punk/rock act Philmont. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based band
named itself after a small town in New York because “we just
thought it sounded cool,” and the title of its earnest debut EP,
Oh Snap, is only there to give these guys an excuse to speak
that silly phrase on a regular basis. But such lighthearted
randomness is balanced by Philmont’s buzzworthy creative
strengths, spiritual focus, and a do-it-yourself workethic that
snaps everything perfectly into place.
Philmont began in 2005 when singer Scott Taube and guitarist
Josiah Prince connected after the breakup of their former local
outfits. From the start, this new union was marked by equal
parts fun and serious commitment to the task at hand. There were
long drives home from college every weekend to rehearse,
self-booked summer tours to support an ambitious independent
release, and then, soon after bassist Justin Sams joined in
2007, a hard-earned gig at alternative Christian music’s
ultimate event, the Cornerstone Festival.
Taube recalls, “The challenge at Cornerstone is to stand
out—bands are everywhere—so we plastered all the Port-O-Johns
with 11 x 17 Philmont flyers and got up early every day to make
sure they hadn’t been covered up. Then we walked around with a
CD player and earphone splitters, giving free bracelets to kids
if they’d listen to one of our songs and inviting them to the
show.”
That same concert caught the attention of EMI/ForeFront Records
(tobyMac), who eagerly signed a deal with Philmont a few months
later. With one more tweak to the permanent lineup—drummer Todd
Davis joined this past December—it was time to track Oh Snap.
Produced by Rob Hawkins (Fireflight, Jackson Waters), the EP set
sounds absolutely huge. It’s an intentional move inspired by the
members’ expansive mix of influences from Relient K and
classical music to bubblegum melodies and ‘90s rock anthems. “I
Can’t Stand to Fall,” the excitable opener and first single, is
finely polished chunka-chunka punk accentuated by a bold
introduction, layered vocals, and a soft acoustic bridge. The
lyrical hook of tear down these walls that separate us now well
represents Philmont’s overriding goal to always stay on the same
page as God in every facet of life.
“It’s really a song to God, asking Him to remove the barriers we
put up in this world that distract us from understanding His
ways,” Taube says. “We’re proud that the record label picked
this as the first song for radio since we completely wrote it
ourselves, and it speaks to the core of who we are as a band.”
Philmont’s songwriting angles are often remarkable, even poetic,
as on Oh Snap’s clever “My Hippocratic Oath” and
“Photosynthetic.” The former parallels a doctor’s promise to
always work in the patient’s best interest to God’s offer of
salvation. Accompanied by a rapidly pulsating rhythm and
escalating melody, the medical motif never lets up, driving the
point home: I can save your heart even though it’s destined to
fail . . . I guarantee you’ll never make it out alive without
me.
“The song begins with someone who is very sick, but the good
news is they can be easily and completely healed,” explains
Taube. “Who wouldn’t say yes to that option? That’s how it is
with Jesus. He offers to save us. We just have to enter into
that relationship.”
Equally compelling and easy to rock out with is the fist-pumping
jam of “Photosynthetic,” a timely and cautionary courtroom tale
for Philmont’s student audience wherein a personal MySpace page
becomes evidence of what is really inside someone’s heart: Just
point and shoot. That’s all you do to help yourself feel free;
murder by photography.
“You’re always judged for what you put online,” Taube says. “A
Christian can kill his credibility with compromising pictures,
swear words used in a blog, and so on. It’s hard to make that
stuff go away.”
For all of Philmont’s wordsmithing, guitarist Josiah Prince
makes sure the music complements its message and is just as
creative with unexpected chord changes, tinkling pianos on “I
Can’t Stand to Fall,” a faux horn section on “My Hippocratic
Oath,” and intentionally heavy-handed synthesizers on
“Photosynthetic.”
“We like to do something unique on every song,” he says. “We
have a lot of fun, but we always want the music to be smart and
have depths that a listener can uncover over time.”
Oh Snap is rounded out by the worshipful “Another Name”
(co-written by Justin York and new artist Chris Taylor) and
pop-perfect “The Difference” (a co-write with Ben Glover). The
latter began with an idea from bassist Justin Sams and takes
shape thanks to danceable drumming from Todd Davis. Its theme of
anti-complacent Christianity recaps what Philmont feels most
passionate about: There’s gotta be a difference. It’s gotta be
significant. If You’re really inside changing my life, You would
shine. You would be evident if there’s a difference.
“We have a desire to motivate kids in the same way we needed
motivating when we were teenagers,” concludes Taube. “People
tend to go through the motions instead of going deeper. We want
to connect and take them in that direction through an ongoing
dialog. That’s what our music and our live shows are all about:
audience participation.”
Philmont is now snapping people out of their spiritual
complacency on tour across the United States. Just look for the
bumper sticker-laden van with a North Carolina tag that says in
no uncertain terms “RAWK.” Following the summer 2008 release of
its EP, the band will issue a full-length album in early 2009. |
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Sound of Light
John 1:4
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
In the fall of October 2008, Beck’s Reformed
Church embarked on a new path to lead people to Jesus Christ.
Beck’s started a contemporary Christian worship service to
jumpstart our Sunday mornings. Before putting this service
together we needed to form a praise band to deliver God’s word
through song. God certainly does work in mysterious ways. After
meeting, conversing , and making a couple of phone calls we had
formed our band, Sound of Light, in a matter of minutes. All
things truly are possible with the Lord leading you. We all have
unfailing love for the Lord, and thank Him for allowing us to
deliver God’s message through our music. We have over 100 years
of music experience combined, but know none of this would be
possible without being blessed with God given talents. We play
for Him and only Him. He is the light of the world, and we are
the sound of His light. |
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100%
MERCY
AND GRACE: What up? This is MAG, Mercy and Grace which isn't an
oxymoron, just straight to the point. I was born and raised in
Charlotte, North Carolina. (Queen City Representin') I've been
doing music since the eighth grade. Once I met my boy Obese, we
became 100% and started the B.O.S.S. movement. Contrary to
popular beliefs, we DO HIP-HOP. Just hip hop, nothing added or
taken away, just hip hop. I have a passion for my music and
can't see myself doing anything other than what I'm doing right
now, and that's ministering through the most popular influence
to society. His only advice to who ever is reading this is,
"Just really follow your dreams and keep God first, I know it
sounds corney, but as Christians we are the head and NOT the
tail." THE SPIRIT: What's going on? I go by the name of THE
SPIRIT. Most may know me by R-1 which is my production name.
Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio. I became addicted to
engineering, music production and writing when I was about 12. I
always been musically inclined but it was when I was 12 when I
visited my biological dad in Charlotte N.C. and I very covertly
took his key to the studio every morning to find out more about
it. When I graduated high school, that same year I went to Full
Sail, a college in Florida and studied music engineering. From
there I eventually moved back to Charlotte but only to find out
God had a purpose for me. This is when I met 100 Percent. As the
third and final member of 100 Percent, I have one goal and
that's to be a living testemony to those who don't know Christ
so that it may encourage them to do so. By the will of God
OBESE, MAG, and I share that uncommon view and as a gift from
God we are using Hip-Hop as a vehicle to win souls for CHRIST.
Thanks to God's Grace we will with haste press towards being
Fishers of Men and Trailblazers for the next generation. |
Justin Wallace
First and foremost I’m a
man struggling into the future where I
believe God is standing calling me to
Himself. I live my relationship with God
out in so many ways. In my marriage to
my beautiful wife Nicole. As a father of
my son named Marcus. I am a Teaching
Pastor of a church of college students
called Impact in Charlotte, NC. I have a
dog that most would say is crazy but she
greets me with a wagging tail every day
no matter how poorly I performed or how
bad or great my day was. I enjoy
reading, writing, teaching, one-on-one
discipleship, biking and playing video
games. And I truly believe that through
all of those things I experience God in
new and fresh ways each day.
Jake Richmond
Jake is coming to us from
Greensboro, NC where he
is pursuing his degree in bible
theology, and ministry and is planning on attending the
Salvation Army’s Officers training |
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Hosted by:
Beck’s Reformed Church
2845 Beck’s Church Rd.
Lexington, NC 27292
Phone: 336-357-2369
E-mail:
youthpastor@beckschurch.com
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