Interview with Rock Band Faded Edge

This interview actually was put together over like eight months, and we're damned glad it made it to completion, because the band is worth checking out. This is John Peebles, frontman for Indiana modern rockers Faded Edge.

Carol: Judging from the press kit I was sent in advance of this interview, it would appear that Faded Edge is very serious about music as a career. Where do the members stand on that? Are day jobs still a necessity?

John: I think that we are definitely serious about our music, but as far as the whole music as a career goes, we tend to be less focused on that. We try to be professional in every aspect of the band just so that people are impressed by us and feel like they're getting treated right. Everyone's got a story about a band that didn't handle themselves well, and we don't want to end up contributing to that.

C: Who are some of your favourite artists? Are there any that just jump out at you and really explain things the way that you understand them?

J: Some of my favorite bands are Silverchair, Pearl Jam, Tool, Helmet, Bush, Grammatrain, Alice in Chains, and Chevelle. You can easily see that I'm a huge fan of grunge rock, and I also really like bands with strong vocalists and great melodies. If I was pressed really hard to name a favorite band out of that list, I'd probably say Silverchair, but I like all of those bands pretty equally.

C: The first track on the demo I have is called "Satan's Pawn", and you can bet that'll raise eyebrows, if not get the record banned from Christian bookstores entirely. Was that the original title, or did someone say, "Hey, let's rock the boat a little"?

J: Satan's Pawn is one of those songs that is difficult for some people to get since some of the lines are so abrasive. The song was written in response to those Christians who are so entangled in legalism that they end up driving interested non-Christians away from God. It really saddens me how at almost every concert someone will come up to me and say these three things, usually in order:

#1: "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Kurt Cobain?"
#2: "So you guys are a Christian band?"
#3: "I knew this guy/girl/teacher/parent/random person who was a Christian and they [insert some completely inappropriate judgmental thing they did].

It really saddens me to think that the primary detractor from Christianity is Christians themselves. I'm friends with many fundamentalist, ultra conservative people who I completely disagree with, however, we treat each other with respect and love, and don't let our differences get in the way at all. That's the way it should be. Christians fighting amongst themselves is so ridiculous and that's partly what this song is about, but it's also about Christians that think they have to make someone feel terrible in order to accept Christ. Christianity isn't about intimidation, being rude, unfriendly, or obnoxious. It's about a personal relationship with Christ and I've seen positive motivation towards Christ work a lot better than marching around on a college campus with posters that say "If you don't have
God, you're going to hell!" I could write a book on this subject, but I kind of had to compress it down to a song, and Satan's Pawn was the result.

C: How did you guys come up with the name "Faded Edge"? Does it have some significance to something? Was it the original name of the band? Or did you go through a period where you didn't know what to call yourself?

J: Coming up with a name for the band took forever, and it basically involved everyone making up a list of names, and then we argued over it for several days. I think my favorite was something like "Forensic Display." At no time were we ever thinking about any sort of message or any sort of significance. Of course, this doesn't prevent a certain rhythm guitarist in the band from trying to make up something deep from time to time to tell to people.

C: What's been your experience as a touring band? Looking through the list of shows you've played, I see dates with the Blamed, Hangnail and...Rise Against? How'd that show happen? Look, I SAW Rise Against last summer, and they're not a band to make conservative Indiana parents applaud.

J: Our experience with touring around has been great. There are a lot of great memories and fun times that we have had, and there is never a dull moment when we're doing a show. We really appreciate bands like Hangnail, the Blamed, Feezel, Red Letter Project, and Chronic Chaos letting us play with them, and we've developed some relationships with some of those bands that have been really cool. Rise Against was one of the coolest bands we've ever played with - they were super polite, and they sat through our entire show and said some nice things about us when we were done. I have a lot of respect for the musicians in Rise Against and sure, they do and say some things with which we don't agree, but it's the same way for them as far as how we live our lives. We also got to share our beliefs with people at that show who had never heard a Christian band, and hopefully we made a small difference to someone.

C: Do you have any plans of touring outside Indiana? Or is it just based on who books you and you go from there? Who would we contact if we DID want to book you?

J: We've toured in Illinois a little, and done a show or two in Ohio, and several shows in Michigan in addition to Indiana so we get around a little. Basically, if someone wants us to play, we'll drive out there and play, time permitting. Our neato booking agent Holly Rieth is at the beck and call of promoters and she helps us in booking shows a ton.

C: Speaking of Indiana, how's the scene there, Christian and otherwise? Calibretto 13 is the only Indiana band that springs to mind. Are places like South Bend and Indianapolis big spots for locals and touring? C'mon, hype yourselves here.

J: As far as the Indiana "scene" I'm not sure there's too much of one. We rarely come across Christian bands in our style or even bands similar to us in general. We play with lots of punk bands and some metal bands, and we've gotten some cool shows in Indianapolis, Marion, and the Elkhart region. It seems like we've played in the Elkhart/South Bend/Granger area a million times, and people up there are always really cool and receptive.

C: The last lines of "Rose": 'I'm not sure how to think of you/an asset or a liability'. What does that mean? What issue are you dealing with there?

J: The song "Rose" was written about a very close friend of mine who began to systematically destroy her life in highschool. It was a very painful experience for me seeing that happen, and it was very painful for her as the results of her sin began to manifest themselves in her life. Without being too detailed in order to protect her privacy, lets just say that sometimes God can cause good things to happen from sin, and I am struggling with how to view that benefit (an asset or a liability).

C: Switching over to a Spiritual aspect, how is your view on Christianity? How long have you been a Christian? Is it hard to stay "on the road" when you're on the road? Has your music ever helped someone come to Christ? If so, how did it make you feel?

J: I've been a Christian since I was three, and that sometimes feels like forever. I think Christianity is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the entire world - it's not about rules, it's not about going to Church or being in a particular tax bracket or a particular political leaning or a particular race. It's about God and a relationship with Him, and it's about reconciling ourselves from sin through Jesus. I have a great time being a Christian, and there is nothing I feel like I miss out on by choosing Christ over sin. As far as Christianity and the band goes, none of our songs start out with the object of incorporating God, it just happens. We've had people tell us that a particular song has been extremely meaningful to them and I can't tell you how humbling that is for us to hear. It is really special to hear that God has worked through some stupid song of ours and impacted someone else.

C: Referring again to the list of shows Faded Edge has played, there's a fair mix of secular and 'Christian' venues(churches, colleges, etc). Do you have a preference? Where you best fit in? How do the general-market crowds react to the Christian message?

J: We definitely prefer playing in a secular venue. Usually the crowds are better, more interesting, and more rowdy. We've only had positive feedback about us and our message when we play for secular audiences and we always enjoy playing with secular bands. Our message is really well suited for those who haven't heard about Christ, and we try to present Christianity in a low-key, non threatening manner to people who are interested.

C: Your bio compares Faded Edge to a range of 1990s bands including Pearl Jam and Bush, bands that aren't as relevant today as they were two or three years ago. Was music better when Pearl Jam ruled Billboard? Given the insane success of em and Limp Bizkit, I'm inclined to think so.

J: I definitely like bands from that era, but there are newer bands I enjoy as well (Systematic, Cold, Godsmack, A Perfect Circle, Chevelle). We call ourselves a grunge band, but we definitely have a more modern, polished sound than most of the bands of the early 90's. There are always several really good bands out that I like, even when Limp Bizkit is popular.

C: What are you going to do after Faded Edge dies off? You all are from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana...what are your future plans? Or all you hoping Faded Edge rises up next to Five Iron Frenzy and Relient K on the charts?

J: Our future plans are all pretty scattered. We'd love to be able to tour around and make albums for several years, but it's not something we're all banking on. Whatever happens, happens.

C: Are you all originally from Indiana? I know Eric is from Granger, Indiana...just about twenty minutes from my hometown. Where are the rest of you from?

J: I grew up in China, Andrew grew up in Egypt, and Mandi lived/lives in Elkhart. We're a pretty scattered bunch which makes sticking around and playing during the summer pretty much impossible.

C: You have any final comments? Any pointers for upstarting bands? Any words of wisdom?

J: No real words of wisdom, except that if you have an interest in starting a band, just do it. Even if you can't play anything - it'll be fun, and maybe you'll actually be good at it. Thanks for the interview.