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The Elms |
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Music is advancing-by going backwards. Impossible? No. While production technology and innovative new methods in recording are constantly improving sound quality and definition, artists like Sparrow Records' recording artist, The Elms, are focusing on the simple fundamental that made pop music great. The songs. Warm guitars. Big beats. Catchy melodies. Big rock performances. The kind of music you will always remember--accompanied by words that stir the listener to think about what really matters. And what is it that really matters to the members of The Elms? The message. The band believes it is entirely possible for every generation to have a relationship with Jesus on a day-to-day basis, knowing Him as a friend and as the lover of their soul. It is important to the band that people recognize their need for a Savior, and that Jesus is the only option. In today's pop culture, music plays a huge role in people's lives. The Elms take songwriting very seriously, and believe that only the best is worth offering God and the world.
The Elms formed in 1995 by brothers Owen and Christopher Thomas, primarily as a praise and worship outfit, and until early 1999, was identified by the group name, Just Visiting. Because of personnel changes and a renewed commitment to their ministry and craft, the band decided to change their collective identity to The Elms shortly before signing a recording deal with Sparrow Records in June 1999. Lead singer Owen Thomas explains their moniker, "My father (the worship leader at their church) is from the country of Wales (in Great Britain). In Europe, it is customary to name your house or estate to give it personality. My uncle owns a house in London that is surrounded by elm trees, almost totally hidden from view from the road, and the early owners named the property The Elms. While recording our last record, God revealed a picture of that house to me as a physical analogy of His love for His children. It was if He was saying, 'Owen, that is Me. I surround and protect you. I am the elm trees to you.'"
In just four years, the band has earned a reputation for great songwriting, passionate ministry, performances that will make an audience member feel like part of the band, and personalities as genuine as their music. Although the sound is all theirs, hints of acts like Oasis, Foo Fighters, Radiohead, and the Beatles have been noticed in the music of The Elms. In 1997, the band, being more and more prompted by God, made the decision to pursue the ministry wholeheartedly. That choice brought The Elms over 100 concert appearances that year, a number that steadily has increased. Since 1997, The Elms have shared stages with bands such as the O.C. Supertones, Audio Adrenaline, The Waiting, Sixpence None the Richer, Big Tent Revival, Skillet, and many others. They have released two independent albums (Gardenshow in 1996 and Just Visiting in 1998) and recorded at world-famous Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN, home to great records from R.E.M., Led Zeppelin, Primal Scream, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. The band has performed some 400 concerts in over 320 cities. Venues have ranged from clubs to competitions, youth conventions to secular music festivals, and churches to public school. Everywhere The Elms perform, people are catching the vision. The vision that sees people hurting for a real relationship with God inside and outside church walls. And, that Christians can make the most aesthetically challenging, captivating music, fit for an audience of masses.
The next step in the band's career, a five-song self-titled EP produced by Brent Milligan, will release February 15. The Elms full studio album is slated to hit stores mid-summer.
There is a big dream here. One that plays itself into fruition more and more every week, in the lives of more and more people. There are many reasons for the members of The Elms to be excited about their future, and many reasons for you to be excited about sharing their vision with them.
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