Caedmon's Call
Nowadays when the seven members of Caedmon's Call board their tour bus to head out to colleges across the country, they bring a brand new baby girl, a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy, and an inspired sense of confidence with them. This confidence is reflected on their latest Essential Records' project, Long Line of Leavers, an album full of personal discoveries about life as they've lived it. For the Texas-based group who has seen eight years of growth, they've arrived at what they believe to be the next logical step.
Professionally, they welcomed two impressive new members in the summer of 1999: bassist Jeff Miller, and high school student Josh Moore (Hammond B-3, piano, accordion) who enjoys an adapted form of 'home-schooling' while on the road. Personally, two founding members, Cliff and Danielle Young, announced the birth of their first child, Rachel in late December of '99. Considering these new responsibilities, it was only appropriate that the members of folk-acoustic Caedmon's Call continue to spread their wings musically as well.
Their past two national releases have earned widespread critical acclaim, including five number one singles, top-selling positions on SoundScan sales charts, an album of the year Dove award, Billboard recognition, spots on two WoW compilations, and multiple sold-out performances from coast to coast. Even with all this success, the band felt ready to push their artistic expression to greater lengths. They wanted to maintain the integrity of their musical style, but also follow their natural progression and experiment with more courageous sounds.
For several reasons, the band and their record label affirm that this album is more representative of Caedmon's Call than ever before. "The record is both diverse and intimate, just like the band," explains percussionist Garett Buell. "You can actually hear every player adding their part. Our producers brought out unique performances in each of us, allowing our individuality to really come through."
A combined effort of the distinct, yet equally progressive, Monroe Jones (Third Day, Chris Rice, Margaret Becker), and Ed Cash (Bebo Norman), it would be expected that this album would take months in the studio to perfect. But in reality, it took only a matter of weeks. The band attributes this rapid production schedule to their own progress as musicians, in addition to the motivation of their two producers.
With Jones, the band recorded four songs at Nashville's legendary Sound Kitchen, a studio described as avant-garde mixed with retro 1950's diner decor. There, amidst the chrome-trimmed counters and a statue of Bob's Big Boy looming in the corner, Caedmon's Call set to work creating an album that unveils some of their most explorative music to date.
Folk infused pop. Smoky 40's lounge-jazz. A worshipful recreated hymn. Colorful Brazilian percussion. Even a few songs completely without acoustic guitars.
"We approached each song with the intent to make it the best it could be, rather than to make it fit into this folk-acoustic box," remarks drummer Todd Bragg. "If we felt like it needed horns as an element, we weren't afraid to put them in there." Buell agrees. "It's not a radical change, it's good growth. We've moved forward just enough that you can hear where we're going and still hear where we came from."
From the Sound Kitchen, the band traveled a few miles down the road to Franklin, Tennessee's historic Bennett House near the quaint town square. Among the dusty fireplaces and antique furnishings, the band found even more artistic liberty as they collaborated with their co-producer Ed Cash on nine tracks. One of the songs, Ballad of San Francisco, was even recorded on the front porch of the house, late one night. In the background can be heard an impeccably timed old truck sputtering by, overlapped by the sounds of Cash slapping his stomach. As the band played, a crowd of intrigued passerby's began to circle the porch, offering a whimsical presence to the song's recording. Each song on the album emerged in much the same way...a combination of spontaneity and calculated creativity working in tandem.
The album title, Long Line of Leavers, was taken from a verse in the quirky hit song The Only One, for appropriate reasons. On a universal level, it confronts generational issues the band has encountered, while conveying a theology they've come to believe in strongly over the years. "The title of the album expresses our depravity and how aware of it we've become as a band," explains vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Derek Webb. In layman's terms, to say that they come from a long line of leavers is to acknowledge that they need God for everything, including the ability to love with endurance. "We love imperfectly and we're flawed in our picture of what love is," Webb continues. With a vulnerability that is commonly woven into the band's music, this song wrestles with the reality that love often leads to someone leaving. The comfort is, God never does. And that's the profound message of the song. It's also the fundamental message of the band.
Thankfully for the hundreds of thousands of college students who have bought their albums and extended invitations to their campuses, the vision of Caedmon's Call is the one thing about them that has evolved very little. They've always recognized their calling to minister to their peers, who with the addition of Josh, have broadened from college students to include a slightly younger audience. Regardless of age, the band strives to encourage people like themselves, Christians who are at a pivotal place of dealing with spiritual questions, relationship struggles, and figuring out what they truly believe in.
"The average college student is at a crossroads in their life," confirms vocalist and guitarist, Cliff Young. Although none of the band members are in college anymore, the band still maintains the mindset they had when the band first started. And their audience members challenge them to do so. "Interacting with college students continually reminds us to seek the truth and read through all the hype. It's a huge responsibility and a privilege to be able to play for college-aged people because they are making important life decisions, and we can offer a small role in those decisions. Our audiences are very real with us."
The transparency and honesty they share with fans is largely responsible for Caedmon's growing success. They formed a fan club of sorts, The Guild, now in its third year. As members, fans have an opportunity to express their individual concerns on the Guild message board at www.caedmons-call.com, among other benefits. The band has also made it a priority to spend time after performances mingling with the crowd and discussing whatever issues are important to them. One that has come up over and over, is that of relationships. So it is fitting that love is the prominent theme of this album.
The Only One is a song that sheds light on the mystery of God's unconditional love. Love is Different confronts the lie of the Hollywood romantic paradigm. Prepare Ye the Way emphasizes the responsibility of sharing the love of Christ. Can't Lose You honors the strength of love within family. Piece of Glass wrestles with a dysfunctional love of the world's acceptance as it manifests in the form of an eating disorder. Love Alone is a beautiful heartfelt ballad, which scratches at the surface of sorrow and oppression.
With Long Line of Leavers as a milestone recording, the band welcomes the opportunity to share the new caliber of songs they've poured themselves into. Touring has become a second home to them, in part because they get to see the fans they've come to know as friends. This intimacy blended with a compelling live show are a recipe that can't be found with just any band. Caedmon's Call, who has gone from small-scale Sunday School performances to sold out shows at Purdue, Harvard, and LA House of Blues, has spent years fine-tuning their unique concert experience.
Perhaps new member Moore, who until recently was an onlooker to the phenomenon surrounding Caedmon's Call, describes it best. "There's a spectacular combination of solid performing with a casual atmosphere. It's spontaneous, but it's not unorganized. Usually you have one or the other, but not with Caedmon's Call. One minute you have this tight musical performance happening, and then suddenly you've got Cliff walking around barefoot and calling people up on stage to play guitar."
By their ability to engage audiences, stretch themselves to musical heights and grow up with integrity, Caedmon's Call has cultivated a musical identity for themselves that is unparalleled. Whether traveling around the country, promoting their new album, or simply pushing a stroller down the streets of their hometown, all this recent growth makes them realize that they never know what's in store for them next. While they wait in anticipation, they'll keep doing what they've learned to be important... forging ahead, pausing to rest, and waking up to the mystery that God is always there and that He's brought them this far.
DISCOGRAPHY
Long Line Of Leavers (2000)
40 Acres (1999)
Intimate Portraits (1998)
Caedmon's Call (1997) Read Our Review
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