LaRue
With the recent surge of the teen pop phenomenon, there is certainly no
shortage of music being produced and marketed directly to an audience that's
not yet old enough to drive or vote. It's a crop of young music-makers with
all the right moves, grooves and imaging to boot. It can be difficult to
stand out among the rest, to find your own creative niche amidst a sea of
teenage talent.
But Natalie and Phillip LaRue have done just that. There's a lyrical and
artistic depth to the music this 17- and 19-year old brother and sister
create together - a depth that's not always prevalent in the music of a
younger generation.
LaRue's self-titled debut album made its mark on the Christian music scene in
1999, and the industry embraced Phillip and Natalie with open arms. LaRue
yielded three CHR hits with songs like "Waiting Room," "Reason" and
"Someday." Release magazine readers voted LaRue their "Favorite New Artist or
Group" of 1999. Both Campus Life and Brio featured LaRue on their covers this
past year, and even the Disney Channel recognized the duo's talent when it
chose to air LaRue's video to the hit single "Reason."
With the release of their sophomore effort, Transparent, Phillip and Natalie
have captured a year of spiritual growth and deepening in a collection of
songs that provides a personal glimpse into their lives. Working again with
producers Rick Elias (That Thing You Do) and Ken Mary (The Beach Boys), LaRue
has created a palette of insightful lyrics set to a more aggressive
pop/alternative sound.
"This album reflects where we are now, and where we needed to go," Phillip
explains. "It's definitely more passionate, more edgy and more driving, but
the melodies are still strong. We wanted to experiment a little bit more, and
we've definitely got the musical vibe we wanted."
Natalie adds, "Our goal with this record was to make it really creative,
different, unique and yet, tangible. We were more involved in the creative
process - in the structure of the songs and how we wanted them to sound."
Phillip and Natalie write all of their music, so the ideas and concepts are
inspired by their own everyday experiences. The themes are relevant to their
generation, but the maturity and insight they display will make an immediate
connection to an even broader audience.
"We wanted to get past the surface and go deeper with issues- songs that talk
about where our lives are now and how it applies to our walk with God,"
Natalie shares. "We've both grown and changed a lot since our first record.
We want to be open, honest and real with our music."
"That's the whole reason we named the album Transparent," says Phillip. "We
want to be very real and very open with the audience. There's no running
theme throughout the whole album. It's more like different kinds of
photographs or pictures of our life. A lot of it deals with the relationships
we've had with different people in our lives. It's vulnerable, and that's
what we like. I don't listen to any music that isn't real. I want to listen
to music that moves me."
Relationships are indeed important to Phillip and Natalie, which is why their
family plays a key role in their lives. Along with nurturing parents who have
provided a strong backbone of faith and family values, Phillip and Natalie
have 14-year-old twin sisters, Brianna and Rachelle, who are their biggest
supporters. The entire LaRue family travels everywhere with Phillip and
Natalie.
"Not many families just hop on a bus and go, but that's exactly what we do,"
Phillip explains. "We really feel like our family needs to be involved, to
keep us in check and to be our support team."
"Brianna and Rachelle have been real cheerleaders for what we are doing, and
it has been absolutely incredible," says Natalie. "They sacrifice a lot for
us and I think God is going to really honor both of them for that."
The new album provided Phillip and Natalie with a unique opportunity to honor
Brianna, who has cerebral palsy. "Brianna's Song" is a musical homage to the
inspiration Brianna has been in her siblings' lives, and a tribute to the
energetic spirit she carries with her everywhere she goes.
Natalie shares, "I've wanted to write a song about Brianna for a long time.
She has been such a big influence in our life and in who we are. She has
always been so confident in who she is and that has really challenged both
Phil and I to be confident in who we are and in who God has made us to be.
Brianna's taught us not to be afraid of what people think, and she's even
stretched us musically."
Another cut from the new project that has already become a crowd favorite at
LaRue concerts across the country is the energetic "Fly." Written as a solid
proclamation of faith, the song has also been added to the soundtrack for the
upcoming Left Behind feature film.
"'Fly' is a real statement of faith," says Natalie. "This past year, Phillip
and I have really desired to deepen our spiritual knowledge, and the more
we've tried, the more we see how much there is to know and learn. We have to
go back to the basics, and this song is basically a proclamation of what we
do know."
Transparent also features artfully crafted songs like the hook-laden "Near To
Me," the tender "Fallen For You," and "One White Tulip," a song about the
importance of family. Each cut on the album has a specific purpose, and is
relevant to a generation that looks constantly to its peers for direction and
inspiration.
"We want to encourage people to be real and to be honest," says Phillip. "So
many Christians go through life thinking they can't open up and let others
know they have struggles. But that's one message we want to get across. We
all go through things, and we've all made mistakes. We are not any better
than anyone else. It is Christ in us." One specific way Phillip and Natalie
have touched lives within their own generation is through an abstinence
campaign they began in the Spring of 2000, an idea that originated from the
song "Someday" on the duo's debut album. The goal of the campaign is to
gather 250,000 signatures on a petition to make it mandatory for all sex
education classes in US schools to teach abstinence as the most effective
method in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease for unmarried
teenagers. Campaign supporters have been able to sign petitions at LaRue
concerts across the country and on the Internet at www.laruepetition.com.
"We've talked on stage about why Phil and I have chosen to take a stand for
abstinence in our lives and why we feel it is an important part of
Christianity," Natalie shares. "And no matter what happens with the petition,
we've already seen how people are being moved and are beginning to take
action within their own communities and neighborhoods. That's the most
important thing to us, to see that it has made an impact."
Whether on stage or off, in front of an audience or at home with their
family, Phillip and Natalie LaRue have an unyielding desire to be open and
transparent before God. They want to impact their own generation in a
dramatic way.
Natalie says, "Our goal is to reach the lost with the hope of Jesus and to be
real, open and honest. We want to encourage Christians to do the same - to
get beyond the surface stuff. God can satisfy all your hopes and dreams. We
want to challenge kids to pursue that deeper relationship with Christ. It is
at that point, when we are submitting everything under God, our lives become
an open vessel and we will just shine intensely with Christ. The world will
be drawn to Him through our own transparency."
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