Despite a wide variety of musical influences, including Jimmy Eat World, Radiohead, and classic rock legend Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band still has a singular goal: to craft catchy pop/rock songs that’ll stick with listeners for the long haul, which is something Sevenglory successfully accomplishes on its much-anticipated sophomore project, Atmosphere.
Preachers’ kids Fred Butson (vocals) and Gabe Johannes (drums) met at Indiana Wesleyan University and formed Sevenglory in 2001 with other musicians before adding Gabe’s brother Caleb (bass) to the lineup. Their debut was released independently in 2004, but Over the Rooftops has since been made widely available in stores through a partnership between 7 Spin Music and Provident distribution.
The two-year gap in Sevenglory’s career eventually led to an album split equally between pop/rock and adult contemporary, not too dissimilar from Building 429, Exit East, MercyMe, and Big Daddy Weave. Butson’s strong vocals recall ’90s CCM artists like Tony Vincent and Eric Champion. Over the Rooftops has catchy songs like “Big Top,” “Fall Apart,” the title track, and the ballad “This Time,” followed by a stripped-down version of virtually the same song, “Waiting for You,” and familiar-sounding piano ballad “Ever Be Enough.”
Content to perform for youth groups and churches, Sevenglory is focused on connecting with kids after shows, claiming no ambition to “arrive” as the next big thing. Most other young indie Christian rock bands don’t sound this good offering meaningful songs about leaving hurt behind (“Really Free”), remembering mountaintop experiences with God (“More Now”), and simply trusting in the Lord (the generically titled “Track 7”).
Beyond the intricate melodies and memorable guitar licks is plenty of substance to go along with the band’s sense of style. It doesn’t take too many listens to realize the band’s enthusiasm for its message far outweighs any of its musical ambitions. Converting stalwart faith to action, the members recently teamed up with World Vision to promote the organization’s child sponsorship campaign in impoverished, war-torn countries.
“We wanted to do something as a band that was so much bigger than ourselves,” says frontman/guitarist Fred Butson. “Of course it’s fun playing music night after night; we love it. At the end of the day, though, we leave our wives, kids, friends, and the rest of our family behind. So if we were just about playing music, it wouldn’t really be worth the sacrifice to us, but to be involved with something like World Vision, that actually makes touring and making music worthwhile.”
As a result of the band’s partnership with World Vision came inspiration for new songs like “The Hope.”
“As a band, we believe Christians should be leading the charge against AIDS and poverty in the world,” Butson says. “That’s what we’re talking about in ‘The Hope’—being the hands and feet of God. It’s one thing to say you want to do something, and it’s another thing to really do it. ‘The Hope’ is about being part of the difference.”
Lead single “Just Me,” co-written with fellow songwriter Brandon Heath, reaffirms that call to action, something the band hopes will start meaningful dialogue about what a Christian’s role is in a hurting world. “All four of us are pastor’s kids with very similar backgrounds,” says drummer/background vocalist Gabe Johannes. “None of us have these really crazy stories where we did drugs and fell away from our faith. Like anyone, we still wrestle with what our responsibility is as believers. What should the church be? Of course, that’s a really huge question that I don’t think we’re able to answer in one song, but we are posing the question of ‘What kind of life do I want to lead?’ And we hope it’ll get people talking.”
Another counter-cultural message the band hopes to communicate to listeners on Atmosphere is the simple truth that “they don’t have it all together.”
“So many times because someone is onstage, people automatically assume he/she has all the answers,” says lead guitarist Josh Parsons. “Sometimes we don’t feel we have anything to offer God or the people around us. Yet I think it’s often during those times God gets our attention and uses us most. We can’t get in the way if we have to rely on God for our strength.”
On one of Atmosphere’s stand-out tracks, “All of This for You,” the worshipful lyrics reaffirm why Sevenglory is performing music in the first place. “We want to play cool music, and we want kids to have a good time at our shows,” says bassist Caleb Johannes, “but the end of the day, we really want God to get the glory. If we proclaim to know all the answers, we’re lying. The reality is the less we have, the more we’re able to give—which is exactly where we want to be.”