Wayne Bates of Dayshine
http://www.dayshine.net/
by Trisha Bleau

CS: Please share with us how your group formed and any changes it went through after forming.

WB: We were all part of a church praise team and we wanted to go out into the community with what we were doing. As the band grew, we found ourselves getting some resistance from our church; oddly enough, it appeared that the pastor didn't support what we were doing if it didn't have his church's name on it. That was a painful time, but it led us to join some very dear friends, Allan and Threasa Smith, who were beginning a new ministry and from there, everything took off and doors really started opening. However, the moment we decided to get serious with a music ministry, trials and tribulations came. Our drummer, who was 15 at the time, spent two months in ICU last Christmas and nearly died twice. It took him three months to recover from it. At the age of 34, I had a heart attack in March. We've lost a keyboard player and two percussionists. Throughout all of that, we found that we can do all things through Christ. We've witnessed God's power and rather than defeat us, the hardships we've gone through have made us stronger and more determined to win souls for the Lord. We've seen hundreds of people give their lives to the Lord or rededicate their lives to Him. When we first started, our manager, Hank Eubanks, said, "if one soul gets saved, it's all worth it". We had no idea we'd see lives, even our own, changed so dramatically through the power of Jesus Christ.

CS: What is the main focus in your ministry? Teens? The lost? The hurting? Why did you decide up on this as a focus?

WB: Our burden is definitely for the lost, but we also target those who've slipped away from the Lord. Personally, I've always seen people respond to the blues and most people enjoy seeing a live band perform. Young crowds respond enthusiastically to what we do, so our message to them is one of salvation. However, seeing the "30-somethings" enjoying the music and returning to the Lord again (with their families) is one thing we're really after, too.

CS: What does your groups name mean? Where did you come up with it?

WB: During a sermon, I heard Jesus referred to as "Dayshine" and it just stuck with me. "It's all about Jesus..." is our band's creed, so to have our band named, literally, after Him is a direct indication as to what we're about.

CS: Where do you see the band in five years? Ten? The future?

WB: Each of us desires to serve the Lord and tell as many as we can about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Period. The band is one method of doing that. I'd like to continue "preaching" through song as long as the Lord has use for us.

CS: Do you make it a goal to use your music to minister to people? Or do you just write for the sake of writing and performing?

WB: What we do is a ministry. For us, writing and performing without Jesus as the focus would be pointless. What we do would have no relevance or power without the Holy Spirit. We all saw the musicians from the Sixties fail in changing the world with music. I think the reason why they failed is because the music was really about personal gain and entertainment. Entertainment doesn't change the world... Jesus Christ does. That's why we praise Him. That's why we sing.

CS: What is the message you are trying to get across with your music?

WB: That's an easy one: Jesus loves you and wants you just like you are right now; don't worry about all the bad things in your life - He'll fix all that in His time. No one can see Heaven without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Don't settle with just getting saved - let Jesus change your life! He alone has made you free!

CS: How would you describe your music style? Do you ever get criticized for your lyrics?

WB: We play praise and worship music, so we stay away from songs that aren't overtly Christian. Lyrics have never caused us a problem - even in our original music. Our musical style can best be described as contemporary praise and worship (like Integrity, Vineyard, Hill Songs, etc.) blended with a Texas-style blues-rock influence. If anything has been a cause for a raised eyebrow or two, it's been the "screaming guitars" and the dancing - we're a high-energy band. Usually, people are surprised because they haven't seen Christians having so much fun praising the Lord! We play "Amazing Grace" quite differently than most people have heard it done and that's led to a few negative comments - the deviance from the standard arrangement. Otherwise, we've been welcomed nearly everywhere we've gone and have yet to win over an audience.

CS: Who, or what, are your biggest musical influences?

WB: The band is made up of musicians with many tastes. Our vocalists draw from many influences: Christy likes pop style ballads, June has a long history of singing southern gospel, Erin has a pop sound but can belt out rock with the best of 'em, and Mac has a very strong R&B sound. As a rhythm guitarist, Chris has a lot of classic rock influences and our drummer, Erick, likes heavy metal and hard rock. Kevin, our bass player, has such a diverse background, it's hard to categorize him - he can play anything! As far as lead guitar, I've always tried to inject a lot of Texas blues into anything I do.

CS: How much time do you spend practicing as a group? How much time do you practice individually?

WB: We rehearse three or four hours a week. We're under government contract to lead worship for 800 to 1000 basic training soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood every weekend. Over the past year, we've developed a set list of over eighty songs to draw from and our concerts usually run from one to two hours - we play live somewhere a couple of times a month. We lead worship at Lighthouse Deliverance Ministries in St. Robert each weekend, too. To be honest, our rehearsals are just "warm up" time and a time to discuss what we may try to do during worship or during a concert. I think we're a pretty tight band, but no amount of rehearsal can affect God's anointing. When we're together on stage lifting up Jesus Christ, everything just seems to fall into line. Most of the time, things don't even go according to our plans.

CS: What is your musical background? Did you take lessons to gain the musical skills you have now?

WB: Some of us have been around a bit. June was part of a touring group called "The Redeemed" and I know they put out at least one album. She and Hank are partners in More Of Jesus Ministries and had a prison ministry in Mississippi. Erin has been to Nashville on two occasions to compete for a recording contract. Mac performed and recorded with Gary U.S. Bonds on the hit single "Dear Lady Twist" and toured Missouri with a group called The Gospel Inspirations. Kevin has been involved with music ministry for many years and is a gifted singer, songwriter, and musician who's opened up for Ron Kenoly. I've been involved with many bands and was a part of the touring circuit in Oklahoma and Texas for a couple of years. I was a member of Generation Now and played on their debut release called "Just A Rehearsal For Heaven". Dayshine is Chris, Christy and Erick's first experience with a band, but you'd never know it. Each of us are self-taught musicians and vocalists trying to use the abilities God has given us for His glory.

CS: What is the latest news on your group? Any new CD's to be released soon?

WB: It's summer time, so we're doing as many of the outdoor festivals as we can in the local area. We enjoy that and it puts us in a position to play for a lot of people who don't know the Lord. Our sound draws people to listen to us in a secular environment, so that's a unique opportunity to minister. We've got enough original material for our CD and as soon as we wade through the copyright junk and get the funds online, we'll hit the studio. I'm probably responsible for the delay in getting that done, but I don't want to rush into recording just so we can say we have a CD. Kevin will be leaving us at the end of the year, so the CD will probably be out in early fall.

CS: Who are some of the groups you have performed with and what did you think of them?

WB: We've played with some great bands here in Missouri and have enjoyed their music and their friendship. Some of the bands we've played with are Psalter (from Richland), 111 Olive Street and Narrow Road (from St. James), Broken Spirit (from Osage Beach), and True Witness (from Reeds Spring). We've also been involved with New Light (from Lebanon) and the Waynesville United Methodist Praise Team. We've also shared the stage with talented musicians like Ed Osborn from Generation Now and Chaplain Richard Graves from Fort Leonard Wood’s 3rd Brigade. All of them are truly committed to ministry. A personal inspiration for this ministry is Buddy Chapman and the Keep The Promise Ministry from Virginia. He's featured on our website.

CS: Any plans to sign with a major Label in the near future?

WB: None at all. I don't think any of us care about the "fortune and fame" aspect of playing music. We've all got families and careers. There are enough people in central Missouri who don't know the Lord - we'll concentrate on where the Lord has placed us. We use anything we can to reach people in our area - the Internet has been good for us and has proven to be a good way to reach people. Our website is at http://www.dayshine.net and we've been able to visit several churches and venues because of it. Right now, our target area is central Missouri... we want to see our local communities changed first.

CS: Do you have any advice to give to the youth of our world?

WB: Go the distance. Being a Christian isn't boring; in fact, it's the most challenging and rewarding path you can take. Don't settle for the lies that are being shoved down your throat by our society. The only person you can truly change is YOU. Seek the Lord while He may be found - and if you've gotten away from a relationship with Him, read the 15th chapter of Luke and come on back home. Think about the fact that one day, you're going to have a family... how can you raise your children if you don't even know where you're going?