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Matt Eichel of Genuine Imitation
by Marc Forester CS: How did your group form? Did you start out together or did you pick up players along the way? ME: We were all friends and decided to make a group just for fun. Our size has been cut from four to three, but we'll still truckin' along.
ME: This February (2004), it'll be two years.
ME: We're all really good friends. We hang out with each other alot and go on trips together, drive around. We can feel the chemistry when we're playing, so I guess we are a big happy family.
ME: Brian and I came up with the idea. He told the other guys about it and they agreed. We met in March and decided to form a group. As I said before, we've gone from four guys to three, Tyler just wanted to help us if we needed it and not be a main member.
ME: We've been together two years as a group.
ME: We're all really close and the changes did not really affect us too much. Tyler helped us along with the musical side of it, becasue he was the most knowledgable of music than any of us. We've become more and more advanced in our knowledge of music now and we're getting better at it.
ME: All the songs we have right now deal with praising the lord and thanking him for being free and looked after. I am a strong believer that as we go along, record an album or two, we'll start to stretch out into other areas of life and deal with them through our songs.
ME: If you look up Ephesians 5:1-2, you'll find the answer. But in short, it challenges us to be genuine imitatiors of Jesus and his life and how he gave his life up for us to be free.
ME: It was on my shirt the night we were having problems picking a good name.
ME: Right now, all of us are near the end of high school and entering university soon, so we're going to try and record before university and have a strong footing for the future. It all depends on where the Lord leads us in our lives and what his purpose for us is. If it's music, then we'll keep up the music.
ME: I see alot of bands doing this these days and it really bugs me. I know alot of people go into music as a band saying, "I'm not going to do what that band has done." or "I'm not going to waste my life on drugs like those guys." but alot of them end up getting caught up in the limelight. All of us have a strong root in our faith and we're always going to sing about God, his works, and what he's done for us. I don't want to get caught up with spending millions of dollars on drugs and boose, I want to let people know about my God.
ME: Right now, we haven't played alot of shows, but I have a bad habit of not looking up at the audience, because I'm singing and playing guitar, and I'm afraid I'll screw up. It'll take some more experience to overcome that fear. Still, I've mainly performed for friends and peers and people I know and talk to all the time. I love talking to them about what the songs we sing mean.
ME: We try to pray before every jam session or show, sometimes we forget, but we all know who we're playing for: God. When we don't pray, sometimes I remember we didn't and do a quick prayer. Those times we have prayed, it seemed to have gone better than the times we haven't, so it's a habit of praying and asking God to help you that we need to get into.
ME: I was saved in July 1991 when I was 5 at my Uncle Dave's.
ME: I grew up in a Christian family, both parents were Christians, didn't have any siblings but my friends seem like them. I was saved in July 1991 when I was 5 and since then I've struggled in my relationship with God, but my friends and peers and mentors have helped me along and I'm still here and believing.
ME: I Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will find a way for you to stand up under it."
ME: Revelation is pretty interesting and...scary. :)
ME: I Corinthians has so much great verses that you can live your life by. That's my favourite.
ME: I've always like music and when we started this group, it was for fun. But I keep asking God if He put us together for more than just fun and for a s erious purpose to serve Him more.
ME: I write songs right now about praising God, as I said before and I try to write songs that apply to my life and many others that are going through the same things I am or have gone through.
ME: That God is a God of love, and he loves us, every one of us, and that he died for us to be free and that we could live eternally. He's our Saviour, Father, and friend.
ME: How to work in a group and making sure everyone is on the same page and playing the same thing, etc. It's a big thing to play together, or the music falls apart.
ME: I find sometimes that I cannot come up with lyrics to songs I'm writing even though I ask God for guidance. Sometimes, it isn't the best time to write a song and so he doesn't give me the inspiration. Writing the lyrics and making the music is the hardest, for sure.
ME: Not much, we haven't toured much. But it was probably seeing Keith (our Youth Leader) having his head shaved bald. :)
ME: We haven't really had a 'concert', more like a couple of songs by us and then some worship songs. But he's helped us play under pressure. And that's huge!
ME: Yeah, I usually have inspiration for a song or I have a tune I want to put lyrics to.
ME: From my life, what I've fallen victim to in terms of temptations, and what sins I've done. But through it all I am free because of God. I try and write uplifting lyrics.
ME: Sort of a mellow rock. Not loud, ear-smashing, ground-shaking stuff, just a little mellower.
ME: I haven't yet, let's hope not.
ME: I've always listened to Christian rock since I was little like Newsboys, Jars, Switchfoot, Skillet. The biggest influences now are probably (for all of us) Switchfoot, Linkin Park, and P.O.D. I'm a really big fan of Third Eye Blind and the way they write their songs, even though they might not have the best lyrics.
ME: I think the first time we played at the Teen Camp Talent Show, Gateway played before us, that's about as close as we got polaying with another group. Their good, but I think they're more country.
ME: My parents for sure, my dad for teaching me guitar and my mum for keeping my drum set around until I got interested and took it seriously.
ME: My dad, for sure. He's a cool guy. Works hard and is very humble.
ME: Yeah, it's intimidating trying to tell someone about the Gospel, but you've got to do it with the faith and courage, asking God to help you to reach out and touch people with the Word.
ME: I usually play on the worship team when I'm home from school.
ME: Nope.
ME: I mostly taught myself drums, took lessons for a year. I got lessons for a year on the bass and I'm now taking guitar lessons.
ME: We jam almost everytime I come home, so about every month almost. Personally, I try to practice everyday for about 30 minutes.
ME: Haven't gone on tour yet, but I'll probably sleep or read (or eat).
ME: Haven't gone on tour yet, but I'd probably give thanks after a show and ask for help beforehand. CS: Do you have an accountability partner or prayer partner to keep you encouraged and uplifted? ME: No, I don't, but I feel like I do with all my friends, we keep in touch alot and are close.
ME: Sometimes, such as at Youth Group.
ME: Yeah, I wanted to form a band for many years. It seemed the right time two years ago.
ME: I usually have music playing somewhere, so I usually sing along. Lately, I've been singing some of mine own, which is cool.
ME: Yeah, when I heard myself singing on a record, I think I sound weird, but it's OK if people say I sing fine.
ME: We're working for our debut CD, we're planning to recrod this summer.
ME: No, not yet, but I hope people don't focus on us, but on what we sing and what our songs stand for. I'm not God, I only write songs for him, that's what people should be focusing on.
ME: No, not at all. Our parents, family, and friends really encourage us all in this endeavour of being a group. I think my mum wouldn't like it if we were like P.O.D. and Keith wouldn't like it if we went to Death Metal, which we won't, my voice can't take it.
ME: We'll see, for sure it'll be down the road a far bit looking at it right now.
ME: Don't do drugs, save sex for marriage, and look to God for guidance and wisdom and the strength that you need everyday. HE is your everything. |
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