Randy Southerland of Through the Veil
by Jaye

CS: How did your group form?

RS: We were two separate bands that basically became one. David has his own band called The David Myers Project and I had my band The Randy Sutherland Band and we basically found the members with a common dream, gave it a name, pulled our contacts together and that was that! God has really brought us a long way in the year and a half we have been together.

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

RS: The focus of our ministry is mainly to the Church. We (the band) were all born and raised churched kids. We are very fortunate that we have great parents that have a great relationship with Christ, because it gave us a foundation in life. However, it sometimes became a hindrance to us. We knew all the answers, could quote scripture for every situation, and were believers. But there is a huge difference in being a believer and having a true relationship.

Sometimes Churched kids are the hardest to reach. They know the answers and they can put on the church mask and blend in really well. However, when push comes to shove; they lack the relationship that Jesus called us too. That is our mission as a band, to show people through our music, the way we live, and the way we use our lives to worship God, that there is more to this whole Jesus thing than just, lets go to church sing a few songs, and pray before our meals. It is a 24/7 lifestyle and a relationship with our creator. The bible says, "Let your light so shine before men that they see your deeds and glorify your father in heaven. And if we lift him up, he will draw all men unto himself. We just have to be faithful, to live this life as a worshipper and go where he leads us!

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

RS: We would love to take our ministry to as many people as possible. Write great cutting edge music that makes people think and challenges them to move in their relationship with God. Also, we would love to start some kind of summer internship program that would allow us to take older youth on the road, let them be apart of the ministry by running lights and sound and things like that. Also, give them the opportunity to minister, Grow, and share their faith with people across the country.

CS: Do you ever worry about getting caught up in the world of show biz? That success will change your group?

RS: Gees, I hope not. I could see how that would be very easy to get caught up in. The Attention you receive seems to be very addicting. That is why we try to surround ourselves with people who will hold us accountable as a band and as individuals; people who will remind us who we are and where we came from. We just try to remember that any success we have is not because we are something special, its because God gave us this dream and the means to make it happen.

CS: What kind of relationship do you maintain with your audiences? Do you fellowship with them? Or do you remain distant as the performer?

RS: Wow, that is a great question! If you really want to know what our ministry is, (shh dont tell anybody) it has more to do with people than with music. Music is just a tool to get us to people. Our goal is to meet, encourage, and be encouraged by as many people as possible. To play basketball with kids, eat lunch youth pastors, or just hang. Really invest our time loving on people, encouraging them, and sharing a tiny bit of our life with them. That is something I think a lot of Christian bands lack! The time we spend with people is something that really separates us from other bands. Honestly, as our ministry grows it gets harder to keep up with everyone because we meet so many people. But we try the very best we can. There are some things on our web site that make it a bit easier to keep up with everyone without trying to answer 50,000 emails LOL We never want to become not accessible, so we a! re trying to come up with ways to combat the demand.

CS: What is the biggest thing you have learned from performing and ministering through music?

RS: That we are not in control!! And that is a very scary thing for a control freak like myself. The second we think we have a grasp on this whole thing, is exactly when the opposite happens. We just try to tune in to God, and follow the best we can and be patient. LOL

CS: Do you write your own music?

RS: Yup! David (bass, vocals) is a great writer. He usually comes us with an idea, and then we all kind of chime in musically. The writing process is so cool; its amazing when and where some of your best ideas come from!

CS: Where do you get ideas for your music?

RS: I wish I could tell you. Better yet, I wish you could tell me. LOL You never know when something will pop in your head!

CS: How would you describe your music style?

RS: Messed up! LOL We like so many different styles and the all kind of find their way into what we are doing. We will play this huge rockin song, then come back with a vocally driven acoustic thing. I don t think we know what our style is! We are very vocally driven and some have compared us to By The Tree and PFR. We are currently writing for the new album, and the new music is kind of a cross between Rascal Flats, Switchfoot, and Phantom Planet. WEIRD! LOL

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

RS: Every guy in this group is different. We all like different stuff! I could write you a list five pages long of our favorite bands. We were all raised mainly on Contemporary Christian music. (Which I think we are about the first generation that can say that.) Michael W. Smith is from West Virginia so we will just leave it at that! LOL

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

RS: We have played with a lot of groups Indy and Signed. Our favorite would have to be an Indy band out of Cincinnati called Drowning Jonah ( www.drowningjonah.com ) . We love those guys! They are a great band, and even better people. So, it is like seeing friends when we get the chance to play with them!

CS: Are you involved in any other ministries?

RS: Um, we are currently leading worship at our church here in West Virginia. This is not like a full time thing. However, it has been a great opportunity for us to re-focus on why we do this whole music thing. It also has allowed us to put something back into our local church. They have been so supportive of what we do.

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

RS: Dave and I come from musical families. Dave began playing drums when he was really young; he is just a great talent. He pretty much plays anything that makes noise. I began playing guitar when I was a freshman in high school. I basically learned by watching people on TV play, and trying to mimic what they did. I Believe Chris stated playing drums in high school band.

CS: Do you feel people look down on you for your age? For your music style?

RS: Um, not really. For the most part the reaction is pretty positive. But we do play for a mostly Christian Crowd.

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

RS: Who Knows? We are pretty confident that we could get picked up, but if we didnt it wouldnt be the end of the world. A lot of people think that to be successful, one has to be on a big label. Thats not necessarily true. Mercy Me is a great example of that. They we are HUGE successful Indy Band before they signed with a label. When they did sign, because of their popularity, it gave them a lot of freedom that most label artist dont have. This is a strange business, and labels can hurt your ministry just as much as they can help it. We just want to have the best ministry we can and follow where God leads us. If that is Independent, we are cool with that. If a label comes knocking, we will pray about where God is leading.

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

FYI-------------

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Our radio single " Im In Love" is currently playing on rock radio across the country.