Anberlin Interview
By Leah Pritchett
When you think of rock stars you don’t exactly imagine them contributing to your community or leaving the country to help the needy overseas. But Stephen Christian (vocals), Joseph Milligan (guitar), Deon Rexroat (bass), Nathan Strayer (Guitar) and Nathan Young (drums)—better known as Anberlin—do exactly that.
The Floridian natives from Anberlin signed on to Tooth & Nail Records in 2002 and released their debut album Blue Prints for the Black Market a year later, which allowed them to tour with well-known bands like Underoath, Story of the Year and Fall Out Boy.
Christian was kind enough to sit down with OUTLOUD to share his thoughts on the band’s performance at the 2006 Buzz Bake Sale.
“It’s so exciting to be here, I mean you can’t even imagine. The bands here are insane, we love them all,” said Christian, smiling enthusiastically. “And it’s great since we have toured with most of these bands…[like] My Chemical Romance. They have always been so kind to us. It’s great to just to see them perform and of course for them to see us.”
“You guys were awesome out there. You had the fans going,” I said. “The crowd couldn’t stop chanting your names and singing along to all your songs.”
“Ha! Yes we did. It’s a great feeling to have your own people cherish your music. It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said, laughing bashfully. “I’m extremely happy you went there and were able to grab a glimpse. The crowd had us going, it was truly great.”
Christian went on to talk about the band’s contributions across the globe. The guys have spent months traveling out of the country to help children in need. Their next plan is to head out to India in January to work with TEN, an organization that helps women who have just escaped from the sex trafficking industry. The band, along with their tour manager, will help construct a new wing on the safe house for these women.
“We as a band try to make a positive impact on the world and of course our fans,” Christian said. “It’s the most important thing about this band, helping others who need it. We are living our dream and we want to share it with the world.”
Anberlin will be back next year for their first headlining tour in support of their upcoming album Cities, which will be released on Feb. 20.
To learn more about the band and find out when Anberlin will be headed your way check out their official website, www.anberlin.com.
Email Leah your thoughts: outloud@outloud.com
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