SCL

(This is a guest post from David Crowder and Michael Hogan. They are famous musicians that have hilarious senses of humor and apparently kindness too, because they are about to drop the biggest guest post ever.)

Hi. This is Hogan and Crowder, and we want to welcome you to our guest-blog here at SCL. Before we continue, perhaps some introductions are in order? Mike Hogan and David Crowder play in a band together called, conveniently, The David Crowder*Band. It is called this because David is the lead singer, the “front man” if you will, in the band. So right off the bat there should be one thing that is totally obvious: We are awesome at picking band names. There are two other obvious things that we should point out. 1) Note the definite article that starts the band’s name. It is a recent addition, seeing as how for the first 9 years or so we, as a band, concerned ourselves greatly with such quandaries as, “what if we aren’t the only David Crowder Band out there?” The fact is we didn’t want to be presumptuous. And so we were adamant about the definite article’s exclusion. But we’ve been at for a while now without incident, so we felt justified in its formal inclusion. Also, it looked really good in the font we wanted to use on our new website. And 2) There is an asterisk in our name. It is a detail full of mystery and obscurity (this, according to Wikipedia), and we are not going to get into it here.

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A few weeks ago, I asked you what you’d like to ask David Crowder, lead singer of the band appropriately named, the “David Crowder Band.”

You submitted some fantastic questions. I picked a bunch and sent them to David Crowder. Here in his own words are the answers to those questions.

Gina Ballerina

How do you deal with it when you don’t feel particularly close to God, or even are mad at Him, and you have to play a concert?

David Crowder:

I kick Him in the shins then run! (Also, there’s this: There have been times when I have felt like I’m in the wilderness, you know, on my own, in a desert-like environment, isolated, desolate, abandoned in a godforsaken wilderness with cacti, well, no cacti, but still the desert metaphor works in communicating the bleakness I have felt on occasion. A good friend of mine pointed out that it was none-other-than God Himself that lead His people into the wilderness from time to time, which could in turn mean that when you feel you’ve been deserted, you may be exactly where He wants you. He may have even had a hand in bringing you to that point. This has brought a small amount of comfort in those times.) But I do find the kicking of shins to be therapeutic.

brodave872

What is the strangest place you’ve found inspiration for song or creative idea? Your mashed potatoes? Pocket lint that resembles the face of Jesus? An exceptionally good burrito?

David Crowder:

I must say that I once found God in a Chik-fil-a sandwich. It was transcendent. But there’s very little consistency available when attempting to find the Divine in various foods, which can be frustrating as a writer. And so I announce this: It is proven fact that a large majority of my songs are written while driving. I suspect it to be the element of danger present when trying to write on a napkin with a pencil while driving with my knees. There is a heightened sense of presence that is difficult to recreate in other writing environments.

Mary

I would ask how high he scored on the “How Metrosexual Are You Because You’re A Worship Pastor” quiz.

David Crowder:

7. But I added a few questions to bring my score up.

James

Do you ever get tired of leading worship and want to be led? And where or what do you to get that refreshment? I wonder this about our worship leader since it seems that he is always leading at our church and the Sundays that he isn’t there its because he is leading someplace else. I would imagine it would be even more difficult for you.

David Crowder:

To be very honest, I have a very difficult time shutting my head off when I find myself in an environment where someone else is leading. I’m paying attention to song arrangements and chord structures, instrumentation, song selection, flow, verbal announcements. I have never been successful at not thinking in an analytical way during those times and so I find that I have the more ecstatic, “worshipful” moments when music is not occurring. It makes sense – when I’m seeing leadership modeled, I want to take it apart and see what works so that I myself can lead better. I think we ask too much of music anyway and I rejoice when I experience God in an emotional way and it is not attached to music. Also, no, I never get tired of leading in corporate expressions of worship.

Thad

If you could make an album without regard to commercial/CCM/fanbase expectation, what would it sound like? In other words, you could indulge every personal creative motif at your disposal.

David Crowder:

It would sound just like Waylon Jennings.

justinwithafro

You’re in a metal cage death match with you, Mac Powell, Chris Tomlin, Soul Glow Activator, Matt Redman, Matt Thiessen and Reese Rooper. Who comes out alive?

David Crowder:

No one. And I think you knew this when creating your little scenario, which makes this just a sick question. Shame on you.

John Scheepers

As a “Christian celebrity” (I know that title stinks but there is some truth in it), whose first devotion is to Christ and not your own press, how do you maintain your integrity, humility and godliness and keep the focus on Christ, in the face of the hype from Christian media and fans?

David Crowder:

This question seems to assume that hype from Christian media and fans would lead to a lack of integrity, pride, and ungodliness. As for pride, yes, I’m certain this would be a struggle if you were not married to my wife. Fortunately, she has the spiritual gift of criticism. Also, my friends are angry people and they take it out on me, so again, not a problem. Yeah, I’m probably the most humble person ever! [SIC] So, that just leaves, “ungodliness,” and, “a lack of integrity,” both of which are fostered and nurtured regularly by hype from Christian media. This is why I refuse to do interviews! I tell them that too, I say, “listen, I’d love to talk to you about my latest album Church Music and my latest book, Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants To Die, but I can’t. I refuse! Because, it is a slippery slope man; if I talk to you and you say good things about me and people think good things about me they might say them to my face or I might read them and then I will think I’m awesome and I absolutely can not have that! No sir!!! I am so, so, so not awesome.” And this has kept me out of most interviews.

Another thought comes to mind. I wonder if I’m in the same boat as everyone else? I wonder if I were to have become an insurance agent, as originally planned, (yeah, you read that right! Insurance is awesome!!) instead of a super famous Christian, if I would struggle with integrity, humility and godliness as well?

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