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When Superchic[k] released their first album and hit the road as a brand-new band, they heard all kinds of stories from teenagers who came to their shows. Many of those stories sparked the themes on their second record—stories of pain, of self-doubt, of broken relationships, typical teen struggles. By the time Superchic[k] was ready to record its third album, the recently released Beauty from Pain, it was their turn to vent. Every member of the band had gone through a difficult romantic break-up within the previous year—and wondered what God would make of their pain. They poured those emotions—and the hard lessons learned—into the new album. We chatted with lead singer Tricia Brock and her sister guitarist/vocalist Melissa about their own experiences with heartache—and the beauty that ultimately, and divinely, came from that pain.

Tricia (center, blonde) and Melissa (center, brunette) with the members of Superchic[k]

What's behind the album title, Beauty from Pain?

Tricia Brock This album is more personal than any we've done before. It's honest and vulnerable. The title track, which I co-wrote, is my story. I went through a break-up with someone I thought was the one. It seemed so perfect. And then I needed to give it up to God, not knowing if I would ever get that back again.

I became completely dependent on God during that time after the break-up, because it was such an emotional time. It's hard not to feel depressed, to feel frustrated with God, not understanding why it had happened. I went to the Bible, and for the first time in my life I understood what Job means when he said God's Word was like his daily bread, that he needed it and wanted it more than food.

I found a lot of verses to meditate on, and they got me through each day. They kept me in the mindset I needed to be in emotionally and spiritually so I could minister to people at a time when life didn't make sense to me. We were back on tour just two weeks after my break-up, and I didn't really want to be there. I would rather have been moping around feeling sorry for myself, asking, Why? Why? Why? But I couldn't do that, so I just had to ask God to make something good out of my brokenness.

Without the concert commitments, would you have stayed home and moped?

Tricia I would have stayed home with Mom and Dad for a little while and just cried a lot longer, but I wasn't given that luxury. But I'm also the kind of person who, no matter what, I want to figure out Okay, how can I heal from this? And what is the best response for me? So I know I would have snapped out of it eventually.

One of the passages I found was Job 23, where Job says he felt like he couldn't find God. He says, "I go to the east and the west and the north and the south, and I cannot find God. I cannot see him. I can't catch a glimpse of him." And then he says, "But he knows the way that I take and when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." That passage became very real to me then.

Where'd you go from there?

Tricia I started praying and journaling, God, just make something good out of this, because if I have to go through this and in the end it doesn't make sense, then I am going to doubt you. I know that if you're letting me go through this, you're going to bring something good out of it. That's what I held onto. That's pretty much the song "Beauty from Pain." I think it became the title for the whole album because we all felt broken in different ways over the past year. We've all gone through things that were really hard, and I think the song summarized this time in our lives.

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