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"I wanna be a rock star, but I ain't got what it takes." So sang Third Day's Mac Powell on last year's Wire, an album they thought would hit it big in the mainstream, making them rock stars in the world's eyes. Though the album didn't yield those results, it still went Gold and won a Grammy, and the quintet remained as successful as ever in the realm of Christian music. But all wasn't well. A number of trials—including death, loss, and divorce among friends and family—shook the group's foundation. In an effort to reach out to their loved ones—and anyone going through similar situations—they recorded Wherever You Are (Essential), their most hopeful album to date. In this interview with Christian Music Today, frontman Powell and lead guitarist Brad Avery talk about the Wire dilemma, the season of trial, and how they hope to bring hope to listeners.

David Carr (left), Mark Lee, Mac Powell, Brad Avery, and Tai Anderson want everyone to know that Christ will meet each of us wherever we are.

Your album Wire was supposed to be your big crossover album. What happened?

Mac Powell Well, not a lot happened (laughs). We had the perspective that we were going to make the record that God was placing in our hearts. We felt the need to make a record that was a little more accessible outside of Christian music and outside of the church. Even from the very beginning, it probably didn't have a very big chance. That's not our forté; it's not an industry we know very well. The odds of it doing something were not very high, but we still felt like we had that calling anyway. Whether it sells ten million records or ten, this is what we were supposed to be doing, and we did it.

Brad Avery We were successful in some ways, perhaps not as much as we would've wanted, or what we dreamed would happen. You never know when that kind of stuff tends to work out or not. As far as the music, it was time for us to communicate in a different way, in a way that everybody could understand and not just Christians. We've always had a desire for everyone to hear our music. We don't want to limit our art and the message we have. We feel it's a message for everyone, but not everyone is ready to hear it.

In that effort to reach a wider audience, Wire was very ambiguous as to your intentions and convictions. But Wherever You Are is very outspoken about your beliefs. Why the reversal?

Powell With Wire, we wanted to reach people's heads and thoughts. We want people to think about their faith and where they stand in their relationship with God. [With this album], we wanted to make a record that was more for your heart, a record that would touch people in the circumstances they are in their lives. That's the major difference between the two albums.

Avery I don't know that Wire was ambiguous as much as it was us being careful in the words that we selected. Listening to that record, I don't think anyone is going to be fooled what we're about and figure out we're not Christians. We've always been fairly obvious about what we do. But instead of using Christian jargon, we made sure we picked words and visual pictures that everyone would gravitate toward. That was the difference.

Wherever You Are is also a record for everyone. It's based around the premise that God is going to meet you wherever you are. That doesn't mean he'll meet you only if you're faithful, read your Bible, and go to church when you're supposed to. Wherever You Are is about people going through life, and everyone deals with life. Whether you have God to turn to for strength or you don't have God at all, people endure pain, struggles, and even joy. God blesses everyone with sunshine, rain and beauty. Not just believers.

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