Left to right: Jason Hammil (guitar), Brandon Morgan (bass), Mark Nicks (vocals, drums)

In the experimental spirit of bands such as Pink Floyd, Radiohead, or Sigur Ros, this Tennessee-based indie rock trio is spreading ethereal songs of worship to Christian audiences through the early 2003 release of their label debut, Wake Up, O Sleeper. Comprised of singing drummer Mark Nicks, bassist Brandon Morgan, and guitarist Jason Hammil, Cool Hand Luke doesn't get aroused by the fame, flash, and cash that can come from being in a band. They'd rather stay in the shadows and put Christ in the spotlight. Here's a closer look at the group's unconventional attitude and their artistic evolution from pop punkers to scream rockers to progressive performers.

So, how did you guys put the group together?

Mark: We met almost five years ago. Brandon and Jason lived in Murfreesboro, I lived in Nashville, but we all went to school at Middle Tennessee State University. We met through a mutual friend. The first thing the others asked was if I knew how to play drums, which I did. They were looking for a pop/punk band, and I wanted to be in a hardcore band, but we just kept talking and praying together. No one ever said, "I think we should be a band." It just sort of happened. We started out as a pop/punk band then moved on to hardcore and eventually into what we are now.

Would if be safe to call that indie rock? How would you describe it?

Mark: We don't know. Soft rock maybe? I guess progressive rock in a way.

How did the style transfer come about?

Brandon: I don't think it's anything that we really set out to directly do. If you listen to our previous recordings, there are distinct differences in each one. I think we're just maturing and growing up, and this record reflects our current tastes.

How did you guys catch the attention of Floodgate Records?

Mark: It was seriously just the hand of God on us. I'm probably not supposed to say this, but I think anybody would be stupid to sign us, because we don't really write three-and-a-half-minute pop songs suitable for radio play. We tend to favor really long songs, and we don't do anything conventionally. I sing while I play drums, so we don't rock out and jump around and work the crowd, so to speak.

Nor do you look at the crowd.

Brandon: (laughing) We pretty much don't do anything right.

Jason: Actually, we don't face backward anymore.

Why not?

Jason: Mostly for sound purposes. We weren't hearing each other very well. It's not like we started putting our feet on the monitors and going crazy just because we did turn around. We don't make eye contact with the crowd because we're not performers and we're scared to death.

How did facing backward start anyway?

Brandon: The reason I remember is when we practiced, we stood in a triangle facing each other because that's how we were comfortable. We just wanted it to be like practice since we don't jump around anyway.

Jason: Our goal isn't to entertain people but to lead people in worship. Our thinking is that if the audience is worshiping and we're worshiping, it doesn't matter which way we're facing. Ideally the focus is going to be God and not us. We try not to make ourselves the focus. It's easier for us to focus if we're concentrating on what we're doing.

What do you hope people will take from Wake Up, O Sleeper?

Brandon: When we wrote it we wanted to do a record that was really worshipful with simple lyrics that weren't just subjective but ones people could really sing along to yet have meaning. We put a lot of prayer into the record and prayed God would make it worshipful for believers and that those who aren't Christians could be touched anyway.

How did working with Tim Tabor [Floodgate label head, formerly of The Prayer Chain] help bring that about?

Brandon: He's a man of God, and he supports us as a ministry and a band. The whole reason we hooked up with him was because he agreed with what we're all about and we believed what Floodgate's all about. That's really helped us, and the relationship has gone even better than expected.

What about producer Steve Hindalong? How did he fit into the equation?

Brandon: He didn't try to make it a Steve production, he just told us he wanted to help fulfill our vision. Rather than telling us what to do, he asked us what we wanted and understood what we were going for. We were nervous, because the most well-known project he's worked on is City on a Hill, and we didn't want lots of simple CCM stuff on the record. But it wasn't like that at all. It was a really good experience.

How have audiences responded now that you've taken this on the road, particularly on the recent Switchfoot/Denison Marrs tour?

Mark: I think it was a mixture. I think we've gained some fans and they were good shows, but still I don't think it was exactly our target audience. In the end though, I guess that doesn't really matter when you're presenting the gospel.

Jason: It was my favorite tour. We opened up and played really cool venues. We'd always been fans of Switchfoot, so meeting them and seeing how they were the real deal made it that much cooler.

What's on the horizon now that those dates are over? Are you doing some more writing or heading back on the road?

Mark: We're going to tour a lot this summer, playing festivals and such. We've been brainstorming about new songs, doing our own thing in terms of getting ideas together, but we haven't started writing for the new record. In whatever the future holds, we want to keep serving the Lord and lifting up his name.

For more information on the band, log onto www.coolhandlukeonline.com. This is the band's temporary URL that is to be used until the address originally printed in the CD booklet can be restored.

You can also learn more about them from visiting their artist page on our site, where you will also find our review of their national debut Wake Up, O Sleeper. You can listen to sound clips and pick up your own copy of their album at Musicforce.com.

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