From left: Jeff Chornin (drums), Eric Durrance (vocals/guitar), Chuck Shea (guitar), Gary Sobel (bass)

If there's someone who knows a thing or two about patience it's vocalist Eric Durrance and his band Big Dismal. Signed for almost three years to indie giant Wind-Up Records, they've just started to promote their label debut Believe (released in May of 2003) after sorting through a couple of hurdles that have made them wait, wait, and wait. Despite the holdbacks, the band still scored three #1 hits at rock radio, and is slowly starting to emerge from obscurity. Christian Music Today caught up with Eric during one of the band's See Spot Rock tour stops to talk about the obstacles and how these have solidified them as a group.

Why has it taken so long for you guys to take off?

Eric Durrance: Last year I had vocal surgery right around the time our record released. I had a checkup right before last year's See Spot Rock tour, which we were supposed to be on, and he told me I had these cystic nodes in my throat, like a callus in my vocal cords. So I had to get those cut out, and it took about six months to recover from that. I couldn't talk or sing.

That must have been difficult to go through.

Durrance: It was probably the most trying time in my entire life. I was really scared that I wouldn't be able to get my voice back. There's always that risk that your voice won't be the same afterwards, and there's also the possibility of it coming back even stronger. In my case it was the latter. Now I'm able to reach notes I wasn't able to reach before. It's really been a blessing in disguise.

What was life like while you waited?

Durrance: We were just at home, thinking. Too much thinking. Luckily we have our own studio, so that gave us the chance to be productive and write songs like crazy. We pretty much have the next record already written. We have over 120 songs to choose from. So we weren't wasting our time, although we did wonder when our break would come.

New bands come out all the time. Did you ever fear your album would get somewhat stale as you guys waited?

Durrance: When we recorded the album we were really happy with the way it came out. As we listened to it we realized that the album could be released ten years from now and still be pretty strong. I wasn't really worried about that. The good thing about this waiting time is that we've grown so much since we made that album. We're twice the band we were when we made it. It's as if God stuck out his hand and said, "You're going to wait and you're going to become stronger. Then you're going to get your turn." I say that because many times we thought we were ready, but we really weren't. Also, there are people who have never heard the album, so I think as they start to discover it or the band, they don't even notice we've been out for almost a year already.

Did you always keep a bright outlook on things? Or was there a moment where you thought you'd touched rock bottom?

Durrance: We've hit the bottom more times that I can actually count. The surgery was huge, but our bass player also left just before our album came out. Even as we were recording the album last year, we were having a hard time connecting as a band while in the studio. Wind-Up had signed me as a solo artist, so it was during the recording process that we tried to come together as Big Dismal. It was frustrating because at times the players couldn't get their parts right and the label suggested bringing in studio musicians. It was tough.

With this band, though, every time we hit the bottom it seems something good and better comes out of it. So in a way I think it's the bottom where you ultimately want to be, because if you're at the top all the time, you tend to lose perspective. From down here, you can see everything. It's reality. It keeps you in check every day.

I'm sure you've heard the comparisons to Creed. How do you deal with that?

Durrance: I think people, especially music critics, have to listen a lot deeper. I think the moment people hear the heavy guitars and the way the vocals are going, they immediately think, "Creed." Before we went into the studio, it was just me and an acoustic guitar. It never had any of these Creed overtones. I think the moment we came together as a band those elements became noticeable. We never realized the similarities, but the fans did. So now for the next album, we're going to get away from that as much as possible. I think we've learned a lesson, and we're definitely going to try to do something a little more poppier, maybe along of the lines of Matchbox Twenty or Goo Goo Dolls, something with lighter guitars.

Songwriters don't normally dedicate songs to their grandmothers, but you did with "Remember." What's the story behind that?

Durrance: I lived with her for 12 years [after his parents divorced]. She pretty much raised me growing up. She was such a godly woman. Very strong in her faith. I was going through some very tough times growing up, and she was there to support me. That kinda comes through in the lyrics.

What kind of tough times?

Durrance: My dad was a trucker. With him out on the road so much, my mom kinda fell out of love and fell in love with somebody else. I was five. The split wasn't nasty. It just happened. My stepfather came into the picture, and he was one of my biggest musical influences growing up. He taught me how to play drums, shortly after I started playing the guitar and writing songs, and now I'm here.

Any specific memories about your grandmother?

Durrance: Just the fact that she was always so close to God. Every night she'd have Bible studies with me, right next to my bed. Not only that, but she's also such a cool person, a very cool grandmother. She manages to stay lively, she loves our music. She's like, "I love that guitar part!"

So your grandma is a big Big Dismal fan.

Durrance: Yeah. She's a big fan. She even loved the "Remember" video. We hated it because Wind-Up totally changed the concept of it [the storyline of the video is about a boy-girl relationship, not about Eric's relationship with his grandmother], but she fell in love with it. I love her.

For more about this popular rock band, visit our artist page. In addition to their bio and discography, you'll find our review of Believe. To listen to sound clips and buy Big Dismal's music, visit Christianbook.com.

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