From left: Chad O'Neal (drums), Ryan O'Neal (vocals, guitars), Dan Perdue (bass)

Our office in the Chicago burbs is just a few blocks from the northern border of Wheaton. You've probably heard of one guy who came through that town—a fella named Billy Graham, a 1943 Wheaton College grad who went on to take his message to the masses for 60-plus years. Now here come a few more Wheatonians who are, in many ways, doing the same thing—delivering a message to the mainstream. Sleeping at Last, comprised of brothers Ryan and Chad O'Neal and their friend Dan Perdue, started out by playing in the basement of the O'Neal family's Wheaton home. One thing led to another, and eventually their music landed in the lap of rocker Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan), who helped land the band a deal with Interscope, a mainstream label. Sleeping at Last also gained mainstream exposure via a recent tour with the crossover Christian rock group Switchfoot. Additionally, we named Sleeping at Last one of the Best New Artists of '03, and tabbed their CD, Ghosts, as one of the year's best. We recently talked with the guys about their faith in their art, their relationship with Corgan, what drives each of them, and more.

Why does Sleeping at Last exist?

Ryan O'Neal: The main force behind the band is we realize that if we put our hearts into this, there's a good chance someone else can listen to our work and take something away we didn't even intend for them to take, and to be better off for it.

How do you weave your faith into your songwriting?

Ryan O'Neal: I think the faith in our songs comes really naturally. It never comes out in a pushy or overbearing way. That's kind of how we live as well, not pushing it down anyone's throats, but trying to be an example of that faith. So as it relates to songwriting, it's just there already, so it becomes a part of the music as much as anything else I want to say.

The process itself is all over the place. I haven't found one single way to write that's really been like a formula. I wish it was; that would be a lot easier. But sometimes songs will start with a part on a guitar or a part on a piano or whatever. Lyrically, what I basically do is I sit down at a typewriter and I type out whatever's on my mind. It might not even make sense or it may be a single word. It's just anything that scrapes off the top of my head. That gets all the junk out, then I can look at that and compile a lot of my lyrics from what I read and what it all looks like to me. That's where all the lyrics for Ghosts came from.

Do the rest of you guys give Ryan input for song ideas?

Dan Perdue: As far as the music goes, yes. But not lyrically; that's Ryan's thing.

Ryan O'Neal: The arrangements are a group effort but the songs are generally presented in different ways. Sometimes we'll work on songs together, and other times I'll know pretty well where the parts should go and I'll finish it myself. We all do shape our different sides of the songs, so yes, it's definitely a group effort as the songs come together in the end.

Ryan, who would you like to write with some day?

Ryan O'Neal: I'm really finicky when it comes to writing, as far as not wanting anyone else's outside opinions on the songs. It's too personal, I guess, to have anyone share in the process. There isn't anyone out there right now I'd want to write with, but who knows about the future?

How has your relationship with Billy Corgan affected things?

Ryan O'Neal: He became involved with us about three years ago. He was really great about giving us encouragement on the new songs we were writing. Being an artist himself, he knows it's a really personal and touchy thing to create your music, so he doesn't want to tell us things like Well, this is how that song should be. He was really great about standing in the outer lines and giving us encouragement.

Because we look up to him so much, his encouragement was and is definitely fueling a lot of the effort to push ourselves further and further in what we are doing. It's great to have him in our lives as a friend.

Any idea where Corgan might be in his spiritual walk?

Ryan O'Neal: Honestly, I'm not sure. I don't think anyone can really say, apart from himself. But I know right now he has a lot of projects going on and so from what we hear, he's doing pretty well and he's happy.

What drives each of you? What are you passionate about in life?

Dan Perdue: I love finding new music—a band or an artist that's really fresh and new. As far as the band goes, I really like when we're in the studio and something happens, sort of by accident, that turns out to be something that everyone really likes. Those accidental moments are always really cool. Hmm…what else is cool?

You guys can feel free to help him if you think of anything that drives this guy.

Groups busts-up laughing and teases each other.

How about you, Ryan?

Ryan O'Neal: I love movies so much. I take a lot of inspiration from amazing stuff that people have put on film. And I love writing when things actually go well. It's kind of a love/hate relationship—it doesn't always go well. But when it does, it's a great feeling.

Sometimes I spend so much time writing a song and it's nothing but frustration, and then I complete it and can see how all the hard work really paid off. I put my entire heart and soul into a song, questioning it all the way wondering if it good or if it's really how we want it, and then you realize afterward that it's just right.

Spending time with my family and friends is also very important to me.

How often are you able to do that?

Ryan O'Neal: Quite a bit, actually. We've only been on one tour so far, with Switchfoot last year. This year we've been doing a bunch of single shows, and a few more dates with Switchfoot. Then we have another tour coming up soon. We recorded Ghosts in Chicago, so that kept us close to home. So, we've been able to spend a lot of time with our friends and our families.

Who will you tour with next?

Ryan O'Neal: Something Corporate and Yellow Card, starting in April.

Okay Chad, you're up.

Chad O'Neal: Movies are a big passion for me too. And I think all of us really share the passion of being in a band, where we can create something out of nothing and having people, hopefully, grasp onto it and take away something—something they enjoy or something that makes them think about things in their daily lives.

Meeting people definitely encourages me—people at shows whom we continue to have friendships with.

Are you already thinking about your next album?

Ryan O'Neal: Actually, on the tour late last year, I began writing a bunch of lyrics for the next album. So yeah, we've been thinking about it a lot. I have a lot of lyrics for the next album, and I've started writing a bit since I've been back home. It really isn't anything big yet, but I do have parts of what will eventually become songs.

I'm trying to pace myself and not make it a pressure thing, because most of the world hasn't heard Ghosts yet. So, all of this year will pretty much be devoted to promoting Ghosts.

For more about Sleeping at Last and their music, visit our artist page. Click here to read our review of their label debut, Ghosts. To listen to sound clips and buy their music, visit Amazon.com.

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