Revealing a New Chapter
Though Third Day has one less guitarist, changes in their outlook and creative process have yielded what the band believes one of their best albums to date—and many are in agreement.
by Andy Argyrakis | posted 7/28/2008
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When Third Day debuted over a decade ago, the Atlanta-based act was steeped in Southern rock n' roll—a sound that would continue to pepper future projects with less frequency. Which is why fans of the band's rollicking roots will likely be pleased with the deliberately more aggressive Revelation, arguably the band's most intense (and possibly even best) disc to date, thanks in part to production from Howard Benson (Relient K, P.O.D.), mixing by Chris Lord-Alge (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), and guest appearances from the likes of Robert Randolph, Chris Daughtry, and Flyleaf's Lacey Mosely. Another change comes with the departure of longtime guitarist Brad Avery, leaving Third Day as a quartet comprised of lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee, bassist Tai Anderson, and drummer David Carr. The latter two talked to Christian Music Today about this new chapter in the band's career, along with the associated changes and hopes for the future.
Though guitarist Brad Avery has left the band, Tai Anderson (left), David Carr, Mac Powell, and Mark Lee has come up with one of their most rocking albums to date.
Do you believe that Third Day ever abandoned rock 'n' roll in your decade or so together as a band?
David Carr I don't think we ever abandoned rock, though there are a lot of different ways to define rock. We've always had plenty of guitar tracks—sometimes heavy and maybe too many guitars at times. But Mac also has a tender side; the way he writes has an emotional side to it. There are times we really want to let that out, so the song doesn't need as much of a rock sound, and I think that's off putting to fans who say, "You're not who you were." But as young guys who started in their late teens and early twenties, we were constantly trying to find an identity, experimenting with our sound. That's why Conspiracy No. 5 was very edgy and raw, while Time was more rootsy and from the gut. I don't want to look back and discredit anything, but we've explored so many parameters that hopefully each album explores something more. On this new album, I think we've really honed in on something.
Tai Anderson Some people defined Wherever You Are by the [softer] radio singles like "Cry Out to Jesus" and "Mountain of God." Even though it wasn't my favorite record, I liked that we weren't driven by what was going around us musically—we weren't trying to be MercyMe or Casting Crowns. It was made out of a season of empathy, recognizing that a lot of our family and friends were going through difficult times. When somebody's just lost a child, you don't play a rock song at them. You walk beside them, which is what we were trying to do—uplifting our friends going through divorces or loss of a loved one. Later that morphed into a response to Hurricane Katrina and other issues going around the world at the time.
Out of curiosity, which would you call your favorite record?
Anderson
Time is probably my favorite record overall.
Carr I would second that.
Is it frustrating to you that people try to confine Third Day's sound in a box?
Carr I don't necessarily think it frustrates us, but some people misconstrue our intentions. We certainly don't expect everyone to like every album equally and we're not trying to do the same exact thing on every album. Any band who tries to keep reproducing what they've done before is not going to last fifteen years.
With all that said, we don't really like to look in hindsight and wonder whether we should or shouldn't have done this or that. I've defended Wherever You Are because even though we as a band refer to it as a softer album, songs like "Tunnel" and "I Can Feel It" still have a heavier feel to them. There were a lot of songs on there that were rock songs, but they were sandwiched between some softer message songs.
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