December 8, 2010
THE LIGHT'S ON:
Salvation in lights: The gospel, according to Mike Farris (Christina Knauss, 12/02/10, Weekly Surge)
Farm life obviously appeals to the 2010 version of Mike Farris.Back in the '90s, however, he was living a completely different kind of life, an almost stereotypical rock 'n' roll existence on the road with his band the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies. The Wheelies played loose, Southern-tinged hard rock that garnered a string of hits on mainstream rock charts, including "Shakin' the Blues" and "Magnolia." The band's live shows, including late-'90s gigs at the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach, were raucous and fun, and Farris' showed off consummate skills both as a vocalist and performer.
But the rock 'n' roll lifestyle caught up with Farris, and he battled twin demons of drugs and alcohol that he thought he'd overcome in his early 20s.
He got sober and embraced Christianity after the Wheelies broke up in 2001, and made a radical change not only in lifestyle, but also in his style of music.
Since his 2007 solo album "Salvation in Lights," Farris has embraced old-style gospel, and both his cover songs and originals wouldn't sound out of place on a Sunday morning service at a backwoods country church. He performs with a band that includes horn lines and backup singers, and none of the hard rock sounds from the Wheelies days. His album "Shout! Live" won a Dove Award for best traditional Gospel album of 2009.
Farris also makes music with a conscience. His latest release, the six-song EP, "Night The Cumberland Came Alive," is a benefit for victims of the devastating floods that hit Nashville in May. [...]
" Cumberland" definitely has a distinctive sound. Can you tell me what the recording sessions at Nashville's Downtown Presbyterian Church were like?
It was recorded in one day. We recorded it in six hours. On the whole album, what you hear is exactly what happened. There were no vocal overdubs, no guitar overdubs. And it is by light years the best sounding record we've done. I was just a ball of energy and kind of real nervous because I was overwhelmed by all the responsibility. Everybody walked in that day and nobody had heard one note of those songs. They had no idea what they were coming in to play, no charts to look at...I would stand on the edge of the pulpit in this big, massive old 19th-century church, play through the song on my acoustic guitar to show them how it was, and then we would roll tape, three to five takes and that was it. I was really kind of in my own world, and other guys who were there that day felt like it was a really good way to record. It took everybody out of their comfort zone because it wasn't a natural environment. They had to be on their toes and really had to pay attention. No one was on cruise control for this record.
The album benefits victims of the Nashville floods. Have you met with any of the families and what impact did that have on you?
We went a few weeks ago and started a series of interviews with people so we can film them, put them on our Web site (www.mikefarrismusic.org) and give a face to this disaster...It's truly life changing to sit and talk to people who have lost everything, homes they've raised their families in. The beautiful thing, and the common thread we find, is that every time we talk to these people we learn how their lives have somehow been enriched because of this disaster. They say they've become better people, or they've been overwhelmed by strangers' generosity, and they talk about how this has changed their lives. To me, only God can help people turn something tragic like this into something positive.
" Cumberland" definitely shows your evolution as a gospel singer. You've probably tired of answering this, but can you talk a little about what led you to do this kind of music as opposed to the rock 'n' roll you performed with the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies?
This kind of music was always there in me, but it wasn't obvious to me that it was what I should be doing. Even when I was with the Wheelies, I really wanted to move on stylistically after the first record, because I didn't feel like I was where I was supposed to be. It was a long process for me even after the Wheelies broke up. It took time to explore and find what my true voice was. When you're trying to make a living and wondering how you're going to pay the bills and get songs on the charts, those things interfere.
Do you remember when you knew you'd found the right sound?
I remember the moment I found my true voice. I was recording a song called "As I Walk" for my first solo record ("Goodnight Sun," 2002), and I was doing the vocal track and it just dawned on me. From that point on, the light was on. I knew exactly how I was supposed to sound...I just had to figure out how to frame it.
