Collision:
Head-on with David Crowder
Sold-out concerts, six Dove Award nominations, the 2006 pop/contemporary song of the year from his new “A Collision” CD and a faithful following that’s growing exponentially. This, of course, is the David Crowder Band. We hooked up with David to talk about the early days, home recording and the tangible benefits of clean living.
You and a friend started the University Baptist Church when you were students at Baylor. That’s a pretty ambitious undertaking for a college student. What was your reason?
It came out of discussions with students who weren’t finding church a relevant part of their college experience. We believed that these students had a problem with church and not with God. We were brave in our naiveté and simply proposed a space for reengagement.
Which came first: your interest in Christian music, or founding the church?
Founding the church. I think part of what helped in our approach to carving out this space was that we were not ourselves immersed in contemporary Christian culture or what was happening in the church. This gave us a tremendous amount of freedom.
You’ve said that you want your music to reach young people in today’s post-Christian culture. What does “post-Christian” mean to you? And does this present an obstacle to getting your message out?
Terminology is a fluid thing but I do think we’re in a unique time and space. People are open to a greater number of ideas than ever before. We’re simply attempting to present an articulation of our faith for those who are on a similar journey. Our music is at its zenith in a group setting. Lyrically, the songs speak to individuals, but they’re meant to be experienced, to come to life with a group singing them. We’re hoping to create a shared experience.
Let’s talk about songwriting. Who are your musical influences?
Folk writers like John Gorka and David Wilco. Storytellers. Dylan, Guthrie, Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch and Leonard Cohen. I like a good story.
A slightly different perspective.
Fair enough. Most of your new CD, “A Collision,” was recorded in a barn behind your house. What was that experience like?
There is not enough to be said about recording at home, to having the home-field advantage. You’re grounded, it keeps you from going completely crazy sitting in a dark studio for days upon days at a time – there is a certain level of comfort and security.
Another upside is that by doing the project in our little town, it keeps us out from under the microscope and really frees us up to be able to try different things and commit time to experimentation. For us, it’s absolutely the best way to go.
During your recent tour, you played all over the country, in all sizes of venues—including a sold-out concert at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Is maintaining a consistent sound, going from arena-size gigs to more intimate venues, ever a problem?
If you are fortunate enough to have a good sound engineer with you, then it's not something you really have to worry about. We have a really great guy who travels with us on our tours who we really trust, so we don't stress over it. Of course, every room will sound different because of the size and acoustics, so the element of adventure is always there.
One last question: How does a guy like you get a guitar named after him?
Good clean living. Tom Anderson of Tom Anderson Guitar Works was an ardent fan of the band. I met him one night after a show and asked him why he only seemed to honor electric guitar players with namesake instruments. “What’s wrong with us acoustic blokes?” I asked. And “The Crowdster” was born.
Drum Mics
- We use Beta 52®A and Beta 91™ on the kick. The 52's low-end punch and the 91's attack make for a very complete kick drum blend.
- SM57 on the snare. The 57 is a classic on the snare.
- Beta98D/S on toms. It’s a very functional and great sounding mic for toms.
- KSM137 on hat and ride, KSM32 on overheads. These are rugged and roadworthy condenser mics.
Instrument Mics
- Beta57A® on bass amp, SM57 on all guitar and violin amps.
- SM58®s and Beta 87C™s on vocals
- We’ve used the PSM®600 for years. We've used the E5 earphones for years and they sound as good as ever.
- We use Shure’s Whitelabel cartridges. These are good cartridges from a company that has made them for years.
