About Ever Stays Red
Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono of famed rock band U2, once said, “Music can change the world because it can change people.” For the past five years, four friends have been striving to create high-energy rock music with that one purpose in mind. After two independent releases and years of touring, the band was primed for its first national release, aptly titled; On the Brink Of It All (2008).
Formed in the fall of 2002 by Carlson (lead vocals, guitar), Zach Andresen (guitars, vocals), Josh Carlson (drums), and Erik Bruner (bass guitar), Ever Stays Red is dedicated to writing and recording music geared at leading a new generation towards a personal experience with God.
"I wrote songs for the album from my heart; songs about never giving up on the dreams inside of you, songs about redemption, songs about daring to believe in what the world could be," reflects Ever Stays Red frontman Dustin Carlson.
The band toured extensively in support of their debut album, I’ll Tell The World (2004) playing over 250 shows across the country. With proceeds from touring, Ever Stays Red funded a trip to Belo Horizonte , Brazil where they performed nightly for thousands of young people, many of whom lived in the streets of the inner city. Over that twelve-day stretch of shows, the band witnessed first-hand the power of music to transcend culture and creed, further solidifying their sense of calling.
"Brazil was a turning point for this band,” says Carlson. “It was the moment in time when we all realized that we were apart of something so much bigger then ourselves. We came home from that trip committed to the idea that music becomes meaningful when it brings hope--we have always strived to make meaningful music."
Fueled by the passion of a second trip to Brazil in early 2006, the band returned to the states anxious to begin recording its second album. Released independently in late 2006, These Words Become Us found critical acclaim among the Christian music industry and gathered airplay at numerous rock stations across the country. In anticipation of the albums release, the band invested heavily in its live performance, spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to build a mesmerizing multi-media production that transformed an already impressive live show into a spiritually moving experience.
|
Early in 2007, Ever Stays Red was signed by Vertical Shift Records (VSR Music), a new label distributed by EMI CMG, and was asked to record a third album. Enlivened by the opportunity of an aggressively promoted international release, the band began writing with renewed energy and excitement. |
What has come out of those studio sessions - On the Brink Of It All (2008). A refreshing blend of guitar driven rock, compellingly honest vocals, and spiritually gripping lyrics it is aimed to please fans of rock and roll and worship music alike. The heartbeat of the album is the band’s firm belief that the dreams that inspire us should never be allowed to die. "If the sky should fall, we will be alright, we'll take up shelter here, beneath these dreams that speak of what we will become," writes Carlson in the song Meant to Be.
Melding its high energy, guitar-driven rock with compellingly honest vocals and spiritually gripping lyrics, the new album reflects the maturity of a band that has lived and breathed to spread the eminent message of Christ through music.