We are living in strange times. As the world teeters on the edge of illness and billions of people huddle in their homes to avoid microscopic organisms, The Gentle Wolves, a church-band without a church, sit poised to release an album of church music. Is this what the world needs right now… another collection of church songs?
Anyone who knows me knows that the way I process things is through music. When times are hard I put my headphones in and blare Mogwai or Mineral. When I feel frustrated, I impose order on my world through kicks and snares, clanging guitars, and out-of-tune crooning. Most importantly, when my friends are hurting I show up with songs to sing.
Room For All Release Date and Release Party
Room for All, the first studio release for The Gentle Wolves in over five years, will be available on all digital platforms on Friday 5/1. Community health permitting, we will be celebrating with a release party/show at the legendary Hole in the Wall in Austin, TX on Friday 4/25. Just as the Church Fathers (and Mothers) adorn the walls of many-a-sanctuary, so the saints of Austin’s rich music pantheon have influenced our renditions. Because of this, it seems fitting that our churchless church band would celebrate the release of our record in a place with such a rich history of its own.
I’m incredibly proud of Room for All. It’s a full-length album featuring 12 original retuned hymns. Taking old hymns and poems and setting them to new music was my favorite part of being a music pastor. I hope this collection of half-original songs will be sung in many-a worships and will bring hope to earbuds, boomboxes, and road trips.
Far Off We See A Goal
It is perhaps fitting that Far Off We See A Goal (click play on the album cover above) is coming out on a Friday the 13th like today. It’s frenetic, pre-apolayptic tones juxtapose nicely against the faithful-uncertainty of Robert Robert’s (!?!) lyrics from the eighteenth century. Dan Wheeler’s drumming on this track is incredibly tight, but feels like it could all fall apart at any moment… which could maybe be said for our faith or our civilization. I almost find the timeless anxiety comforting.
The chord chart for this song can be found here.