February 9, 2007
Anberlin – Stephen Christian

C = Cathy, S = Stephen

C: For the record, can you state your name and what you do in the band?
S: I’m Stephen Christian and I sing in the band Anberlin.

C: Your 3rd full length is coming out pretty soon. Why did you guys decide to call it “Cities”?
S: Well, a couple different reasons. First off, it’s always been our dream to be in a band and tour and that’s what we do now. So everyday we wake up and we’re in a brand new city. It’s definitely been hard, but at the end of the day it’s the most amazing experience of my life. The deeper meaning is that one night, I was sitting in Seattle, Washington, at our makeshift apartment, overlooking Seattle. I was just sitting there, trying to develop lyrics and stuff like that and I started to realize that life is a lot like being in a city. At first it appears huge and unconquerable. Everybody is going to be faced with decisions that they think are unconquerable, not only in making the right decision, but also if you should even try. Theodore Roosevelt was talking in one of his speeches about how “cold, timid souls no neither the taste of victory or the sting of defeat”, and I was like, “Man! I want to go do this & give this a try”. And not only in a CD, but also the whole rest of the time in Anberlin. I want to get out there and I want to try and I want to pour all my heart into this. So that’s what we did. We poured everything we had into this CD, whether it was musically or lyrically.

C: Did the record end up turning out how you had envisioned when you first went into the studio?
S: It turned out better. On the other CDs, we were very nervous going in because we didn’t have a lot of material. On the first album, there were ten songs on the record and we only came in with ten. On the second one, we came in with eleven and put down ten. On this one, we came in with fifteen songs and we got to cut and choose. By the time the production was done, all the ideas were cast out on the table and implemented. I think it came out to be the best record that we’ve ever done.

C: Do you have a favorite track off the record?
S: Right now it’s “Fin”, which is the last song on the record. I think it’s an eight and a half minute song. It’s really cool and it’s something that we’ve never done before. I’m really into bands like Sigur Ros, so that’s kinda what we were aiming for with an epic conclusion to the song. If you wait a couple seconds after “Fin” is done, there’s an extra track. We just went in with a whole bunch of percussion instruments and set up a microphone and guitar and we all just did what came to mind. We did it a couple times and the best take went on the record. It was just a great experience all the way around, and that’s why it’s my favorite track on the record.

C: That ties in with my next question perfectly, which was if you had any memorable recording stories.
S: Yeah! That’s it. It was really cool. There were about eight of us in the room and they all were playing percussion to the one beat. We dimmed the lights and were like, “Alright guys, whatever goes, goes”. I just started singing whatever came to mind and it turned out to be the coolest recording experience of my career, for sure.

C: I read somewhere that you earned a business degree, and that if you weren’t in Anberlin, you would most likely have a job in business. Is there any specific job in it you were interested in pursuing?
S: You’re close – I do have a degree, but it’s in Psychology. I was saying that if I wasn’t in Anberlin I was probably going to be getting my MBA. I don’t really want a job in business or anything like that. I’d really like to work for an organization like Unicef or World Vision or something to that effect. A little more humanitarian based. I’d like to be the red tape between America, Africa, or some foreign country. The programs, whether it’s fighting AIDS or setting up orphanage systems. Whatever it is, I definitely would not be in a cubicle job by any means. I’m definitely too ADHD for that, but I would love to go on and get my master’s degree.

C: Recently, you took a trip to Kalcutta, India. Can you give a little background on why you did this for the people who don’t know?
S: Sure! In March of 2006, I got the chance to go to Haiti. I was talking to my friends and I was like, “Man, I just feel so sorry right now. It’s like everything just revolves around me and my music and I really wish I could do something outside of America”. So, I got together with my tour manager and one of my good friends from around here in Florida and we planned out a trip to Haiti. There were 11 of us that went, just good friends of mine. It was an amazing experience and when I got back to the United States I thought, “I wish I could give that experience to every one of my musician friends”. So, I started talking to the same people – my tour manager and my friend from around here – and we decided that we were going to start up a trip to go to Kalcutta, India. We started calling around – I called my record label and several different record labels and said, “Hey if you have anyone interested in doing this, please refer them to me. I’d love to take as many people as I can”. We ended up getting 5 different bands, 20 people total, to take this trip to Kalcutta, India. It was unbelievable. It was an amazing experience working in the red light district in Kalcutta. I really feel like we got a lot accomplished and I definitely know that we set some people’s hearts in the right place as far as realizing that it’s not all about sex, drugs, and rock & roll. This industry is about having a platform and a short time to be a band. Why don’t we use it for the greater good of humanity? It was great, and we’re now in the process of planning a trip this December to Nairobi, Kenya. We’re so excited about that. I want to take about 30 people this time, just so they can come back and have something more interesting to talk about in interviews than “Are you single?”. I’d much rather them talk about the poverty in Africa or the AIDS crisis in Africa. I just want them to form an attachment to other countries and benefit humanity as a whole.

C: Do you have any ideas yet what bands you want to take along with you to Kenya?
S: If I had it my way, I would just take one from every band. Actually, I want every band! We’ll all just meet - every single band in the world, from Coldplay to Radiohead to Sigur Ros – we’re all going to have a big meeting in Africa. But right now it looks like a couple members from Thrice, a couple from Underoath, and us, obviously. There’s still a lot of talk about it just because India was so successful and people are finding out about it through interviews and magazines and stuff. I don’t care who goes – I’m not targeting one band or another. I want bands from every genre because we all have different platforms and we all have different influences. The ulterior motive to getting these people over there is that, not only will they get involved, but hopefully they can get their listeners involved as well. That doesn’t mean that everybody has to go to Africa, but hopefully they get involved in working in the soup kitchen in their own town and stuff like that.

C: If there was one point you could get across to anyone who listens to your music, what would it be? Would it be that?
S: That’s definitely one of them. You have to realize that you’re not alone in this world. The western eye is used to being bigger, better, faster – more creature comforts. But the real success in the world is when we can all have a place to sleep tonight and all have meals on tables. So just realize that there’s more to life than just you. Gandhi once said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world”. It doesn’t do a lot of good to complain, it’s the action behind the motives that’s going to change this world.

C: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring 3 things with you, what would they be and why?
S: Oh wow… A cell phone so I could get help! Just kidding.
C: That’s not allowed!
S: Three things! Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Well I have to bring a book, because it would get really boring. I guess I would get a survival guide first. Think about it, I don’t know the first thing about survival. I’ve got a Winn Dixie and a Walmart within a mile from my house! What do I know about surviving?! So definitely a survival manual – the thickest one I can find. The Bible, because I wouldn’t want to lose any type of faith, especially since I’m pretty much going to die since I have no idea how to survive. And then, what would be practical? I’d bring a water purifier. A lifetime water purifier. That way, even if I’m on the island and there is no fresh water, I’ll be ok because I can just use that.

C: Ok, well that was my last question. Do you have any closing statements?
S: Nope, that’s it! We’re going on tour with Bayside, Meg & Dia, and Jonezetta for the next month and a half, so come and check that out. After that we’re going to Canada, and then we’re going to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Then we do the Warped Tour, then we go to Europe, and then we come back. So in other words, no matter where you live in the world, you can come hang out with Anberlin! So check out Anberlin.com, or myspace, or purevolume – all of those websites, and we’ll see you on the road!
C: Wow, sounds like you’re going to have a busy year.
S: I’m excited, though. I’m excited.