*David, The Sonic Waves is making a big splash in landlocked Oklahoma City ... What brought you guys together? How did this band begin?
I have been a huge Beach Boys fan since I was a kid. I have been in various bands through the years and have always wanted to be in a Beach Boys cover band. I have a friend at work, Doug Vrooman, who is in a great 60's rock and roll band called The Wise Guys. We were in my office one day talking about his band and I mentioned my dream. He said, "Let's do it!" That was all the encouragement I needed. It was something I always wanted to do but never really thought I would actually do it. His interest pushed me over the edge. After that we started looking for other members. We started spreading the word about the group and were surprised at how quickly some of our friends jumped on board.
*How did your love for Beach Boys music take off?
I must have been about 10 years old or so when I heard the Endless Summer hits album. For some reason, it was just like magic to me. My dad had raised my brothers and I listening to old Gospel quartets like The Statesmen, The Stamps, and the Blackwoods so I was familiar with the male harmony group sound. He also listened to a lot of old 50's artists like Elvis and The Coasters. I think for me the Beach Boys was a marriage of the 50's vibe and the male harmony singing I was already accustomed to. But I liked it because it felt like it was my own find. Of course, it wasn't, but I was ten, what did I know! I just started picking up more and more albums and then began to fall in love with the more obscure stuff, especially from the 70's. Then as I was a teenager, I liked alot of other music, but I continued my own thing by being a Beach Boys fan. It was fairly rare for someone in high school in the 80's.!
*Your set includes many BB standards; which is the most difficult to cover? Which is most enjoyable for you to perform?
We are going to work on Heroes and Villains and that seems pretty tough for several reasons. First, we have to decide which version (or combination of versions and/or sections) to do because there are so many! We'll probably end up with our own combination. Second, the vocals will have to be really tight because we won't have the luxury of stacking the vocals the way they do in the studio.
I think the funnest live songs to do are always the more rocking songs like Do It Again, Marcella, and even Barbara Ann because audiences always get into that.
*Explain the "T-shirt in church" story that appeared in the paper . . .
Ha! I teach an adult Sunday School class called Voyage Through The Bible which is a one year curriculum I wrote and people can download for free at http://www.voyagethroughthebible.com (plug #1)! I was talking about The Sonic Waves in the class once. OK, several times. There wasn't any theological point, but I am known to digress and/or break out in song at any moment. A friend in the class, Jennifer Ashford, went to the website and saw the merch available. She didn't tell me anything about it, she just showed up wearing it at church (we have a pretty casual church). What was really funny was it was before we had ever sang at all. She qualifies as our very first fan! Which is the point of the "limited edition" shirt. It has our logo on the front, and on the back it says, "I was a SONIC WAVES fan before it was cool to be a SONIC WAVES fan!" The Spectrum article says the Untied Way gig at work was our first performance, but to be technically correct we tried those songs out for my class two days before we did them at work.
*Many have said that the Beach Boys songs have a spiritual dimension ~ Have you found that to be true?
I find alot of them to be spiritual on two levels. The first, and most prominent to me, is the musical aspect. I believe that God gives everybody different gifts. My greatest gift is teaching. But there is no question in my mind that God has given Brian Wilson an incredible gift of music. I don't know how to explain to people but I actually feel closer to God when listening to the Beach Boys (especially Brian's SMiLE album). I'm certainly not saying they are a Christian band, but I really appreciate the gift that God has given Brian in his compositions, and the rest of them in their voices. I believe it is part of God's gift to the world. It is part of what theologians call God's "general revelation" to mankind. How can you look at the universe and not see the handiwork of a Creator? In the same way, I don't know how someone can listen to those incredible harmonic voices and those amazing compositions and not appreciate the gift of music that God has given them and us.
It may bother some people that I can experience that listening to secular music but I am afraid alot of modern Christians miss out on some of God's greatest artistry by thinking that if something doesn't come from "the church" that there is no redeeming quality to it. That's not to say that there aren't things we should filter in our lives, but we should also appreciate God's revelation where ever we find it. If you don't understand what I am saying, listen to "Our Prayer," "Surf's Up," or "Til I Die" and I think you'll start to get it.
On a second level, they have some songs that have very spiritual, even Christian, themes. Again, I'm not saying they set out to write Gospel music but some of the themes are there. Songs like "Long Promised Road," "Mess of Help To Stand Alone," "Add Some Music," and "Wake The World," However, they do have some songs that promote Eastern philosophies like "Transcendental Meditation," "The TM Song," and "All This Is That." I like some of those songs musically but I would never do them with the Sonic Waves because lyrically they promote a philosophy I completely disagree with. They would be considered spiritual but certainly not Christian.
*Future hopes and dreams for The Sonic Waves?
I am a husband, a father, a Bible teacher, and a tax accountant, and those are my priorities in life. But I have always needed some outlet for the musician in me. I just want to be able to have fun expressing myself musically, enjoy my band mates, and letting some of those desires to create and perform music come out. Everyone in the band are Christians but we are obviously not a "Christian" band. One thing I learned though from performing with my brothers years ago in "secular" environments (http://www.mclaughlinbrothers.net - plug #2) is that you can minister to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Because I'm known to share my faith in all kinds of places and situations, I also expect God to put people in my path with the Sonic Waves that I can share my faith with. But we certainly won't be giving altar calls during concerts!
People can keep track of us at our website, http://www.thesonicwaves.com (plug #3), and by signing up there to be on our email list.
>>Visit http://www.PrayForSurf.net for more "stuff"
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