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Phone
interview Josh Brown, lead vocals for Day of Fire
November 14, 2004
Dennis: Hey how's it going man? Wow, some of you
guys call exactly right on time, amazing haha.
Josh: Haha, Yeah, you gotta go with it man. I got
good people around me man.
Dennis: Well, some interviews we schedule never call so it gets
rough sometime man haha. So where are you guys at right now?
Josh: Yeah haha. Man, I am in Jackson, Tennessee
with my wife and two kids, man.
Dennis: So is that who I am hearing in the background?
Josh: Yeah haha, that's my sixth month old saying
"Dada and Mama." Yeah.
Dennis: From the
700 Club to CNN News and now to Wise Men Promotions.
I don’t know who you made mad man haha.
Josh: Haha, why is that?
Dennis: No, I'm just messing with you man. Hey we have selected
you guys as band of the month for December and are going to let as many
people we know about Day of Fire.
Josh: Awesome, cool thanks man. That is
great and pretty awesome.
Dennis: For those that may not know how did
you and Greg get together and then come up with the name Day of
Fire?
Josh: Well, you know I had quit Full Devil
(Driver) and I had been out of the music industry for a good year and a
half, maybe two years. Man, I was actually leaving a church and just
started checking out the church I go to know, Family Worship Center of
Jackson. Through some friends I had met Greg, and he had just
started to that church also. I mentioned to him there was a label
I was talking to and all that. I mentioned I was trying to get a
band together and man, he and I just clicked. You know, we tried to
write a long time to get a record deal but the motive of our heart was
wrong. So, we weren't very creative in that and we just ended up
studying the Bible and praying also for the first 2 or 3 months of our
relationship. You know that is what it was based on. And uh, inside of
that God started bringing forth the music. The whole deal was it
had to be for the right motive. You know, if we were just writing to get
a record deal, than that was just completely wrong. And you know we
probably could haven't written songs that were impressive enough to find
someone sign us. But we wanted to be instruments of God and write
music that makes a difference. So, uh, that's how it happen.
Dennis: And then how did the name Day of
Fire come up?
Josh: You know uh, it's like you know I had
an experience with drug addiction, man. I had gone to rehab and
all that and in rehab they told me I would be a drug addict all my life
and maybe you will stay sober if you do these steps. Well, I had
an encounter with the living God. My wife and I started going to
this church and one day Jesus touched me, the living God touched me and
delivered me from drug addiction. The music of Day of Fire is music that
is written the person I used to be. We didn't really have a name
for the band and man, God laid that on my heart. It is what
happened to me and I had a day of fire and I was free from drug
addiction and it was like the day of Pentecost
Dennis: That's so cool, when I found out I
was getting this interview with you, I had just preached a message to
the youth group at our church. It was a message of hope and saying you
must get on fire when you are down, even though it is the toughest time.
Dennis: You have a hard almost post modern grunge sound to your
style.....
Josh: Oh yeah totally! Post modern grunge, I have
never been able to word it, post modern grunge! Yeah, we totally grew up
with the grunge scene with Nirvana and Sound Garden.
Dennis: So that's where the sound comes from, I was right in my
guess haha.
Josh: Oh yeah totally!
Dennis: All right now, be sure whenever
someone asks you, you give me the credit haha.
Josh: Yep, the Wise Men said post modern
grunge man.
Dennis: Your lyrical style is heavy and
emotional. One of the
things I found so attractive to your style was in your bio I was sent,
you listed scripture reference to almost every song.
I know this is liking a parent which kid they like the most but
if you had to pick out your top 3 lyrical songs, which would they be and
why?
Josh: "Rain Song" and
"Cornerstone" is my top 2 songs. Just because "Rain
Song" was written out of Isaiah and the way the words came.
You know you lay down and you arent thinking and 'bam' the words come.
The first verse and chorus were written in like 15 minutes. It was
so awesome. Also "Cornerstone," you know I think the
lyrics are definitely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Also, I think the
story in "Jacob's Dream," that even though it is very simple
is one of my favorites. It just describes the journey that Jacob and all
of us have to make to find who God is through us. To find the
living God instead of finding the God of your fathers.
Dennis: During the completion of your sophomore
release with Full Devil Jacket, you decided it was time to leave. What
was the bands reaction to this decision, especially since you were in
the idle of recording your sophomore release?
Josh: You know right now I don't have any contact
with the band members. I probably will in the future. They were
shocked and had every right to be. It was just a quick thing and
it was harsh. I mean one day I was committed and then the next day
I wasn't. I had to just leave. I left flat out with no time to
negotiate things you know. I told the guys where I was at
with Jesus. I read in the words where it says not to be unequally
yoked and like a house divided against itself can not stand. I
said if I was to go forward then we would all to be going for the same
goal. At that time, it just wasn't a possibility for them. I
just had to walk away and you know it is completely understandable how
it would upset somebody but that's what I had to do.
Dennis: I talk to a lot of bands and have a
few Christian friends that are in secular bands. You mentioned no being
unequally yoked. What advice would you gives to bands like that out
there that are Christians in a band in the secular market?
Josh: You know if you are called to do it,
then that is where you are supposed to be. My thing is, number one: make
sure you are called to be there and number two: if you know you are
called to be there then walk in the faith. God is able and he says we
are aliens in this land. I believe that God can empower and does
empower to walk in situations like that. But I also believe that
you have got to have people around you that does believe liek you
believe, you know what I'm saying.
Dennis: Yeah, I can't imagine how tough
that would be.
Dennis: You bring so much passion behind the
music and content. Other
bands do as well but often with a negative approach.
Many say that people need negative music to unleash their inner
anger. Many bands like Korn and Slipknot
say they are giving people a vent for their anger. How do
you think negative music with offensive topics and lyrics affect
listeners?
Josh: I mean, it totally effects. Whatever
information you put in your brain effects it, if it is good then you get
good, if it is bad then you get bad. I can see why kids listen to
extreme music. This society we live in is an extreme society with
lots of bitterness and anger. All people are looking for something
more, they are looking for something extreme. I believe as
Christians that is what we have got to do. We have got to stop
just speaking the religious language and start meeting people where they
are at. You know when I first started writing music again it was weird
because I would go to write music and a lot of it, I mean like the first
few lyrics, would seem negative. Because that we the world I came
from and I was like, man I am a Christian now and I cant write music
like this and what's up with this. God showed me, you have got to
speak to people to where they are at. People have to identify and you
have to identify to them before they will listen to anything else.
So when I write music now I let it come out the way it comes out and if
I or God can grab someone's attention then they can be led to the light.
Bands like Pantera and Slipknot and all those bands, man a lot of people
connect with them and where they are at. The problem is bands like
that never show a way out. They say this is horrible and I'm gonna
stay here cause it is comfortable.
Dennis: Yeah, yesterday I reviewed Eminem's
cd and I was like, dude, grow up and get over it. Get yourself out
of that environment!
Dennis: You were brought up in a divorced home
with substance abuse issues. What
do you think then led you into that lifestyle even though you had
already seen the dark side of it all and what is your advice to teens
being tempted with alcohol or drugs?
Josh: Man, you know I wish when I was
younger I could have met people that had..you know the thing about drugs
is that the first little bit is fun. You know the first few years
only one or two people you know get in trouble. But 5 years down
the road you start seeing people die or go to jail or living on the
streets. Look 10 years down the road and you know 5 people that
have died, people with diseases and living on the streets, children born
out of wedlock. You know a kid just trying it out, please just
talk to someone that has been doing it now for a career. Talk to some
people that have been doing the very things that they are now starting
and now have been doing it 20 years. You will then get a different
take on it.
Dennis: I know what the answer probably is
but many teens I talk to say they aren't into the big drugs but when you
start it gets deeper and darker. What was the first drug you
tried?
Josh: Yeah, it was pot. See, the
whole thing with temptation and Satan uses that since the beginning of
time.. He says, "Man, go ahead and try this. It isn't
as bad as everyone says it is." The deal is, you know what, pot is
not as highly addictive as cocaine. but after you smoke a joint
and nothing bad happens then it leads you to another drug. Like cocaine,
the basketball player who signed a huge contact and then snorted a line.
His heart then exploded his first game. So you know, the first
time I came into cocaine and snorted my first line and my heart didn't
explode, I thought cool that must have been a lie also so I can try
something else. The deal is that it slowly kills you. If it
doesn't take your physical life it will take your spiritual life in an
instant.
Dennis: Touring with Creed, performing in front
of more than 30,000 people a night,
money, an awesome tour bus, videos on MTV, self indulgence…but
it wasn’t enough. What do
you think finally pushed you over the edge to realize that Jesus was the
only way out?
Josh: You know, I had ran out of routes to
try including trying to be sober. At first I thought if I could do
enough drugs or have a video on MTV and then I cam out of rehab and
thought if I can be successful and have a girlfriend and still do all
this without drugs then I could be happy. Well, you know that was
a lie also cause I felt worse being sober than with drugs and I ran out
of avenues. You know, God is so merciful and he allowed me to go down
every road that I chose to go down. But He was still waiting for
me the moment I turned my life over to Him.
Dennis: After you overdosed you went to
jail and then eventually back but the next time to do some jail
ministry. How does that
ministry impact what you are doing now with an opportunity to be back on
tour and in front of 10’s of thousands of teens again, this time full
of the Holy Spirit?
Josh: You know we are going to continue trying to
reach people on a one on one basis. You know I would like to play
Oz Fest but I probably wont give an alter call unless God tells me too
then I will do it. But to let people see our lifestyles and not be
afraid to stand up under the name of Jesus. To talk to people and
to love people where they are at. As long as we are willing to go,
He will open the doors. As far as ministry goes, people think it
is some big mysterious thing that happens and you have to have all these
things right. (People) think you gotta be a pastor or this and that but
God is constantly ministering through our constant obedience to Him.
You know, if we walk in the love of God and stand up for Him when He
says stand up, He will take care of the rest. You know this tour
we just got off of with Toby Mac and Third Day, every night people were
being touched by the glory of God. Not because the bands had a
magical solution or had it all together, but God was willing to pour
himself through us through all our imperfections.
Dennis: Many bands that have entered the
Christian market are now trying to pull away from the ministry aspect
and say they are just there to play music and if someone is reached then
that’s good to. I'm not judging
those bands but once they sell some album or get on a certain label then
they chill out with their approach. Your approach seems to be
very different. In your bio
it says “Day of Fire’s mission is to bring the message of hope to a
hopeless generation, to drive into the heart of darkness and shine into
those places. Many Christian teens struggle with staying on fire and
holding that type of desire…what would your words of encouragement be
to this aggressive generation?
Josh: You know, my advice would be to ask Giod and
search out God for themselves. Don;t be blinded by religion.
People thing God is a church service or a book of rules or a
preacher...He is a living being and He is not...you know God wants to
use people and know people for who He created them to be. He did not
create people to sit in church and wear a suit, so if you perception is
a God that just goes to church and sits down in a church pew on Sunday
and Wednesday, then it is completely messed up. God is an awesome
creator, He is wild and He is dangerous and He is exciting. The
truth is the only way to find their purpose, see everyone in life is
looking for a purpose and why am I head and what is my significance here
on earth., the only way to find that out is to go to the one that
created you. That is God, Jesus. He will tell you the
purpose, He will give you a new name and a new life and He will empower
you to do the great and powerful things He created you to do. But there
is no other way to do it, you have got to give it up and go to Him! He
will then do the rest.
Dennis: Awesome man! So
what is the word on the next tour?
Josh: Honestly, I have no idea. I
hope in the future we will get to on tour with P.O.D. It hasn't been
even talked about but my last gig with Full Devil Jacket was with P.O.D.
and Fuel. I would like to tour with Alter Bridge or Scott Stapps'
new band. I would like to go out again with Type O Negative and
Coal Chamber. I want to play music everywhere. Dude, Jesus
would be playing shows with Slipknot.
Dennis: Yeah, Coal Chamber broke up and Dez
is now with a new band called Devildriver.
Josh: Yeah! Dez is a cool guy.
Dennis: Yeah, I did and interview with him
and talked to him about Jesus for quite awhile.
Josh: Dude, that's so cool! I would like to
catch up with him again. He has a little girl too.
Dennis: Well, man you need to go read the
rest of the interview on our website haha, www.wisemenpromotions.com.
Josh: Yeah, man I will have to do that
haha. Maybe you can get to know the guy, why not and become his friend
and show him Jesus. Have you read the interview with Slipknot's #8 in HM
Magazine this month? It is awesome.
Dennis: Yeah man. Our ad is by your
article in that issue haha. Doug Van Pelt has been an amazing
inspiration for me. I was really surprised with some of the answers in
the interview.
Josh: Yeah, he sounds like he is just right
there man at the door. Well, I got one more interview to go.
It was great talking with you.
Dennis: Well, thanks for your time!
We will have to catch up with you guys at a show or in Memphis for
dinner.
Josh: Yeah, check out our site and watch
for shows in your area. You have my number, so give me a call and
we can meet up.
Dennis: Awesome, well you guys are in our
prayers!