A positive message has just hit the airways. Earlier this week, Echoes And Artifacts released its debut EP, CHEMICAL FAITH. I recently had a conversation with front man, Christian Booth. Christian is the son of Michael Booth of the Booth Brothers and has been surrounded by music his entire life. With starting a band to make his voice heard in the music world with this new project, we had a lot to talk about.
Jared: Where did the idea for the album title came from?
Christian: The idea for the song title, “Chemical Faith,” just came to me one night. I’ve had a lot of close friends struggle with drugs/alcohol- addiction in general. Some of them were professed believers. I was tying into how these people had put their faith in substances to get them through the day.
The song also deals with changing. People won’t change unless they want to— At least that’s what I’ve noticed from my own experiences. The line, “If our time runs out and I’m not there, it’s all on you,” refers to reaching the point where you just walk away. It might kill you, but you need to realize you can’t be the hero. You’re not going to be the one to change them unless they’re willing to change themselves.
Jared: Since this is the first release under the band name, who exactly is Echoes And Artifacts and where did you get the name?
Christian: Although, I had many different people help with the recording of this album, none of them are in the band. I’m currently in process of hiring/recruiting band members. I’m a huge Pink Floyd, Genesis, U2 fan. They all fall under the sub-genre of Space Rock. Using them as influences, I try to emulate their sounds in my music. So, echoes of these bands from the past (artifacts).
Jared: Obviously, you have been handed a huge legacy of music, but why are you choosing music for yourself out of all the things you could be doing as a young adult?
Christian: I’m a third-generation musician/artist. My grandfather, Ron Booth Sr. sang with Elvis Presley, and my father sings in the Booth Brothers. It’s kinda in my blood, ya know?
When I was about twelve years old and I got my first guitar. I had an interest in being a session player, but once I played guitar live for the first time on stage I knew that’s where I wanted to be. Music has always been an important part of my life, and to this day it still puts food on my table. So, taking a swing at making music my career only seems natural to me. It truly is a God-given talent.
Jared: After listening to your songs once, it’s obvious they have stories. Which one means the most to you personally?
Christian: Probably “Call to Arms.” It was the first song I wrote for the EP and it deals with depression, anxiety, and fighting yourself. There’s a war in our minds to fight our flesh and do what’s right. In this broken and flawed world, there’s plenty of darkness that tries to infiltrate our heads and cause us to feel our worst. “Call to Arms” is about fighting that darkness, coming out of that depression and realizing every day is a gift, and we should live each day to the best of our abilities.
Jared: Alright, you’ve now entered the quick-fire round, I’ll ask a series of questions and no matter how ridiculous they sound, I want you to answer as quickly as possible with the shortest answers possible. In 3-2-1, Go!
Jared: If you had to describe yourself in 5 words, what would they be?
Christian: Tall – American – Bored – Pescatarian – Five
Jared: What color would you describe your personality as being? Why?
Christian: Silver – I have a very introverted personality.
Jared: If a vegetarian eats another vegetarian, is it cannibalism?
Christian: No. Because vegetarians don’t exist.
Jared: Without looking it up, who was the 5th president of the United States?
Christian: Conway Twitty.
Jared: Should sour cream have an expiration date?
Christian: Not if you put it in a Cool Whip container.
Christian is a funny and genuine— and that’s what I wanted to accomplish with this interview: revealing the man behind the music. The more I got to know him, the more I appreciated his heart for music AND ministry.“The whole idea with this project from the start has been just to create good music,” Christian explained. “I’m not trying to monetize it because I don’t need the money. I need people to listen to it. I want the people that have gone through the same things that I have, to hear those songs and relate to them.”
Regarding Christian’s future, he says this project the first of many for his new band. When asked why he is doing all of this he replied:“The point in all of this for me is that it’s what I love to do and have grown up around my entire life. Songwriting is also great therapy. Things that hurt you, inspire you. It helps you work through them. I’ve always been fascinated with human connection, how we learn and grow from/with each other. If someone can relate to what I’ve been through- through my songs and it helps them, I feel like I’m doing what I should be doing. If I can say ‘Hey, I’ve been through that exact same scenario and this is how I felt, or this is how I moved on, grew up, or learned from it…’, then I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.”
And truly he is doing something worthwhile in sharing the light of Christ with a dark world! You can find CHEMICAL FAITH on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and visit the Facebook Page for Echoes And Artifacts here.
