Interview with Chris Dudley pianist of Underoath
Q: Was it fun bringing a camera along with you backstage and on tour to film “777” the DVD?
A: Well funny thing is Tim (Guitarist) and I just had a camera that we were messing around with my camera and our manager called us and asked us if he could use the footage for a new live DVD, and of course we said yes. But filming the live stuff was fun, it kind of gives you an extra adrenaline when the crowd is going insane and you know you’re on film.
Q: Are you guys surprised about the growing reputation the band has received since the release of “The Changing Of Times” in 2002?
A: Yeah its weird you know, like over the past few years things have obviously been a lot different than they were as far as tours we were on, and sales, and all that stuff. You know we are really thankful for all of that, but its just weird because we never saw ourselves as that band, you know? Like this kid came up to me today and was like “man I saw you guys on the Warped Tour when I was 12” and it really hit me then cause this kid was now like 16 or 17 and I just thought “oh my gosh we have been touring for a long time, we’ve been here for a long time” and he was telling us about how we are an influence to his band and I was just like “man that’s what I said to bands back in the day” and I never saw us being that band that kids looked up to, its just awesome and we are really thankful for that.
Q: You guys are obviously one of the biggest Christian bands on the tour, how much does you guy’s faith play into your music and stage presence?
A: Well we’ve always said that our faith doesn’t like…it’s not a thing where we find ways to put our faith into the things we do. The only reason why we do the things we do it because of the of what we believe in, and in that, you know, everything you are called to do as a Christian you are supposed to be a light to others, and to be doing it unto the Lord. So in that way, whenever we are writing and whenever we are on stage, that is why we are on stage. It’s that so much of what we do involve God, its what we do is for God.
Q: What drove you guys to write “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape?”
A: Well when we got towards the end of doing “They’re Only Chasing Safety” we realized there was a chance, like all of our lyrics are written from a Christian perspective, but we didn’t want there to ever be a chance of someone listening to the record and not getting the fact that we are a Christian band and not getting the fact that everything we write about is from our faith. Even though its what we do a lot of our lyrics are really open ended, and that’s just the way that we are, and we were like “dude we want to right a song that is blatant” so we wrote that song to show what we believe. It’s a praise song obviously, and a song that was just done unto God more than any of the other ones, because the lyrics are pretty blatant. And that was pretty much blatant, and there have been a lot of people that have come up to us and said that they got a lot out of that song, which is really really cool and encouraging.
A: Well funny thing is Tim (Guitarist) and I just had a camera that we were messing around with my camera and our manager called us and asked us if he could use the footage for a new live DVD, and of course we said yes. But filming the live stuff was fun, it kind of gives you an extra adrenaline when the crowd is going insane and you know you’re on film.
Q: Are you guys surprised about the growing reputation the band has received since the release of “The Changing Of Times” in 2002?
A: Yeah its weird you know, like over the past few years things have obviously been a lot different than they were as far as tours we were on, and sales, and all that stuff. You know we are really thankful for all of that, but its just weird because we never saw ourselves as that band, you know? Like this kid came up to me today and was like “man I saw you guys on the Warped Tour when I was 12” and it really hit me then cause this kid was now like 16 or 17 and I just thought “oh my gosh we have been touring for a long time, we’ve been here for a long time” and he was telling us about how we are an influence to his band and I was just like “man that’s what I said to bands back in the day” and I never saw us being that band that kids looked up to, its just awesome and we are really thankful for that.
Q: You guys are obviously one of the biggest Christian bands on the tour, how much does you guy’s faith play into your music and stage presence?
A: Well we’ve always said that our faith doesn’t like…it’s not a thing where we find ways to put our faith into the things we do. The only reason why we do the things we do it because of the of what we believe in, and in that, you know, everything you are called to do as a Christian you are supposed to be a light to others, and to be doing it unto the Lord. So in that way, whenever we are writing and whenever we are on stage, that is why we are on stage. It’s that so much of what we do involve God, its what we do is for God.
Q: What drove you guys to write “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape?”
A: Well when we got towards the end of doing “They’re Only Chasing Safety” we realized there was a chance, like all of our lyrics are written from a Christian perspective, but we didn’t want there to ever be a chance of someone listening to the record and not getting the fact that we are a Christian band and not getting the fact that everything we write about is from our faith. Even though its what we do a lot of our lyrics are really open ended, and that’s just the way that we are, and we were like “dude we want to right a song that is blatant” so we wrote that song to show what we believe. It’s a praise song obviously, and a song that was just done unto God more than any of the other ones, because the lyrics are pretty blatant. And that was pretty much blatant, and there have been a lot of people that have come up to us and said that they got a lot out of that song, which is really really cool and encouraging.
