Christian Band Re-Releasing First Album, With Singer-Turned-Atheist in Tow
A well-known Contemporary Christian Music artist is re-releasing their debut album after 25 years, bringing back all old members to re-record the album that contains explicitly Christian lyrics, including one member who is a well-known atheist.
Formed in 1993, Caedmon’s Call released its first major album, the self-titled Caedmon’s Call in 1997. Powered by songs such as ‘Hope to Carry On’ and ‘Lead of Love’, fusing a folk sound with alternative rock, it put them on the map and would go on to power the next 15 years of albums, with the band disbanding in 2011.
Days ago, the band popped up on Kickstarter, requesting $75,000 to make a new album, explaining:
“at some point over the past 25 years our self-titled album managed to go out-of-print, which means you can’t find it at your favorite record store, err… streaming platform. It’s kind of hard to celebrate an album you can’t even listen to.
So like any band in their right mind, we thought, WWTSD?: What Would Taylor Swift Do? That’s when it all became clear.
To celebrate the songs that started it all for us, we’re going back in the studio together to completely re-record the Caedmon’s Call album (including a few bonus b-sides & rarities), and we’re bringing some good friends with us to film and document the whole thing.
In addition to the album and documentary, we’re going to top the whole thing off with a one-night-only performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.
While the album may not be in print for records, it certainly is available on Spotify and Apple Music, with the album remastered in 2006. In fact, it can be purchased for 7$, suggesting it’s not so much about access for fans, but financial benefits to the band members.
The Album contains several songs with overtly Christian lyrics, with Hope To Carry On being a prime example.
I can see Jesus hanging on the cross
I can see Jesus hanging on the cross
Well, I can see Jesus hanging on the cross
He came looking for the lost andLove has come
Love has come
Love has come
And it’s giving me hope to carry onI can hear Jesus saying, “Father forgive”
I can hear Jesus saying, “Father forgive”
Well, I can hear Jesus saying, “Father forgive”
What a thing He didLove has come
Love has come
Love has come
And it’s giving me hope to carry on
The band has received some criticism and surprise over their decision to include lead guitarist and backup vocalist Derek Webb, a former member who has publicly repudiated the faith and has been a vocal atheist, the result of deconstruction many years ago.
We wrote about Webb recently after he announced he was collaborating with a Drag queen to create an album “on a music album about the spiritual trauma he endured growing up in a town where his whole world was a “faith-saturated, fundamentalist, very evangelical space that didn’t exactly embrace a queer kid with cross-dressing tendencies.”
There appears to be a very high interest in the re-release, as within 12 hours of posting were fully funded, and have amassed another $100,000 on top of that, ensuring their album will be made.
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