Boys of Summer
Ten Shekel Shirt frontman Lamont Hiebert
By Christa A. Banister, Senior Music Editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
Of Songwriting and Slavery
When Ten Shekel Shirt arrived on the scene back in the late ‘90s, the East Coast band had what every artist dreams of – plenty of critical acclaim, a buzzworthy, roots-infused sound and a huge radio hit (“Ocean”) that escalating them to “one to watch” status. But becoming rock stars was never really the band’s chief goal. In fact, life in the spotlight has always taken a backseat to the band’s interest in promoting humanitarian issues, namely rescuing children who are victims of sexual slavery in Thailand, India and beyond. Not content to just sing about those who don’t have a voice, Ten Shekel Shirt frontman Lamont Hiebert put music on the backburner and co-founded Love146, a nonprofit effort dedicated to helping end child slavery. Not only has Love146 effort earned Hiebert the MySpace Impact Award for Social Justice, but he’s recently been named an “agent of change” by GQ (Yes, that GQ).
But like anyone with a creative impulse, Hiebert’s experiences couldn’t help but inspire his art. So five years after the release of Risk, Ten Shekel Shirt is back with its third album, Jubilee, a treatise on hope and making a difference in the lives of the enslaved. Look for the album to drop in mid-August and a tour to follow.
Look Out John Mayer!
Let’s face it: Ever since John Mayer released his much-ballyhooed debut Room For Squares back in 2001, there’s been a slew of copycat acts. But now that the pop radio balladeer has been getting more face-time with starlets in Us Weekly than headlines for his music, the time has come for a worthy replacement.
And while singer/songwriter Josh Wilson doesn’t constantly opine on romantic relationships like Mayer, the music on his debut, Trying to Fit the Ocean in a Cup has that same charming, relatable spirit that made Mayer’s work so likeable. Whether he’s strumming an anti-love letter to dealing with finances in “Dear Money” or trying to offer a unique reflection of praise to the creator of the universe in “Three Minute Song,” Wilson’s music has both substance and style.
Apparently, Wilson’s pretty good with a joke, too. In a recent interview with Gospel Music Channel, Wilson quipped that he was the world’s fourth strongest man. So why not second or third? “Not nearly as believable,” Wilson said with a laugh. “I didn’t want to overshoot.” Thankfully, he doesn’t try and do that with his music either.
“Sometimes when you’re writing about God, fitting big ideas into a little song can be complicated,” Josh shares. “That challenge is actually where the imagery for the album’s title came from. It’s like trying to fit an ocean in a cup. Trying to say something that hasn’t already been said before about matters of faith or the God of the universe is a huge challenge. But I think as long as we’re asking questions and not trying to provide all the answers, I think people can relate to that.”
The Reluctant Worship Leader?
For anyone who’s heard worship leader Bryan Brown’s debut CD Shine, it’s clear he’s got the knack for marrying gorgeous melodies with congregationally friendly lyrics that are equally perfect for Sunday morning services or casual iPod listening. But becoming a worship leader, something he does at West End Community Church in Nashville each week, wasn’t exactly Brown’s first career choice – far from it.
"Well before God got a hold of my heart, I had no desire to even go to church much less sing worship music,” Brown tells Gospel Music Channel. “After high school I had made plans for what I wanted to do with my life but He had something else in mind. Yet after encountering His transforming love one night when I was 18, I felt Him calling me to write and sing songs that bring Glory to Him and lead people into His presence.”
And like the best things in life, Brown says the desire really came out of nowhere. “That way, I’ve always known this whole music thing is God’s doing and not mine. ‘A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.’ That about sums it up.” Now that’s some sage career advice indeed.
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About the Writer
After graduating with a B.S. in Journalism from North Central University in 1998, Christa Banister moved to Nashville, Tenn. and eventually started working at CCM Magazine/Salem Publishing in various editorial capacities (including managing editor) for five and a half years. After that, she launched her own freelance writing company and writes for numerous clients including CCM Magazine, Crosswalk.com (she review movies for them each week), Christian Single, Christianity Today, Threads Media, Songs4Worship.com, BurnLounge, PassAlong.com and helped kickstart the first Christian music blog for MTV. She also writes bios for professional recording artists and authors and penned her first two fiction novels for NavPress in 2007.
