There is something very powerful about the calm before a storm. Perhaps it is because we know that each one is born from a humble beginning. We are unaware, but over time it steadily and swiftly builds its strength and intensity.
Calls From Home from Branson, Missouri modestly began forming at Williams Baptist College in northeast Arkansas under the name Cash Hall. It doesn’t take a degree to figure out the origin of their first alias nor do you need to guess they began as just another campus worship band. “We had a very raw acoustic sound influenced by Caedmon’s and Crowder,” states front man and founder Richie Jester.
Leading over 30,000 students in worship over their first two years, Cash Hall started to gain momentum while recording and releasing the initial independent album Facedown. “I still get calls from friends in Little Rock saying that they just heard ‘Sheltered’ on the radio” says bassist Chuck Miller II about the band’s first airplay. Evidence of their raw talent to living proof of their hearts: “I honestly have no desire to be a part of writing or playing music that does not attempt to glorify God,” says guitarist Tommy Alexander.
Traces of their current sound can be heard swirling around their worship band roots with each new project. “Our second album Lessons Learned was the first attempt at moving from praise and worship to an original rock sound. It is a perfect picture of where we were in our songwriting – right in the middle of worship and rock.”
Further abandoning the coffee shop timbre, the group next recorded a live performance EP. Jester reveals, “This was more than just a stepping stone. It was a project that summoned our will to be a rock band that offered depth and meaning to a much broader audience.”
Like clouds rising, the obvious direction of Calls From Home demanded attention. With drummer Ryan Malone and guitarist/vocalist Stuart Springer on board, producer Jason Burkum (Audio A, Kids In The Way, Tree 63, The Swift) now has elements of the perfect storm. Alexander expresses, “Working with Jason is how I guess working with a therapist might be! He pulls the things from your head, shapes and sharpens them, and then is able to lay them down.”
The thunderous intro to “Hold On,” their first national single, sets the tone to an explosive self-titled 4-track EP. Since its release to radio in March 2005, “Hold On” has been continuously adding stations, increasing spins, and making appearances on the R&R Christian Rock Chart. Calls From Home will soon join Burkum in the studio to complete the full-length EP expected to release later this year.
The calm before the storm is a strange yet unique place. With wonderment about its mystery, simultaneously we know exactly what is about to happen…
