I’m a BIG Circleslide fan, so I mention that in a few short years, Gabe himself might have this same effect on younger newer musicians. “Well, I hope I am as thoughtful and great about it as he was,” Gabe replies. “He exemplifies what a Christian artist should be, you could just see the love of God on that guy.” Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, and I mention some no-green-M&Ms experiences I’ve had.
Gabe knew what I was talking about. “Yeah,” he sighed. “That’s disappointing, isn’t it? And disillusioning. Because people do have higher expectations of Christian artists, that we represent Christ. So it’s especially nice when you meet someone who is actually everything you thought he’d be and more.”
The four guys of Circleslide, Gabe, his brother Tim (bass), Aaron Gillies (lead guitar) and drummer Mark Alvis have waited a long time for the July 11 release of Uncommon Days. Though the album was pre-released last summer, the label wanted to wait for the right distribution before the final release. The band has spent the past year building their fan base by putting in 200 dates on the road. Gabe willingly acknowledges the challenges of waiting so long. “It’s been a journey for us and tough as a band. You have all these fans, and family members, lots of people waiting for the album to come out. Reviews like yours come out and create expectation. The Bible says hope deferred makes the heart sick, but there was a good lesson for us in it, to just keep going. Our song “Get Up” talks about not standing still when times get rough but to keep trusting in the Lord. We had to put that into practice as a group. I think it all turned out for the best because we got to work with Pete Kipley (MercyMe) and a couple of great songs actually came about through the waiting process, especially the one being released now to radio, “Gravity.” God knew what He was doing, and it’s always good just to trust Him. So we kept touring, ministering, just dusting ourselves off to keep going. In the long run, we’re better off for it.”
I asked about life on the road and Gabe laughingly responded, “We did 200 dates last year, so we really learned to love our van! We loved the smell, the driving, and the road camaraderie that goes along with it. We get to meet some really cool people, and that energizes us, keeps us going. The end of a show can give you a spurt of energy that leads into a time of worship, and it rejuvenates you so you’re ready to go out again.”
The guys like to mix it up a bit too, sometimes playing one night at a bar or club, and a church the next morning. They’re equally comfortable in a college, a coffeehouse, or a bookstore for an acoustic engagement. “We like that,” Gabe says, “because it gives us a chance to meet somebody new and hopefully impact that person with what God’s given us. Maybe it’s encouragement through a song that means something to them right at the moment. So we try to be as relevant as possible. Actually, our album is called Uncommon Days because the times we’re living in are so interesting; they provide so many opportunities to reach people. I think of David and his psalms and all that they mean to me. I thought of them often when I used to work at a gas station. Sometimes at night I was pretty sure I was going to be robbed, and those psalms came to mind and helped, even though they were written so long ago. That’s what I was going for when writing the songs on Uncommon Days, he adds. “They’re little prayers, cries for help, exclamations of joy, worship tunes."
