Concert preview
Rock the Flags
With Skillet, Kutless, Family Force 5, For King & Country, We As Human, Bone Hampton and Tom Richter. 4 p.m. Saturday . $44.99-$109.99 (advance), $55.99-$109.99 (at gate). Includes park admission. Six Flags Over Georgia, 275 Riverside Parkway S.W., Austell. 1-800-965-9324.
When the names of artists in the Atlanta Christian music community are tossed around, you hear plenty about Third Day and Casting Crowns and Chris Tomlin.
Not in those conversations as frequently is Family Force 5.
Yet the Atlanta rock-funk-crunk-pop band has been captivating audiences – especially young adult ones – for almost a decade. More, really, if you count the origins of the band in the early ’90s when brothers Solomon “Soul Glow Activatur” (vocals), Joshua “Fatty” (bass) and Jacob “Crouton” (drums) Olds, sons of Christian singer Jerome Olds, first assembled their musical talents.
In the mid-’00s, guitarist Derek “Chap Stique” Mount and keyboardist Nathan “Nadaddy” Currin joined the crew, and FFF has been bulldozing international audiences since, with five albums stuffed with slam-dancing rockers such as “Wobble,” “Zombie” and “Love Addict.”
The quintet will bring their entertaining live show to Saturday’s “Rock the Flags” Christian music festival at Six Flags Over Georgia. (Kutless, Skillet and others are on the bill).
But despite their unconventional-to-Christian-music approach, they are dedicated to a message of positivity. They just want to melt your face a little while imparting it.
In addition to their jobs as rockers, FFF host a Friday night radio show on www.ngenradio.com as Phenomenon, their DJ side project which also frequently finds them spinning late-night sets at festivals and clubs (check their website, www.familyforce5.com for dates).
But when Mount called last week to chat, there were other things to discuss first, such as FFF’s collaboration with Lecrae and why they were in a studio with Tommy Lee.
Q: So what is your mission with your songs and live shows?
A: We really want to have an impact on people, but at times when we're punching people with (oversized plush) Hulk fists or spinning around with guitars, it becomes more about fun. We grew up loving '80s concerts, whether it was Van Halen or Tears for Fears or Peter Gabriel or Prince putting on an incredible show. We want to create an experience like that, but we do want people to know that there is a deeper element that fans will reach with the band. But a lot of times the takeaway is that people are shocked that they would have this much fun at a Christian show.
Q: You worked with (Atlanta Christian rapper) Lecrae recently. How did you meet?
A: We met because we heard his stuff and were like, "Who is this guy? He's amazing!" We had the song "Cray Button." It was not written about him at all, but there's a perfect spot where we could have a hip-hop section. He really did just a phenomenal job.
Q: Do you think the Atlanta Christian music community is close-knit?
A: In general, it's really encouraging to see how close everybody is. Most of our peers are from here, like the guys in Third Day, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin. Most of these guys, we all grew up playing together in church.
Q: What is more important to you, the music or the message?
A: We (the band) use Christian as a noun instead of an adjective, but people want to label things. Is this a Christian band or a Christian video? The language is a little confusing at times, but we want to be real and authentic.
Q: I hear you’re working on a new album. Progress report?
A: We're not sure of the release date, but musically we're getting there. It runs the gamut with the dance element, the rock element, the hip-hop and the funk. One song, we still don't know the title, we call the "Pirate Song" because it sounds like something you would hear from sea-faring individuals. And "Raised by Wolves" is very riffy and aggressive, with a cool Black Sabbath tone.
Q: How did you wind up hanging out with Tommy Lee?
A: A friend of a friend brought him to the studio where we were in L.A. He had stuff of ours on his iPod and said he wanted to meet us. So we had a few days off and went to his studio. Our drummer was really nervous, like, "I don't want to play in front of Tommy Lee!" But he really gets our sound. It's an honor that he supported us.
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