25th October, 2005

JOE MONTAGUE

Discussions about guitar-driven rock melodies and sexual purity may not seem to have much in common but for the hard-rocking American sisters that comprise BarlowGirl, they are intrinsically connected.

Becca, 25, Alyssa, 23 and Lauren Barlow, 20, recently spent an afternoon at their parents' home in Elgin, Illinois, in the central United States, discussing, among other things, how their music allows them to advance their views on sexual purity, dating and relationships.

BARLOWGIRL:  Lauren, Alyssa and Becca Barlow. "It was a priority for (our parents) to get us to be passionate people," says Lauren. "They didn't want us to be just lukewarm Christians. They wanted us to live passionately. They wanted us to be just crazy for God. We girls have found things in our hearts to stand up against or believe in. I guess it is just in our nature to be very passionate people and to be passionate about everything - especially in fulfilling God's calling on our life."

BarlowGirl's message is one of simply being friends with members of the opposite sex without dating. They subscribe to the belief that God will provide the ideal mate.

While some may consider their no dating philosophy to be controversial, it hasn't seemed to slow down acceptance of the band's melodies such as Grey.

The first verse chides those who refuse to take a stand on issues - "Grey's my favorite color; Black and white has never been my thing; I'll take my drink lukewarm now; Hot and cold is not the thing for me” - while the chorus reflects a singer who abandons the lukewarm for a lifestyle more passionate - "I cannot be blind no more; Numb to what I'm living for; Help me stop this compromise that justifies these lies; I need Your passion in this life.”

BarlowGirl have been playing together for about five years but burst onto the music scene in a big way in 2003 and released their self titled debut album in 2004. The Rock Across Australia ranked the band's single Never Alone at number 58 in the top 100 songs of 2004. The group's latest foray into the heavy rock market, Another Journal Entry, provides an in your face message that they are here to stay.

Becca, the dark haired guitarist and bassist who can be seen onstage rocking out to Let Go, says she was first inspired to play guitar by her father. Later influences included virtuosos such as Barry Graul of Mercy Me. Prior to his Mercy Me days, Becca had an opportunity to see Graul in concert and he made a lasting impression.

"I first saw him when we went to a DC Talk show and I thought (to myself), he is the most amazing guitar player ever. It is so cool because the last record we made I had an opportunity to work with him. It is kind of a dream come true. It was really cool."

Becca describes herself as “a fender girl for the most part”.

“I have my Tele (Fender Telecaster),” she says. “It was my first guitar. When we are flying every place I only take my Tele and my Gretsch (guitar).”

Lauren, meanwhile, enjoys the drums for the opportunity to "get all of your energy out, you get to hit things really hard".

"I have an amazing time doing it," she says. "Being a girl drummer is not really common so that is cool."

Lauren says it was their parents who first challenged the sisters to live life passionately.

"Mom and dad told us from the time we were little kids that we had a chance to shake up history and to change this world for good or bad. (They challenged us) are we just going to live our lives out or are we going to realise that each and every one of us has a calling upon their life. We didn't know that meant music, being on a label or being on the road and in the public eye."

"It was a priority for them to get us to be passionate people. They didn't want us to be just lukewarm Christians. They wanted us to live passionately. They wanted us to be just crazy for God. We girls have found things in our hearts to stand up against or believe in. I guess it is just in our nature to be very passionate people and to be passionate about everything - especially in fulfilling God's calling on our life."

Asked whether or not the trio has any favorite tunes, Becca dissolves in laughter at the sound of Alyssa imitating an electric guitar before citing "Let Go" as one of her personal favorites because it gives her the opportunity to try some guitar tricks and special effects. Alyssa and Lauren suggest "My God's Enough" as another BarlowGirl favorite.

And their rock roots?

"Dad was a musician who played old James Taylor and Beatles songs while we were growing up,” says Becca. “He was also a singer/songwriter. We grew up listening to dad singing in different places and he recorded a record. When we were a bit older he began working at a church and we were his backup band."

Alyssa, who also considers herself to be a "fender girl", considers artists such as Todd Agnew to be a great source of inspiration.

"I have really seen a lot of that (heart) in people like Todd Agnew and his band. It has really encouraged me and challenged me on a new level," she says.

Alyssa and Becca toss out names of other artists. "The Afters is another band that I am so impressed with. They really inspired me by seeing their heart for ministry. They really seem to have their heads screwed on straight," says Alyssa.

To which Becca adds, "Also Rebecca St James, we love what she has to say. She is an amazing woman of God. We love her. Her ministry is amazing. She has been doing this for so long and she still has the joy for what she is doing. That speaks volumes to us. We also look up to Third Day and Mercy Me, people who have been around awhile and they are still going at it." Early in 2006 BarlowGirl will be touring with St James.

The title of the most recent offering from BarlowGirl - Another Journal Entry - draws its name from the band member's diligence in keeping journals.

"Every single song that we have written has come from an experience or a journal entry,” says Alyssa. “It has been very cool."

In fact, Alyssa says that the most common questions they get asked by their fans centre around their journaling.

"I was on our message board yesterday and reading what the kids are asking us about journalling,” she says.

“It has become such an interesting thing for kids because a lot of them are saying, 'I have never been able to open up to anybody.' They are saying, 'I have so many secrets or hidden things in my life that I have never been able to tell anybody.' They ask, 'If I write these things down in a journal how is this going to work? How can I be so honest with God?' A lot of kids have been asking, 'How do you journal? What good is it in your life? What has it done for you?"

"I just love the honesty that I feel I can pour out in my journal to God. It is just me and Him. It is just letters to Him. Some days I will write five pages of things that are just weighing down on me or things that He has been teaching me. It is so cool for me to look back and say, 'look what you did in my life. Look how far you have brought me. Look at what you taught me.' I always explain to kids that it is a great way to write the story of your life. You will have books and books of this one day. It is a great way to see how God is growing you. It is also a good way just to get things off your chest. It's awesome just to be able to be honest."

Few would accuse Alyssa of leading a sheltered life. A talented actor with aspirations of theatre as a career she watched her personal dreams come to a thundering halt when she was diagnosed with the very painful RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)at the age of 17.

"It is a disease that usually happens in the elderly,” she explains. “Your nerves begin to fire at a rapid pace and it begins to spread throughout your entire body. It is a chronic pain that eventually takes over. It had spread past my knee in a couple of weeks (after an ankle injury). I couldn't even put a sheet on my leg as I lay down in bed. I would just scream. They put me on extremely heavy medication which didn't end up working. It ended up just burning holes in my stomach and I vomited all the time because of the medication.

“It is just a chronic pain that takes over so you are unable to move and to walk. (I was told) the only way to treat it was to clip the nerve on the back of my foot. I was also told I would have drop foot the rest of my life. My mom and dad said no God has a plan here we aren't going to go down that road yet."

Alyssa attributes her miraculous recovery to God's intervention. It was during this time of heartbreak and subsequent recovery that Alyssa did some soul-searching concerning the direction her life was taking. Even after she recovered completely she felt that God no longer was steering her towards a life in theatre.

Soon afterwards BarlowGirl pursued a fulltime career in music and signed their first recording deal.

"I can't imagine anything filling me up more than exactly where He has me right now.” she says. “I love every second of this."

Asked what words of encouragement she might have for the people who may be experiencing very difficult situations or tragedies in their own lives, Alyssa says “God gives people grace in the midst of trials and the midst of trouble”.

“When you submit to Him in that time and just say I don't know why this happened or why these things have been taken away from me, I don't know what is going on. Teach me how to trust you. Teach me how to have a peace that passes all understanding. You can't understand why but He gives you a peace and a grace in that time to handle and to deal with what is going on. When you come through that wilderness and when He brings you out one day onto solid ground again you will see all along that He has been holding you. He has a plan and He can take the things that the enemy has meant for evil and He will take it if you let Him and turn it around to be amazing in your life."

Despite their chart stopping success BarlowGirl remains grateful for all they have experienced.

"There is nothing more satisfying and exciting than realising that God allowed me to be part of impacting someone's life,” Alyssa says. “There is nothing greater than that."

~ www.barlowgirl.com