Christian Spotlight





Set Close On Edge
Updated: May 02, 2006 11:23 PM ET

The Official Site

(Juniorscave.com)

By: JUNIOR DAVIS

In speaking with our Gospel Editor Charity about Gospel Today, we wanted to catch up folks with the changes she and I are doing with this forum.

As many are unaware, Charity will be graduating this Friday frpm Coastal Georgia Community College with her Associate of Applied Science in Computer Informational Technology in Mircosoft Specialist. With the demands of finals and preparing for graduation, Charity has very little time with Gospel Today. She asked me to fill in for her until Graduation boils over.

To say the least, I became busy myself, and Gospel Today was the one that suffered. Well, I wanted to really focus on something recently that would but Gospel Today back on the front burner. Well, Set On Edge is the group that will place our gospel forum back on the front burner.

I wanted to feature something special for our christian audience. I came across the "Spiritual Acoustic" sounds of Set On Edge.

Shannon Lewis is the one of the main instruments behind this group who were orginally based in Athens. Now in the Golden Isles of Georgia. I had the pleasure to chat online with front man Shannon Lewis about Set On Edge.

JUNIOR: I know a little about your background from some of the past interviews I have read including that you are a graduate of college and you have a huge fan-based in Athens, OH (Where you played and lived there for years) Do you mind telling folks a little about yourself and your background? When and why did you start performing?
SET ON EDGE: Honestly, I was a lonely child, and began singing and writing to keep myself entertained. I cant remember ever not singing. I think I wrote my first song when I was 5 or 6. That said, I didnt begin playing with others until I was 15, starting as a local metal bands manager and lyricist, eventually joining as a rhythm guitarist, and shortly after that taking over as lead vocalist/bassist.

We eventually recorded a cassette under the band-name Masada, then broke-up midway through my freshman year in college. Believe it or not, we primarily played skating rinks back in those days, and could usually draw well over 100 people which wasnt bad for high school kids in a small-town farming community! Masada didnt survive for long after I left for college at Ohio University in Athens, OH. I played in a few prog-rock and prog-metal bands there until I heard the Cincinnati band Over the Rhine perform live in 92. They did far more with their understatement than I ever accomplished with all of my heavy-metal bombast, and their singer when Karen opened her mouth she also grew wings and hovered gently above the stage. It was that beautiful! So I bought an acoustic guitar and my entire taste in music changed. I set aside my Scorpions, Skid Row, Dokken, and Iron Maiden tapes, and began listening to Over the Rhine, Vigilantes of Love, the Ocean Blue, and the Innocence Mission all acoustic alternative-folk-rock bands.

I met a young man named Steve Rieske, a Led Zepplin freak and a strong Christian, at a prominent campus ministry at OU, and we toyed with songwriting on a few weekend retreats until he and I penned A Rose Once Grew in late 92 Set on Edge was born. That song sort of set the parameters for our style, and gave the band something to work towards. That same day, Randy Kinsey joined us, and after numerous acoustic coffee-house gigs, we added a drummer and became a full band. None of those guys are still with Set on Edge today, but Steve and Randy still write and record for us, and I have reunited with all of them on occasion, either when touring Ohio or Illinois. In fact, one of my all-time favorite Set on Edge shows was when Steve Rieske joined me in Athens, GA with my full Georgia line-up! That was incredible! Hows that for over-answering a question?
JUNIOR: Hahaha; I love it!

JUNIOR: What was the first tune(s)/flow/lyrics you learned?
SET ON EDGE: Do you Want to Know a Secret by the Beatles

JUNIOR: Is your family musical?
SET ON EDGE: First, can I ask what happened to 3? 3 is a perfectly good number, you know quite possibly the best I can think of (He is referring to that I skipped question number three :-)) Anyway my mother has an incredible voice, but otherwise my immediate family isn't musical. My grandmother did play auto-harp, and her boyfriend played guitar with Buddy Atkins Chet's brother. He gave me my first guitar lesson I learned Blue Moon of Kentucky and Wabash Cannonball.

JUNIOR: Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
SET ON EDGE: Sting! He's written a veritable catalogue of incredible songs, and he is a masterful multi-instrumentalist. Also, he sings so passionately. David Gilmour, though many people like Roger Waters, I've always preferred Gilmours contribution to Pink Floyd. I can recognize his guitar playing from a single note, and his voice is smooth and syrupy. Bono, he's trying to change the world for God, and admits he's a total screw-up in the process. I respect that.

JUNIOR: Which famous musicians have you learned from?
SET ON EDGE: Even though I don't listen to them as often these days, the Beatles were absolutely essential to me becoming the musician that I am. Abbey Road is still my favorite record of all-time, and seeing Paul McCartney live a few years ago made me cry and scream like a school-girl. But man this list is so long. Lets see the oldies (other than the Beatles): the Zombies, Badfinger, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Bruce Cockburn, Genesis (with Peter Gabriel). Newer influences: U2, Sting, Over the Rhine, Vigilantes of Love, Sixteen Horsepower, Tears for Fears, Further Seems Forever, Copeland oh, and I cant forget Arvo Part & Henryk Gorecki!

JUNIOR: Who was your first musical teacher? Other teachers?
SET ON EDGE: I don't remember my first, but the most important was my Classical Voice instructor at Ohio University, a black man from England named Louis Dash III. He changed my approach to singing entirely. Last I heard, he was conducting the St. Monica Concert Chorale in Missouri.
JUNIOR: Most impressive

JUNIOR: OK, here is the question that you get all the time but I will ask again. Why Christian music? Is not like we don't need it but why take this big risk in a genre that many shine away from?
SET ON EDGE: I dont know that Set on Edge IS Christian music per se I guess it all depends on your definition. I am a convinced individual convinced that a man named Yeshua literally Joshua (but we call him Jesus) - died and was experienced by many who followed him, and some who did not, as powerfully raised from the dead, and I am convinced that from him we can learn a great deal about God Yahweh and experience Gods power here and now. That makes me a Christian, and as a Christian everything I write and perform bears that image-of-God-ness, in spite of how blurry it may be. But I don't write Set on Edge songs to preach rather I use them as an invitation for someone to step into my shoes to walk in my emotions to feel what I feel and maybe take a glimpse at how I see things, ask the questions I ask, and experience what I've walked through. I sing parables, and it's up to God to open an individuals heart to either see a truth buried there, or to simply hear a song they enjoy. Either way, I feel as though I've done my job. I guess I find more in common with U2, Over the Rhine, Copeland and Switchfoot than the normal CCM crowd. I'm often more comfortable playing a bar than a church, honestly. Believe it or not, many of those people are more open to what I have to sing about and quite often they get it.

JUNIOR: When I listen to set on edge, I hear sprituality not preaching. Is this something done intentionally?
SET ON EDGE: Not intentionally recognizing that If not for the grace of God, there goes I goes a long way in reducing preachy-ness. I'm a strong believer in God's sovereignty, and His power. I don't have to save anyone that's His job.

JUNIOR: Describe your first time performing in front of an audience.
SET ON EDGE: I think I have that show on video-tape lots of over-done, falsetto screaming. It was pretty awful. I can't figure out who I was trying to mimic more King Diamond or Alice in Chains. It was an outdoor concert with my old metal band, Masada. We got shut-down by the cops for excessive volume. Someone apparently called them from 3 miles away. I guess we were too loud!

JUNIOR: What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town?
SET ON EDGE: Well, since I'm a perfectionist, it wouldn't be many live shows. I think I've only been satisfied with maybe 3 concerts I've ever played in the 17 years. I've been playing out where I really felt as though the band was tight, the energy level was good, and the audience was responsive. I think I've two all-night writing sessions with Steve & Randy in Randy's dorm room at Ohio University, surviving on prayer, breaks, cigars and strong coffee. The second may have been getting a compliment from Rodney Mills, who produced Skynyrd, the Allmans, Doobies, and even Journey, during the mastering session of our last c.d. It was an honor to see someone of his stature truly connecting to our music.
JUNIOR: That is amazing!

JUNIOR: Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?
SET ON EDGE: The first cassette I bought with my own money was Tears for Fears Songs from the Big Chair. I am still convinced it is a near perfect recording.

JUNIOR: Who are your favorite musicians? Groups? CD's?
SET ON EDGE: Hands down, I listen to Over the Rhine more than any other artist. Beyond that, its hard to say.

JUNIOR: In some of your past interviews, I heard your music described as "Spiritual Acoustic", do you care to elabrorate?
SET ON EDGE: I think I already did. ;-) I elaborate excessively, I do think.

JUNIOR: Why should folks listen to your music?
SET ON EDGE: To be challenged, and entertained.

JUNIOR: How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
SET ON EDGE: Don't acknowledge them, unless it could be really fun for everyone to do so, then wreck the whole thing and make a comedy act out of the scene. It can be quite fun!

JUNIOR: Do you get nervous before a performance?
SET ON EDGE: Not exactly. My stage energy thrives on stress I like to take to the stage and sort of just explode, so I guess I begin harvesting nervousness intentionally the day of the show. It helps me express myself on stage.

JUNIOR: how do you feel about most "christian" music today?
SET ON EDGE: Not sure, honestly. At the same time that it's improving, it's also getting worse. In the broader genre, Christian music is growing artistically. Artists like Sufjan Stevens and the Danielson Family are making giant leaps creatively, but many Christian musicians find the freedom to express themselves and seem to lose any spiritual message in their music what-so-ever. It's not that they move from preaching to asking questions it's that they seem to move from preaching to singing about nothing much at all. I don't get that. But, as far as production values and creativity goes, things are steadily improving. I'm glad bands like Switchfoot and UnderOath are getting so much attention.

JUNIOR: What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
SET ON EDGE: Worrying is a wasted emotion, but simple nervousness can be focused and harvested. Don't care about what ANYONE ELSE THINKS do music because you have to, and you can't live without doing music. If you think you can live without writing and performing music, you don't need to even start. That's how you know that it's a calling you can't not do it.
JUNIOR: Well Stated!

JUNIOR: Do you attend sessions? What makes a good session?
SET ON EDGE: Sessions? I dont think I understand.

JUNIOR: How often and for how long do you practice?
SET ON EDGE: Practice? I hate rehearsing. I usually give my musicians chord charts, and rough demos, have them rework the material in their own style, then get together later and polish the songs off. It doesn't happen often enough, though.

JUNIOR: How do you balance your music with other obligations - mate, children, job?
SET ON EDGE: Honestly, it's somewhat on the back-burner at the moment. As a husband and a father, I have many obligations that are simply more important. I do find time here and there to write and record though. Just not as much as I once did.

JUNIOR: What is going to set apart your music from the other styles of music in the Christianity fields?
SET ON EDGE: As a member of Vigilantes of Love once told me, This (A Story to Cling To) sounds really good very creative, but youre going to have a hard time marketing it. You dont fit in any genre, yet it doesn't sound so out-there as to create a genre of its own. (paraphrased) I'm not trying to shock anyone, but I think we subtly combine so many influences that it doesn't comfortably fit anywhere. We've been called Acoustic Metal, Heavy Wood, or my favorite, Emotive, sophisticated, artistic, alt-rock with lush arrangements and influences ranging from classical, blues, jazz, pop, folk, and classic rock.

JUNIOR: What's next? New Album? New Releases? New Dates?
SET ON EDGE: Well, Set on Edge is slowly recording a new c.d., Sleeper/Healer. It'll be a combination of all of our various line-ups musicians from Ohio, playing with folks from Athens, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee, and good ole Brunswick! This c.d. will be quite a bit more electric, and I think the production influence of Wilcos Yankee Foxtrot Hotel will most likely shine through in several places. I'm also working on a c.d. of contemporary worship songs with my wife under the name Saint Lewis. Set on Edges next date will not be till mid-Summer in Jacksonville. Keep up look-out for us, as we update our show schedule immediately at http://www.myspace.com/setonedgemusic

JUNIOR: Do you have any last thoughts you would like to let Junior's Cave's audience know about you?
SET ON EDGE: Whoah, so you have a thing against the number 26 as well? I see a conspiracy of some sort going on!(laughing, I left out question 26 too! :-) ) Anyway I think we just about covered everything imaginable. I'm worn out. Thank you for the attention though. I'm honored you like the music. Blessings.

No, thank you for taking the time to do this awesome interview.