Released

Fans will love the music of this next group. I actually had an opportunity to listen to some of their music and was thrilled by what I was hearing. I love how the band’s love for God comes out in their music. I also love the band’s sound and style and know others will enjoy their music too. In this spotlight with the band, we had the opportunity to get to know the members of Released better in this super cool spotlight. Read on for other cool facts about the Indie band, Released.

Isaac: It’s an amazing time to be a DIY artist/performer/band/musician. What do you enjoy the most about being an indie performer?

Released: Wow, good question, I would have to say that freedom is definitely the best advantage to being an indie band today. We are free to be us and let our personalities and influences translate back into our music. We don't have to answer to anyone but ourselves when it comes to making, writing, and producing music...and that is a beautiful thing!

Isaac: If you had an opportunity to sign with a major label, would you sign now knowing you may have to give up some of what you have build up over the years about you in the process?

Released: Yes, we definitely would. We completely understand that there would definitely be sacrifices/compromises to be made, some of which we just talked about, however, the benefits to signing outweigh them. We are a bunch of normal guys that met at church, work normal everyday jobs and signing with a major label could really unlock a lot of doors for us in terms of national exposure and airtime. We are all pretty easy going people and are not "out there" when it comes to musical creativeness and it is for that reason that we feel we would get along great with a major label.

Isaac: I remembered Simon Cowell from American Idol talking about the “it” Factor that makes a musician/band stand out. What do you think is your “it” factor that makes you stand out from others in the music business?

Released: Our "it" factor would definitely have to be our synergy as a group, our personalities and our passion for worship music. When people come to a show, they leave feeling like they know us and are good friends with us. We really try to be as transparent and real as possible.



Isaac: Why should music fans listen to your music? Describe what they are going to get when they listen to your music?

Released: People should listen to our music because it offers a little bit of everything. We have been told that our CD is very pleasing to listen to as it is not repetitive and monotonous. It keeps your attention threw out. Many of our fans have commented that they enjoy the energy and intimacy that they experience with God while listening.

Isaac: Briefly describe your humble beginnings that led you to where you are at musically now.

Released: For us, our beginning as Released really started in the church. We all attended a church in Wauseon, Ohio called Oasis where most of us met (Isaac and Nick actually went to elementary school together). At Oasis we were all on the worship team and it is here that we first started becoming close and developing a friendship. The worship team from Oasis started getting more and more opportunities to travel and play different events throughout the year and it just so happened that it was usually the 5 of us (Nick H., Steve, Isaac, Nick R. and Klein) that went.

While spending extra time together, usually in a van, Nick H. started to share songs that he had been writing and working on. We started to play some of these on Sunday morning at Oasis and also at some gigs. The response and feedback was really good and it wasn't long before we started being asked for CD's. It wasn't long after this that we sat down and "officially" formed Released. In the winter of 2009 we went into the studio to record our first album. We released "Creation Sings" in June of 2009 and have had a steady growth of success and opportunities since then.

In the fall of 2009 we garnered a top 25 finish in a national contest called "Indie Spotlight". We have also had the opportunity earlier this year to play at Ichthus, one of the biggest Christian music festivals in the country. It's amazing to look back and see how far we've come over the last couple of years and we're really looking forward to what's yet to come!



Isaac: You have some strong iconic influences. Of these influences, which artist/band do you relate to the most and why?

Released: This is an incredibly hard question to answer. We have so many influences that have an impact on our music it's ridiculously hard to narrow down to 2 let alone 1. If we were absolutely forced to do so we would probably have to say we're a mix between Hillsong's guitars and David Crowder Bands energy level and identifiably in songwriting.

Isaac: Do you feel that Indie music gets the respect it deserves? Why or why not?

Released: Yes and no. Today, more than ever, Indie music is gaining more and more respect thanks to great Indie band pioneers like "OK GO". However, it still has a ways to go to compete and get the full respect it deserves. But none the less, it's moving in the right direction.

Isaac: If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be and why?

Released: I would love to see the playing field "equaled" a little bit. It would be a lot easier to be successful if Indie bands were leant the same "credibility" as a signed band. More often than not, it's hard just to get someone to listen to you music or give you a chance because you're not signed. People don't see Indie as being credible yet. Persistence is sometimes the key that unlocks those doors but not all of the time. We're not looking for preferential treatment by any means. We're confident that our music will stand on its own if given the opportunity to first stand.

Isaac: What type of feedbacks have you been receiving about your music from fans and music critics?

Released: Some of the feedback we're received is as follows;
"...love the raw emotion that is felt in the lyrics."
"Really kept my attention throughout the whole CD. Great balance".
"...great guitar riffs and solid bass and great vocals".
"...great worship experience"!
"You guys really rocked...loved it, loved it, loved it"!!
"I love the passion for Jesus that comes from your performances".
"I like Released. Their music is very honest, and it sounds like they wrote it just for Him!! The licks are amazing".


Isaac: If you knew that you would never gain fame and fortune with what you are doing now, would you continue to make music? Explain.

Released: Absolutely! Music isn't just sometime we do in the hopes of getting rich or becoming famous, it's a piece of who we are. Every single one of us plays because we flat out love it. It is not uncommon for us to get together and just start "jamming". We're not playing anything in-particular, or sticking to any kind of structure, we're just there playing feeding off one another. It's a lot of fun and it's during these times when we are most creative and try new things.

Isaac: How do you handle negative feedback or negative energy about your music?

Released: We welcome it with open arms. We realize our music isn't going to be everyone’s favorite, and we genuinely want to hear negative feedback sometimes. As a band, we understand the importance of using the negative feedback we receive to help us get better and improve.

Isaac: What role do your family and friends play in the equation of your pursuant of a music career?

Released: They play a huge part! We couldn't do what we do without their support and sacrifices. As I said above, we are regular guys with families, who work everyday 9-5 jobs. We work very hard to keep our family lives and music lives as balanced as possible.

Isaac: What is the best site/s that you can be found on the Internet?

Released: You can find us on our website at www.releasedworship.com . We're also on iTunes, just search "Released Creation Sings" as well as Facebook, Twitter, jango.com (Internet radio), YES FM (Christian Radio) and SonicBids.

Isaac: The floor is yours; final words…..

Released: We would like to personally thank Isaac, from Junior's Cave, for taking time to sit down and talk to us and get to know us a little better.