I love the Avett Brothers.
It’s true. They may not be considered “pop sensations,” but their music is incredible, their lyrics are fantastic, and they’ve developed quite a following. They recently released a brand new album, The Carpenter
Perhaps the main reason I love these guys is they are great examples of what it means to #LiveFully. Here’s why…
The Background:
Both Avett Brothers grew up in church. In fact, their grandfather was a minister in the Methodist church and their grandmother was the pianist. Much of their influence comes from family gatherings around the piano. Seth Avett told Faith and Leadership, “Church presented an ongoing message of light and positivity in the routine of our lives. That message has undoubtedly played a role in who we are as grown men.”
Relevant Magazine makes an important distinction about them, however. “theirs is art made by Christians—not “Christian art.”
I love that. Because their music and their art is for everyone. It is not being judged as Christian art, but rather as art (which, sadly, has a hire standard in today’s world). People who aren’t Christians won’t be put off before hearing it, and it puts them in a place where they can impact culture through their lyrics that deal with faith, family, and other importnat issues.
In the Faith and Leadership interview, Seth Avett also discussed the importance of writing honest lyrics, in regards to love, loss, and pain, “with an eye on the responsibility that is somewhat inseparable from the fact that people will hear what we are saying in our songs.”
Essentially, the Avett brothers passionately seek to create honest art and work hard to do it. To top it all off, everything I’ve read about them claims they are very humble guys.
The Music:
Labeling them with a genre is rather difficult. If I had to describe it, I would call it bluegrass/chill rock with occasional touches of punk and grunge. If you like Mumford & Sons, odds are you’ll like the Avett Brothers. In fact, they recently performed with Mumford and Bob Dylan at the Grammy’s:
The Lyrics:
As was said earlier, these guys hit on some deep topics and often deal with faith, family, pain, and more. Here are a couple of examples:
I love this bit in February Seven
Or this line from The Once And Future Carpenter
Their new single, Live and Die:
As I said in the beginning, the Avett Brothers are a great example of musicians who #LiveFully. I don’t know them personally, and I hope their faith is as authentic as it seems. Regardless, the depth and light that rings through their music can speak to anyone. They are using their gifts to impact culture in a positive way, and I love it.
Check out The Avett Brothers website or follow them on twitter @theavettbrothers.
Do you listen to the Avett Brothers? If so, what is your favorite song by them?
