“Everyday Sunday”: The Interview

I don’t usually find myself listening to traditional Christian Music. Though I can get behind the music, I can’t usually get behind the theology of the lyrics. However, Trey Pearson and his band Everyday Sunday caught my attention at the Wild Goose Festival.

With more than a dozen top-ten hits on the Christian music charts, five #1 singles and hundreds of thousands of album sales to their credit Everyday Sunday is an international movement, unto itself. With their upcoming show in Portland at First Christian Church, I had the chance to talk with Trey, the lead singer, songwriter and bandleader to talk with him about his music, faith, “Bellian” theology and learn more about Everyday Sunday.

Can you share and explain the origin of the band’s name?

Everyday Sunday is a name I came up when I was 16 years old.  The name means to live every day as a state of worship.  That’s not something we save for a particular service, building, etc.  I want to be living the way of Jesus 24/7, and that’s what it’s about.

Why did you choose to focus on Christian music and not the secular route?

I don’t believe in Christian music.  Or secular music.  I find using “Christian” as an adjective causes a lot more problems than it does good.  And as a Christian, I find people aren’t too fond when you refer to them or what they do as secular (laughs).  A lot of the music I write is about my faith.  I am just trying to make great art that I love, and that I have a chance to use to move in other people’s lives.

I love the opportunity I have to be a voice in churches and Christian communities, but I also have a desire to be connecting with as many people possible, no matter their beliefs on anything, really.  I just love being a part of the conversation.

You were part of the CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) network and scene for years.  What happened?

I didn’t fit in (laughs).  The idea of Christians coming together to make a difference in the world is a great thing.  Unfortunately, the CCM industry is more concerned about making sure you think particular things, and it is definitely quite political in the sense that the vast majority of their money comes from conservative Christian soccer moms that support the station playing adult contemporary music.

Even with five #1 hits, 15 top-10s, and selling hundreds of thousands of albums, people constantly wanted me to march to the beat of a different drum than who I am.  With that said, I still choose to have a voice there, because I would love to see change.  I think you see artists like David Crowder and some other people throughout the industry trying to do the same thing.

How has your music evolved, particularly on this new album?

My new album is vastly different stylistically than anything else I have done.  It was just the freedom I had to try things that I love about music that I haven’t done yet.  If you listen back to all of my albums, none of them sound the same, but you always can get a sense that it’s my voice and my writing; both of which have improved I think over the years.  The biggest difference on this one is the programming and sequencing, and I think they’re the best songs I have written overall.

In what ways has your own faith grown or changed over the years?

To sum it up, I grew up in a Calvinistic home (a church that believes all people are either predestined to heaven or hell, and are either predetermined as God’s children or the devil’s).  I got involved in a Wesleyan church as a teenager, and eventually became heavily influenced by the teachings of John Wesley.

I would say I have changed a lot from the influences of my conservative Wesleyan faith, but the Wesleyan quadrilateral still guides me in a lot of ways; the Wesleyan quadrilateral is the idea of our faith in God and Jesus being influenced by Experience, Reason, Scripture and Tradition.

I’m probably more of a Bellian (The doctrine of Rob Bell.  Yes, hopefully I’m the first one using this in an interview.)  than anything at this point.  He’s been a huge influence on my faith, a wonderful mentor and friend over the years.  I’m a “Love Wins” kinda guy.

How have your previous fans responded to your departure from CCM?

I don’t think many of them notice a huge difference, except people that are paying attention hard to that scene.  There are several artists making changes in their approach to the industry.  Some people notice quicker than others.  My goal is to always to, hopefully, take people another step on their journey.  I mean that in their faith, or their understanding of what the CCM industry is even about.  There is no quick process.

We all come from the sum of our experiences, including myself.  People that read or listen to every interview I have ever done notice the quickest.  People that want to find out what I think, find out.  I speak where I have the opportunity through that, through my music, and through my life.

What are your biggest influences?

I always have trouble answering this question.  Again, we are the sum total of our experience thus far, and we choose what we want to use to create what we do, and become who we want to become.  My faith will always be a big part of everything I do, because I have been so obsessed with it since I was trying to figure it out as a child.

Musically, it is ever changing: Queen, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Elton John, Billy Joel, Boyz II Men, Green Day, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind, All-American Rejects, Usher, Maroon 5, Chris Brown, One Republic, Katy Perry, Fun, and even Bieber… and obviously much, much more.

Who comes most often to your shows?

I would say our biggest audience is typically young adults.  But it really does range because of everything from playing youth conferences to festivals to being played on Christian radio.  A lot of young people have grown up listening to us that still follow us, but a lot of adults that have heard us on Christian radio are wonderful fans too.

Why come to Portland, arguably the most secular city in the country?

I’ve been to Europe (laughs)… Portland doesn’t really shock me much.  We go everywhere.  We’ve been in all 50 states, and 19 different countries.  If there are people that will listen to us perform songs we have written, we are always grateful.  I love Portland.  It’s one of my favorite cities.