Elliot On the Their Origins, New Album & Touring With Nick Vujicic

Elliot is a modern-rock worship band from ​Pacific ​Northwest with a sound reminiscent of Switchfoot, One Republic, The Script, and Hillsong United.​ Their sound is​ energetic, modern and worshipful.  Brothers Corey Parnell (lead vocals) and Casey Parnell (electric guitar) front the band, with synth and keyboard sounds from Evan Earwicker. The sound is held together by drummer Michael Summers and Grammy Award-winning bassist Lonnie Chapin.

Hallels:  Thank you for doing this interview with us.  For starters, tell us how did you guys come together?  And why the name Elliot?

We've been friends since we were teenagers, making music and leading worship in various bands and projects. Lonnie (bass) joined us more recently via Nashville/LA, but we're all natives of our beloved little mountain town Bend, OR. We started up because of our chemistry and our mutual dream to make music that connects people to the Creator. We named the band after a kid we met while touring in Mexico in 2010. Through a series of unfortunate events we ended up getting our van stuck in the sand on a very remote beach. His father and him were on holiday from England, camping near there, and came to our rescue. At one point he looked at us and said "don't worry mates, it's all part of the adventure!" I suppose that little boy and his words of wisdom spoke to us about the sovereignty of God, and inspired us to keep making music together, in spite of a lot of a lot of years of disappointment, failure and stuck vans.  

Hallels:  One of the campaigns you were involved with was "The Heart Campaign."  Tell us more about it.

The Heart Campaign was born from our desire to see the body of Christ get out of the 4 walls of the church and just simply serve their communities together. We built teams and organized with local non-profits to feed people, clothe people, chop wood and mow lawns. We'd finish each night with a big concert and share the gospel. It was a really simple idea, but it caught fire in the pacific northwest and resulted in heaps of christians serving together, and in thousands of people coming to Christ. 

Hallels:  How would you describe your sound?

I think we sound like the bands we listen to, but we listen to a lot of music, so the sound is fairly eclectic. We love artists like Needtobreathe, Bastille, and One Republic, but we also listen to a lot of gospel, classic rock and funk. On top of that, we're all pastors and leaders in our local church, so we're compelled by the simplicity of worship music. The end result is a sound that is musically fulfilling, while maintaining that singable, memorable feel of the worship movement. 

Hallels:  You have partnered with Dream Records for the release of "Resolute."  What was the greatest blessing and the greatest challenge in making this record?

The greatest blessing in our partnership with DREAM has been the ability to reach further with our music than we've been able to before. It's incredible that technology is allowing people to make records in their living room, but the noise floor is so high that it's hard to be heard, even if you're pretty good. DREAM is helping us bust out of some of those limitations and it's a huge blessing. The biggest challenge of any record is picking songs. Knowing which ones to keep, and which ones to trash. Being passionate about your work, yet open to criticism is vital but so, so difficult. 

Hallels:  What do you think is central message you wish to convey to listeners with "Resolute"?

That faith isn't easy, but that it's worth it. Life is messy but the way of Jesus is the way to life, so don't give up, keep trusting, and keep your love for God and for people central.  

Hallels:  You are touring I believe with Nick Vujicic, how did you get to work with him?

We've known Nick and his wonderful team for many years now. It started when he came to speak for one of our first "Heart Campaign" events. He loved the sound of the band, the heart of the event, and we became fast friends. Since then, we've done a bunch of events together and have seen incredible fruit from our partnership. Nick is as cool as he seems. Such an inspiring human. 

Hallels:  For our readers who would like to purchase "Resolute" or/and find out more about you, where can they go?

 The album releases with exclusive video content on iTunes May 26th. We'd love for people to connect with us and follow us on social media at www.elliotband.com. In the meantime, Dream Records is doing a great pre-order bundle for us, with a tshirt designed by our very own Casey Parnell (electric guitar) at http://dreamrecords.merchnow.com/ 

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