Bio: Folk Angel was formed on a cold night in October of 2009. Our desire as a band is to make known the greatness of Jesus Christ and to exalt Him through the music that we create. We write and rearrange traditional Christmas songs, and through that creative process, we retell the Gospel story that illuminates all things.
Band Members & Hometowns: Caleb Carruth-Frisco, TX; Ryan Duckworth-Plano, TX; Jeff Capps-Lewisville, TX; Hunter Hall-McKinney, TX
Favorite Dallas Hangout: Bishop Arts District, Whiskey Cake, Costco, Chuys
AHD: What can we expect to hear when we check out Glad Tidings - Christmas Songs Vol. 4, the fourth consecutive Christmas offering from Folk Angel?
FA: This latest album is, I believe, the result of the past 4 years of solidifying our sound. It has the elements of our favorite things from the last 3 albums. It was a ton of fun to work on. It is my favorite album that we have done, to date!
AHD: Besides an expanding number of tracks, how is this year's album different from the previous three?
FA: We have gradually added more songs each year. If we had started this Folk Angel venture with a full-length album, I don’t know that we would have continued to make albums. We like to think that we grow as our fan base grows. I think the sound of the album is more mature than the other albums. It’s also different because we recorded, mixed, and released the album in 9 days!
AHD: As experienced musicians, how much fun do you have tinkering with classics? Is it a challenge to change up songs we’ve all heard so many times, or does that come easy to you?
FA: I don’t know if it comes easy to us, but it’s definitely a fun process. It isn’t uncommon for us to start a song, only to realize it sounds the exact same as the original, and then scratch it and change it. That is one of the main reasons we started making these albums 4 years ago. We were tired of the traditional versions of these songs we all love.
AHD: We're all glad you picked up that $15 garage sale guitar and got your start so many years ago. What role do you presently play in this seasonal band?
FA: We are such a unique band (in so many ways). When we are in the studio, we all play the instruments. It is a team effort from start to finish, which is why I think it works so well. We have a lot of fun tinkering around with instruments and ideas. When it comes to vocals, we all either take a verse singing lead, or one person takes a whole song. On this album, I specifically played the roles of instrumentalist, vocalist, programmer, co-producer, and I designed the artwork.
AHD: What is your relationship with your band mates like? Based on your successes, have you all considered making a go at full-time music making?
FA: We are all buddies. We were friends before we started this project and we will continue to be friends long after Folk Angel is gone. Our love for one another really helps things move along: we can have difficult conversations when we need to and at the same time, we can affirm each other when needed. We don’t ever plan on making this a full time gig. We all have full-time jobs with wives and kids. In fact, my family is going from a family of 4 to a family of 6 in just a few months! My wife is pregnant with twins. We have all travelled and done full-time music in the past, so the glamour and pressure of being a full-time band that travels and makes albums doesn’t really appeal to us.
AHD: The band has said it retells the Gospel story that illuminates all things. Though some Christmas songs are literal retellings of Christ's coming, do you feel that the same message of hope can come across year round in all different kinds of music?
FA: It absolutely can. As believers who enjoy music, we have an incredible opportunity to use our gifts to paint pictures of grace and hope through melodies, all year long. For me, Christmas creates such a great platform to share these songs that are so steeped in the gospel message of Christ. The songs are familiar to those both inside and outside the Church.
AHD: How do you use your music for the common good?
FA: Another unique quality about Folk Angel is that we do everything in-house, for little-to-no expense. Everything from the artwork to distribution is done by us. Because we don’t have to sell a certain amount of albums to recoup our expenses, we are afforded the opportunity to give away so many albums and songs. Last year, we gave away nearly 10k copies of our album to Compassion International and other church planting networks and ministries.
AHD: Will there be any opportunities to see y’all play during the holiday season?
FA: Yes! Another crazy thing about Folk Angel is that we have never really played an official show. This year, we will play our very first concert! We are teaming up with several local ministries to play a concert with our friends Robbie Seay and Lauren Chandler. It’s our very first show, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. You can buy tickets here: http://yuletide.eventbrite.com.
AHD: How can we learn more about Folk Angel and pick up the latest release?
FA: You can check out our website, www.folkangel.com, or follow us on twitter @folkangelmusic to stay up to date on what we are doing. We have also started a new Hymn’s Project that we are hoping to release early 2013. It has a little different sound, but we are pretty excited about it! You can pick up our new (and old) cd’s on iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon, and other online stores.