04-01 Breakaway Magazine
Making the Band: Plus One Takes You Behind the Scenes
By: Michael Ross
Credit: D from s-o.net
Magazine Images: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
How do you go from being five down-to-earth Breakaway-type schoolboys to becoming one of Atlantic Records’ hottest Christian acts? And what’s it like to share the stage with some of the biggest names in the music biz – fending off countless screeching, squealing teen girls after each concert? Who better to answer these questions than Plus One?!
Admit it, you’d give your Playstation 2, private dunking drills with Kobe Bryand – even a date with Jaci Velasquez – jus to walk in the shoes of Nate Cole, Gabe Combs, Jeremy Mhire, Jason Perry and Nathan Walters, those five guys known as Plus One. (Okay, maybe not the Kobe encounter – but your Playstation is definitely history!)
“I’d think twice about the Kobe thing, too,” says Jeremy, 21, a basketball fanatic who grew up reading Breakaway. (His favorite issue is our July 1996 mag, which features NBA star David Robinson on the cover.) “I love shooting hoops almost as much as I love performing. But I have to admit: Each guy in this band is exactly where he should be. God is not only giving us our dreams, but He’s using our music in big ways.”
And that’s why Plus One exists, says 20-year-old Nate. “We’re here to serve Christ with our talent – not to become rich and famous. God is the foundation of this band.”
Obvious Success
It’s been a wild ride for Plus One, Christian music’s answer to bands like ‘N Sync. Since their debut disc, The Promise (143 Records/Atlantic), released two years ago, the quintet has:
- gone gold. The Promise was 2000’s top-selling single-artist CD in Christian stores.
- Had two No.1 Christian radio hits, “Written on My Heart” and “God is in This Place.”
- Picked up a Dove Award and was named New Artists of the Year in 2001.
- Just released Obvious, which is already climbing the Christian charts
Yet despite their success, do the guys cringe when people refer to them as a “boy band”?
“Yes and no,” says Nate, shaking his head. “We definitely take pride in what we do. But it’s tough when we perform with bands like dc talk or the Newsboys and, right in the middle of our choreography, we see hundreds of girls screaming for us – and a bunch of guys mocking us.
“Hey, if I were in the crowd with my buddies, I’d probably be mocking us, too,” he adds with a smile. “I always have to stop and think, At least the girls are screaming. Cool!”
And that’s something the band will never complain about.
“We’re five guys who love and respect girls,” says Nathan, 23. “That’s why we put love songs on our albums.”
Yet singing “girl tunes” is only a small part of what Plus One is all about. “Our mission is to sing the truth,” says Jason, 19. “We have a message that Christ is ‘the way and the truth and the life.’ That’s what our name means: The one is Jesus.
“And as god matures and sharpens each of us spiritually, our music is progressing, too. With Obvious, we’re actually moving slightly away from the boy-band sound and into a style that’s more current, more edgy.”
Obvious Mission
All five firmly believe God brought them together. “Starting this group was nothing like MTV’s ‘Making the Band’,” Nate says. “It was totally a God thing. Each of us was handpicked.”
Atlantic Records decided it was time to put together a Christian alternative to the boy-band mania. Calls were made. Auditions were held. And Plus One was born.
“I definitely sensed God in the process,” Jeremy says. “I was in school at the time, struggling academically. I wasn’t motivated. And spiritually, I wasn’t too strong in my faith. Yet God has a call on my life. He wasn’t about to give up on me.
“I knew that I was talented musically, but I wasn’t actually sure if that was the career path to follow. I’d look in the mirror and ask myself, ‘What am I going to do with my life?’ Then I said, ‘God, I don’t really have any place else to look except to You.’”
Two weeks later, Jeremy was awakened by a call from a record label executive who’d heard him sing a couple of times.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” Jeremy says. “The Holy Spirit was speaking to me. This was an open door.”
Jeremy called back and agreed to audition for Plus One. “If God can use an imperfect guy like me, He can use you, too. But you’ve got to commit your life 100 percent to Him and say, ‘I want to follow Your will, not mine.’ It’s all about the attitude.”
And it’s this kind of attitude that can make or break a Christian music career. “Networking and being in the right place at the right time certainly helps,” admits 22-year-old Gabe. “But like any profession, success comes from hard work, constant practice – and a clear mission.
“Each of us grew up singing in the church. Music is in our blood – it’s what God has called us to do. As a band, we’re convinced of this. And from the very start, we’ve all stayed in tune with each other and with God.”
And it’s obvious: The band is still in tune.
What’s Plus One’s best advice for Breakaway guys who want to break into the music biz? Here’s what Nate, Jason and Nathan had to say:
Nate: Not everyone who shoots for a music career will cut albums or perform on stage. There are so many other jobs out there that Christians can get involved in. Even if it’s doing the sound board or become an engineer. Whatever you’ve been gifted just really serve with that gift and God will bless that and take it to the next level.
Jason: Seek God’s will for you life FIRST, success as an artist SECOND. Scripture says, ‘Seek Him first and everything will be added unto you.” It’s true. You have to be willing to serve Him, and you’ll find fulfillment and happiness in whatever plan He has for your life. So, how do you figure out God’s will? Pray hard!
Nathan: We’re just five down-to-earth guys – like most Breakaway readers. I share a house in Nashville with Nate and Gabe. We come up with some interesting stuff to eat, but that’s okay. Getting rich isn’t what motivates us, and it shouldn’t be the reason you get into the music industry.
