Euro-pop/rock band After Edmund

When searching for the perfect name for a band, why not start with one of the most beloved stories of all time? That’s what the guys in After Edmund did, and their first album got a Grammy nod, so maybe they’re onto something. The group found inspiration for their name from one of the characters in C.S. Lewis’ much beloved The Chronicles of Narnia series.

“In the books,” explains band member Yates, “Edmund represents humanity, and as humans, we’ve all sinned, but because of Christ, we are all forgiven.” Then, donning a sheepish grin, he adds, “And … well … the ‘A’ in ‘After’ also puts us at the very beginning of people’s iTunes libraries, so … you know.” But all jokes aside, the idea behind the band’s name gives a glimpse of the thought and intentionality behind everything the band does, from the music and lyrics they compose themselves, to the social activism that fills their spare time.

Hailing from the small town of LaGrange, Ga., After Edmund includes Ben Hosey, Yates, Matt McFadden, and Mitch Park. The four guys were all members of separate worship bands when they stumbled upon one another back in 2001. The band members share a love of a diverse blend of musical sounds that they define as sort of Euro-pop/rock in the vein of Coldplay and The Killers. “We love it when we come across a new sound in the studio, and the song just sort of morphs out of that. That’s one of my favorite things about the recording process,” says Yates, whose talents don’t stop with music. (Yates also happened to graduate college at the top of his class.)

If Euro-pop/rock doesn’t define their sound enough, think a merger of “the timeless sensibilities of Pink Floyd and the Beatles with the organic influences of Wilco, [and] the dynamic swells of Keane,” says publicist Brian Mayes. Add the band’s personal rhythms and lyrics to the mix, and you end up with a group that appeals as much to the college students who catch their shows as to parents who hear one of their hits on the radio.

The band attributes their ability to bridge generations to their songs’ lyrics. Park, lead singer and guitarist, co-wrote all the songs on their first major label offering, 2008’s Hello, with the heavy-handed influence of the rest of the guys. “A lot of Christian songs talk about things only ‘church people’ can understand,” says Park. “There’s not a person on the planet who God doesn’t love and desire a relationship with, and I wanted to talk about that in a way that anyone could understand.”

That basic understanding of God’s love was the foundation for the track “To See You Leave.” Although they’ll be the first to admit they feel pressure to write songs that they know, from a lyrical perspective, are sure-fire hits, they push through that temptation, knowing that would be cheating themselves and their audiences out of other topics that they feel need to be discussed in Christian forums.

Dealing with real life issues seems to be paying off. The group received rave reviews for Hello, which scored a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Christian rock/rap album. Accolades aside, After Edmund is quite clear as to their aim when it comes to ministry. “We strive to be as down to earth as possible,” explains McFadden, “always approachable, always available to pray with people.” Park feels similarly, adding, “At concerts, it’s our intention to play the absolute best live show we can. But when [the audience] goes home and listens to the album, our hope is that they’ll start to see the message of the album … that regardless of what you go through in life … whether it’s pain, happiness, love, guilt … you really don’t get anything out of these experiences unless Christ is involved.”

Check out this video of After Edmund performing “Birds,” off their new Live DVD Spaceships and Submarines: The Lively Sessions.

This article is from the Winter 2009-10 issue of *Collegiate*. Click HERE to subscribe.