"I think we've always seen people respond well to our music and our message live," Jeremy answers. "But the one place we're really seeing a change is in radio of all places! It was hard to get radio airplay for the last record. I think it was tougher because our message was so confrontational in a sense, we were almost pointing fingers. We believe that that was what we were supposed to do last time, but it didn't really fit the radio format. This time around the record has more of an invitational approach, saying 'let's do this together.' Radio is now really responding to that, we're having the strongest airplay we've ever had."
When I ask about any other unexpected opportunities, Jeremy's response comes quickly. "Have you heard about our Moroccan trip?" he asks enthusiastically. "It was phenomenal to stand on a stage and look out at a sea of people, 50 or 60 thousand people a night, many of whom didn't even speak or understand English, in a country where it is illegal to proselytize. And what's really cool is that the event was sanctioned by the Moroccan government. We were actually guests of the Moroccan government," he laughs. "The event," he explains, "is called Friendship Fest, and it's a partnership between the regional President of Marrakesh, who's the equivalent of a state governor, and the founders of Creation. They came together and developed the Friendship Fest to use the universal language of music to bridge cultural and relational gaps."
I mentioned that I had read blogs reporting on how hard the Moroccan audience rocked. "Yeah, they could groove in spite of the language barrier," Jeremy says. "And they loved our sound. One of the reasons they chose our band actually is the fact that we're Canadians. Marc is French Canadian so he speaks fluent French, the Moroccan language. He was able to communicate from the stage and it really drew them in and bridged the gap between us." Jeremy's voice is animated as he tells of this exciting experience and it's very easy to see you're talking with a man who loves his work, who is himself wide-eyed and mystified at the adventures he's having as he follows the Lord's plans for downhere. It's real easy to like such a sincere artist, and if you have the chance make sure you check him and the rest of the downhere crew out as they head out this fall on the "Don't Conform Tour" with BarlowGirl and Matthew West. downhere is putting out some of the year's best music, you'll kick yourself if you miss them.
