In today’s CMB-ite Spotlight, I’m stoked to introduce you to Michigan based, pop/rock worship band, Modern Day Cure. Here we go….
CMB: How did you get started in music?
Aaron: We’ve all had a love for music since we can remember, but we had no idea we would be in a band. Everything changed for us after I attended a youth conference in Atlanta. God spoke to me to start a band – I couldn’t deny His leading. I came home from the conference and told Tamar (my fiancé at the time) what I experienced, and she got onboard. Then I reached out to Tifani, a good friend from our church, and she said yes. The funny thing is that none of us were currently playing any instruments at the time, but we obeyed God anyway.
We found that the call from God overshadowed our inexperience. We began to meet and practice and slowly God opened doors for us. We released a four-song EP in 2012 and currently are in the process of finishing our first full-length album to be released this year. I play the drums, my wife Tamar plays keys and is lead vocalist, and Tifani plays rhythm guitar and also sings.
CMB: Who would be your top three non-musical influences?
Tamar: This may seem cliché, but Jesus is our main influence. Our name comes from Hebrews 13:8 which says, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” To us, that makes Him the Modern Day Cure. He’s the solution this world needs. Our songs are based on this timeless truth. Our pastors and parents are also great influences as well.
CMB: How about your top three musical ones?
Tifani: Too many to name but our three favorites are Desperation Band, Jesus Culture, and Elevation Worship.
CMB: What would be your general process for writing a song from start to finish?
Aaron: The framework for most of our songs starts during personal times of worship and they develop collectively. Often times I’ll write the bones of a song on the keyboard and bring it to Tamar and Tifani. Then the rewriting process begins. They help with ideas for instrumental parts, melodies and harmonies. It’s beautiful to see the words come to life when we put all the pieces together. We sing the songs over and over, and they become a part of us. Then we share them with our local church at our worship services.
There are also times when we have group writing sessions – those are a lot of fun as well. We’ll come with ideas or a theme and put it all together. Some of our favorite songs didn’t make the new album, but there are no egos in this band. We really work well together and we’re growing as songwriters.
CMB: Let’s talk about your new album Victorious. Where did it all start?
Tamar: We have such a personal connection with our first-full length album Victorious. It carries a message of hope and victory that is only found in Jesus. Both individually and as a group we’ve had to overcome fear, rejection, and uncertainty throughout our journey as a band. We’ve had challenges but we’ve kept moving forward. It’s our prayer that others will be filled with hope by our music and story.
We just released our first single from the album called Strong God. We are giving away a free download of the song at ourstronggod.com. The straightforward lyrics declaring the truth of God’s strength seem to really resonate with people. We had a blast shooting the music video for Strong God! People can view it below.
Other songs like Mighty One and Victorious stir up a sense of awe in God and remind us that even in death, we are victorious through Christ. These songs have been the soundtracks to our lives over the past couple of years and we can’t wait to share them.
CMB: What recording software do you use? Can you tell us a little bit about your studio?
Aaron: We recorded the new album with a great artist named Andy Reed. He has his own studio in Bay City, Mich. called Reed Recording Company. He uses Pro Tools. We mixed and mastered the project at Studio A in Dearborn, Mich. They are a Pro Tools based studio as well with all the latest gear and world-class engineers.
CMB: What would be your biggest piece of advice to artists who write and create original music?
Tamar: Staying in the scriptures and prayer is vital to the inspiration process for us. We love to pray the Psalms. There’s some good stuff in there! There’s so much emotion and imagery – but it all points back to a faithful God. Our lives are extremely busy, and we value rest.
We value quiet time with God. But we’ve also learned that He will speak in the chaos. His voice will penetrate the noise of this life. Some of our most memorable moments of inspiration came when we were tired, frustrated, and battling doubt.
CMB: Can you tell us a little about your local church community where you worship? How does that fit into your ministry as a recording artist?
Tifani: We love our local church! Often times, our congregation is the first to hear and sing our original songs. Many of our songs have become anthems at our church. We draw inspiration from the messages and weekly interactions with our church family. Some of our biggest supporters are from our congregation. Aaron and Tamar serve as worship directors and I assist them as a worship leader. It’s been a really cool experience that has helped us grow as musicians and leaders.
CMB: Thanks again for sharing your music with your fellow CMB-ites. Where should people go to find out more about you online?
Tamar: Thanks for having us! People can check us out at www.moderndaycure.com where they can join our mailing list. We really like to stay connected with our fans and supporters.
Modern Dy Cure Links:
Strong God Video
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