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CCM Magazine: It seems the genesis of Followers directly correlates with the band’s redefinition of success. Is this true? How?
Mike Donehey: When we first entered the scene, we had a lot of success. Our first three records did really well at Christian radio—a lot of people purchased them. Then our last record fell into obscurity. It threw me, and I thought, “Is this defeating for me? And if so, why?”
Whenever we go through levels of success, we can say that our identities are in Jesus, and that I’m loved by Him, and that’s what gives me confidence. But you don’t really know if the stage is where you get your value from until people don’t applaud you anymore. So we began asking ourselves, “Are we making this music because it’s successful, or are we making this music because we believe in it and it’s affecting people?”
Matt Maher was telling me about people meeting with the Pope. The Pope said that he’s not interested in meeting with people who don’t understand that we seek relationship, not opportunity. In the music business, sometimes, you feel people seeking you for the opportunity you might provide and not for the relationship itself. Same with God. Am I seeking God because he’s going to create opportunity for me and because He’s going to make me successful in the world’s eyes—or am I seeking God for God Himself?
So the big redefine of success for us as a band has been thinking about people’s stories, not about the charts.
CCM: Was there a collective sense of this within the band, or was it a spark in one individual that influenced others?
Jason Jamison: We never sat down and said, “This is what we’re going through and this is what we’re all feeling right now.” It was more of a spark, a sense of life, like what you’re going through at that point in time. And it’s slightly different for everyone.
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These guys are the REAL deal. Love God, their families, and their fans. Always encouraging with their lyrics, and willing to talk about topics most sweep under the rug. I have been one of their fans since “The Light Meets The Dark” and they just keep getting better and better. Great article about God loving guys who walk out their faith through their music, and give glory to God in everything.