After making its national debut five
years ago, the rock act 12 Stones quickly compiled quite the resume: Opening
for Creed, headlining 2004’s “See Spot Rock Tour” (that had Skillet, Pillar and
GRITS on the undercard) and being a featured artist at Creation and other major
festivals. The band’s front man, Paul McCoy, even won a GRAMMY® (“Best Hard
Rock Performance”) for his vocal contribution to Evanescence’s 2004 megahit
“Bring Me to Life.” So then, why is 12 Stones still an underdog?
Autobiographical. That’s probably the
word best suited to describe 12 Stones newest Wind-Up Records release,
Anthem
for the Underdog, which hits stores August 14.
“The
last three years have had their ups and downs, but Eric [Weaver, guitarist],
Aaron [Gaines, drummer] and I have managed to stay close and get through it,”
says front man Paul McCoy.
Indeed,
and there is a maturation that permeates
Anthem for the Underdog, a fulfillment
of the raw potential showcased on 12 Stones’ self-titled 2002 debut and echoed
on 2004’s
Potter’s Field.
That
maturity comes from a lot of places. McCoy, Weaver and Gaines have all become
fathers since their last tour. They hired new bassist DJ Stange and added
former Breaking Point guitarist Justin Rimer to their lineup. They witnessed
firsthand the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina (12 Stones calls New
Orleans suburb Mandeville home.). All told, McCoy and his bandmates have taken
these dramatic life changes in stride.
“We’ve
been down in lots of ways. There was a time or two when my wife and I paid some
bills late—we nearly had our electricity cut off at one point. But wanting to
get this record made, to get back in the studio and then back out on the
road—never forgetting I have a family to take care of—those are the things I
and the other guys have pushing us.
“After
Potter’s Field, we all had to come back home and get regular jobs.” McCoy
continues, “I was cooking at a restaurant, among other things. People think
life in a band is all fame and glory, but we’re really just regular guys with a
big passion for music.”
That’s
quite a contrast from the high points the band reached in its earlier days. So
it may come as no surprise that McCoy & Co. feel they have something to
prove to the rest of the music industry—both the Christian and general markets.
Yet, unlike their first two albums,
Anthem will not be distributed to Christian
retail outlets. “We’ve always welcomed the way we’ve been embraced by kids in
church youth groups and the big festivals,” says the singer. “They always have
been and always will be an important part of our audience, but we also
recognize that there are some people in the Christian market that don’t respect
us because we’re not interested in using the stage as a pulpit.”
And
the general market? “We feel like we’ve definitely been overlooked when it
comes to airplay on mainstream radio. We’re out to change that with Anthem for
the Underdog,” says a determined McCoy. Thanks to a stable of radio-worthy cuts
like “Lie to Me,” “It Was You,” “This Dark Day” and “World So Cold,” Anthem for
the Underdog could very well prove that the third time around is indeed the
charm.
--
Tim Adams