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More Than Meets The Eye: Everlife by Charles White
Born and
raised in a suburb of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Julia, Sarah and Amber were
blessed with wonderful parents that supported them 100 percent, even when then
9 year old Julia announced to her sisters in 1997 that they were starting a
band. The sisters spent the next few years honing their craft and perfecting
their musical style. These same sisters developed a regional following and
have consistently played about 150 shows a year. Fast forward
seven years to the present and you have Everlife. Although these three sisters
have grown up and traversed some pretty difficult paths to get to this point,
they still remain close as only sisters can be. “It's just
the three of us, no other brothers or sisters,” explain the members of
Everlife in a recent interview with Person2Person Christian E-zine. “People
always ask if it's hard being on the road when you're always together at home,
and it's crazy but we really are best friends. All three of us have different
traits that keep the friendship together, which is amazing. When one of us is
gone, we feel incomplete.” 2004 turned
out to be a good year for the sisters of Everlife. The girls moved to
Tennessee and in February, the group was signed to a record deal with Crowne
Music / Tovah Music. On August 24 of 2004, the band released their self-titled
debut, Everlife. Two of the songs on
the album, Evidence and I’m Over It, quickly found favor with fans. I’m Over It also entered
into heavy rotation at Radio Disney. “Everlife
is one of those bands that is seemingly too good to be true. They are
committed to touring, are fabulous musicians, have huge hearts for ministry
and have created an amazing following on their own,” states Kevan Cyka,
general manager of Tovah Music in a press release for Everlife’s self-titled
debut album. “This band has a huge future ahead of them.” “When Kevan
brought this project to us, we were just amazed at the talent these three
girls possess,” continues Michael Turner, general manager of Crowne Music.
“Crowne is always looking for artists that are striving for more than just
making good music. The girls’ focus on missions was very attractive because
they are not only embracing culture, they are affecting it. Plus, we really
want the atmosphere at Crowne to feel like a family, and the personalities of
the Everlife family fit in our family.” Although
music is an important part of their lives, Everlife feels a strong call to do
more. These dedicated young
ladies see themselves as both musicians and missionaries and feel a
responsibility to share the love of Christ with others outside the United
States. A mission trip to Brazil even inspired one of the songs on the album
entitled, We Will Not Bow Down. “Having our
parents so heavily involved in youth leadership really sparked a desire in the
three of us to do mission work overseas,” explain these talented young
ladies. “The three of us have been on three mission trips, twice to Costa
Rica and once to Brazil. Our first trip was incredible and it really made us
realize how important it is to get yourself out there, to a different country,
a whole new world, and just to show what God has done in your life. We really
feel that Everlife is our extended mission trip.” Even though
it contains positive Christian messages, the goal of Everlife’s music is to
entertain and enliven people at the same time. Driven by solid rock songs like
Take A Ride and Heaven Open Your Eyes as well as
ballads like Evidence and Lead
My Way, sisters Amber, Sarah and Julia have produced a rich melodic
masterpiece infused with beautiful harmonies and powerful lyrics.
Although their singles continue to soar up the charts and sales of
their debut album are on the rise, numbers have no place in Everlife’s
definition of success. These young ladies see themselves as a tool which God
utilizes to display his love to all whom they come in contact with. As one
member puts it, Everlife sees themselves as "musician-aries". “The
definition of 'success' for each person in life varies so much,” the group
explains. “For us, it's pretty simple. We started singing so that our words
and attitudes would affect people positively. We want people to look at us and
not see three girls performing, but to see Christ through us. We want to bring
to people hope and truth through the music and through our lives. Releasing
the album was a dream come true for us, but our success comes from smiles, not
really sales. “ Being young people themselves, Everlife understands the struggles
that teens face everyday. As they tour through out the United States and
travel to foreign lands, they have learned that value is not measured in terms
of the world of television and magazines. Instead, real self-worth is found in
Christ who is accepting of you just the way you are. “Something
that we really want to stress is to just be yourself,” Everlife relates.
“Live out your goals and chase after your dreams. If you really believe in
something, don't let anyone else bring you down. So many times teens get
clouded by the ways of the world. We get caught up in clothes, makeup, weight,
height, status in school, television, and anything else that can be a
distraction. Stay strong and stay focused and God will reward that in you.
Don't be afraid to be different from everyone else. Just know that God has a
plan, a purpose for your life, and He will see that through!” Teens are
constantly bombarded with ads that tell them how they should look, dress, act
and what they should value. Its hard not to accept all of this as gospel.
However, the women of Everlife stand in opposition to the superficial nature
of life and show the world a different Gospel. Through their music and their
lifestyle, Everlife proves that style and substance can walk hand in hand
along with the love of Christ in our everyday lives. It is their example that
shows all of us that we need to demand more from pop culture. |
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The
pop music scene today is filled with empty messages and shallow role models.
While it all sounds and looks great, there is no substance. At first glance,
Everlife seems to be just another girl group. However, there is much more than
meets the eye when it comes to the women of Everlife.
