Press Play Interview Who Is Press Play? KEY: C> Since Press Play is relatively new to the national Christian music scene, why don’t you start off and tell the readers a little about Press Play - how long you’ve been playing, what you do, and so on. D> OK. Press Play the record came out May 19, 2009. “Life Is Beautiful” is already out at radio now. Press Play is a band from Los Angeles - from the Dream Center - which is an outreach center that was started 14 years ago by Matthew Barnett. It reaches over 40,000 people there in L.A. So, instead of being a band that attached itself to a cause, we were birthed from the cause. All of us in Press Play are workers, volunteers, or interns with the Dream Center. We’re in the streets in the people’s lives - trying to make a difference. So, we formed Press Play about five years ago. D> Yup. Full-time at the Dream Center. We do all the music, three or four times a week, in both the L.A. location and the New York (Manhattan) location - every week. We do concerts across the U.S. inbetween those times. C> So you’re back and forth between the two cities every week? How does that take a toll on you? D> It’s great - a lot of frequent flyer miles! [laughs] It’s really a lot of fun - we enjoy it immensely. C> That’s awesome. So, explain the album, stylistically. D> You know what, it’s a sound that’s fun and full of hope. The Dream Center is all about rebuilding dreams and offering hope so that’s kind of what we wanted to capture in the sound of the album. The music (probably about 60% of the record) is targeted for a mainstream audience - we didn’t want to beat people over the head with the Gospel - to give them hope that life can be beautiful no matter what they have been through, are going through, or will go through. Then, the other portion of the record is designed to cut straight to the heart for Christians, passionate - but it’s an album that is designed to reach the lost. C> And of course, stylistically it’s a big mix as well. D> Right, it’s got pop, rock, fun rock - definitely a sound of its own - such an eclectic thing. Everyone that hears it says “there’s nothing that sounds like this.” You know, it’s definitely got a lot of energy and you feel that in the record. A lot of energy and a lot of life in the project and in the songs. C> Cool. So, you do most of the writing? D> Sure do. D> Yeah, well usually if it’s a fast pumping song - I’ll start with the licks and the leg stuff first. Then, if it’s a slow song I usually start with the message first, then we work out the musical parts later. C> Awesome. I always find the songwriting process is such a unique aspect of a person’s art - so I always like to get different perspectives on the process with each person I interview. D> Yeah, that’s really cool. C> Every year at GMA Week - even though this is your first GMA Week - you’ve probably noticed that people tend to ask you the same questions over and over and you answer the questions over and over. This year, I decided I didn’t want to be “that guy” - rather I just wanted to hear from the heart of the artist. What is Press Play’s heart? Pushing aside all agendas to push a record or sell CDs - what is it that Press Play wants people to know? D> Bottom line - easy question. This whole project that we created - this whole album that we made - all the proceeds of this record are going back into the Dream Center. We have over 200 programs in the community - but the focus of this record is that all the funds will go to opening up over 100 beds in the Dream Center for those who are being released and set free from human trafficking. You know, there’s always going to be that next big cool band or that next hot song - but we really wanted to release something that was going to make a difference in people’s lives. So, the band members feel like the music not only has to touch other peoples lives - but ours as well - and it needs to reflect that. So, everything that is made from this album is going right back into the Dream Center touch even more people’s lives. C> Wow, so every single penny is going right back? D> Absolutely. C> Wow, that’s amazing, because that is not something you see very often. Was that inspired by the band members or management? Who came up with that idea? D> Totally the whole bands idea. Matthew Barnett started the Dream Center 14 years ago, and it’s changed all of our lives. So, it’s definitely the giving back principle. All of us feel like that is something we have to do, because the Dream Center has affected us so deeply. C> Wow. So what’s a story that you can tell from your time working at the Dream Center. What is something that affected you so personally since your time working there? D> Probably our first drummer, Mark, who came to us years ago. He came to us homeless, nothing to his name but the clothes on his back - he came and jumped on one of the busses that took him to the Dream Center. He got saved, turned his life around, got help for his addiction and eventually became our drummer. Then, he moved on and became the producer of a television show that we had for a little while. Then, he went on to be a producer for Rod Parsley’s ministry as well. He just totally came and turned his life around. Now, 12 years later, he in turn has his own ministry where he reaches out to the homeless and helps them. You know, he’s just one example that we have seen since working with the Dream Center - there are so many who have stories like that where God has turned their life around. Full circle. D> Gina, you want to take this? G> Well, people can go to the Dream Center’s website (dreamcenter.org) and go and see what kind of ministries there are to start. Teams come from all over the world, tens of thousands, that want to learn and take it back to their hometowns. One thing that we have that is very good is a ministry that Pastor Matthew started called “Adopt a Block” - where people go out to just one specific block and minister there. Now, we have thousands of people who come out once a week and have services and minister at different locations all around the city. We built our Spanish Church out of this ministry. It’s just very simple - you go out and you give people clothes, you feed them, you pick up trash and sweep the streets, mow lawns - not preaching at them in the name of Jesus - but simply loving them. Then, when you show them love that they’ve never experienced before - they are more open to hearing the Gospel. So, now, we’re all over L.A. with that one form of ministry. We have people who come from all over the world now who come just to learn and get trained in that one area of ministry because it’s been so affective for us. Loving people is such an easy thing to do and it works so well. C> Right. Just making yourself available is pretty much what people need to do. G> Exactly. You don’t have to make it complicated. C> That’s really really cool. That’s really good advice. I have a friend who actually works in one in West Virginia that her church started and she has stories about people who’s lives have been changed from that work there. You know, so it doesn’t have to be limited to the inner-city. C> Right - you don’t want people to limit to just big cities and think that it’s not in their community. So, switching gears a bit, first impressions, what do you think about this whole week - GMA Week? D> Man, it’s been great. Everyone has been so welcoming and sweet to us. We couldn’t ask for a better week. C> Get to meet anyone you’re never met before? D> Yeah man, I just met Michael Sweet! That was totally awesome! G> We were excited about that! Very excited! C> That’s very cool - well thanks for taking the time to talk with me! It was great getting to meet you and see your heart! For more information on Press Play, you can visit their website or hop on over to their MySpace.
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