In an industry that seems to be constantly telling young people that sex, drugs, and alcohol are what sells, it’s refreshing to hear from the other side of the spectrum.
MercyMe is a Christian band that debuted in 2001 out of Greenville, Texas and is now based in Nashville. Its members include singer Bart Millard, guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul, keyboardist James Bryson, drummer Robby Shaffer, and bassist Nathan Cochran.
Throughout their wildly successful career, including multiple Dove Awards and Grammy nominations, MercyMe has remained true to their mission as Christian artists — and creating music that resonates with people, especially in their most difficult moments.
Graul talked to LifeZette about MercyMe’s new Christmas album, their recent performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and their vocation as Christian artists.
“As a band, we speak from the heart,” said Graul. “Our career has been built on writing songs that get people through hard times. I think everything else we do is an extension of that.”
Like many bands in the Christian genre, MercyMe has used their musical talent to communicate a specific kind of message to their audience — a spiritual one.
Through their unique vocation, MercyMe has been able to touch countless lives — and Graul shared a favorite moment with a fan at a concert. A man and his four sons approached the band after a concert and told them a story that was, unfortunately, very familiar. One of the band’s biggest hits is “I Can Only Imagine,” a popular song at funerals. Many fans have approached the band and told them how much that song means to them particularly in relation to a deceased relative or friend.
Graul said, “We don’t take it lightly how (that song) has affected people, and we truly do love hearing all the stories. But after you’ve been through a 50-person meet-and-greet and 25 of them tell you it was played at a funeral and (they share their) sad stories, that’s heavy on us a lot of times. … Not that you don’t care, it’s just maybe today I don’t want to hear a sad story. Honestly, we’re human.”
So this man at their concert started his story the same way. He told the band, “My wife passed away a few months ago, and we played ‘I Can Only Imagine’ at the funeral.” The members of the band were just letting him talk, as they did with most people who had suffered a loss and wanted to thank the band for helping them through their tough time. But this story took a different turn.
The man talked about his family’s devastating loss, but then said, “That’s all fine and good, but I just wanted to let you know that all four of my boys accepted Christ in your concert tonight.”
And that, Graul said, is what it’s all about.
The members of MercyMe live out their Christian mission in their personal lives. Graul spoke about his marriage and his advice for keeping his relationship with his wife strong.
“Secret to success is communication … being able to find creative ways to communicate with your wife and your family. Keep it fresh — have a date night once a week. And selfless living — just consider the other person.”
While Graul is a proud and loud Christian, he wasn’t always that way. As a young man, Graul got involved in some of the rougher aspects of the rock star life. After playing for a cover band that then broke up, he quickly got an audition for another group that would have meant keeping pace with the same hard and fast lifestyle.
“I had like an hour before I had to go in and do an audition — and really all I had to do was walk in and play one note. I would have just been back in the same lifestyle that I was in. I called and I canceled it,” he said.
“I think it had a lot to do with my girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife. I started to get back into church and turn my life around a little bit.”
This was a defining moment in his personal path to becoming the Christian artist he is today.
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