Beanbag
It’s difficult to go anywhere today without seeing them. They are present in abundance at every candy and toy store within 100 miles of any human being on the planet Earth, taunting passers-by with their smiling, droopy cuteness. The definitive fad of the 90’s, Beanie Babies have taken over the sentiments of consumers, flopping their expensive plush-and-bean bodies into our lives.
But if you are looking for the newest in bean-filled fun, you are more likely to find the answer in the funk-metal fusion of Beanbag, Australia’s latest contribution to the hard music scene.
“We did actually hand-make beanie toys that were supposed to look like us for some of our shows in Australia,” says Michael Mullins, Beanbag’s guitarist. “There are still a few around, I think, but most of the fun was really seeing four guys sit down with a needle and thread to make them.”
Beanbag may have the corner on the Christian rock beanbag doll market, but their music is certain to outlast any merchandising fad. After three years of building their sound from the many elements available in the musically-rich atmosphere of Brisbane, Australia, Beanbag’s smooth fusion of rap and hardcore began to emerge quite naturally — just as similar bands like P.O.D. and Limp Bizkit began to rise in popularity just across the ocean.
Oddly enough, though, Beanbag formed their rap-core style without ever hearing the bands to which they are often compared.
“We kept getting people coming up after shows saying we sound like Korn or Rage Against the Machine,” Michael explains, “so we thought, ‘We better see what they sound like!’”
Like many other hard bands, Michael and his bandmates — drummer Phil Usher, vocalist Hunz Van Vliet, and bassist Phil “Hirvy” Hirveda — draw on many musical styles that aren’t quite as hard as the average HM Magazine-endorsed product. Strangely enough, such a mix seems to create a shout-filled concoction of funky metal every time.
“Sometimes a song just comes from just sitting around and playing for 15 minutes, each of us just writing what we want to play,” Michael says. “But somehow, we end up with a cohesive sound, because everyone is in it to make whatever is best for the song.”
The result of what might seem like a haphazard process is an entire album of well-formed songs. Free Signal, the band’s debut album, is to be released on the brand-new label founded by Beanbag’s fellow Australians: Peter Furler of the Newsboys and Furler’s manager, Wes Campbell. That a label called inpop Records would sign a band which is certainly not “pop” testifies to the influential effect Beanbag’s hard and rockin’ sound has on their listeners.
Even so, Beanbag establishes an even more powerful influence in their lyrics. For example, “Whiplash,” the opening track, has already gained popularity on Columbus, Ohio’s Radio U, because the song’s forthright opening lyric: “Jesus will never let you go!”
Declarations like this are prevalent in Beanbag’s songs, which turn the angst-rage of their hard style into proclamations against sin and adamantly cling to Christ as the personal Savior of all. Beanbag does not pretend, though, that their lyrics express their faith as clearly as their lives can. While most people see the spotlight as being the best vantage point for sharing the love of Christ, Beanbag insists that it is much more difficult to share from “above” people than from “among” them.
“When you see a band on stage, what do you know about them or their background or who they really are?” Michael asks. “You really can’t learn about people just by watching them do what they do.”
“For us, meeting fans and kids and stuff is the most important part of it. You get to share your faith, and there’s really no better way to do that than when you are off-stage.”
With this goal in mind, Beanbag made themselves available to potential fans when on a short American tour of Christian rock festivals this past summer, sitting at their merchandise table and encouraging people to attend their show. The endless applause from those new fans who did attend these few American shows are positive indicators for the future of the band, but Michael humbly explains away any ideas of Beanbag being as recognizable as Beanie Babies any time soon.
“We’re just here and we’re doing it and we’re doing the best we can,” he says. “We don’t have any attachment to fame or success or to being in a band, except that we enjoy doing what we do.”
Val Sutton
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