Enation is the independent, soulful rock band consisting of five very talented guys, one being the Emmy winning General Hospital star Jonathan Jackson. Along with Jonathan is his brother Richard Lee, brothers Michael and Luke Galeotti and Daniel Sweatt. Together they form the band Enation.
With the release of their new album My Ancient Rebellion approaching, Richard Lee was nice enough to set up this interview with the guys where they discuss how the band got it's name, their involvement with the organization Not For Sale and will Enation ever perform on GH?
Where did the name Enation come from?
Richard Lee: The name didn't come easy. We kicked around a lot of ideas, trying to find a name that seemed to capture something about us. When Enation came up, we liked the meaning, which is most commonly used as a botany term for an unusual outgrowth. We liked the idea of Enation being something that grows sort of organically. The Latin root of the word means to 'bring forth', or to birth. The idea in Enation is that it's not something we are steering, but something we are trying to keep up with, allowing the natural process to unfold.
What was the journey like becoming an independent band?
Richard Lee: We've always been independent so it's all we've known. There are a ton of amazing things about being independent; you get to create with total freedom, you get to control your schedule, you get to present yourself in the truest possible way without a middle man looking over your shoulder. The downside is that it requires a tremendous amount of work doing everything essentially on your own without a label backing. It creates some heavy lifting so to speak. But in many ways it's worth it. We aren't opposed to having label support, but it would have to be under the right conditions.
Richard, what do you want your listeners to feel when they hear your music?
Richard Lee: I hope they feel that it's coming from a very genuine place in our hearts and that it can connect with them in some way. We like to say that Enation is all about changing atmospheres. So I hope that when someone listens to an Enation album it changes the atmosphere. Music has the power to change our mood. It has the possibility to give us a new vantage point on life. I hope Enation's songs can play a part of that process in someone's life. Ultimately to bring a sense of hope amidst the brokenness all around us.
Michael, what’s your favorite song to perform?
Michael: Enjoying the performance of a song comes down to a couple of specific factors for me; the part I am playing, the connection I feel with my band mates and the effect the song has on the listener. At this moment I would have to say my favorite song to perform is "World In Flight". I love how it draws the listener in, each member of the band seems to be fully in the song and I enjoy my specific part.
Richard Lee: Our involvement with Not For Sale first and foremost came when we realized that modern-day slavery is actually an issue we have to deal with in our day. It's hard to believe that people are still being sold into slavery all around the world, America included. The relational and organizational connections came through a couple channels. We were first introduced to them when Jonathan began writing some music for the independent film, "Not Today", a film about a young man's journey from apathy to compassion as he is confronted with the horrors of human trafficking during a trip to India. From that involvement with the film, NFS invited Enation to be a part of their 2010 Global Forum on Human Trafficking, and we were blessed to be able to play a few songs during the concert portion of the event. The next channel came through a connection with a businessman we met who knew a lot of the people at NFS and he got us in touch with them to keep dreaming out loud about what we could do together, and that's where our current involvement with them is at. We are going to be partnering with them again at their 2011 Global Forum and have more ideas in the works. It's exciting to know that simply by being who we are, and that goes for anyone, we can all lend our voice to help end this atrocity and be a part of the modern-day abolitionist movement. (visit: www.NotForSaleCampaign.org)
Enation got to perform at this year’s GH Fan Club Weekend, what was that like?Jonathan: It was great performing in front of the fans again, in an intimate setting like that. Our full on rock shows are meant to be epic and anthemic. When we get into a relatively small room like that we have to really focus on creating something that is both intimate and anthemic. It's the same intent with our rock shows, but we have to execute it differently which is a fun creative challenge. It's kind of like the difference between a film performance and a theatre performance.
Jonathan, you’ve gotten to perform on General Hospital a while back. Any chance Enation will ever perform on GH?
Jonathan: We had our song "Eyes of Grace" on the show last November and the response from the fans was amazing. I'm not sure if the band will actually play on the show, but we're open to it. Finding ways to incorporate our music in film and TV has always been something Enation is passionate about because our music seems to fit so well within a cinematic context.
Daniel, what do you think has been Enation’s greatest accomplishment so far?
Daniel: Well, I think our greatest accomplishments are still to come, but that’s not to say we haven’t accomplished quite a bit so far. I think the one thing that stands out isn’t a concert or an album or a sales figure. I think, at this point, us still being here, still pushing, still making music, still being true to who we are. Despite all the junk that might have caused other bands to split up, or cause their friendships to suffer, we have stuck through it. I would say that we are tighter as a band and as friends than we have been at times in the past, even though we are in different parts of the country most of the time. That to me is a pretty amazing thing, and I think it is important for us to remember.
Luke, choose one word that describes Enation’s music.
Luke: Choosing only one word to describe our music is a little bit challenging, but for me Enation represents, in a lot of ways I guess, truth. I think at times we are a great reminder for people through our lyrics and our actions that there is good in this world, and you can choose to be a light for others, to see that truth as well. Standing up for others is the call that I feel is on Enation. We choose freedom.
Any message to all of yours fans?
Richard Lee: THANK YOU. We really have the most amazing fans. They are not only passionate about our music, but they are also passionate about making an impact on this world. They're called Enation Army. We like to say that Love is an Action. Enation Army is really about being an army of compassion, a source of hope and love in this often dark world. We hope our lives, and our music, are about something greater than ourselves.
To all of our amazing fans around the world, thank you. Our new album 'My Ancient Rebellion' is due out October 11th, plus we'll be releasing a single on iTunes ahead of that in Sept. We're really excited about that. The album has, as Jonathan likes to say, "musical landscapes and deep places of the heart." We hope you all pick it up and let us know what you think. We are also playing some concerts in Oct. in CA in partnership with the Not For Sale Campaign. We are really looking forward to meeting many of you on tour in the coming months and hearing your thoughts about the new album.
Video all about Enation's new album 'My Ancient Rebellion':
Connect with Enation!
Big thanks to Richard Lee, Jonathan, Michael, Luke and Daniel for taking the time to do this interview! You can get Enation's new album My Ancient Rebellion on October 11th and be sure to keep coming back to Mindful of Music for more reviews and news on the band!
