Ever Stays Red Biography

Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono of famed rock band U2, once said, “Music can change the world because it can change people.” For the past five years, four friends have been striving to create high-energy rock music with that one purpose in mind. After two independent releases and years of touring, the band finds itself primed for its first national release, aptly titled; On the Brink Of It All.

Releasing in March of 2008, On the Brink Of It All embodies a band that has given everything to chase a dream. Layering lyrics infused with hope and devotion over expansive rock textures and immediately catchy melodies, the album promises to retain the bands unabashedly purpose driven message while charting new sonic territory.

"I wrote songs for the new album from my heart; songs about never giving up on the dreams inside of you, songs about redemption, songs about daring to believe in what the world could be," reflects Ever Stays Red frontman Dustin Carlson.

Ever Stays Red was formed in the fall of 2002 by Carlson (lead vocals, guitar), Zach Andresen (guitars, vocals), Josh Carlson (drums), and Erik Bruner (bass guitar). Fully committed to a life of creating music, the band purchased a small home in Phoenix, Arizona and became roommates. Decorated with more gear then furniture and producing more decibels than meals, the house soon became known as, the loft studio. A mere two years later the band hit the road in support of their debut album, I’ll Tell The World. Playing over 250 shows across the country, the group garnered a devoted fan base as the independent release produced three top-twenty rock singles and amassed over 20,000 units sold. With proceeds from touring, Ever Stays Red funded a trip to Belo Horizonte, Brazil where they performed nightly for thousands of young people, many of whom lived in the streets of the inner city. Over that twelve-day stretch of shows, the band witnessed first-hand the power of music to transcend culture and creed, further solidifying their sense of calling.

"Brazil was a turning point for this band,” says Carlson. “It was the moment in time when we all realized that we were apart of something so much bigger then ourselves. We came home from that trip committed to the idea that music becomes meaningful when it brings hope--we have always strived to make meaningful music."

Fueled by the passion of a second trip to Brazil in early 2006, the band returned to the states anxious to begin recording its second album. Released independently in late 2006,These Words Become Us found critical acclaim among the Christian music industry and gathered airplay at numerous rock stations across the country. In anticipation of the albums release, the band invested heavily in its live performance, spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to build a mesmerizing multi-media production that transformed an already impressive live show into a spiritually moving experience. Touring with bands like Kutless, Sanctus Real, Falling Up, Hawk Nelson, Dizmas, Every Day Sunday, Stellar Kart, and This Beautiful Republic, the band continued to grow their fan base and reach new markets.

Early in 2007, Ever Stays Red was signed by Vertical Shift Records (VSR Music), a new label distributed by EMI CMG, and was asked to record a third album. Enlivened by the opportunity of an aggressively promoted international release, the band began writing with renewed energy and excitement. What has come out of those studio sessions is a refreshing blend of guitar driven rock, compellingly honest vocals, and spiritually gripping lyrics aimed to please fans of rock and roll and worship music alike. The heartbeat of the album is the band’s firm belief that the dreams that inspire us should never be allowed to die. "If the sky should fall, we will be alright, we'll take up shelter here, beneath these dreams that speak of what we will become," writes Carlson in the song Meant to Be, boldly setting to music a message Ever Stays Red has been living everyday for the past five years.

Although distinctly Ever Stays Red, the group has matured musically to match their always unashamed and passionate lyrics. With the assistance of Producer/Musician Ken Mary, an industry veteran that has worked with an eclectic group of internationally known artists that includes Alice Cooper, LaRue, The Beach Boys, Trik Turner, Ricardo, and Megadeth just to name a few, and GRAMMY award winning mixer JR McNeely (Kutless, Jeremy Camp, Reliant K), Ever Stays Red is primed for their most impactful record to date.

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