Of the Beloved – RichardThinks Band Of The Week (09/24/13)

Our very first “RichardThinks Band Of The Week” is Of The Beloved who hail from Hollywood, MD. Forming in August of 2013, Of the Beloved have been making a name for themselves with releasing their debut EP “Ruin Vs Remedy”, as well as sharing the stage with the likes of Gideon, This Or The Apocalypse and many more. We sat down with drummer, Matt Dooley who gave us on an insight of the band, their debut EP and future plans. Check out the complete chat below, we’d like to thank Of the Beloved for taking the time, as well as being the first of many bands to be featured as the RichardThinks Band Of The Week!

For more information on Of the Beloved, you can check them out on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

RIYL : Gideon, The Ghost Inside, Fit For A King

Of the Beloved Is:
Josh Haynes
Ben Richardson
Ridge Rhine
Wesley Hackleton
Matt Dooley

Interview With Matt Dooley

1. First, can you please introduce yourself & tell us your role in the band.
   I’m Matt and I play drums in the band.
2. With so many bands emerging in today’s scene, how do you believe Of The Beloved stands out?
   I think we have a really unique sound. We have really heavy parts for people to get into and move around to, but we also have melodic emotional builds that appeal to a wider crowd.
3. Can you give us a brief history on Of The Beloved ?
   The band kind of formed from 2 bands. Ridge (our bassist) and Josh (our vocalist) had been writing together for awhile and doing some recording for the fun of it.. and me and Ben (our guitarist) had just recently been in a much softer alternative/post-hardcore band that disbanded.. so after that band was over, Josh hit me up to play drums. We brought Ben in like probably 4 or 5 months after that.
4. How did you pick the name for the band?
   If you can’t tell already, we’re very heavily influenced by our Christian beliefs.. and multiple times throughout the Bible God calls His people “Beloved”.. so, us all being believers are a part of that group, we are of the beloved.
5. If you could pick three words to describe your band, what words would you pick?
   Heavy. Emotional. Passionate.
6. What has been the biggest accomplishment for the band to date?
   My personal opinion would have to be playing with bands such as Gideon, For The Fallen Dreams, Sworn In, This or The Apocalypse, and many others. We’ve been really blessed to play such great shows and have such great interaction with the bands and crowd.
7. From your Facebook description, it’s apparent that the band is inspired by Religion, do you believe there is a misconception when bands declare they are inspired by Religion in their music?
   I think it all depends on the band. I see a lot of bands out there using the “Christian band” thing as a selling point. But there are definitely bands on the opposite end of the spectrum who truly mean what they say and live by it.
8. What inspired the title for “Ruin Vs Remedy”?
   Interestingly enough, it was something my dad was teaching a bible study on at the church he pastors. It’s a reference to how broken and ruined we are and how we have no way to fix it. But that’s where God steps in and gives us the remedy.
9. What inspired the lyric “like a Shadow, watching my every move”?
   That line was from our song “Restoration”… Josh wrote that song about complacency and just not truly being 100% committed to what someone claims to believe. We’ve all been through low points in our lives so I think we can relate whether you’re religious or not. That specific line references God’s care and love for us though. He never leaves us and He’s always been there just waiting for us to call on Him for help.
10. Of all the tracks on “Ruin Vs Remedy” EP, what song means the most to you and why?
    The ones that means the most lyrically to me is probably Body. Josh wrote that song about mine and his relationship. We had been through a tough spot in our friendship and were just really treating each other wrong. It was kind of a song of redemption and wiping the slate clean between us.
11. On the second track, there is a spoken word part, what speech is this and what inspired the band to include it on the EP?
    It was actually just from a random preacher on youtube I found. We had known we wanted that song to have a speaking part in it, so i found that one and it really spoke on what we wanted to hear.. so we put it in.
12. Are there plans for a follow-up to the EP?
    Yeah! We’re currently in the writing process of our next EP. I personally think it has a much more mature, but still familiar sound. We hope to release a single withing the year and record said EP sometime next summer.
13. With the EP now out, what’s next for Of The Beloved in 2013 and beyond?
    Shows, saving money, and eventually touring. We want to come to you. Even though we’re not a very well known band, we want to meet anyone who’s ever heard our stuff, or hasn’t and needs to! Haha.
14. Anything else you would like to add?
    Keep us in your prayers if that’s your thing. If that’s not your thing that’s fine too. Haha.
    We have a lot coming up, so keep an eye out for a show near you, information about future recordings, etc.
    Be blessed!
    -Of the Beloved