Casey Price Interview

 A person named Casey Price who has had their music played on some music hangouts did an interview with me for Christian Media Spotlight. I've enjoyed being able to do this interview with Casey Price.

Q. What was it like for you growing up?

A. I was raised in Marion Virginia about 40 minutes from the Tennessee line. So definitely a down south type area. Not as hillbilly as many would assume. But definitely small-town American like in the movies. You know pretty much everyone in town by name etc.

Q. Who would you say helped you come to know God and how has that helped you grow stronger in your faith walk?

A. My parents for sure. They were always taking us to church and were very active in ministry. My mother is a singer and my parents were also youth leaders. Faith was always a big part of our lives and upbringing

Q. When do you remember going through a different struggle that you faced growing up and how did you overcome it?

A. When I was a kid, my cousins were murdered and they had a young child and were also pregnant at the time, and in a day, they were all gone, so that was something that tore our family up and really made us all struggle for a while. It took a lot of persevering and prayer to overcome the horrible feeling of that terrible day. It's still always in the back of our minds. But we know they are in Heaven and we will see them again one day.

Q. Was there ever a time growing up, that you felt like you didn't belong or really fit in?

A. Definitely middle school it took me a long time to figure out who I was and to find my place. My friend groups were ever changing. My interests were constantly evolving. It was a tough time trying to figure out how I fit into the bigger picture

Q. What is a scripture that you go to when you're needing encouragement?

A. There are so many that I find encouraging. Like Psalm 139:23-24, Matthew 11:28-30 is great for sure to remember that God is always with us when we feel heavy burdened.

Q. When did you first start to realize that you wanted to sing, and was it something you always wanted to do?

A. It definitely wasn't something I thought of as a career at first, I was definitely more into acting and voice acting but my mother is a singer and we'd always sing with her when we were kids. So, I guess it was always in my blood.

Q. How would you say God has helped you grow in your relationship and faith walk with Him?

A. God has seen me in my good and bad. Through the highs and the lows and he still loves and cares for me. God has helped me through struggles and shown me great wonders that would make me never doubt his presence in my life.

Q. Where would you say that you find is the place that you go to when writing a song, and where does the inspiration for the songs come from?

A. No idea!! Haha. They just come so randomly. I can set down and try and write music but it's almost never like that with lyrics. Most times lyric ideas just pop into my head while I'm driving down the road. Suddenly and idea hits and then I just start writing from there.

Q. Did you ever think you would create a band and is there a story behind how the name was chosen?

A. I always wanted to be in a band. But I actually always wanted to be the drummer haha. I eventually picked up guitar and just started learning it quickly and realized it was a lot easier to create that way and to write songs. But it was great knowing how to play the drums as well! When I produce a song, sometimes I'm playing every single instrument on the song!

The band name came from how the original members were such big fans of Skillet, my dad was looking at Skillet songs and just happened to see "Forsaken" and "Hero" and say wow! Now that's a band name. And that's where we began it with but also use scripture to point out how Jesus was our hero but we have forsaken him and put him on a cross. But he still came out on top and is our ultimate, Forsaken Hero. Because even though we Forsaken him daily, he still loves us.

Q. What was the first song you either wrote by yourself or with your band, and what do you like about it?

A. Gosh I couldn't tell ya. I've been writing music since I was about 15. I'm almost 27 now. So, it sometimes feels like yesterday, but most days it feels like a million years ago haha. I do remember that I was greatly influenced by fireflight and skillet in the way they structured songs when I was starting out.

Q. How long does the writing process and recording process take when creating songs, and do you remember the first time you recorded Drop Your Chains?

A. It all depends sometimes songs take months, sometimes not too long. Drop Your Chains was part of our Quarantine Tapes album so it was recorded in a couple weeks by me at my home studio in Virginia, D.J. Lisemby at his home studio with his siblings in Arkansas, and Eli Galinger at his home studio in Ohio. Then it was mixed in Nashville TN, and mastered in Johnson City TN. But it was recorded all in separate studios with none of us being around one another in Quarantine. The magic of technology!!

Q. If you could go on tour with anyone, who would it be and why, and if you could cowrite or collaborate with any artist or band, who would it be and why?

A. My answer for both is always Skillet. We have worked with Lori Peters their former drummer and Tate Olsen their cello player. So halfway there haha. But we'd love to tour with Skillet. And I'd give anything to have John and Korey Cooper produce a song for me.

Q. Next, if you could give advice to someone who is going through a difficult time, what would your advice be to them?

A. God is with you even in the darkness. Don't be afraid to reach out to a friend. It doesn't matter what time of the day or night it is, if I have a friend going through a problem, I'd love for them to reach out to me. I want to be here for them, and so does God.

Q. Did you ever have a friend that you knew whether it be growing up or now, that has struggled in their walk with God? If so, how have you helped them?

A. Many times, through the years. I pray for them a lot and try to show them different songs and scripture and teachings that really moved me and drew me closer to God. And mostly just be a good friend and try to be the light of Christ for them.

Q. How has God helped you this week, to help someone that is lost and hurting?

A. Not sure if I've personally helped someone who was lost this week. But sometimes we never know how our kindness or our music impacts people. We may never know how much our life's impacts others.

Q. In the song Drop Your Chains, you have a lyric in there that says, once lost now found, no longer a slave sins cast away, be restored in Christ The Lord? What does that lyric mean to you and was a verse of scripture used as inspiration for that lyric?

A. That would actually be a question for DJ Lisemby from WeRcalled. He wrote that part of the song. He is a very scripture-based song writer so I'm sure there is scriptures that led him to writing those words. But I do know they very heavily resonate with me and Drop Your Chains means the world to me especially now that it is our first Dove Award nominated song which was a huge dream of mine and especially since it was a song I self-produced, that's huge! God is good!

Q. What is your hope when someone is hearing your music for the first time? What do you want them to get from it?

A. I want them to enjoy the music but I hope the lyrics resonate in their heart and draws them closer to Christ.

Q. Did you have anyone that you looked up to growing up, if so, who were they and how did they impact you?

A. My parents for sure, and also John Cooper of Skillet. My parent's faith really drew me to grow in faith, and John Cooper's honesty in his speeches about God and his songwriter drew me close to God in a time growing up where the church was telling me rock music was evil and of the Devil. But I got more of Christ out of those songs than I did out of those Church services.

Q. Has there been a time where after you've performed a show where a fan has talked with you afterwards to share what your songs have meant to them? If so, what is that like hearing stories like those, and how has that had an impact on you?

A. It's crazy hearing those stories. I love that God has used us to bless others. We even know someone who has two our songs tattooed on their arm!! Thats crazy!! It's pretty amazing when you move someone that much.

Q. Finally, Have you ever felt or was there a time in your life that you felt like giving up? If so, how did you overcome and keep going to not give up?

A. For sure I almost gave up on music many times but even though the industry can downright suck and sometimes behind the scenes even seem worse than the worldly music industry. I just love music so much and love worshipping God and I never wanna stop. So, I got a tattoo on my wrist of one of my favorite songs that says "I Can't Stop Singing" and I will never stop as long as God puts breath in my lungs, I will praise him.