Who all makes up the band and how did it form?
Adam Cotton (me) on vocals. Hanna Cotton on guitar and harmony. Jessika Hickman on bass and her husband, John, on drums. Wayne Pinkerton on guitar.
I placed an ad on Craigslist looking for people who wanted to play some music I had written. Jessika replied and was on board immediately. Upon hearing the music his wife was involved with, John joined the band. Who better to trust with the task of rhythm guitar and harmonies than someone I had been playing music with for a long time, my sister. We replaced another guitarist with Wayne, a musician from John and Jessika’s church.
Is there any special meaning behind the name of the band and the album?
Part of the definition of the word “Sacred” is “set apart.” We felt like we were set apart from most of the music being put out today. We also wanted a name that wouldn’t confuse people with what we sound like. A lot of time we hear band names and immediately picture a sound, we know people aren’t going to hear our name and picture music similar to ours, but they won’t picture country or pop either.
The album title actually came about while trying to come up with the band name. It fit perfectly with what the album means and is trying to accomplish. Starting with the first song “Ashes”, it goes through adversities, struggles, and changes in life until it ends with the “Antidote” (Ascension).
So I’ve been jamming Ashes to Ascension like crazy. At this point, it has by vote for Alternative Metal album of the year. How long did it take you guys to write it?
Thank you so much! I am very happy to hear that you enjoy it. It would be amazing just to be nominated (laughs).
I spent about 4 years total writing it. However, it was 7 years from the first rift to the physical album.
Does one person do most of the writing or is it mostly collaboration between all artists?
For Ashes to Ascension, I wrote all of the lyrics and music. However, for the next album, there will definitely be some collaboration.
It seems like sometimes bands put out a debut album but then on the next one their sound changes. Do you see your sound evolving into something different on the next album?
A lot of bands’ second album actually defines their sound. I’m hoping our first album defines our sound and we have to try and top it with the second. I spent so long honing a style and sound that we should be able to stay within that for the foreseeable future. We actually began working on the next album this year.
Weakness is an amazing song. Can you explain what inspired you to write that song?
I witnessed some friends of mine going through struggles in life that could have been remedied quickly, and they chose the easy way and ended up suffering longer for it. To me it seemed like a decision made out of “weakness.”
The guitars and bass are a really dominant feature in your music. What sort of effects do you use to make your guitars sound that way?
I could sound all tech-savvy and talk about the pick-ups I used and throw out some brand names, but that’s boring! I love a little flanger; and some chorus and delay go a long way. I used a grungier Marshall type sound for one guitar, and a much heavier, deeper metal sound for the other. For the bass, I scooped mids and added some overdrive. I used pretty much the same effects for all three guitars. We don’t really have a lead guitar; the lead position actually switches between all three guitars, that’s what gives it that full sound. Since recording, we have accumulated more gear, and refined our sound more. I think our live mix is now better than the recording. I am so happy with it!
Another song that’s really intriguing is Ibogaine. What’s that one about?
Cory, we’ll have to save that question for another interview.
I saw that your band played at Potential Church in Florida. Is that your home church?
Yes! I love it there, check us out at potentialchurch.com
It seems like Florida is putting out a lot of great bands. What is your local scene like?
Not trying to step on any toes, but it is very hard trying to be a Christian rock band in Pensacola. It’s hard to find balance with other bands, considering what’s trending here is Screamo and Country.
Are you planning on doing any touring in the near future?
We are trying to plan a tour, but we are having trouble finding shows. We are not currently in touch with any bands that we can tour with.
How have you seen your music impact people so far?
Oddly enough, I haven’t. My bandmates and friends have seen our music have a positive effect on people though. For instance, after listening to our album a woman felt compelled to work on her relationship with God.
Sacred has been compared to bands such as Chevelle and Tool. What would you say makes you different than those bands?
Chevelle and Tool have vastly different styles, and sounds, and we feel we are a mesh of the two. This makes us sound somewhat like both but completely like neither. Besides the musical difference, our lyrics are what really set us apart.
What do you want to accomplish as a band?
We want to help bring a positive change in mainstream music and bring people closer to God.
Any plans for a music video in the future?
We all really want to make a video but we are waiting on the right equipment and opportunity to do so.
How important is faith in Jesus to your band?
My band feels the same way I do, faith is the only reason I started this and have continued to pursue it. Faith would also be the only reason to leave it all behind if I felt the nudge from God to do so.
Closing thoughts
Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I am inspired and moved by the work you are doing in the Christian community.
Interview Date: November 2013
Interviewers: Cory Enderby/ Milo Miller
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