Interviews & Media Articles

Source: Tri-City Herald, Washington
Author: Dori O'Neal
Date: 25 Apr 2003

Delirious is one happy group of guys. The Christian rock band is at the top of its game in the music industry.

The latest album, Access:d, already has sold more than 300,000 copies since its release earlier this year.

The quintet of British pop rockers has toured in its homeland with Bon Jovi in 2001 and with Bryan Adams on his Route of Kings tour last year.

Since those tours, the band has been gaining widespread appeal in the United States. Delirious - made up of Stuart Garrard, Jon Thatcher, Martin Smith, Stewart Smith and Tim Jupp - has a free-thinking approach to its music and faith.

"We don't hide our faith, but our focus is rock 'n' roll, not preaching the Gospel," Garrard told the Los Angeles Times in an interview in 2001.

According to drummer Smith, that attitude hasn't changed in two years, either. "A lot of people have a stereotypical image of a Christian rock band," he told the Herald in an email earlier this week. "Which is not always good, (and) it definitely hasn't been the easiest route. But we're proud of our music, our passion."

And passion seems to be what propels this group to keep the faith as well as keep on rocking. "As we developed, we wanted to write about our faith in music that worked on a musical level for non-Christians," Garrard said. "We've had people tell us that there's an inspiration in our music, similar to what they've heard in U2's music. That's the exact impact we've longed to have."

Since 1998, Delirious has released nine albums and performed at concert halls, coliseums and music festivals around the globe.

And they're just getting started.

Copyright (c) 2003 Tri-City Herald