In recent news, Mute Math is suing its label, Warner Bros., for breach of contract and negligent representation by marketing the group under its Christian division called Word.
"I had no desire to be the Christian version of a real band," Paul Meany, keyboardist, vocalist and co-founder, told Billboard. "They (Word) were going to market it the exact way we didn't want."
Commented Brent Castillo, a US-based Faith & Music columnist: “I think Mute Math is being disingenuous. They've toured with other Christian bands and played at Christian festivals. If the members don't want the label, they should completely separate themselves from the Christian music scene”
Since rockers started hitting the Christian stage over the past decade, many have questioned whether a certain band is a ‘Christian band’ or a ‘band whose members are Christians’.In 2004, popular band Switchfoot’s frontman Jon Foreman claimed to be “Christian by faith, not by genre”.
"We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind — and that's what we want."
Likewise, Eisley, a band who previously toured with Switchfoot, believe that their music doesn’t necessarily need to be about God in order for the members themselves to be truly considered Christians.
According to their website, “the members of Eisley have all been raised to have a deep faith in their Creator, God, and Saviour”. Their faith is something they consider “personal and something that should be lived out as an example, not shoved onto others”.
Like Switchfoot, Eisley doesn’t want to exclude any group of people that might be interested in their music, which is why they did not sign to a Christian record label.
While there are hardcore Christian artists who provide music specifically for the Church, there are musicians who are Christian, but are more open to the public, aiming to catch two birds with one stone by capturing both the Christian and secular audience.
In his book "Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock", Spin magazine writer Andrew Beaujon finds Switchfoot "interesting" because, according to Beaujon, "their lyrics often have two different meanings, one meaning for a Christian audience and one meaning for the rest of us”.
“They try to relate to two different groups of people at once."
