Last week I sat down with Matt Adams of West of Here, a Christian alternative trio out of Alberta Beach, Canada. Formed in 2014, the band consists of three brothers, Taylor, Tristan and Matt.
“We grew up together, and always had music in our lives,” said Matt. “Our parents were in a worship band, so there was always music around us.”
A huge supporter of their work, it wasn’t long before the three brothers took on the music industry themselves. Writing and performing their own music, West of Here are hitting the ground running. Before their debut release earlier this year, they were the recipients of the GMA Covenant Award for Rock Song of the Year, for their hit single, “Run.”
“It was a really cool experience,” explained Matt. “We had a great response from our acoustic performance of ‘Run,’ and then to win the next day was thrilling. It was a huge experience for us.”
“If you keep God first… He can lead you to amazing places.”
This wasn’t an easy road for the Adams brothers by any means. The three started performing small gigs around Alberta two years ago, and it was then they started hearing inspiration from God.
“I wasn’t a genius in high school, I didn’t get the best grades,” joked Matt. “But God was really helping with the writing process. Thoughts and words flowed through me, that I’ve never had before, and the music started coming out in intelligent ways.”
Inspiration comes in many forms for West of Here. Through God’s word and message, as well as taking inspiration from fellow musicians like Switchfoot, Thousand Foot Krutch, and Daughtry, just to name a few. It was their intelligent lyrics, and determination that got West of Here into the studio to record their first album. Working with award-winning producer Jared Salty, the album really helped forge the bridge between mainstream and Christian rock.
“Sometimes it is a challenge to write worship music,” said Matt. “We always hope that our music crosses over and speaks to the unreached. As long as our message is getting out to any listener, that is the most important thing to us.”
Their album, The Journey, was a long process of recording and re-recording, just to get the songs up to the level that the boys of West of Here strived for. Their writing process, as Matt described, begins with a little bit of inspiration and a lot of hard work. They write almost everything on the acoustic guitar and then work together to bring the song to life through lyrics and musicality. Tracks like, “Lighthouse,” “On My Knees,” and “Right Here With Me” are a testament to this.
From the beginnings of playing local gigs to hitting the stage at the upcoming No Greater Love festival with bands like Building 429 and Michael W. Smith, West of Here always remembers their purpose.
“If you keep God first in your music,” explained Matt. “He can lead you to amazing places. Keep focused on the purpose and let God kick down those doors for you.”
When it comes to the future for these trio of brothers, West of Here is planning on a cross-country tour, and hoping to release an EP of five or six songs by next year.
