Philmont began in 2005 when singer Scott Taube and guitarist Josiah Prince connected after the breakup of their former local outfits. From the start, this new union was marked by equal parts fun and serious commitment to the task at hand.There were long drives home from college every weekend to rehearse, self-booked summer tours to support an ambitious independent release, and then, soon after bassist Justin Sams joined in 2007, a hard-earned gig at alternative Christian music’s ultimate event, the Cornerstone Festival. Taube recalls, “The challenge at Cornerstone is to stand out—bands are everywhere—so we plastered all the Port-O-Johns with 11 x 17 Philmont flyers and got up early every day to make sure they hadn’t been covered up. Then we walked around with a CD player and earphone splitters, giving free bracelets to kids if they’d listen to one of our songs and inviting them to the show.”
That same concert caught the attention of EMI/ForeFront Records (tobyMac), who eagerly signed a deal with Philmont a few months later. With one more tweak to the permanent lineup —drummer Todd Davis joined this past December—it was time to track Oh Snap. Produced by Rob Hawkins (Fireflight, Jackson Waters), the EP set sounds absolutely huge. It’s an intentional move inspired by the members’ expansive mix of influences from Relient K and classical music to bubblegum melodies and ‘90s rock anthems.
“I Can’t Stand to Fall,” the excitable opener and first single, is finely polished chunka-chunka punk accentuated by a bold introduction, layered vocals, and a soft acoustic bridge. The lyrical hook of tear down these walls that separate us now well represents Philmont’s overriding goal to always stay on the same page as God in every facet of life. “It’s really a song to God, asking Him to remove the barriers we put up in this world that distract us from understanding His ways,” Taube says. “We’re proud that the record label picked this as the first song for radio since we completely wrote it ourselves, and it speaks to the core of who we are as a band.”
Philmont’s songwriting angles are often remarkable, even poetic, as on Oh Snap’s clever “My Hippocratic Oath” and “Photosynthetic.” The former parallels a doctor’s promise to always work in the patient’s best interest to God’s offer of salvation. Accompanied by a rapidly pulsating rhythm and escalating melody, the medical motif never lets up, driving the point home: I can save your heart even though it’s destined to fail . . . I guarantee you’ll never make it out alive without me. “The song begins with someone who is very sick, but the good news is they can be easily and completely healed,” explains Taube. “Who wouldn’t say yes to that option? That’s how it is with Jesus. He offers to save us. We just have to enter into that relationship.”
Equally compelling and easy to rock out with is the fist-pumping jam of “Photosynthetic,” a timely and cautionary courtroom tale for Philmont’s student audience wherein a personal MySpace page becomes evidence of what is really inside someone’s heart: Just point and shoot. That’s all you do to help yourself feel free; murder by photography. “You’re always judged for what you put online,” Taube says. “A Christian can kill his credibility with compromising
pictures, swear words used in a blog, and so on. It’s hard to make that stuff go away.”
For all of Philmont’s wordsmithing, guitarist Josiah Prince makes sure the music complements its message and is just as creative with unexpected chord changes, tinkling pianos on “I Can’t Stand to Fall,” a faux horn section on “My Hippocratic Oath,” and intentionally heavy-handed synthesizers on “Photosynthetic.”
“We like to do something unique on every song,” he says. “We have a lot of fun, but we always want the music to be smart and have depths that a listener can uncover over time.” Oh Snap is rounded out by the worshipful “Another Name” (co-written by Justin York and new artist Chris Taylor) and pop-perfect “The Difference” (a co-write with Ben Glover). The latter began with an idea from bassist Justin Sams and takes shape thanks to danceable drumming from Todd Davis. Its theme of anti-complacent Christianity recaps what Philmont feels most passionate about: There’s gotta be a difference. It’s gotta be significant. If You’re really inside
changing my life, You would shine. You would be evident if there’s a difference. “We have a desire to motivate kids in the same way we needed motivating when we were teenagers,” concludes Taube. “People tend to go through the motions instead of going deeper. We want to connect and take them in that direction through an ongoing dialog. That’s what our music and our live shows are all about: audience participation.”
Philmont is now snapping people out of their spiritual complacency on tour across the United States. Just look for the bumper sticker-laden van with a North Carolina tag that says in no uncertain terms “RAWK.” Following the summer 2008 release of its EP, the band will issue a full-length album in early 2009.
www.MySpace.com/PhilmontRock
The Ascension
Philmont Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where all this is going
I never thought we'd take it so lightly
The high and the mighty
Will all fall the same
Of course I would stick to my story
An obvious warning to heed to the signs
Then everything, it crumbles around me
I'm boarding the train
And time, it won't stand still
Dreams will slowly hide
Beneath the dust that settles on your life
Your life
The truth is we'd rather not listen
Aborting the mission, abandoning hope
It's sabotage, we scramble the signals
Give up our positions
Surrender to fear
Running blind, escaping the future
The winners and losers are called out tonight
You can't run, can't hide in the back seat
The sky is collapsing
The future is here
And time, it won't stand still
Dreams will slowly hide
Beneath the dust that settles on your life
Sit with me, we'll watch the stars collide
The flaming embers wrapped in smoke
Will shower you and I
And as we burn, our bodies leave their posts
We'll ascend the charred remains
And depart from all we know
You and I will survive
"The Ascension" is a song by Philmont that speaks about the inevitability of change and the necessity of moving forward. The first stanza talks about the uncertainty of where one's journey may lead, but also emphasizes the idea that everyone will eventually meet the same end. The singer acknowledges the futility of sticking to one's old ways and the need to heed the signs of change, even if it means everything crumbles around them. The chorus then speaks of the passing of time and how dreams will slowly fade away if one does not take action.
The second stanza explains how people often choose to ignore the truth and give up when things become difficult, leading to a surrender to fear. The winners and losers are called out tonight, signifying that one can't escape the consequences of their actions. The singer then describes a moment of watching the end of the world with someone they care about, and expressed how they will depart from all they know together. The song ends with a feeling of hope that they will survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Of course I would rather not try to explain
I am reluctant to share my interpretation
Where all this is going
Where this situation will lead
I never thought we'd take it so lightly
I didn't expect us to handle the situation with such carelessness
The high and the mighty
Even the most powerful and influential people
Will all fall the same
Are vulnerable to the same fate as everyone else
Of course I would stick to my story
I would remain committed to my beliefs
An obvious warning to heed to the signs
A clear indication to pay attention to warning signs
Then everything, it crumbles around me
Everything falls apart before my eyes
The last call is sounding
The final warning is being issued
I'm boarding the train
I am accepting my fate
And time, it won't stand still
Time moves forward without pause
Dreams will slowly hide
Ambitions will gradually disappear
Beneath the dust that settles on your life
Buried under the residue that accumulates over time
The truth is we'd rather not listen
We prefer to ignore the truth
Aborting the mission, abandoning hope
Giving up on the objective and relinquishing optimism
It's sabotage, we scramble the signals
We are intentionally disrupting the communication system
Give up our positions
Relinquish our current status
Surrender to fear
Submitting to feelings of anxiety and apprehension
Running blind, escaping the future
Heading into uncharted territory with no direction, avoiding future prospects
The winners and losers are called out tonight
The successful and the defeated will be revealed this evening
You can't run, can't hide in the back seat
No avoiding responsibility or accountability
The sky is collapsing
The world as we know it is falling apart
The future is here
The events prophesied are unfolding
Sit with me, we'll watch the stars collide
Let's watch a spectacular event unfold together
The flaming embers wrapped in smoke
The debris and remnants surrounded by fumes and haze
Will shower you and I
Will rain down upon us
And as we burn, our bodies leave their posts
As we become engulfed in flames, our physical beings depart from their positions
We'll ascend the charred remains
We will rise from the burned and ruined pieces
And depart from all we know
Leave behind everything familiar
You and I will survive
We will overcome and endure
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.