Churchill
By: Jed Murphy
Colorado music fans have a certain taste for local music. They know what they want, and when they find it there is no stopping them from getting behind that band until the very end. Right now in Colorado, and soon to be nationwide, Churchill is that band. Their hit song “Change” off of their The Change EP, is in regular rotation on the alternative radio stations and has struck a chord with a mainstream, national audience. Now, Greeley has it’s chance to catch this amazing folk/rock group before they hit the national stage when they headline the 16th Street Block Party for an amazing night of music. “It has suddenly become more work. It’s cool to hear your music on the radio and see people enjoying it,” says drummer Joe Richmond. Churchill is made up of five driven people: Bethany Kelly (vocals, piano and guitar,) Tyler Rima (bass,) Mike Morter (mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar,) Tim Bruns (vocals and guitar,) and Joe Richmond (drums). Bruns and Morter started the project as a duo in 2008 after they both moved to Denver. They met at the Baptist Bible College in Scranton, Pennsylvania and found they not only had similar backgrounds in music, but they both had a business-like mentality when it came to writing and performing their songs. After living and gigging in Denver for a while, they began playing with the rest of the band in 2009 and found the combination worked. Since then, they have sold out shows, reached national audiences, won 93.3’s Hometown for the Holidays, and opened for The Fray on several occasions, including their recent show at Red Rocks.
The local fame is not getting to their heads, either, as they all still work normal jobs just to pay their bills. “It doesn’t feel any different because we’re all still doing the same thing, only on a bigger scale,” says Bruns. “We all still work day jobs but there are times when things feel crazy.” When asked what shows stood out for them as a band, they all had their personal favorite moments. However, the general consensus seemed to be that their show at Stubb’s BBQ in Austin, Texas, opening for The Fray to a crowd of 3,000 people, was a big turning point. A close second was their first sold-out show at the HiDive in Denver in 2011, something any local band aspires to achieve. For Richmond, it was a show at the Larimer Lounge in Denver where he noticed people singing along for the first time. Of the two substantial recordings Churchill has made since forming, Happy/Sad, which was released in February of 2011, and The Change EP that came out in March, the latter has without a doubt a more developed sound and offers a look into the direction the band is headed musically. Recorded at The Fray’s studio in Northglenn, the recordings are confident and robust, showing fans a mature Churchill, comfortable on stage and in the studio. “Change” is a clear example of this step forward, as it is a song tailor-made for radio. With nods to current pop greats such as Adele and The Black Keys, Bruns steps back from the role of lead vocals and lets Kelly fill that space. The arrangement might be different on “Change,” but the sound they have found for themselves as a band is consistent with every track. “I definitely think we found our sound in how we play together, but we will be forever evolving,”
said Kelly about finding their sound. Rima echoed this as well, stating that they have found their instrumentation as a band and they all know their roles, but their sound will keep moving forward with each new song they make. “It’s like our sound grew up and we’re ready to hang out with the adults,” added Kelly. Three years is a short amount of time for a band to reach the level of success Churchill has come to enjoy. Many bands in the same scene have been there for much longer and would kill for the chance to have the opportunities Churchill has made for themselves. But that’s how they have done it, by making it for themselves. Every member of this band came in with a clear, attainable goal that is in line with what the other members wanted to get out of Churchill. Ultimately, they recognize that it is the fans who allowed them to reach the places they have. As a band, they believe Colorado music fans are different from other scenes. The amount of support they have recieved at a local level has been inspiring and heartfelt. All the members expressed how truly grateful they were to have the fans they do. The future of the band seems to be in a positive state of uncertainty. Their success is not uncertain, but the route they intend to take to get there is. For now, the band is content playing their songs for people who enjoy listening to them. They are excited for what’s in store for them as a band and for the music they are making. They’re also excited to headline the Block Party for all their fans here in northern Colorado. Make sure to catch them on the main stage at 9:00 p.m. for a show not to be missed.