Brandon Coleman and the Red Clay Strays are going to continue preaching the gospel with their music, simply because that’s the only way they know and wish to do it.
The band from Mobile, Alabama consisting of Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), Sevans Henderson (keys), and frontman Brandon Coleman have quite the impressive catalogue already. Their most recent addition is Grateful, which was released earlier this year and… yes, explored their collectiveness gratefulness.
It also featured some faith-based songs (“Demons In Your Choir” and “Revival”), which the band has embraced and become known for through their first three albums.
They describe themselves as not as a Christian band, but a band full of Christians. Their faith and outspokenness about the Lord is often intertwined with their music, and has really shined through in every project of theirs thus far (especially in 2024’s Made By These Moments). And if you’ve seen them live, you know their show isn’t lacking in the worship department.
Even when they sit down for interviews, they make it very known where they stand in their faith. Coleman and the rest of the band recently sat down with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Dale Jr. Download, and fittingly, God came up. The former NASCAR driver asked why and how they continue to be so open about their religious beliefs, and Coleman answered by saying it all really comes down to their purpose:
“I don’t really think that we need to share more of it. It’s just kind of always been what we set out to do. Everybody at one point in their life, they’re gonna ask themself, ‘What’s the point in all this? Why am I even here?’
Then when you come to the realization that you were created by something and they put you on this Earth to do a job, and you figure out what that job is, you just set out to do the job to the best of your abilities. You’re not gonna be perfect and you are going to stumble along the way and mess up a lot, but that’s what God is for. You’re not made to be perfect.”
Amen to that.
Shortly after that succinct sermon, Coleman provided a quote that’s undoubtedly inspired by a missionary mindset that many Christians are led to follow. The Red Clay Strays’ frontman shared that many people thank them for being outspoken about their faith, and while they appreciate it, they feel they are just doing what the Lord has called them to do:
“A lot people always thank us for being bold with our faith, but I don’t really see why we should be thanked for that. It just seems like, the only way to do it.
If someone believes in God, but they don’t want to talk about God, then I don’t know if they really believe in God… We’re never trying to preach to people or convert people. We’re just telling a story.”
And I’ve got to point out that Drew Nix jumped in and added an incredible line as well:
“It’s always been our constant. A lot of people put more faith in politics than they do religion, and that changes so quick.”
It’s cool to see one of the biggest and fastest growing bands embracing their faith and not shying away from telling others about it. They also aren’t afraid to condemn the current state of politics, and did so strongly with their single “People Hatin’.”
You can hear the Red Clay Strays talk more about their mission in the interview below:
