Evanescence Fall From Grace
Prompted by the band’s use of profanity in recent press interviews,
Wind-Up Records Chairman Alan Meltzer has ordered the recall of
Evanescence CDs from Christian stores and radio stations.
“Recent statements by band members have made it abundantly clear
that Evanescence is a secular band, and as such view their music as
entertainment,” Meltzer wrote to members of the Christian music
industry. “Despite the spiritual underpinning that has ignited
interest and excitement in the Christian religious community, the
band is now opposed to promoting or supporting any religious
agenda. The decision to release Fallen into the Christian
market was made subsequent to discussions with and approval by the
artist. Obviously the band has had a change in their perspective .
. . Wind-Up deeply regrets this situation.” Evanescence’s debut
album Fallen has been camped in the Top Ten of the U.S.
pop chart since its release three weeks ago. Though the Arkansas
goth-metal group — led by vocalist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody
— came up through the Christian circuit and amassed a loyal
following through live shows and limited-edition EPs and singles,
the members have been gradually backing away from their faith
backgrounds. “We’re in no way a ministry band,” Moody told
Rolling Stone last month. “It just really doesn’t have
anything to do with our music.”
Moody’s comments to Entertainment Weekly, which
included a joking references to Jesus (“I’m like the guy who was
crucified next to Jesus. All I want you to do is remember me”) and
a few f-bombs (“We’re actually high on the Christian charts, and
I’m like, ‘What the fuck are we even doing there?”), prompted
Wind-Up to pull Fallen from thousands of stores across the
country overnight.
According to Meltzer, the move was made before the interview hit
newsstands because Wind-Up cares deeply about the Christian
marketplace. While the label, home to famed spiritually inclined
rockers Creed, has no official Christian affiliation, bands such as
12 Stones and the new group Big Dismal are being marketed to both
the Christian and mainstream music market.
Wind-Up began courting the Christian music market more than a
year ago, making its first foray with 12 Stones’ self-titled 2002
debut. Hooking up with powerhouse Christian music distributor
Provident — which, along with EMI and Warner Music Group’s
Christian divisions, controls nearly seventy percent of the
Christian music market — Wind-Up attempted to tap into a segment
that generated sales of more than 50 million albums in 2002,
according to John Styll, President of the Christian Music Trade
Association. Half of those sales came from mainstream retailers
(Wal-Mart, Target, Tower Records, etc.), while the remainder were
from the several thousand Christian book stores across the U.S.
that also carry music.
The offending interview precipitated Provident recalling
approximately 10,000 albums, which pales in comparison to the half
million the group has sold in mainstream outlets. Fallen
had sold approximately 3,500 copies in the Christian market since
its release in March and has been Number One on
Billboard‘s Christian album charts — which includes sales
from mainstream retailers as well as Christian ones — every week
since its release.
Provident President and CEO Terry Hemmings said the Evanescence
flap won’t likely hurt Wind-Up’s image in the Christian market,
which was pleasantly surprised by the quick, decisive action on the
label’s part. He was puzzled, however, by Evanescence’s about-face,
especially in light of their appearance as a co-headliner at a
Provident sales conference/showcase in December. “They clearly
understood the album would be sold in these channels,” he said.
In a sign of the sometimes difficult marriage of mainstream and
Christian markets, Meltzer continued, “We will scrutinize our
Christian artists’ beliefs and commitment with even greater
diligence . . . I will personally inform all of our future artists
who represent themselves as Christian artists and wish to be
represented in the Christian community that in doing so they must
understand the lasting and on-going commitment that involves.”