Artist Spotlight: Boochie Shepherd

By Anthony M. Corliss-Smith  

"It's the ageless struggle between self and selfless. Between what we need to do and what we want to do. Between what we are and what we should be.

Out of this dichotomy flows the inspiration for the new Boochie Shepherd album Vertical.

'That inner conflict is something that I battle personally,' says front man Brandon McCaghren, 'and I know it's something that a lot of other people are fighting, too. I want to help them see that they aren't alone in the fight.'"

This excerpt from Decatur, Alabama's band, Boochie Shepherd, is a great intro to who the people behind the music are: Brandon McCaghren on Vocals, Brandon Denton on Guitars, Jeff Hubbard on Bass, and Heath Hood on Drums and Percussion.

I will admit, at first glance (note, a very passing one), I didn't notice anything special about Boochie Shepherd. All I saw was a weird band name. When I looked closer, I realized that these four guys really have a heart for being funny, relevant, fan-friendly, and followers of Christ. Add to that some really great music, and you got an amazing band.

The song "Vertical" speaks to those who are unsure of where they stand: "You say you want a revolution… / Well, it starts right here. / But from the looks of the situation / Your feelings are unclear…" But "When the world's got your back up against the wall / Don't lie down, get vertical." If I said that I never felt like the former, and didn't live up to the latter, I'd be a liar. Of course, we all have had times like that, and sometimes we need a song like this to make us realize that, where we fall short, Christ is sufficient.

"All The King's Horses" is convicting, to say the least. Basically, it refers to the problem of Christians not doing what Christ commissioned us to. The King's men (us) stand idly by drinking their wine, while the peasants (unsaved) starve, dying with a cry for healing on their lips…And we merely watch it happen, calloused to the events going on around us. "All the King's horses, couldn't change a thing / 'Cause there were no riders, to carry His name / And all of the peasants, livin' in the town / Begged for His healing, but none could be found / …All the King's horses, have run wild again / So who'll save the Kingdom, from all the King's men?" Or, as Gandhi put it: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

So, in addition to the recommendation to go check this band out on MySpace, I leave you with a question…Where do you stand, and what are you doing?

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