Interview with Angus McDonell for www.spiritandsong.com
November 2003

Q: When did you first discover your love for music?
A: When I was a little kid, my brothers, sisters, and I would play children's records for hours. My first favorite band was the Jackson 5.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
A: My brother, Colin, used to talk about starting a band. He talked about it for a couple of years and then he bought me a Paul McCartney style bass when I was 13. The next morning we jammed; my brother on guitar, and his friend, Jimmy, on drums — a total power trio. I played 2 notes for about three hours ... and we even made a short rockumentary. It was also the first time I ever had to schelp an amp and my bass and my brother quipped, "these are the equipment carrying years."

Q: Tell us about your faith journey as a young person. When did you make the decision to follow Christ? What influenced you most in your faith journey?
A: I went to Catholic grade school. I remember that I loved God from a very early age. As a small boy, I used to ask my dad questions about God. One in particular was "Dad, if I ask God, will he let me into heaven?" And my dad said, "We have to ask him everyday." My first grade teacher, Sister Nicholas, was a positive influence for me. She used to read stories from the New Testament and I remember thinking back then, "if we were just obedient to God, everything would be all right." As I got older, I tried to do what I believed God wanted me to do. And without fail, every time I did, everything worked out for the best. I also saw the power of love … . In grade school I often struggled witnessing times when school mates were unkind to one another. I of course had my own shortcomings. But I knew that God forgave me and loved me.

Q: River of Life represents your most impressive work to date! The styles on this album include pop-rock, reggae, jazz, country and even a little bit of that New Orleans style street beat. Tell us what influenced you most on this collection.
A: This collection is sort of a culmination of many musical experiences … . Over the years, I've played in many different bands. I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. There was really a cool music scene happening as I was growing up. I played in original pop bands (with my brother, Colin). We played at a lot of punk clubs and we even opened up for the Ramones.
My next significant musical experience was playing in an Irish band where I met another girl who played flute, tin whistle and sang. She was more my style, she sipped her drinks and I married her. After that, I played in band called "One World" where we did mostly 80's covers — the Cure, Elvis Costello, Midnight Oil, The Specials, The Police, U2 and some originals. We played a lot of fraternity and sorority parties. I studied jazz at the University of Washington and later at Northwestern University where I played upright bass in orchestras, jazz bands, vocal combos, pit orchestras and did a lot of free-lancing around town. So this album is a diverse mix of styles.

Q: Did you write all of the songs on River of Life or did you have collaboration on some of the cuts?
A: I had the grace of working with Sarah Hart on two songs on the album, "Our Lady of Guadalupe" and "Jesus, I Trust in You." It was great working with her. I was also very proud to record a beautiful song written by Tom Booth, "My Heart Belongs to You." I decided to translate it into Spanish in order to touch the hearts of Spanish-speaking Americans.

Q: What was the process for picking the songs you put on the album?
A: It was a process of presenting repertoire to Oregon Catholic Press staff and working together to come up with the best overall combination of songs.

Q: The title cut, "River of Life," was selected out of more than a dozen entries to be the official theme song for the 2003 National Catholic Youth Conference. Congratulations!
A: Thank you!

Q: Give us the background on this song.
A: When I was working for the Office of Youth Ministry in St. Louis, Father Bob Smoot suggested I submit a song. A major influence of this song is Santana. I also wanted to incorporate multi-cultural elements as a sign of welcoming all of God's people. The lyrics came from thematic suggestions put together by NFCYM. My son and daughter (at the time, ages 2 and 4) actually lay their little hands on me and prayed over me that the Holy Spirit would inspire me.

Q: If you could describe "River of Life" in only one sentence, what would you say?
A: "River of Life" proclaims and celebrates the transformative power of Jesus Christ and it fosters full, conscious, and active participation.

Q: A personal favorite on the collection is "We Ever Will Praise You." It is such a beautiful expression of prayer. Give us the background on this song.
A: I woke up in the middle of the night with the melody of the refrain playing in my head. Although I was tired, I jotted down the melody so that I wouldn't forget it in the morning. A few months later, there was a need to come up with a setting for this psalm. It just seemed to fall into place. That is the only time I've ever experienced waking up with a melody in my head. I honestly feel it was inspired by our Lord. This was one of the most difficult songs to arrange, as I was tempted to overwork it.

Q: Your music seems to speak to a personal commitment to Christ. What inspires you in your writing?
A: I just want to do what God wants me to do. For now I believe He is calling me to write.

Q: You are very involved in youth ministry. Tell us about your recent appointment as director of youth ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
A: Uh … This is the other thing God is calling me to do, I think. I never really aspired for this kind of job and I almost didn't apply. But I felt I needed to allow God into the decision making process. Quite frankly, I'm a bit freaked out about the whole thing. But I'm taking the advice of Father Stan Fortuna by "staying deep in the river" by going to daily Mass, reciting the rosary daily and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation once a month. I believe that only through attempting to live a sacramental life will I be guided to make the right decisions along the way.

Q: Do you enjoy spending time on the road performing?
A: Lately, I have not been on the road performing as much, but I do enjoy traveling as it happens.

Q: What do you do to wind down after a long day of being on the road and performing?
A: After a long day of performing, I like to smooch and hug (and be smooched and hugged by) my family, followed by wrestling and jumping on the hotel bed with my son, Lorry.

Q: What other composers/musicians do you look up to?
A: Some of my favorite secular musicians are Miles Davis, Steeley Dan, Sting, and Bob Marley. Some of my favorite Christian musicians are Tom Booth, Matt Maher, Martin Smith, and Toby Mac.

Q: What song do you wish you had written?
A: Happy Birthday :-)

Q: What's on the horizon for Angus McDonell?
A: The Great Adventure.

Q: We'll look forward to it! Thanks for spending time with us today Angus.
A: You bet … thanks, and God bless us all!

10/28/03