Despite group's struggles, Skillet still inspires

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jan 21, 2005 by Scott Iwasaki Deseret Morning News

John Cooper, guitarist-vocalist for the inspirational-rock group Skillet, said he was surprised the band's album "Collide" was nominated for a Grammy this year.

"I wasn't expecting anything like that," Cooper said by phone from Toledo, Ohio. "It was something that I never really thought about before. It's nice that it's happened, and we're honored."

Skillet -- composed of Cooper; his keyboardist wife, Korey; bassist Ben Kasica; and drummer Lori Peters -- actually released "Collide" nearly a year ago. "We just haven't been able to headline a tour to support it until now. We've had that kind of year."

He's referring to stumbling blocks galore -- broken-down tour buses, equipment failure and more. "It's been crazy," Cooper said. "And then my wife and I have welcomed our son, Alex, into the world. So we've got a heavy responsibility in our lives that we need to be taking care of.

"All this has proven to us that we really love making music, because we're still playing music and going on tour, regardless of all the stuff that has happened."

When Skillet went into the studio to record "Collide," Cooper knew he wanted to take a different approach in the recording sessions. "We hired a producer. We have never worked with a producer before. Usually I'm the one who produces the albums. I'm kind of a do-it- myself kind of person. But this time around, I made the decision and commitment to work with a producer on this album."

Paul Ebersold, who has worked with Three Doors Down and Sister Hazel, helped Cooper and the band make the Grammy-nominated album. "Paul helped stretch myself," Cooper said. "I made the decision to work with him no matter how I felt, and he challenged me to come out of my comfort zone and really had an ear for what needed to be done.

"It was different coming into work and having someone tell me what sounded good and what didn't. But it made a lot of difference on the outcome. He was great to work with."

Skillet wrote 30 songs for the album, and an additional five were written during the recording process. Then the band whittled the number down to 11 for the album. "We felt the pressure of topping the last album ('Alien Youth')," said Cooper. "We didn't want to go backwards. We didn't want to do the same album, and we didn't want to change the style drastically so it wouldn't sound like the same band. I think Paul helped us out tremendously."

Cooper said all the trials and rewards of making the album work into the plan for the band, which, for good or ill, has been labeled by others a "Christian rock band." "We have always known that's what we would be known as. We knew we had a message for people. We knew we wanted to make the message uplifting and inspirational. But we also knew we were going to be a rock 'n' roll band. But it's easy to forget why you're doing something when you're so caught up in it."

But eventually the goals that brought the band together come back into focus. "After we play a show and someone comes up to us and says they have been struggling with the idea of suicide and decided to live because one of our songs gave her hope, (that) is an amazing thing. Recently we were contacted by a girl who had been date-raped. And she said our music helped her find the forgiveness in her heart for her attacker.

"When I hear stories like that, the reason we decided to become a band comes back into perspective. And it's wonderful we are touching people's lives."

If you go

What: Skillet, Seventh Day Slumber

Where: South Mountain Community Church, 12411 S. 265 West

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

How much: $12 and $15

Phone: 688-0883

Web: www.skillet.org" TARGET="_blank">www.skillet.org

E-mail: scott@desnews.com