Embedded Files
Our third album titled "Jesus Lives" was released on August 31, 2014 and is available on iTunes.
Album cover photo by Bryden Kercheval - edited by Kirk
The album has original songs written by almost everyone in the group. The album was titled "Jesus Lives" to help everyone figure out what "GZUSLIVZ" is supposed to be, get it? There is quite a mix of styles on the album including a little touch of heavy metal, some blues, and rock. It's, of course, all Christian music.
This album was recorded in layers. First Kirk determined the BPM (beats per minute), setup a 'boom chick boom chick' (bass snare) click track and laid down 'scratch track' of guitar and possibly vocals. Then Kirk would record his parts of the song, replacing the scratch track. Then, layer upon layer, each musician would record their part at different times, adding to the song.
Heavy editing was not done on the album, allowing for some imperfections, which gives the recording a more natural or live feel.
In the words of John Grant, "[the imperfect sound] is also a personal reminder that God alone is perfect and man, for all his striving, is not."
Here's our most recent music video - released 3-9-2014. This song is on our "Jesus Lives" album, in an original version, and in this alumni/drum version. This features alumni vocalist, Brianna Quinn, as well as all 5 percussionists who have played (or are playing) drums in the group.
"Havin' Fun", from this album, was used for the 2014 Upward Soccer highlight video:
01 I Am Yours
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Kirk Hopkins
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: This song simply tells how words aren't really necessary to tell God that we love Him, He already knows. It is in spending time with Him that it is shown. The music for this song was completely re-written after the original version sat stale for many, many months. It switched from a happy predictable song to a darker, more in your face song, contrasting the lyrics.
02 Just A Walkin'
Composer: Bob Conly
Vocals, Lead - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Harmonica - Bob Conly
Acoustic Guitar - Bob Conly
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: The original idea for this tune was hatched a couple of years ago. My favorite genre' of music is blues. I wanted to come up with a blues tune, contrary to a normal blues song, one that had a Christian lyric to it as well as a positive feel. The idea sat in the back of my think cap for a while. One evening late, I started jotting down some lines. The words just flowed and in twenty minutes the frame work for "Walkin" was done. I had to change it a bit to fit the 12 bar parameters of blues. Hope it motivates someone to start their walk.
03 Choices
Composer: Carley Wesseler
Vocals, Lead - Carley Wesseler
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kevin Quinlivan
Song notes: As a freshman in High School I found that I have a lot of important choices in front of me.
04 Havin' Fun
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Kirk Hopkins
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Hey's - Rachel Hopkins
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
12 String Acoustic Guitar - Mike Mains
Acoustic Guitar - Ed Hampton
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: Looking to get another 'Say Yeah'-like fun song, I wrote this one. Easy lyrics and a driving drumbeat hopefully make this one where you know you can have fun worshiping God. Oh, and yes, there's only one chord. Try writing a song with only one chord, it's harder than you think.
05 Great Commandment, Great Commission
Composer: Kevin Quinlivan
Vocals, Lead - Kevin Quinlivan
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kevin Quinlivan
Song notes:
06 My Faith
Composer: Pamela Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Kirk Hopkins
Acoustic Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Electric - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: I wrote the lyrics to this song as a poem several years back when my dad was dealing with Alzheimer's Disease. It was a very difficult time for us and I don't know what I would have done without my faith and the support of my church family. I had come to the full realization that of all the things we value in this life - money, health, loved ones, even our memories - none of these is guaranteed to last. The only thing is Jesus' promise to be with us through it all. This song is a prayer that I will never lose my faith in that promise.
"...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:20
07 Come To Me
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Kirk Hopkins
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kevin Quinlivan
Song notes: Inspired by Sam Freese recordings from his home studio and the style of a song called, "Life Afraid" by a band called Chosen. This is my first attempt at a full Heavy Metal christian song, used in Sunday morning worship with children.
08 I'll Live for Him
Composer: Natalie Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Natalie Hopkins
Acoustic Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Tim Cornelius
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes:
09 Better Than Life
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Carley Wesseler
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kevin Quinlivan
Song notes: Features our drummer and bassist, with some soulful vocals, basically it features everyone except the guitars (why should we have all the fun).
10 Lord it is Good to Praise You
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Electric Guitar - Joe Niesen
Bass - Gary Campbell
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: My son brought home his brand spankin' new bible and showed it to me. I leafed through the pages and told him how cool I thought some the illustrations were. In a matter of seconds I landed on Psalm 92. Have words ever been easier to come by? We just published our sophomore album, "What's Next" and I wondered if it was going to be difficult to continue to create new material. Nope, not yet anyway. I tested the song in a 7/8 feel which did NOT work. Then I put down the guitar and sang the words softly. Out came what you hear today, well kind of. Since writing the song, I lead worship with this song on the Walk to Emmaus. When it came time to record, I invited Gary Campbell and Joe Niesen who lead worship with me on the Walk to Emmaus to come record their version of it. They laid down a number of tracks each, so what you actually hear is a culmination of musical ideas in praise. It is good to praise Most High God, isn't it?
11 The Story
Composer: Bob Conly
Vocals, Lead - Kevin Quinlivan
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Acoustic Guitar - Bob Conly
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kevin Quinlivan
Song notes: Our Pastor of Children's Ministries, requested if someone in our group, could write a song concerning the church wide study of "The Story" that we are involved with. This was my attempt to capture the essence of the program.
12 That's the Way You Roll
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Kirk Hopkins
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Acoustic Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kevin Quinlivan
Song notes: This song was written after some of my very close friends left our church. The circumstances don't really matter, but in short, I believe that miscommunication was the reason. In any case, I was reminded how all I can do is what God wants me to do. I shouldn't pretend to even think that I have things under control, when clearly, I don't. Fortunately I serve an All-Knowing and loving God who is in control and knows what's best for all of us. So we can continue to be friends and serve God, even if it's not in the same local body.
13 Trust and Obey
Composer: Bob Conly
Vocals, Lead - Pamela Hopkins
Acoustic Guitar - Bob Conly
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Tim Cornelius
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: This song came about after years of studying God's word. These are the directions that I have gleaned from the Bible. That is to trust His promises and obey his His commands.
14 Wanna Be Wiser
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Kirk Hopkins
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Acoustic Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Tim Cornelius
Drums - Kevin Quinlivan
Song notes: I had a God moment after coming home one evening. I picked up the guitar and played a little riff and hummed a line. My son Seth was in the room. I asked him if he liked it and he said yeah. I told him I should write it down before I forgot it. I picked up the laptop, put down the chords and checked my email. I read a message from one of our pastors at church, the message included Proverbs 13:20 which I looked up; voila, I had the lyrics to a new song! We played it the next Sunday.
15 Worthy of Praise
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Vocals, Lead - Kirk Hopkins
Vocals - Pamela Hopkins
Vocals - Carley Wesseler
Electric Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Acoustic Guitar - Kirk Hopkins
Bass - Josh Mains
Drums - Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: This was my first song for this album. Well, the first song with music and lyrics, at least, but 'Lord it is Good to Praise You' was actually finished first. I tried to use a similar tune for background music for an Upward video (which was actually my second attempt at background music), anyway, it didn't work out. Lo and behold, it fit right in with this song. I thought I'd change things up a bit and throw in a 7/8 beat (and all the drummers smile).
16 Lord it is Good to Praise You - drum version
Vocals, Lead - Brianna Quinn
Drums -
Spencer Ford
Alex Mains
Aaron Edwards
Kevin Quinlivan
Kirk Hopkins
Composer: Kirk Hopkins
Song notes: I've been a Neil Peart fan since high school. After watching his, 'Anatomy of a drum solo', video I knew we needed to do a drum song. So here's a remake of a song that we lead in worship, stripped down to just vocals and drums. Each drummer on this recording has played or is playing with gzuslivz, and each adds their own flavor. This is our first recording with an extended drum solo. We also pulled in alumnus Brianna Quinn on vocals for this version.
Mixed and mastered on location in the Hopkins Studio in Okeana, Ohio by:
Kevin Quinlivan
Kirk Hopkins
Instruments:
Bob's gear: Taylor 414CE acoustic guitar, Hohner Key of C harmonica
Josh's gear: ??? bass
Kirk's gear:
Vintage Ludwig drums
Zildjian cymbals
Wuhan cymbals
Sound percussion hardware
VicFirth 5b nylon tip sticks
John Grant's "tomato bass drum" for Havin' Fun
Martin DXME acoustic guitar
Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar
iPhone running JamUp Pro (effects)
Griffin Guitar Connect cable
Bose Quietcomfort 15 (noise canceling headphones)
Bose AE2 (headphones)
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro (headphones)
MacBook Pro with Logic Pro 9
Tascam US-144MKII (4 channel USB mixer)
Tascam US-1800 (14 channel USB mixer)
2 sets of CAD 7 drumset mics
MXL 990 Condenser vocal microphone with shield
Fostex powered monitors
Guest artistis gear:
Ed's gear: Yamaha acoustic guitar
Gary's gear: Tune Bass
Joe's gear: Ibanez Roadstart II Series & GNX I digitech
Mike's gear:
Tim's gear:
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