Feb 13 Feature – Churchill

Denver’s loyal music fans have long known about the hidden gem, “a band called Churchill,” for many years. Perhaps you stumbled upon Churchill years ago when they opened for a better-known band, or maybe you’ve been a loyal friend or family member, doing your part to support them. Either way, Denver has followed this quintet, watching like proud parents as their fan base steadily increased, hoping someone would notice this goldmine of talent, and usher them to the big stages.

Comprised of Tim Bruns (vocals, guitar), Bethany Kelly (vocals and keys), Mike Morter (mandolin, guitar), Tyler Rima (bass), and Joe Richmond (drums), Churchill has consistently played the Denver circuit for almost three years. Their songs are steeped with relatable, unapologetically candid lyrics, and catchy melodies that stay with you, long after the songs stop playing.

Churchill has had a steady rise to their status as a nationally recognized band. In December 2009, the quintet placed third in KTCL’s Hometown for the Holidays (voted on by Colorado listeners). In 2011, they self-released their full-length album,

Happy/Sad. In 2012, they signed with A&M/Octone, and released the EP, Change. You might know them best for their title track, “Change,” which started the proverbial ball rolling on the national recognition they deserve. As of this interview, they were #41 on Alternative Albums on iTunes.

The bulk of the band grew up within four miles of each other, some singing together in church on Sunday mornings, and some going to the same college. After perhaps a serendipitous move “for a girl,” Rima transplanted to Colorado from Wisconsin, and met Morter and Bruns at a Wing Stop. “He said he had gear,” says Bruns, “so we said, ‘Cool.’”

Combining their various styles of singer/songwriter, country/bluegrass, and classical, with a taste of rock, Churchill has a sound that appeals to all appreciations. Like a lot of bands, Churchill worked hard, traveled a lot, and started at the bottom. “Our first show here (Meadowlark), we brought people out; we called, literally, everyone we knew, family.” So what shot this band into the iTunes “Free Song of the Week” in January 2013? “I think a lot of the success we’ve had is because of being in the right place at the right time,” says Bruns. “When we started the band, it was like a Lumineers type thing, and right before we have a song, the Lumineers blow up, and Mumford and Sons. I think bands like that kind of changed alternative music and paved the way for us, which is nice.”

“From my perspective, from having worked with a lot of other bands,” adds Richmond, “I think the songwriting has a lot to do with it. I think our sound is unique enough that people pay attention. It’s not what everyone else is doing. Once we found out how we all worked together, you pair that with really great songs, and it’s just that simple, to me. Like you said, a lot of bands tour; we’ve definitely had a lot of help, but I think it just comes down to us finding our niche sound-wise and having great songs.” Adds Kelly, “The Denvermusic scene definitely has community. There’s no way we could be doing anything that we’re doing without what [Meese, the Fray, 93.3 and all the KTCL guys] did.”

“[You need] people who believe in what you’re doing,” says Richmond. “Calling and emailing everybody like, ‘Please let us play.’” Adds Bruns, “You play that first show, and you meet another band that likes you enough to put you on another bill with them. Having people like Jonathan Bitz. He was the first guy who was really pumped to have us come play. He was the first guy who really believed in what we were doing, and the first guy to interview us.”

You’d be hard pressed to get a consistent answer concerning the origin of the band’s name; and really, does it matter? Good music is good music, no matter what the musicians call themselves. The story behind the name today is, “It was a working title until we came up with something better,” according to Bruns, who added, “Where’s Mike when you need him? He always comes up with a good story—a different story every time.” Mike, by the way, was out of the country, getting engaged. Congratulations, Mike!

While the band credits Bruns for most of the songwriting, they all agree that the songs wouldn’t work without all of them. Says Richmond, “There was a really good review of one of our shows in Boston. It said something about how—and I’ve always felt this way about the band—if any one of us weren’t in it, or didn’t add our part, it wouldn’t be what we are. Like, you can’t just plug in any mandolin player, or any bass player. Even when we do recordings, we do it in stages, and it never feels right until it’s all of us together.”

Churchill’s solid interpersonal chemistry is evident at their shows, and at the diner where this interview took place. Throughout our conversation, this harmony allowed them to easily lapse into several ‘comfort-conversations,’ whether it was about the Broncos, stories from tour, or early memories in the recording studio. They are a chosen family, not a family you feel obligated to, and they genuinely seem to enjoy each other’s company. They even held up a picture of the absent Morter on Kelly’s phone for their group photo.

Since the band’s inception, they have seen two marriages (Bruns and Kelly–not to each other), and an engagement (Morter’s), played at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and played at venues where only 10 people showed up. “Detroit was probably the worst one, in terms of attendance,” says Richmond. “But I talked to people who were like, ‘We came from Canada.’ This kid made his mom drive him 200 miles to see the show, so it’s cool to be able to meet with the fans.” Adds Bruns, “The reason why we all do this is to play music, and so [at low-attendance shows] we feed off of each other, as opposed to feeding off of an audience. At least we’re playing music.”

Exciting things are happening in the world of Churchill. Look for the official video for “Change,” soon. “We just got the final edit, and it will be out in the next couple weeks,” says Kelly. “You can find it online, and this is one that they’re going to try and put on MTV. And we’re officially playing SXSW, an official showcase.” Also, adds Bruns, “We’re bringing Nate Meese out on tour with us; he’s going to tour with us the whole tour.”

Each band member contributes a different strength to fuse together the unique Churchill sound. Bruns and Kelly amicably share the mic, each bringing a diverse emotive value to their songs. Look for a new album, which they hope to drop by this summer, and check out their live show—their biggest headliner to date—on March 3, 2010, at the Ogden.

A few days after our interview, not only was their video released, Billboard Music Magazine had this to say about our little gem. ““Change” is the sort of brilliantly simple chunk of alternative rock that becomes frozen in a listener’s memory after a single spin.” Added Esquire Magazine, “This might just be the best pop-radio hit to feature mandolin since “Losing My Religion” by REM.

“We’re a band called Churchill.” A band that could, did, and is. And they’re just getting started.

by Jenn Cohen