Louder Than The Music

Peter Johnston RVA, a Christian Indie Rock artist in Richmond, Virginia, has just released a 7 song EP titled 'Be Not Afraid'.



Have you ever been mid-verse of Praise to the Lord, the Almighty during the entrance hymn at Mass and wondered what it would sound like with a big, guitar-laden rock arrangement? Peter Johnston RVA did, and it started a sonic journey that resulted in the first formal, multi-song release from the Richmond, Virginia based songwriter entitled, Be Not Afraid.

The seven song EP sets out to prove that traditional Catholic thought and indie rock are not mutually exclusive, drawing inspiration from the earliest papal address of St. Pope John Paul II, the Crux Fidelis, the Sacrament of Penance, the calling to one's vocation in life, and of course, a familiar hymn dating back to the 1660s with lyrics credited to Joachim Meander, as translated by Catherine Winkworth in the 19th century. The songs economically combine reverb soaked guitars with ambitious bass and drum textures in hopes of creating a series of mystical, ethereal landscapes for the listener. The EP cover art complements this goal using William Holman Hunt's The Light of the World image to remind one that Christ "shines in the darkness...by the light of reason, by the voices of creatures, which all cry aloud that there is a Creator, and He ought to be worshipped and loved" (Lapide). It is only with this knowledge that we can form, in the words of St. Pope John Paul II, a fruitful alliance between Gospel and art, while having the courage to truly be not afraid.