KEY POINTS:
The lads from Christian punk rock band All Left Out took a leap of faith a few years back and it wasn't just a spiritual one.
In 2005, they packed their bags, jammed in as many copies of debut album Never Say Never as they could, bought a
van and hit the road in the United States.
"We didn't really know how our music would be received and didn't really have a back-up plan. We just did it and and dealt with stuff as it happened," says singer and guitarist Ken Pratten.
During that first trip, they suffered constant van breakdowns and stifling temperatures in their vehicle but through savvy marketing and an endless string of shows they managed to sell 7000 copies of their album.
As well as touring the US every year since, they have played in Europe and Canada and sales of Never Say Never have hit 17,500 copies.
It also helped that they scored support shows in California with fellow pop punk rockers Fall Out Boy during 2006.
"We were just in the right place at the right time. But we worked really hard, stretching our networking and just tried to talk to as many people as we could and did favours for people. The music industry is like that, it's just about who you know."
Now the band, also made up of bass player Hiona Hay, drummer Nathan Speeden and guitarist Dave Murray, are better known overseas than in New Zealand.
All Left Out have played local Christian rock festival Parachute every year since Pratten started the band in 2002. However, at this year's event, which starts tonight, they make their main stage debut and the billing is a sign they are gaining popularity here too.
"The reality is the market is a lot smaller in New Zealand so our focus has been overseas," says Pratten. "We've been kicking around in New Zealand for a while and we are starting to build a bit of a profile now but in terms of people knowing who we are here we're still [at] the bottom of the ladder.
"So when we're at home we play a few shows and have part-time jobs to keep us going. Financially, we are treading water. But we see the band as our career so we have to keep the wheels moving so to speak. We're still building the foundations of the band, and we have had to borrow money for recording and travelling, but at this stage of the game we're not raking in big bucks - [we're] just making ends meet. But like any business you often operate for a few years before you turn a profit, just to lay the foundations.
"If this band goes on to be really successful, it will be satisfying to know we've come from nothing. That first year we went over it was all grass roots stuff. When I say successful, we feel successful now because as a band we are basically able to live the dream of travelling around the world and playing music to people."
On Tuesday, they leave for a year-long tour that takes in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe.
And while they took a leap of faith by travelling to the US in 2005 they have all taken a leap of faith in a spiritual way too. While they are a Christian band, Pratten says: "We don't market ourselves specifically towards Christians or anything."
And mostly you wouldn't even know the band's second album, The Conquest - a hooky and polished pop punk release with progressive rock and classical music flourishes - is by a Christian band.
The most direct reference to the bands faith comes in The Prelude when Pratten tells us how many years ago he "reached a point in my life that I didn't like very much".
He'd become a "lonely and unpleasant person" and made a decision to embark on a journey of self discovery - a journey he proclaims grandly as "the conquest".
However, Pratten is a little apprehensive to shed light on his own life experiences and prefers to talk more generally.
"With the album, and the concept, it's about life in general. Everyone goes through ups and downs and points of desperation and the whole album is something that everyone can relate to.
"We don't market ourselves as a Christian band and if people enjoy the music then that's cool with us. If it's just enough to make someone feel a bit more positive about themselves then that's cool too. We want to be able to encourage and uplift people, whatever their beliefs are. That's why we do what we do."
PERFORMANCE
What: Parachute Festival
Where & when: Mystery Creek, Hamilton, starts today until Monday
Line-up: All Left Out, Switchfoot, Rapture Ruckus, Israel and New Breed, Adeaze, Brian Platt, Spacifix, Hill Song United, Jonezetta, Red, and many more.
Tickets: $52-$165 from iTicket
Website: parachutemusic.com
