On the road with Rend

Sorted’s editor Steve Legg caught up with Rend Collective frontman Gareth Gilkeson and asked him about the band, their new album and life on the road.

Gareth, thanks for joining us. Tell us about how the band was formed.

The band was formed actually, first of all in a community. We started in 2002 as a gathering called Rend, which I pastored, and Chris [Llewellyn] led worship at. It was very much focused on community, authenticity, just trying to create a space for people in their 20s and 30s, who we had noticed were leaving church and we wanted to have a place where they could experience God in a way that made sense to them. That’s where Rend came out of. We actually didn’t write any of our own songs for seven years, and then after about seven years we started writing our own stuff, which is kind of crazy but kind of fun to think that. Our focus was on the community and the kingdom of God before it was art. I think, in the Church, ministry and art need to go hand in hand and it’...