Interview with guitarist Nelson Flores who also played with The Great Commission in 2009
How long have you guys been playing together?
We have been a band for about 4 years. We pretty much grew up with each other, its an amazing feeling to be playing music with my best friends.
Jordan, Jesse, and myself are original members so we are blessed to see something we have created get exposure to kids all over the world.
What bands have influenced your music?
When Sovereign Strength formed, we were heavily influenced by bands such as Bury Your Dead and The Acacia Strain.
We all grew up listening to bands like Metallica, Pantera, and Black Sabath.
As we got older, we started listening to Korn, Slipknot, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit and these are some of the bands that still influence us today.
Why MediaSkare Records?
Mediaskare Records is based out of North Hollywood, CA so the owner Baron Bodnar would always randomly show up at shows that his bands were playing. We were really good friends with Betrayal at time and Baron saw us a few times and took a liking to us. He kept checking us out and finally approached us and we started talking. We are on the same label with such bands as As Blood Runs Black, The Ghost Inside, Suffokate, Burning The Masses, Betrayal, Hundredth, and Murder Death Kill. Check out the entire Mediaskare roster, every band has an amazing release coming out this year.
What is the craziest pit you have scene/caused?
Every time we play in our hometown of Palmdale, CA it goes off.
AVHC has brought the craziest pits we have yet to bring, haha. We love seeing kids go crazy weather its singing along, moshing, or just head banging with us. We bring energy and love to see it in return.
Who have you guys shared the stage with so far?
Tons of bands! Too many to list, haha. We just got confirmed for CA Metal Fest and we are going to be sharing the stage with such bands as Fear Factory, Bleeding Through, Job For A Cowboy, Whitechapel, and Sleeping Giant. That will be our biggest show we have ever played. We are also playing a few stages at Cornerstone this year, which we are beyond excited about. We will be announcing what stages we will be bringing the heavy worship at on our myspace/twitter/facebook soon!
Do you have any tours planned to promote the new album?
We are doing a few weeks with The Waiting Ends in March/April. We are on the Love As Arson Booking Agency so we plan to be touring full time if God wants us to.
We will possibly be touring with A Plea For Purging later on in the year.
Do you consider yourself a band or a ministry?
We consider ourselves a band with a strong message and passion for God that we strive to express through our heavy music. It’s the only reason we do what we do.
We’re not trying to make money, get “famous”, or any of the stuff that comes along with being a big band.
We just want to tour and spread our message to kids that need enlightenment, encouragement, and fulfillment, which we know the only way to get that is through knowing Jesus Christ.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on stage?
Haha, well…One time in Albuquerque, New Mexico we were playing at Telos Campus house and Jesse Guiterrez(other guitar player) decided to walk to the other side of the stage and some how slipped on a cord, fell, and he played the rest of the song on his back, lol.
We have had some other embarrassing moments but that was the most embarrassing thing that has happened.
What can someone expect to experience at a Sovereign Strength show?
A lot of intense energy, passion, and heavy worship. We love to bring our crowd a show.
We express our love for Christ through the way we are moving on stage. That is our worship that is the way we show our love for our one and only savior, Jesus Christ.
What advice to you have for some unsigned bands?
Follow your heart. Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons and you’re doing it with the people you love.
Don’t seek fame and fortune out of all this because you most likely won’t get it.
Do it for the love of playing music and if you are a believer and in a Christian band do it for Him and only Him.
Don’t let anything get in the way of why you started and are doing this.
Don’t lose sight of why you are alive today.