 For
most people, a room filled with thousands of
screaming children goes into the category of
nightmare. But for the guys in Go Fish, it
sounds like music to their ears—a dream come true.
Jamie Statema,
Jason Folkmann and Andy Selness—Go Fish—are
arguably one of the most unique groups in the music
industry. Not only do they make music for
children and families, but they create amazing
sounds with just their voices and percussion.
For children, Go
Fish may be their first real concert experience,
complete with lights, backdrops and fog machines.
It’s a rock and roll show, says the group,
tailor-made for kids. “There’s a
misconception out there of what children’s music
has to be,” says Andy. “Quite honestly, it
doesn’t have to be simple. You don’t have
to dumb down music for kids. Because of that,
parents really enjoy this music as well.”
No gimmicks,
either—which is a relief to parents who are up to
their ears in big red cars, purple dinosaurs and
backpacks. Just great songs, most written by
Jamie, that creatively communicate biblical values.
“Parents are important,” adds Jamie.
“We want them to enjoy this with their kids, and
not have dad sitting in the audience thinking,
‘Oh, I’m just totally taking one for the team
now.’”
“The most common
remark we hear from parents is, ‘Go Fish CDs are
the only ones that our entire family can agree to
listen to in the car. Please don’t stop what
you’re doing!’” says Jason. “That sums
up why we do what we do—to have the opportunity to
make music that brings entire families together.”
Following a string
of successful independent recordings and two
projects with the inpop label, Go Fish focused their
energy on creating music for kids and families,
releasing Splash in 2003, followed by Superstar
in 2004 and Snooze in 2006, as
well as the Showtime DVD and Christmas
project, Snow, in 2006. However, it’s the
group’s latest effort, Snazzy, that finds
the Go Fish guys with an even stronger resolve to
communicate Biblical truths to children these days.
“There is a
spiritual and cultural war going on for our kids and
we need to counter the messages they’re being
bombarded with in the world today,” Jamie says.
“Children need to accurately hear the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. They can handle topics like sin,
judgment, heaven, hell, the need for forgiveness,
and the cross.”
To that end, Snazzy
offers 12 tracks that effectively balance great
entertainment for kids, musical sanity for parents,
and most importantly, the presentation of the
Gospel. A perfect example of Go Fish’s
unique ability to juxtapose a fun-filled melody with
solid spiritual food is found in the album’s
title-cut: I tried to be good, I thought
that was enough/Then the Ten Commandments came and
called my bluff/I told God I was sorry for my sin
and then/He cleaned me up and now I’m snazzy again.
The
projectfeatures a new spin on a classic Sunday
school activity—memorizing the books of the Bible.
The aptly-titled “Bible Book Bop” is Beach Boys
meets The Word, teaching both the order and
pronunciation of all 66 books in a three-and-a-half
minute song. In addition, selections like the
patriotic “American Kid” and
“Superhero”—which points listeners to the
ultimate Savior, Jesus—creatively urge kids to
stand firm beyond the church’s doors, in a world
increasingly out of sync with the values of
Christianity.
Snazzy
also finds Go Fish honoring some of their most
important fans—moms. “The Mom Song” was
inspired by the group’s participation at MOPS
(Mothers of Preschoolers) conventions. “Moms have
an incredibly hard job and they rarely get the
credit they so deserve,” Jamie says.
“’The Mom Song’ pays tribute to the hardest
working ladies on the planet…moms! Like the
song says, If you love your mom let me hear you
say Woo-Hoo!”
Respected in both
Christian and mainstream circles for their top-notch
recordings and high-energy family concerts, Go Fish
has celebrated numerous benchmarks in their career,
including coverage on NBC’s “Today”Show;
drawing more than 14,000 people to a concert at the
Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota; a Focus
on the Family Magazine cover story;
and the group’s popular annual Christmas tour,
which sells-out each year in nearly every city it
hits. But it is not these accomplishments that drive
Go Fish forward—it is simply walking out their
mission, which was borne many years ago.
From the start,
founding member Jamie Statema knew he wanted to be
involved in something unique. And although he
struggled between his musical aspirations and youth
ministry, he ultimately found that special something
in a concert over a decade ago, when a Canadian band
called The Nylons visited St. Paul.
It was the first
time he’d seen an acappella group perform—just
great vocals and percussion, but with real pop
production. They were a mainstream band, but
Jamie was inspired to bring some of the same
elements to Christian music. With that
foundation, he formed Go Fish in 1993. The
group recorded their first independent project in
1996, which has gone on to sell more than 100,000
units. Andy and Jason joined the group in 1998
and Go Fish began to come into its own.
The trio quickly
developed a strong following throughout Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Iowa and North and South Dakota.
Wanting to breakout into other areas of the country,
they sought the help of the Nashville-based inpop
label, recording two albums and making headway at
radio with a more pop-oriented sound.
“We were an
acappella group until that point,” recalls Jamie.
“Then after signing with inpop, we added
instruments and went a different direction. In
the process, we learned that we already had a good
grasp of what we were doing, and who we were called
to be both musically and spiritually.”
After parting ways
with inpop, the trio formed their own label, gfk
Records. Coming full-circle helped them confirm a
desire to get back to what they did best—vocal
music. And along with that came the
realization that they’d always had families coming
to their shows, from toddlers to grandparents.
In 2003 Go Fish
decided to swing things differently by recording Splash,
an acappella children’s record. The response
was immediate, with nearly 8,000 people—many under
the age of 5—attending their first six shows.
Just as immediate was the clarity of God’s
calling.
“If this was all
over today, I would look back and remember the first
weekend we did our kids’ concerts,” reflects
Jamie. “Because after eight years of doing
Go Fish, we all knew what those years were
for—without a doubt, we knew where God wanted us.
All the ups and downs—it was a crazy journey to
get to that place, but so clear how necessary those
years were to prepare us for what we’re doing
now.”
“I would love to
say that we were these smart marketing guys, that we
knew we could have a potential career doing
this—but that’s not it at all!” he laughs.
“We’re not in this as a stepping stone to
something else. This is where God wants us,
and it feels pretty important.”
With research
citing that most Christians today come to faith
before the age of 14, the mission of Go Fish is
clear. “We’re talking about leaving a
legacy—not just doing something different
musically, but making an impact on lives, especially
children,” says Andy. “We want to instill
values in the home again, by bringing it back to the
basic foundation of the Bible. We’re
targeting the kids because they are the next
generation of influential people.”
“Long after we
are gone, we hope that the music speaks for
itself,” adds Jason. “Not only the quality
and creativity, but the lasting effect it can have
in the hearts of those who enjoy it.”
With all three
members married—and now parents—that outreach is
even more personal. “When you have children,
you want to protect them with everything you
have—but you can’t,” says Jamie. “And
so, when you open that door and let someone else
play a part in the life of your child, that is a
huge thing, especially when that person is talking
about principles for living. We take that
responsibility extremely seriously, even in the
little things. When I see a dad come through
the autograph line with his little boy, I
think,‘If I was that dad, what would I want this
performer to do for my son that would just make his
day?’”
And making kids’
and parents’ days is what Go Fish is all about.
Great harmonies, direct lyrics, inspiring
messages—rolled up into a dynamic presentation
that is making an impact and creating memories for
countless families across the country.
CONTACT
INFORMATION:
Go Fish
PO Box 118
Medford, MN 55049
MANAGEMENT:
Michael
Smith & Associates
118 Medford Place
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone (615) 794-5763
Toll Free: (866) 794-6175
FAX: (615) 591-5694
CLICK HERE To E-Mail Michael Smith And Associates
Directly
BOOKING
INFORMATION:
Behind The Voice
PO Box 1305
Franklin, TN 37065
Phone: (615) 599-9801
CLICK
HERE To E-Mail Behind The Voice Directly
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