Now 20 years after the band’s formation, Sloan is the only original member left. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the resonance of the story behind “I Believe,” a relationship forced to end because the girl’s father disapproved of her dating an African-American man (Sloan, in this instance). Sloan thinks the story’s universality is the reason why he still gets asked about it.
“It’s because they have a similar story of their own,” he said. “People usually want to know, first, if it’s a true story and if it relates to what they’re going through. It’s like anything you identify with, whether it’s a song or a movie. There’s a reason why it moves you. One of the unspoken benefits of expressing yourself is that people draw strength from it, though I wasn’t trying to empower anyone. I was just telling a story.”
Sloan famously left the door open, but despite the popularity of “I Believe” and its origins, Sloan never heard from the girl, known as “Lisa” in the song.
“You can only speculate so much, and it did bother me for awhile,” he said. “But life goes on. You meet someone else, you get married, you have children, and then one day you realize, ‘Wow, I haven’t thought about that for a long time.’”
Blessid Union of Souls hasn’t released an album since 2011’s “The Mission Field,” though that’s about to change. While Sloan has always been a faith-based songwriter, “The Mission Field” was their most pointed Christian album to date. Because they’re still in the midst of the writing process, Sloan said he couldn’t say whether the new album would be more of the same.
“We have 4-5 songs written, or at least the shells of them,” he said. “It’s through the process that we figure out what the album is going to sound like. The spirituality comes from my upbringing. I just try to put out a message of love and hope, even if the songs are more rocking out. We don’t quiet down just so you can hear every lyric. I’m assuming there’s going to be more co-writes. I have a lot of people with good ideas that share the same vision. It all comes from my heart, or our hearts. I couldn’t stray if I tried, and I don’t want to try.”
In the meantime, Sloan said they’ll mix it up at the MVP gig. Besides the obvious hits, they’ll play a few Christmas songs, and perhaps a few covers, too.
“All the guys in the band (now) grew up listening to different music, and sometimes we incorporate that,” he said.
How to go
What: Blessid Union of Souls
Where: MVP Sports Bar and Grille, 6923 Plainfield Road, Silverton
When: Friday, 8 p.m.
Cost: $10
More Info: 513-794-1400 or www.mvpbarandgrille.com.
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