Dust for Life Takes New Lineup 'Into the Light'

February 6, 2001 -- Dust for Life, the Memphis, Tenn., hard rock quartet that's making waves with "Step Into the Light," from its self-titled debut, is actually a band that's enjoyed more than one life. The group was founded by guitarist Jason Hughes during 1998, but he grew unhappy with the original lineup, which had issued an eight-track local release. He booted everyone and trolled the Memphis rock scene for Dust for Life's current corps — singer-guitarist Chris Gavin, bassist Dave Rhea, and drummer Rick Shelton.

"I'd heard one of their songs on the radio and thought it was really great," says Gavin, 28. "I knew Jason had written the songs, so I knew what he'd been bringing to the table. I had my songs, too, and it ended up we were songwriting soul mates; our songs were so close together it sounded like we'd been in the same band all along."

And fortunately, Gavin says, Hughes treated the newcomers as equal partners from the get-go. "There was no point where we had any egos," he says. "It turned into a partnership almost immediately."

Gavin describes "Step Into the Light," which now stands at No. 23 on Radio & Records Active Rock airplay chart, as one of the many "relationship-driven" songs that populate the album. "I was in a relationship that meant a lot to me," he says, "and lost it in a bad way. The song's about seeing the truth in a bad situation and you don't know it, but then you step into the light and see it.

"One practice I'm in is writing poetry. I have lots of poems and keep them in journals, and whenever I get stumped, if I come up with a piece of music and can't find words to it, I reference the journals and sometimes one line will start a whole stream of thoughts you didn't know you had. I imagine it's what it would be like if you go see shrink; they get you talking and you spill your guts."

Dust for Life is preparing to film a video for "Seed," the second single from the album. The group, which has opened for Creed and 3 Doors Down, is also hoping to latch on to a major tour for the spring and summer.