>Ben Olin, lead vocals; Brandon Paxton, bass guitar; Adam Smith, guitar; Jeremy Kunkle, guitar; Andy Smith, drums

Give a brief history of the band and the origin of the band name.

>We started out in two different bands, and those converged to become This Beautiful Republic about a year and a half ago. This Beautiful Republic is how we describe the Kingdom of God; we are all equals working toward the same goal—glorifying God.

In your opinion, what is the entire purpose behind the band?

>We want to write songs that glorify God and encourage people. We all feel that we’ve been called by God to do this; it seems evident to us that He has orchestrated everything that’s brought us together. We are trying to do the best we can with what He’s blessed us with. A big part of that is just working hard to make everything we do the best it can be, whether that’s songwriting or performing, or anything really.

If you had to sum up the band in one sentence, what would it be?

>We’re just five guys who love God, love music, and can’t wait to share it with the world!

So any new tours in the works?

>We’re about to go on a tour with Sanctus Real and Need to Breathe at the end of April. After that, we’re heading out with Dizmas and playing virtually every major festival this summer! Also, we’re working on getting on some European festivals this fall; we’re super stoked about that opportunity!

What has been the worst tour experience of any tour?

>“Getting sick was my worst experience. I spent a whole night in a hotel bathroom in some strange city. I was worried about traveling the next day! Being sick in the van is pretty miserable, and it can slow you down.” (Adam) “Yeah, I dread the day when I have to play a show when I’m throwing up.” (Brandon)

What elements do you try to bring to each show?

>“Earth, wind, and fire!” (Brandon--laughing) “We want to bring a high-energy show that’s entertaining but at the same time play the songs correctly, and engage the crowd.” (Ben)

So your new album "Even Heroes Need A Parachute" is releasing in on April 3rd. Can you give us some info on that, where it was recorded, how long it took, how well you feel it went.

>We recorded the record in several different studios including Dark Horse studio in Franklin, TN and The Sound Kitchen in Nashville as well as our producer’s studio, Underland, also in Nashville. The whole process took us a while. We actually started working on the record about two years ago, before we signed to Forefront. That’s when we got hooked up with our producer, Allen Salmon. It was a great experience! Allen really knows his stuff, and we were able to learn a lot about songwriting through working with him. It was during that process Forefront took an interest in the record, and the rest is history.

What is the general idea you are trying to get across with your lyrics?

>In general the songs are about life. Since we have Christ in our lives, the lyrics are going to reflect that. We try to point out the encouraging parts of life, the parts that push us toward Jesus and remind us that He is the only thing worth going after.

What has been the biggest accomplishment in the band's history?

>Right now finishing our record and getting it out on Forefront! We feel very privileged to have this opportunity, and for us it is a huge accomplishment. We worked on these songs for a long time and put forth our best efforts, so finally getting it out there feels great.

If you could make a split record with another band, who would it be and why?

>Everybody’s going to have a different answer so it’s a tough question. It really depends on how you look at it. If you mean to collaboratively write with another band, we think Relient K, Underoath, Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, or Leeland would be cool. We really respect all those bands, and we think some very cool songs would come out of it. If you mean a record with half our songs and half another band’s songs, we think Switchfoot, Terminal, Relient K, Further Seems Forever, or Anberlin would be a good fit stylistically. All those bands rock; we think you’d get a great record out if it!

Where do you see the band going in 2007 and what would you like to focus on?

>We’re really excited for 2007. 2006 was a year of laying the groundwork for 2007. We are going to focus on getting our debut record out, touring, meeting people, and finally getting to do what we’ve always wanted to do. We want more than anything to get out on the road and play live for people. At the same time, we’re really focused on writing and perfecting our talents. We came to a point where we realized that great records are not made by writing 14 songs and cutting 2 or 3. It’s more likely to make a great record by writing 50 songs and cutting 40. It’s not that we want to write 40 bad songs, but if we have a big pool of good songs to pick from, the best of those will come out and make the strongest record possible.

What were some of the best and worst new bands from 2006?

>Jonezetta and Leeland are two of our favorites from 2006, but there were a ton of albums from older artists that we really liked. A few mentions would be Underoath, Taking Back Sunday, MeWithoutYou, The Killers, My Chemical Romance, Mew, Norma Jean, and Copeland. We don’t feel like we listen to any bad music, so we can’t really mention the worst bands.

If you had to give advice to a group of people, what would you tell them?

>(Jeremy) Living a Christ-like life is simpler than you think. It’s just about having a relationship with God, getting to know Jesus and what He’s like. The more you know Him, the easier it becomes to honor Him with your life. (Andy) Stay faithful and trust in God, no matter what. Things can get hard, but God will see you through. It’s easy to praise God when everything’s all fine and dandy, but the most critical time to trust is when life seems dark. (Ben) I’m never afraid to give an opinion or share something with someone, but it’s going to depend on who the group is. And buy the record!

If a movie was being made about the band, who would you want to direct and star in it?

>We think Sheri Lewis of Lamb Chop fame should direct it. And we think it should star the spitting dinosaur from “Jurassic Park” that killed Newman.

What is the biggest misconception about the band?

>That our name starts with “the” instead of “this,” and that we’re associated with a political party—we’re hoping Hillary Clinton will team with Pat Robertson for 08’! (laughing)

In your opinion, what is the biggest issue society is overlooking and that needs the most attention?

>We don’t know what the biggest problem is, but we think there’s a serious problem with popular views on personal responsibility. Everyone seems to think they’re entitled to escape the consequences of their problems. No one is willing to accept the blame for their mistakes; they’d rather just sue someone or blame the government for their problems.

Anything else you want the readers to know?