INTERVIEW WITH BECCA SUGG OF THE BAND RECLAIM THE DAY

 

I have learned of the band Reclaim The Day by being a member of the Facebook Group Female Christian Rock & Metal. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they're based out of nearby Greenwood, Indiana. It is my honor to interview the band's lead vocalist Becca Sugg.

JR: What are the origins of the band? Who's in it? Also, how and why did you decide on the name?

BS: The band was formed in 2019 by myself and my husband. We had left our previous project as we felt God tugging us toward starting our own ministry together. It took us awhile to really think of a name. We prayed about it for a good few weeks before choosing something that was personal to us. We had one of our friends and mentors at the time tell us that we have the power through Jesus Christ to reclaim our day from what we were struggling with and then the name stuck. Not only did it help with our situation, but we wanted to spread that hope to other people. After a couple line up changes throughout the years, we now have a solid line up of 4 people for quite awhile. On drums we have Alex Beattie, who actually started with us originally on guitar before I started playing rhythm live again. On bass guitar we have Logan Morehouse. Lead guitar is played by my husband and co-founder of the band/ministry Marcus Sugg. I am the lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist.

JR: Who would you consider role models/heroes/mentors both on the music end and on the faith end?

BS: I have had many mentors throughout the years that have helped me get to where we are today. All of them have had individual advice to help me in different parts of life whether it would be business or faith. It is hard to name one person because I have been blessed with so many amazing people in my life.

JR: What is it like in performing in an outdoor festival like the Pit Fest you were part of September 25? How does it compare with being the main performer? Also, Becca Sugg served as the emcee at the Pit Fest. How do you prepare for that role? Any memorable moments in the festival?

BS: It is always interesting because depending on the weather and the sound, you never know what you are going to get with an outdoor festival. I myself have been a part of Pit Fest since it’s first year in 2013. Since then I have played that festival with 3 different bands over the years, been a guest speaker, and have had the pleasure of emceeing the festival for 4 years. This year has been particularly interesting as the sound went out during our set but it gave us the opportunity to get up and personal with our fans for a brief time of ministry before the power came back on. I prepare for Pit Fest just as I do for any of our shows. I usually pray for God to speak through me and make it about Him and not about me. It is hard to pinpoint any particular memory but I will say when I was listening to the band Leper Saturday night share the gospel gave me chills. They just happened to be the other band that the power cut out on too. I think the devil really tried to stop what we were doing in that festival and we just persevered to spread the gospel and hope of Jesus Christ. That is what has always stuck out to me about any Always One Ministry event. No matter what that particular festival will always hold a place in my heart.

JR: How has being in the band strengthened your Christian life and/or made a positive impact on others? Likewise, are there any challenges you face unique to Christian musicians/artists?

BS: Let me start off with saying being a Christ follower is never easy. I think being a Christian band has been even more so difficult. Though I have learned many life lessons in my time being a music evangelist, some of them were some of the hardest times of my life. I have been burnt and broken by many things including some people who are also in the same industry or sometimes even the same band. However, it’s because I have conquered that with Jesus Christ that I am the person I am today. That is the same hope that myself and my bandmates carry to give to others. Though we have all been broken, God has called us and will equip us to be whole again. I will never really see all the seeds that our ministry plants but when I have seen it, there is no greater joy than to see our friends and fans find the hope and peace God has given to us. They realize that God has a plan for them and that is why we do what we do. I would have to say the challenges we have been through haven’t just made us stronger in our faith but it has made us more bold in reaching out to others.

JR: Related to the previous question, we are living in uncertain times between COVID, the political divide in the country, and the current shift in culture, among other things. How does the band deal with it as a group and individually? Are there any "Macedonias" that are calling Reclaim the Day to help them?

BS: Well as I said previously, it is very challenging to be a Christian especially in these times. I know many people that have done what they did or said what they said that goes against what the Bible says just to be relevant. Either that or I have seen some of my closest friends step down from their faith because of how they have been treated by other Christians. It is heartbreaking to see but this is a time where we as Christians need to be more bold than we have ever been. Despite all of the negativity in the world, there is still a God who loves each and every one us and we need to stand our ground and tell people about hope and love. As a band, we are all on one accord with the same ministry mindset. That is something we are truly blessed with. If there ever is something we disagree on, which usually barely ever happens, we talk about it as family and as adults and still love each other. We just have to stand up for our beliefs now more than ever all while loving on and serving others.

JR: At the moment, I have not had the honor of hearing you live. 😢 Are there any concerts coming up in the near future, or any new music projects ready to appear over the horizon? How can the readers keep in touch with the band?

BS: Right now until next year we only have two shows on the radar. One is going to be a part of an online streaming event and the other is an award show in Alabama in November. We have started working on booking for 2022 ut the majority of the rest of the year our main focus will be on finishing up our upcoming EP. We will be hopefully releasing new music within the next month or so as well as a new music video. The new song is called Chokehold and it is featuring my good friend Zahna. Other than that you can keep an eye out for any upcoming news or events if you follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We have two songs out right now called Who You Are and Sentenced to Life so people can go check them out on all streaming platforms everywhere. Also, if you just need prayer you can also message us or email us at Reclaimthedaystudios@gmail.com. As always, we want to remind our Reclaimers family to keep the hope alive and reclaim the day!