INTERVIEW WITH TEMPUS UNUM

 

Tempus Unum, l-r: Roland Street, rhythm guitar; Ryan Mueller, bass; Adam Sheptock, drums; Nevaeh Parks, vocals; Lincoln Lee, vocals, lead guitar.

It's been about six weeks since I've been to the Get To The Point Festival, and heard six great acts, including four bands. I've had the privilege of interviewing Divine Martyr and Hush Harbor a couple of months ago and Reclaim The Day last year. It's my honor to interview the fourth band, Tempus Unum. 

JR: Welcome to my blog. Who all is in the band? I think you've added a new member since I heard you at Get To The Point Festival. When and how did the band start, and what's the story behind the band's name? 

TU: Thank you for having us! Tempus Unum consists of front-woman Nevaeh Parks, lead guitarist Lincoln Lee, rhythm guitarist Roland Street, bassist Ryan Mueller, and drummer Adam Sheptock. The band formed during the initial COVID lockdown of 2020. 

Being a child who grew up amongst the Christian Rock scene, Nevaeh has had a dream of being in a metal band for as long as she can remember. Having an excess amount of free time during the lockdown, she was able to sit down and actually write some music. This led to her connecting with her college friend, Adam, who she knew enjoyed metal and who is a very talented percussionist. They started to write songs and turn "Slander" (their first single) into an actual reality. 

They then met Lincoln about 6 months later when he started attending the church Nevaeh and Adam volunteer at. These 3 started to process of being Tempus Unum. This was followed by Nevaeh meeting Ryan through work, leading to his addition in the band. Not long after, Roland signed us to RSVP Records which resulted in him joining as well. 

As for the name “Tempus Unum,” the short story is that Tempus Unum is Latin for “One Moment.” We chose this because as musicians, we may only have one moment on stage or through that single stream of a song to reach someone who made need encouragement and to know they are not alone.  

JR: Currently, I believe, you have two songs out: "Slander" and "Decay." I also heard you perform another song  that I absolutely loved, called "Relief." Could you tell us about them? 

TU: "Slander" and "Decay" are the only singles currently on all streaming services. "Slander" was the first song we wrote. The lyrics are inspired from members’ experience with toxic relationships and how hard it is to break away from someone who thinks they can control and manipulate you. The final chorus is that declaration that we are done with all the lies and pain caused by these people in these relationships. 

“Decay” addresses the hopelessness we all feel at one point or another when we become addicted to unhealthy vices, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and false idols. The chorus is a cry to God for him to “carve away this decay” – decay being those vices/coping mechanisms/false idols. The breakdown is like a war cry of fighting against the all consuming decay. 

As you stated, we also have some unreleased songs. But you’ll have to wait ‘till the EP release for those. 😉

JR: What is it like to try to get a band started? Where did you get started on building up your song-list and getting recorded and performance dates? What has been the part that you all saw God's blessing, and which do you see God using that trial to strengthen you all? 

TU: Getting started is honestly fairly difficult. It took us a year to really do anything. Thankfully, God definitely showed up through allowing Nevaeh to meet Becca Sugg (from Reclaim The Day) through work. The timing was just too perfect for more than one reason. This allowed us to gain a lot of guidance and help. This resulted in the start of us recording with her husband, Marcus Sugg, at Reclaim The Day Studios. In addition to recording at their studio, Becca has also aided Nevaeh with her vocals and Marcus even played bass temporarily for us. The connection gained from this also helped us in scheduling our shows. This was a huge help in the kickstart of Tempus Unum. About a year later is when we met Roland Street who also runs RSVP Records. After being signed, we have gained several more show opportunities that will be announced as soon as things are more set in stone.  

JR: I often say that one rarely sees musicians wear glasses, because to make it in the music business one needs contacts. Seriously, who all has helped encourage you and assist when you need it? Anybody who has served as a mentor or inspiration? 

TU: As mentioned above, Becca and Marcus Sugg have been tremendous mentors. They welcomed us hooligans with open arms, providing guidance and wisdom any chance they can. Additionally, our church family at Second Chance Church have been tremendously encouraging. They have provided us with a place to rehearse and store our gear and equipment. Without them, most of what we do would be extremely difficult. Several of the church members also come to support us at our shows, helping wherever they can with no questions asked. We are also extremely thankful for the families of Tempus Unum. Our personal families have been extremely supportive and have pushed us when needed. From transportation, to photography, to vocal melody composition – our families really help make this dream a reality. 

JR: Besides Get To The Point, where else have you performed? What memories do you have from your performance opportunities? 

TU: There was only one actual show before Get To The Point Fest. This was in Jonesboro River Valley for PitFest hosted by Always One Ministries. We also were brought on for a church service at Mercy Base in Plainfield to lead worship back in December. While leading worship is not something we would consider a”performance,” it was definitely very memorable through being able to play a different style of genre and lead people compared to playing “at” people. For Nevaeh, it was the first time she had led worship for a main church service and she definitely marks that experience as a learning experience vocally. 

PitFest was definitely memorable for Lincoln, Nevaeh, and Adam since it was our first ever show. We had a blast, even through all the nerves and anxiety that we felt. Get To The Point was memorable through the fact that it was Ryan’s first show ever as well as our first show indoors. It was also the first time some of us felt the intense adrenaline crash that can follow a performance. We learned so much from this show and look forward to using that information for future shows. 

JR: Thank you for your time. Do you have any performance dates and singles/EPs coming up on the horizon? How can we keep up with what's going on with you all? 

TU: We had a show at The Warehouse in Clarksville, Tennessee on July 28, 2022. Our next show is at The Polish Ostrich in Toledo, Ohio on August 13, 2022. We are intending to schedule more local shows in the upcoming months. As mentioned above, we are intending to release an EP at the end of the year as well as release a music video for Decay! There are a lot of exciting things in the works, so definitely keep an eye on any upcoming announcements. You can find links to all of our socials, music, and merch at https://tempusunumband.com and we hope to see you all soon! Definitely do not be afraid to come talk to us at a show or through social media, we would love to hear from you! 💓