yo

hey ya’ll!
I’m here in Charlotte, getting to pull out in about an hour actually, to head to Charleston, SC for a show tonight. So stoked! I love Charleston so much and I’m sure it’ll be a killer show! I flew into Charlotte Sunday and we’ve been rehearsing every day till now, working out new songs, set lists, and what nots. Everything is sounding so fresh and is going to be so much fun to play live! Its been really great to rehearse, but lately, the more I play drums, the more pain I seem to be in. I’ve had Tendonitis in both my wrist since I was like 16 and over the past few months I’ve noticed it getting much worse than it used to be. For those who don’t know, Tendonitis is basically inflammation of the “housing” that our tendons run through, making it quite painful to move whatever section of your body you have it in. It can actually lead into another condition called Carpal Tunnel which is even more painful. The only real way to fix the problem is surgery, which isn’t an option for me right now. The only thing I can really do to help is not use my wrist, but I’m a drummer so thats a bit tough! Basically the more I use my wrist the worse it gets. I’ll be seeing a doctor later this year to look into my options in fixing my wrists but until then prayers are greatly appreciated! Anyways, After the show tonight we have some more time off, so I’ll be flying back to Nashville Saturday, working on getting some new exciting things ready with my clothing company and chillin’ with some bro’s! We are heading out on tour with Children 18:3 and Kiros at the end of OCT. Should be a pretty cool tour and hopefully most of you can make it out to some shows! Until then, Philmont has some shows here and there so be sure to check and see if we’ll be near you soon! I wanted to remind everybody that our kickstarter isn’t finished yet. I know we’ve reached our goal, but, donations are still welcome! Be sure to click HERE and check out the page and see if you’d be interested in donating! Depending on what you donate, we have different “thank yous” from the band that are pretty rad! Make sure you check it out.

well, sorry this is short but I need to go help clean the bus!

cheers!

AKA JRMZ

JP052 – American Idols

Stay tuned for a special video at the end of this blog…

Folks, check it. The first two commandments are, as I’m sure you know – 1) Have no other gods before your God, and 2) Don’t make any idols. These are very similar, though the 2nd was given in the context of physical idol worship. Nevertheless, they are both very relevant today, perhaps moreso than ever.

We create gods and idols all the time. The funny thing is, we often take things that God wants us to have, and make them more important than God himself – whether it be money, friends, a job, entertainment, a significant other, etc… Be honest with yourself and ask, “have I been living more for my [friends/money/job] than I have for God?” I think we have all been guilty of this at one time or another – I know I have sometimes put music above God in my mind (ironic, since I’m supposed to be using my music for His glory…) The funny thing is, not only does God want us all to have and enjoy these things, but He promises them to us if we put Him above all else! Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (paraphrase), “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS will be given to you as well”. If that doesn’t spell it out I don’t know what does.

I found a verse in Habakkuk (obscure, right?) that discusses idols; I love the imagery and straightforwardness of it:
Habakkuk 2:18-20 (NAS)
“What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it,
Or an image, a teacher of falsehood?
For its maker trusts in his own handiwork
When he fashions speechless idols.
Woe to him who says to a piece of wood ‘Awake!’
To a dumb stone ‘Arise!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
And there is not breath at all inside it.”

I would encourage you to think about what you may be putting above God in your life, and how that’s going for you. If you’re worried about letting something go, don’t be! If you are meant to have that thing, seek Him first, and it will be given to you.

Now then, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Without further adieu, watch as I draw the raffle winner and administer some wisdom on how to treat your guitar:

Have a great week!

On the road again. with a new setlist.

Hello to all.

These past couple of weeks have been exciting for me. My sister just got married!! Congrats to her and my new brother-in-law, Ira. The wedding was beautiful, my mom and everyone who helped her did a fantastic job. I don’t usually enjoy formal events, but I can honestly say I had a blast. Both sides of my family and a lot of my friends came out and I almost never get to see them all at the same time. I sang a tune accompanied by my acoustic guitar while the unity candle was being lit.. I had never sang in front of anyone before so I was incredibly nervous. It’s just not the same when you’re up there without a band backing you up. Shannon and Ira left the morning after the ceremony for Jamaica where they spent their first five days together as a Mr. and Mrs. My parents and I drove out to their house the other day where Shannon cooked us all dinner and we went through all the pictures and videos from their honeymoon. Congratulations you guys!! I love you both.

I know Justin just talked about this.. We have been working hard putting together an entire to setlist for you guys! Once we get it tightened up, our whole set will run smoothly with new loops between songs and a new intro to start it all off.. and of course new songs to fill your eardrums. Tomorrow will be our third day in a row practicing and I must say, I cannot wait to see what you guys think about it.

This fall keep your eyes on our schedule!! We’re going on tour with Kiros and Children 18:3 From mid-October to mid-November! We’re so excited to get back on the road again and to make some new friends. I want to see you all at any show that comes near you.

I know that you guys have seen our many posts about this, but if you haven’t visited this site go check it out now! We reached the minimum requirement for our kickstarter, but anything that gets donated over our minimum can easily be put to good use in our ministry. At least go check out some of the gifts we send out.. the higher the donation, the bigger the gift becomes. This also acts as the pre-order of our new EP, “The Transition EP” set to be released on October 19th. There’s also an EXCLUSIVE philmont t-shirt only available to our kickstarter backers that our friends at Legionnaire Army whipped up for us.

Thanks guys! See you next week!

Practice makes…

Hello friends

Today has been gloomy and rainy in the Carolinas. All ive wanted to do since I woke up was stay in my comfy bed listening to the rain, but theres work to be done ladies and gentlemen. Philmont has been working hard all day running through new jams and completely new set arrangement. We have a new arsenal of songs that are almost ready for your personal enjoyment. For the next couple of days we will be tightening up the new songs running through them multiple times until were able to play them in our sleep. I really hope the rain lets up soon because driving the nasty, wet highway to meet up for practice is a drag.

Soon we’re going to have some great video blogs for you precious baby birds. Its been quite some time since we uploaded some vids so hang tight.

Also the Kickstarter has a couple of weeks left, so keep up the work of spreading the word and keep recruiting people by sharing the link to the Kickstarter. Again although we have graciously hit our minimal goal we still have a little way to go.

Don’t Dive Into This Blog…It’s Kinda Shallow.

Fall is here.
This means many things. The leaves will be changing, the weather is getting cooler, football is in full swing and (best of all) new fall TV shows are airing! This entire blog may come off as a culture-less waste of time but bear with me. After being on the road it’s nice to come home to my own bed, snuggle up with my lady and my dog (two separate entities-hold off on that hate mail) and flip on the TV to find TiVo pumped full of new episodes of shows I love.
I caught all the favorites that have returned for new seasons (The Office, Community, Etc.) as well as brought in some new recruits. Of all the freshman faces the two I’m backing in the most-likely-to-be-your-new-favorite-show category are Running Wilde and Raising Hope.
RUNNING WILDE is a FOX comedy starring Will Arnett as Steve Wilde, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, Emmy Kadubic, the uber-liberal humanitarian who got away – all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl. It’s from the same creators of FOX’s Arrested Development and has a lot of the same pacing and humor. It’s a super funny show and I laughed the whole way through.
RAISING HOPE is another FOX comedy wherein Jimmy suddenly becomes a 25-year-old single parent to an infant named Hope (originally named Princess Beyonce). Two things are obvious from the start. First, the new baby gives Jimmy a much needed purpose in life and second he has zero idea what he’s doing. After some struggle his crazy and slightly less clueless family agrees to help him raise Hope. It’s a very funny show with a whole slew of interesting characters. While Jimmy and his family don’t have much money, good jobs, or any class you get the sense that they all love each other. It’ll warm your heart while making you crack a smile.

So those are my picks. Any new shows you guys are loving right now?

Band practice starts up tomorrow. I’m looking forward to working in some new songs and playing a new set. I have to pick Jeremi up at the airport tonight at midnight (you may think that’s a drag…I honestly think it’s better than 7am!)

Remember we’re still doing our kickstarter campaign. The funding has slowed to a trickle now but I want to encourage you to keep reposting the link. While– yes– we did reach our minimum goal of $4,000 we could really use more than that to help us press the first run of EPs and take care of some outstanding bills. Above all, we are a ministry and any money you guys can donate to us will help our ministry to keep moving forward. So donate if you haven’t already and pls post the link on your FB, Twitter, Myspace…whatever!
Thanks guys!

YO! Lets be BOLD

Hey everyone!
Hope your weeks are going well! I’ve been having a great time off here in Nashville, hanging with friends and my girlfriend! The best part about my time off has def been the time I’ve got to spend at our church, Journey! Its been such a blessing to be able to go to church with friends and fellowship and worship! The biggest downside of touring, is that its hard to maintain a solid relationship with a church and the people in it. I’m realizing more and more that being part of a church community is something I need more than anything else lately! One thing my girlfriend and I really want to do is get more involved with the youth at Journey Church. We went to a rally for See You At The Pool last night and shared in a night of worship with youth groups from around the Nashville area. It was such an amazing time! These kids were so on fire for the lord and I can’t wait to get more involved with them! Anyways, I wanted to share a section of scripture today!

ACTS 4:8-13 NLV
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

In this verse, we see Peter and John. They are on trial with the elders because they were preaching on the miracles of Jesus, specifically bringing the dead to life and the elders who were observing, weren’t too stoked on it! In Verse 8, Peter and John have a chance to speak and defend themselves and Peter gets pumped up and speaks to the crowd of elders and anyone else who was looking on. When he finishes, it says:

“13: The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”

I love verse 13 soooo much! Peter and John were ordinary people, like you and I, and were not trained Pastors, Speakers, Priest…whatever. They were just normal bro’s letting the holy spirit flow from them! The people looking on recognized it immediately! This verse should act as an encouragement for us, that, if we are truly filled with the holy spirit, it will totally flow from us and people will be able to see his light shining through us! It should also encourage us to be BOLD for our lord and not let anything hold us back!

Lets go out and be BOLD and let the light of our lord shine through us!

Cheers!
JRMZ

JP051 – “Closer” is a song on the new EP…

Hey hey hey! As I’m sure you’ve all heard, we met our fundraiser goal this past week. Great news, indeed, BUT this thing ain’t over! There are still plenty of Philmont prizes up for grabs, and believe me when I say, there are definitely needs that any extra money we raise can be used for. There are still several weeks left until these exclusive Philmont rewards are gone for good!! If you haven’t checked out our Kickstarter page yet, do so now (and check out the updates, as we just posted a pic of the exclusive shirt you can get!)

Hmm, well I’ve had the week off at home, which has been real nice. Gotten to see friends and hang out with my girl a lot, and played a good bit of guitar (which I’ve recently realized I need to practice more often). Meanwhile we have been getting updated mixes of the EP tracks in, and boy let me tell you, this record is gonna be a real treat! I listened straight through the tracklisting last night for the first time, and I am really proud of what we’ve done! October 19th, people!

Meanwhile still, I took a trip with Josh the Guion up to Boone NC last week for his birthday. I went to college at Appalachian State University in Boone, so it was cool to go back and see the town and campus where I spent almost 3 years of my life. We had a good time hanging out with Josh’s brother and friends, and also got to see our old drummer Todd, who is back at school there now.

Meanwhile even still, I bought a new guitar! Hoorayy!!! It took a while for me to weigh my options and plan my purchase, but I finally went with the choice that I knew I would not regret. I purchased a used PRS Standard 22 from Guitar Center in Nashville (it should arrive in the mail on Friday). It’s an incredible guitar in great condition that I played in the store last time we were in town. In case anyone missed this a couple months back, I was able to pay for this guitar with the help of a few dozen amazing fans (friends, really) who donated toward this purchase that I could not have made on my own. To those people I say, thank you so much for enabling me to obtain a high-quality instrument that could potentially last me a lifetime (don’t worry, I’m not gonna be throwing this one!) I will think of you all every time I get this baby out of her case!

As for my broken guitar giveaway, I know I said I would draw the winner this week, but then I decided to wait until I got the new guitar so I could do a video that featured the drawing as well as introducing you all to the replacement. Or I’m lazy. Either way, I will definitely have a raffle drawing video in my blog next week!

Until then, you stay classy Philmonsters. Tomorrow is my brother Stephen’s 18th birthday! No more minors in the Prince family! I don’t know how we’re gonna get our coal now…

Three Songs to Buy on iTunes This Week:
1. “One” by Sunny Day Real Estate

2. “Sure Thing Falling” by Yellowcard

3. “Voices On A String” by Thursday

THE TRANSITION EP (Press Release)

For Immediate Release

PHILMONT RELEASES THE TRANSITION EP OCTOBER 19
Fans Donate More Than $4,000 To Fund Project

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) Sept. 20, 2010–Charlotte, North Carolina-based pop/rock band Philmont announces the release of its latest offering, The Transition EP, October 19, 2010. An independent endeavor, the project is being partially funded by fans who have pledged more than $4,000 to date.

The follow up to Philmont’s critically acclaimed ATTENTION (August 2009), The Transition EP delivers a high-energy, melodic pop sound with singable choruses like on debut single “You Will Remain,” currently vying for adds at Christian Hit Radio. Lyrically, the project ventures a bit more in-depth than previous Philmont efforts, touching on themes that include God’s divine nature, the case for creation and value of human life.

Philmont frontman Scott Taube explains, “It’s been a couple of years since we wrote the majority of ATTENTION. We’ve experienced a lot in life since then- both joys and struggles–and we feel like this growth is reflected on the new EP.”

Although Philmont has funded a majority of The Transition EP, fans have donated to the cause at Kickstarter.com, an interactive web site that serves as a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, and journalists. Philmont’s fundraising campaign kicked off September 8 and has already received more than $4,000. The band will continue to accept pledges through October 10. To donate, visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/profile/1964777814.

“We have been blown away by the response of fans to our Kickstarter campaign,” says Taube. “It’s been very humbling to see all the people who truly believe in our music and ministry get behind this project financially. We were able to hit our $4,000 goal in the first seven days of the project! Amazing!”

The Transition EP will be available via digital music outlets as well as at http://www.Philmont.BigCartel.com and Philmont live shows. In addition to the radio single, Philmont will support The Transition EP with a self-produced music video in the coming months. Additional details are forthcoming. For more information on Philmont and The Transition EP, visit http://www.myspace.com/philmontrock or follow the band on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/philmontrock.

Formed in 2005, Philmont comprises Scott Taube (vocals), Josiah Prince (guitar/keys), Justin Sams (guitar), Josh Guion (bass), and Jeremi Hough (drums). The band released its first national label project, a digital EP titled Oh Snap, on Forefront Records in July 2008. The debut received rave reviews from critics while garnering two Top 5 Rock radio singles “I Can’t Stand to Fall” and “The Difference.” The following summer, Philmont released its first full-length CD, ATTENTION, producing the band’s third Top 5 Rock radio hit, “Where To Start.”

Philmont has produced three successful music videos, breaking onto national music television charts for TVU and the Gospel Music Channel, while prompting a monthly web series on Steelroots.com called “Philmont Rising.” Additionally the band has also toured with acts including Pillar, Addison Road, Wavorly, Capital Lights and A Rotterdam November, while performing at every major Christian music festival as well as EO Youth Day–Europe’s biggest Christian youth event–and Flevo in The Netherlands. Philmont continues to tour more than 120 shows annually. For an up-to-date list of tour dates, visit http://www.myspace.com/philmontrock.

Hold On To That Feeling

Evening friends,

Im enjoying the last warm days here at home and preparing for the cooler Fall days. The leaves have already started to fade and cover the driveway. All of us Philmonts are hopefully enjoying some quality time at home and with friends, I know I have been.

So as you know we hit our goal for the Transition Ep, which is amazing we have the greatest fans and people who support our band. We appreciate each and everyone of you who have donated. The kickstarter will still be up and accepting donations until October 10th at midnight. So if you want some more awesome Philmont memorabilia you can still donate! Everyone still spread the word send the website around to everyone you know! The more ” cheddar” we scrounge up the more Ep’s we can press and we all win in that case!

So everyone keep sending people Philmont’s way and dont stop believing.. i mean keep up the good work!

good night friends!

Bored While Waiting To Do So.

I’m in the Dallas airport next to my sucker of a wife waiting to board a plane back to Charlotte. Why is she a sucker? She’s doomed to spend the next two hours before the flight chatting it up with her new best friend Taylor- a 5-year-old sugar rush traveling with her grandparents who, by my observation, are happy to let the little one bug fellow travelers so they can catch a much-needed break. Unlike my wife, I saw the threat approaching and quickly threw up a defense consisting of a laptop and headphones! Is it wrong of me to leave my wife out there to fend for herself? Is it wrong that I don’t wanna spend my time in the airport answering the question “guess what”? OR is it wrong that Taylor’s favorite set of grandparents couldn’t plan ahead enough to buy a coloring book and pump their little granddaughter full of something besides Mountain Dew and skittles? I’ll let you decide who’s in the red here!

We came to Dallas for a couple of days to watch some friends of ours tie the knot. Britt grew up here and has kept in touch with her friend Chris ever since she moved to NC. A few years back I met chris and his now wife Mo and we became friends as well. They’re great people who’ve always supported us and our band! I wish them both the best! I know they’ll make each other very happy- and they deserve it.
The wedding was fun and it was really nice to have a get-away weekend with Britt. We spend every day together as it is but we never seem to get any time with just the two of us. It was great. (until Taylor stole her from me!)

I’m so excited that Philmont hit our $4,000 goal this week on our Kickstarter campaign! You guys killed that thing! 7 Days?! That’s nuts! We’ll keep the campaign running and people will still be able to donate and grab some fun rewards. Trust me when I say that we have a million great uses for any extra donations so don’t stop posting the link and encouraging your friends to join in and support!
Incase you have no clue as to what I’m talking about here’s that link:

Again, thanks for the support. We should have some fall tour dates posted very soon. We’re going to be touring with Kiros, Children 18:3 and The New Divide!

Next show is at the College of Charleston on Sept 30. It’s free so if you’re in the area come hang out. 6:30 pm at the Stern Center Gardens.

See ya next week!

– Posted from my iPhone