Factor Seven - Reunion and Asia

Reunion and Asia

In early summer, 2006, the founding members of Factor Seven and some other people met at a restaurant in Birmingham to discuss the potential of taking Factor Seven's music—American rock music—to Asia on missions. The trip would be scheduled almost one year to the day from that first meeting.

In the months to come, the trip was on and off multiple times, as the group shuffled to find a suitable lineup. Former bassist Dave Osborne rejoined for one practice, but went his separate ways, and Scott Latta (who was at work at the time, and justifiably offended) was called back in on bass. Brad would be back on vocals and guitar, and Matt would be behind drums. Drew would return to electric guitar, but as the lives and goals of the members of Factor Seven shifted, so too did the band's style, as it found more piano and strings mixed under the heavy bass and dark acoustic melodies. Drew would be on keyboard. For about a week, Factor Seven became "Consumed" and kept switching back and forth there too before settling on Factor Seven (for the moment).

The band met almost bi-weekly in 2006 and early 2007, with Scott at college and the others leading their own lives, until a pre-trip meeting brought Willis and Meredith Watkins into the fray. After making the trip proposition to the young Birmingham couple and friends from church (and knowing Meredith was a vocal major at Belmont), it was suggested that Meredith give backup vocals a shot. She did. She quit, I think. The band coaxed her back in. She stayed, with trepidation.

After Meredith joined, Ashley Spell, who was planning to go on the trip anyway, came right behind. The fierce male foursome that had reigned the Birmingham Christian emo scene for 10 years was no more. The two females that had just entered Factor Seven would forever change the landscape of the band.

After playing a bit of a disconcerting pre-trip concert at Crossroads Community Church in Birmingham, the band had no choice but to leave for Asia the next week. Really, they had no choice, like it or not, the plane tickets were bought. They were going. So they went.

For the next eight days, it's safe to say Factor Seven dominated China. They rocked the Mao Livehouse in Beijing. They brought it down acoustic-style at the Sculpting in Time Speakeasy Cafe there, as well. Twice, they took their music to Honghe University and left there with the prestigious title as First American Rock Band to Play in the Yunnan Province—a title they refer to often, as it makes them feel special.

After the band got back from China, they thought and debated on how to proceed. The original four guys thought that maybe now was the moment they had been waiting for to catch that elusive, big break. That was, until the unfortunate events forever referred to as "The Nursing Home Incident" caused the members to put away their instruments, and ambitions, forever.