Caleb, Jordan and Josh Warden are living their dream.
The trio of brothers that makes up the Southern pop/Christian rock band Consumed by Fire just dropped their first studio album, Giving Over, in March of this year. Now they’re touring the country, sharing their music and ministry with fans.
“The new life of it all – that’s the exciting part right now,” Jordan tells Guideposts.org of his band’s debut studio project after years of putting out independent music.
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The record, Giving Over, is all about surrendering your life to a higher purpose, something they’ve have had to learn to do the hard way. The guys grew up in a musical family – listening to everything from Amy Grant to The Eagles – and leading their church in worship every Sunday. After some encouragement from their mother, a 12-year-old Caleb convinced his brothers to join his band, one they named Consumed by Fire. They chose to be home schooled so that they could tour, doing close to 200 shows their first year together and traveling all over the Midwest. Struggling to make ends meet, the band relied on friends, family and fans to get the word out about their music.
Back then, the brothers just wanted to make music that people would hear. Now, they’re also committed to making a difference in other people’s lives – sharing songs that speak to fans wherever they may be.
“On this record we focused on what we felt like we were created to do,” Jordan explains. “For a long time we got burnt out. We felt like this was way bigger than we are and then we found out, it’s supposed to be. The only way you’re going to actually do those things, the passions of your heart, is to just surrender your gifts to the Giver.”
But the guys aren’t just focused on making their own musical dreams come true, they’ve also dedicated themselves to helping burgeoning young artists realize theirs.
After shows, fans would come up to the band asking for advice on how they too could make music professionally. At first, the band would take side jobs as producers, helping other artists create and craft their own music—for a price. Then, they partnered with Child Fund, an organization that connects local sponsors with children living in poverty to provide everything from shelter and clothing to education, medical care and access to clean water.
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Through Child Fund, Consumed by Fire created their own Academy of Dreamers, a program that offers young artists the opportunity to record at some of the biggest studios around the country with the brothers mentoring them and even inviting them out on tour. In exchange, each artist must find 20 sponsors for children being supported by Child Fund – sponsors whose money will go to providing a better life for those living in poverty.
It’s a circle of giving back, one that fulfills the band in ways music alone just can’t.
“That’s the most rewarding part – the mentoring side,” Jordan says. “Knowing all the wrong roads and all the speed bumps we’ve went over; God showed us the direction. He said, ‘Okay all this time here was the path and now I want you to show people here’s the highway. Take this highway so you don’t go through all the stop lights.’”
Living your dream and helping others achieve theirs is made better by the fact that the brothers get to do it together.
“To get to do that with your brothers that’s a special thing,” Caleb says. “That’s the dream.”
