"Time is precious, and there are a lot of things in today’s culture that waste our time," says Children 18:3 vocalist and bassist LeeMarie Hostetter. But listening to the band’s sophomore effort, Rain's 'A Comin', isn’t one of them.

A sense of urgency propels the sibling punk trio’s 12-song follow-up to their much-lauded self-titled debut. In an age where punk music largely is indistinguishable from pop and the radio offers the same three chords repeated over and over, the Hostetters came out of nowhere with their entrancing, invasive musical stylings.

Rain’s 'A Comin’ doesn’t stray too far from the formula that made Children 18:3 work--if such a formula could be ascertained. The vocal dueling between LeeMarie and Dave Hostetter returns. The band is high-energy, yet approachable and smart. They are fun, yet their tongue-in-cheek delivery is a Trojan horse of sorts for some serious thought-provoking poetry.

“Let ‘em come, let ‘em come, but I’m not running,” asserts David Hostetter in the pulse-pounding, theatrical song “Cover Your Eyes”--a track about standing firm in the face of extreme times and extreme threats. Fans of the song “LCM” from Children 18:3’s first album will feel at home stylistically with “Cover Your Eyes,” and yet they will find something new.

Children 18:3 does take some stylistic steps away from their ska/punk roots, with songs such as the alternative-leaning “Lost So Long” and the acoustic-pop “Oh Honestly!”

You can see the message of this album--that something big is coming--works not only on a global scale, but for Children 18:3 themselves, who are poised to release yet another stellar effort and vault to a bigger stage.

NewReleaseTuesday.com's newest contributor, Marcus Hathcock, chatted with bass player LeeMarie Hostetter about Children 18:3’s journey over the last two years, their new album, and their crusade against apathy.

Hey, LeeMarie! Thanks for giving us a few minutes to chat.

No problem!

Where you guys these days? At home in Minnesota?

Nope. We are driving through Chicago, Illinois at the moment. We just had a show out in Ohio, and just got done filming a music video yesterday for the new single, “Cover Your Eyes.”


What has life been like for the band over the last two years?

Well, since the 2008 release, we’ve been trying to get on tours. We’ve been on a lot of little tours, and a couple of bigger ones. We've also been to a lot of festivals every summer. This year we toured all of January, recorded all of February and have just been playing shows and working on getting the new album finished up.

Have you had any surprises along the way?

Sure, there have been, but when somebody asks you the question, nothing comes to mind. People are the same, really. They live in different places around the states, and have different cultures and subcultures, but people are pretty much the same everywhere.

Are all the siblings still getting along? Are you still able to be in close quarters with each other?

Yeah...[laughs]. Yeah.

So you have a new release coming out, Rain’s 'A Comin’. Can you talk a little bit about the theme of this album, and what inspired it?

I don’t know if I would call it a theme album, or even a concept album. The title and the title track, “Rain’s A Comin’,” is just an idea that something big is ahead. We just use the image of rain for that. Whether it’s in your life or in your heart or whatever, get ready and take it seriously because the rain is coming, and you’ve got to get ready for it. Something big’s coming.

Is it at all related to the Noah story, waiting for the flood to come?

Not really. It’s just referring to … revival? And I don’t know … something big coming.

How have you evolved as a band on this record?

I got to write some music on this new album. That was pretty fun. I’ve never written on anything before this. I don’t think it’s too much of a departure from the last album. I think Children 18:3 fans will like it. It’s not going to throw them for a loop or anything.

On this album and the last, there seems to be a strong theme of anti-apathy and not being complacent. Why is this a priority for you?

I definitely think that the most important gift we’ve been given is the gift of our time, and how we spend it is one of the most important things in our entire life. We don’t quite understand the significance it has and we probably won’t fully understand it until we’re on the other side of this life. All I know is that it’s super important, and we’re going to be held accountable for every minute we spend on this earth. We have so much in this culture that’s just such a waste of time--not necessarily bad or sinful, although there’s that too. But there’s a lot that’s just a waste, not profitable and not drawing us closer to the Lord.

What songs from the new album have resonated most with audiences so far?


Well, there’s been two songs we’ve been playing live for about a year--“Cover Your Eyes” and “Oh Honestly.” We’ve been playing those two for a year or so, and the response has been really good. I’m excited.

What’s the story behind “Cover Your Eyes”?

The big meaning is to decide not to run from something, but to stand your ground and face it head-on.

The name Emily is mentioned throughout some of the songs. Who is Emily?

Well, we're not talking about a real character in a story. It’s an idea, sort of. It’s not a specific girl or anything. It’s just sort of a phrase David uses sometimes.

Are there any more movie references on this album, like you did in the song “LCM” (which was based on The Bourne Identity)?

You know, there might be a couple sprinkled through. If you listen to the album, you’ll be able to pick ‘em out.

Got a busy summer coming?

Yeah, lots of festivals, including a few new ones. We’re going to be doing Hills Alive in South Dakota; we’re excited about that. We'll also be at Cornerstone, Sonshine, LifeLight and a bunch of little festivals around the summer. We’re actually going to Holland in August for a festival over there, too. That should be pretty cool.

So where does Children 18:3 go from here? What’s next?


We just finished one music video which should be out any time now, and in the next month, we’re going to try to shoot at least one more. We'll keep this new record going strong and see what the summer holds.

What are you most excited about in this season?

I guess just more of the same. We love heading into festival season. Festivals are like some of the funnest shows you could play. I’m kind of excited to start playing some more new songs, getting the new live set going and getting on some tours.

Anything else you’d like people to know?

Is there anything else YOU would like to know?
No, you are awesome, succinct and knowledgeable.

Well, thanks!