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“Inside the Heart: Jeremy Bates of Embers in Ashes”

On May 23, 2015January 20, 2021
JFH

Jeremy Bates was so desperate to get back into music that he registered twelve band name ideas before he even had a band. Embers in Ashes signified his desire to continue music as his childhood dreams were mostly dead, but the embers of his desire kept burning. When he was in early elementary school, he learned to play the piano. When he was eleven, he fixed up a broken down electric guitar his cousin gave him with the help of his father, who was an engineer. At fourteen, he started a band that played Bleach covers. The band grew and soon they were travelling locally and playing their own original songs. But they went their separate ways after they graduated high school and his music dreams faded… or so he thought.

A decade or so later, Jeremy was a pharmaceutical sales representative. He was married to his a girl he had known since the day she was born. Her father was the best man in his father’s wedding, but love did not come at first sight for Jeremy. At one time, he had found her so annoying that he avoided spending time with her family until she was sixteen and he realized she had grown up. She had a thing for him, but he was hesitant because they were family friends. I asked Jeremy what would have happened if they had broken up. His reply, “We didn’t.” His wife noticed his desire to be in music again and told him that she would become a pharmacist so he could focus on music. He then started planning and assembling the band.

Embers in Ashes began in 2010, but they only played one small gig at a church. The lineup changed significantly as the guys had to figure out if they were out or all in. Their first EP, “Sorrow Scars,” was produced in 2011 by the members themselves, only numbering three at the time. A friend recorded the drums, and each band member contributed to the bass tracks. From that point on, the group was on the road consistently and was signed to Red Cord Records. The band learned the pros and the cons of the industry, but they decided to go independent with their second album. That meant spending more time in the studio, more time writing, and more time praying.

Like everything Embers in Ashes does, “Killers and Thieves” involved a lot of prayer, passion, and hard work. Jeremy recalled, “The title track wasn’t even supposed to be on the record. We really felt that God wanted it on the record though. It was completed on the last day of recording; the process was so quick. It was inspired by God.” “Killers and Thieves” is stamped with Embers in Ashes’ signature sound: bold guitars, Jeremy’s intense vocals, and solid drumming.

The story of how Andrew became the band’s drummer is an interesting one. He was a fill-in for rhythm guitar and they thought he was good. At one show, they’d needed a drummer. Andrew played, and the band was impressed. Jeremy described him as “on another level.”

Embers in Ashes would consider themselves a Christian band, but they have a missionary mindset. Jeremy was in youth ministry for a while, and that influences his approach and his music. “I don’t want to sound harsh, but I don’t really want to just go in church circles and only have church kids buy our stuff. I want everybody to buy it and enjoy it. I want it to plant a seed that God waters and eventually they come to Christ.” I told him how I have friends that aren’t Christians and won’t buy any music labeled Christian (regardless to if it is or not) and my frustration with it. He said that Embers in Ashes tries to break that mold: “We have a message in our music and we aren’t ashamed of our faith but it isn’t preachy. We play with a lot of secular acts in mainstream places. We pray on stage before every show. I’ve had guys come up and say ‘Hey man, I’m not a Christian but I think it’s cool you pray on stage’.” ‘Musicianaries’ is how Bates described what the band is, playing music and reaching people for Christ through it.

2015 has intentionally been slow for Embers in Ashes. They’re working on their next album and spending much needed time with their families. “This is the first time I’ve been home in March in five years. We usually tour a lot for the first half of the year and we intentionally decided to slow it down” he said.

A new album is in the works described in the veins of “old Anberlin.” For more on Embers In Ashes, check them out on

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— William Corbin

In Guest Writers InterviewsIn Embers in Ashes , Jeremy Bates , William Corbin

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