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HARGIS PENNINGTON
The world of singer/songwriters is filled with many styles and sonic shapes and no two are ever exactly alike. Not only does the California-based Hargis Pennington defy convention with his crafty expressions and no holds barred lyrical honesty, nor is he ashamed of unveiling the innermost struggles faced throughout a storied career. Indeed a lot has happened to the tunesmith since falling in love with the likes of the Beatles, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley while growing up in Ashland, Kentucky, which upon his family's move to Minneapolis, led to performances in a variety of local bands. Yet a cross country jaunt to "the city by the bay" opened additional doors, including the chance to hone his chops on the prestigious locale known for birthing the likes of Huey Lewis & The News and Journey.

"My mother was a drummer and singer in a big band and knew tons of songs until the day she died, plus my cousins had a bluegrass band and would sit around playing music all throughout my childhood," cites Pennington of his musically diverse but ample upbringing. "By the time I moved to Minneapolis, I ended up playing quite a bit and the bay area took me that much further. I actually started out photographing for bands that I knew and eventually worked my way into that scene."

But as the hopeful began to amass regional recognition and the chance to jam on the same stages as the most revered local legends, his focus seemed to slip as a result of drug use. At first the experimentation came to calm the frequent performers' stage fright fears, through soon grew into a full-fledged addiction.

"I had a real hard time trying to get away from that and in my own way I was crying out for help," the born again believer discloses of the straying period. "It got so out of hand as the years went on that I had a vision of Satan at three different times exactly a year apart."

The actual consideration of Christ came after the first vision, which left Pennington feeling a rush of ice cold air and woke him from a deep sleep. At that point he remembers his grandmother's faith and their occasional attendance of church together and called out the name of Jesus. After invoking that power, the startling encounter was dismissed, yet still wasn't enough to end the addiction.

"The same thing happened the year after that, but I was a blockhead and didn't allow it to change me," Pennington admits with a chuckle. "But by the third time, it was like a brick on the top of my head. I realized that if Satan's real, God has to be real and my prayers for Him to prove himself were answered."

After encountering the Lord and asking Him into his heart, the troubadour began immersing himself in Scripture. Looking towards Biblical characters like Moses, and perhaps even more applicably Paul, served as spiritual sustenance for the developing Christian. With the craving for drugs in his distant past, Pennington found a new lease on life and wanted to enter the straight and narrow before diving back into the music business.

"It didn't mean I didn't have problems, but I'm so grateful for what He did for me," he recalls of the rebuilding period. "At first I thought I wanted to dive directly into ministry and I went to become a pastor after attending Bible college for four years. From there I asked God what he wanted me to do and those musical inclinations started coming back to me even though I'd tried so hard to push them away. So I started putting down some songs on a home recorder, but they took a totally different focus than earlier in my career."

The results have shaped up on a self-titled EP that features Pennington crafting a series of originals inspired by that stirring testimony, along with church favorites re-arranged within his style. Fans of his aforementioned influences, along with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and even the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack artists (going back to the bluegrass connections) are sure to sink their teeth into the compelling sounds. Aside from inspiring renderings of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" and "Amazing Grace," originals include the prayerful "I Want More" and the praise steeped "I Want To See Jesus."

"As I get out there, I want to encourage all those out on the road to keep going," affirms Pennington. "I've been playing a lot of homeless shelters in front of a lot of people who don't know Christ. I've shared my story with them but don't try and pour a lot of cream and cherries on it. I still have a real life with real problems, but salvation in Jesus can take away addictions and struggles."

Besides picking up the pace on the concert circuit in a variety of venues, Pennington promises a return to the studio to wrap up a full-length project. These California sessions are sure to spark a slew of new material and are slated to include drummer extraordinaire Jeff Campitelli (known for his work with Joe Satriani). But more than just making a musical masterpiece, Pennington wants the material to touch people in a much deeper way than his mainstream music career ever could.

"The passion that drives me is my heart and to share what God has given me through song," he insists. "Hopefully that will touch someone's heart in return and make a change for the best in them. Rather than giving sermons, I hope the lyrics will touch a person's spirit in a way that shows God's grace and mercy. Sometimes it's easier to hear that through song and convict someone, even a fellow Christian, and inspire them to turn over a new leaf."

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