Common Children Biography
Who is Common Children?
Common Children was a Christian alternative rock band that formed in Arkansas in 1995, led by Marc Byrd, Drew Powell, and Hampton Taliaferro. The band signed with Tattoo Records after its performance at the 1995 Cornerstone Festival caught the attention of members of The Choir and producer Gene Eugene. The band chose the name Common Children to reflect their belief that people share life together in a broken world and are all in need of grace.
The band's debut album, Skywire, was released in 1996 and featured a melodic hard rock and grunge-influenced sound. Common Children opened for The Choir on the Free Flying Soul tour in support of the album. Skywire generated some controversy among Christian music listeners over the song "Hate," in which Byrd sings about hating himself. Byrd explained that the song was inspired by the biblical book of Romans and the struggle with the flesh. The album was also designated one of the Top 5 albums of 1996 by 7ball magazine.
Common Children recorded its only live album, Setlist, in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 28, 1996. The limited-release album was sold at concerts and contained live performances of the entire Skywire album except "Broken Smile," along with two songs from Delicate Fade. The CD contained no overdubs.
The band's second studio album, Delicate Fade, was released in 1997. Produced by Steve Hindalong of The Choir, the album moved toward a lighter and more atmospheric sound while retaining the band's rock elements. Christine Glass co-wrote "Whisper" with Byrd and contributed vocals to the song. "Eyes of God," from Delicate Fade, reached No. 5 on the Christian music charts in 1998. Common Children toured with Eric Champion, Everybodyduck, and Rich Young Ruler in support of the album.
Andrew Thompson joined Common Children on tour and co-produced the band's third and final album, The Inbetween Time, with Byrd. Released in 2001 through Galaxy 21 Music, the album represented a further stylistic shift toward atmospheric shoegaze, with delayed guitars and ethereal vocals. Christine Glass also contributed vocals to the album. The album's increasingly atmospheric sound foreshadowed the ambient and post-rock direction Byrd and Thompson would later pursue with Hammock.
Common Children disbanded in 2002. Byrd and Thompson continued working together through Hammock, while Byrd also continued working as a songwriter, producer, guitarist, and vocalist, including work with The Choir and GlassByrd, his musical partnership with Christine Glass. Byrd co-wrote the worship song "God of Wonders" with Steve Hindalong for the 2000 project City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise.