'My Barometer Is My Parish Life'
At St. Philip Parish in Posey County and Corpus Christi Parish in Evansville, he is Pastor … Father Dusty Burns.
On iTunes and elsewhere across the Internet, untold numbers worldwide know him as “Fr. Pontifex” – and he is about to release his third album of music and spoken word.
“The Invincibles” drops May 19, when it will join 2011’s “Ordained” and 2013’s “The Symphony and the Static” in the Fr. Pontifex catalog.
“My barometer is my parish life,” Father Burns said recently. “If (the music) is of God, it will fit in.”
I didn’t use “rap” or “hip-hop” earlier to define what he records as Fr. Pontifex because doing so would “pigeonhole” his work, in my opinion. It appears that others agree.
“There are services that will get your work in front of lots of people before the formal release and let them review it,” he explained. “This helps provide an idea of what to expect. In the case of ‘The Invincibles,’ we got comments that it was ‘hard to place’ in a given genre. I think that is really good.”
I agree.
What if your introduction to “The Invincibles” or his two other albums would be to overhear someone calling it rap or hip-hop? Although a total misnomer in this case, what if you heard someone call it – or someone else’s album – really good “Catholic metal?” Would either get you interested in actually listening to Father Burns’ performances as Fr. Pontifex?
Right; me neither.
“I love poetry and have eclectic taste in music,” Father Burns said. “I like rap, yes; but also Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and bluegrass.”
Father Burns writes poetry first and foremost. He then collaborates with others – most of the work happening via Internet file sharing – to set his words to music. That is one way our amazing web of worldwide connectedness helps him maintain a parish-life barometer. “The Internet is wonderful that way,” he said.
“I go into the studio on my days off,” he explained, adding that he enjoys working with the staff at Moore Music in Evansville, where he records. “I’ll then collaborate with people literally across the world for music and production.”
The Internet also has been a source of wonder in other ways. “I get letters and emails from people who have been moved by the music,” he said, noting that his work is available primarily online. “People will recognize me when I travel, and I think, ‘look how powerful that reach is. I am a parish priest with real impact.’”
That’s important because Father Burns doesn’t tour. He said he might perform at a National Catholic Youth Conference sometime; but otherwise, his exposure will be based online. That exposure may grow with “The Invincibles” because he said distribution focus will include India, Nigeria and Middle Eastern countries.
The new album’s artwork is stark – as Father Burns intended. “I wanted only one light source,” he explained, “with the rest of the image dark because the only thing that forms my existence is my encounter with the Light of the Gospels.
“I was inspired to call this record ‘The Invincibles’ because we are seeing so much suffering around the world – but we cannot be overpowered or conquered as a result of it.”
Father Burns said his first album, “Ordained,” proved to be autobiographical. He recorded it in a week at a friend’s home studio in Texas. He recorded “The Symphony and the Static” over the 2012 Christmas break, explaining that it proved to be a cathartic experience. “It contrasts the melodic symphony of our life in God that makes sense with the static that gets in the way and works to distract us.”
You can find videos Father Burns has made in support of his music and spoken word on the YouTube channel of Spirit Juice Studios, which is based in Chicago. He also has posted a number of audio-only tracks from his albums on his own YouTube page, under Fr. Pontifex. Visit www.youtube.com and search Fr. Pontifex to get the links.
You can buy “The Invincibles” beginning May 19 from the iTunes store and other online outlets. You also can visit the Fr. Pontifex website at http://frpontifex.com.
