Music Style Christian Pop/Rock/Worship

Similar Artists Out of the Grey, Over the Rhine, Natalie Merchant

Artist History To the uninitiated, the band name Final Quest might not ring a bell, but to those who have crossed paths with this energetic husband/wife duo, chances are they've made a lasting impression. For members Chuck and Lynette Giacinto, the group is more than just a musical endeavor, but rather the perpetuation of their daily lifestyle: one steeped in infectious enthusiasm, artistic liberty, and above all, worshipful reverence. Born out of leading worship in their Illinois centered home church, Final Quest's initial nucleus consisted of Chuck's pensive songwriting sensibilities and Lynette's ethereal charm, which soon evolved into concert environments throughout the Midwest. At first the group started on a small scale, honing their chops in area coffeehouses and churches, but as their on stage dynamic and interactive chemistry grew, so did their performance opportunities. By the mid-90's, Final Quest made it to the festival circuit performing with Christian music's genre spanning elite, including Third Day, Kathy Troccoli, The Newsboys, All Star United, Cheri Keaggy, Out of Eden, and Bryan Duncan. Eventually, their buzz caught the ear of famed producer/BMI Award winning songwriting Kevin Chalfant, who many will recall fronted the mainstream super group The Storm (also featuring members of Santana and Journey). Chalfant immediately caught the vision of the group's musicality, and thanks to his personal faith, was also able to grasp Final Quest from a spiritual perspective. He quickly signed the group to his Chicago based Clique Records and got the group into the studio to record their official debut Heart and Soul in 1998. Besides having Chalfant behind the boards and as a co-writer, the delightful acoustic/alternative recording also included songwriting by Alby Odum (Daniel's Window) and drumming by Shawn Fichter (Trisha Yearwood). "One thing led to another as Final Quest matured and we got to work with some amazing people," Chuck says with a thankful tone. "But as tempting as it was to want to ride that out all the way and start touring all over America, we realized that some groups are meant to serve this region and foster relationships with people, rather than take the 'new city every day' route." Despite staying close to home, Heart and Soul did put Final Quest on the map so to speak, establishing them within radio and retail circles and making them a regular name on concert promoters' menus. After the record successfully ran its course, Chuck and Lynette went back to the drawing board for the sessions which would birth its follow-up Discovery, their brand new EP framing the group's developmental interplay with worshipful undertones. The project and subsequent live shows also feature fellow church worship team members Denny Rockey on percussion and backing vocals along with Chris and Angie Brock on drums and bass respectively. "Going from the less worshipful but still spiritual tone of Heart and Soul to the more praise focused Discovery has been very natural," Chuck contends. "Though praise and worship music may be the trend right now on the contemporary Christian scene, it's just an extension of what we've done all along and the next logical step in our recording direction." Not only was that decision further validated through the introspective beauty on the EP's four recordings, but they're also overflowing with instrumental experimentation. Take for instance the title cut's message of exploring one's faith to its fullest over a guitar driven, semi-acoustic canvas that's sprinkled with ethnic and world beats. It's followed by the EP's first single "Hear the Roar," about Christians uniting and lifting their hands in praise. The track has already received considerable airplay throughout Chicagoland and garnered several online MP3 placements. Then there's the lush and melodic "Where You Are," a gritty gem that calls believers to rise above their broken state and enter into the presence of God. "A lot of times worship can be congregational in a church setting, but this song is about coming together face to face with the Lord and offering up thanks and glory," Chuck explains. To round out the album, Final Quest includes a cover of Natalie Merchant's "Kind and Generous" (the "Thank You" song) to highlight Lynette's radiant vocals. It may be best known as a mainstream hit, but thematically it expresses gratitude towards the giver of life Himself. "We feel privileged to have Natalie's blessing to cover this song," reveals Chuck, admitting it took a significant number of phone calls and patience to track down the pop star. "Lynette is often compared to Natalie vocally, so I suppose this is the best tribute we could think of to mirror those statements." And speaking of mainstream stars, for those wondering what happened to Kevin Chalfant in terms of his relationship with Final Quest, it's still alive and well today. Actually, it's blossomed into something Chuck in particular never would have fathomed in his wildest dreams- an invitation to tour as the keyboard player in Chalfant's newly formed group Two Fires (including dates with Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Jim Peterik, Ronnie Spector, Joan Jett, and even Ted Nugent). Though a lot of more conservative Christians may question Chuck's involvement with such a seemingly secular tour, he insists it's just another part of his mission field. "Being a part of Two Fires presented me with countless times to share what I'm about. Some amazing conversations have resulted in places you wouldn't normally expect them to, which I suppose is just my way of breaking out of the Christian bubble we're sometimes guilty of settling in and being a light to the world." -Andy Argyrakis (February 2003)

Group Members Lynette Giacinto:Lead Vocals Chuck Giacinto:Guitars, Keys, Vocals Angie Brock: Bass Chris Brock: Drums Denny Rockey: Percussion, Vocals

Albums Discovery EP 2003 Heart & Soul 1998 (www.cliquerecords.com)

Location streator, il - USA

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