Today we’d like to introduce you to Gary Rea and Thomas Ewing. Them and their team share their story with us below:
We’re two friends who grew up on opposite ends of the earth. In 2015, we met at a retreat in the mountains of Montana and have been close friends and writing songs together ever since. Individually, we were artists and songwriters but found that when we write songs together, they turn out to be something much more unique and special.
Land of Color started when two singer/songwriters Gary Rea and Thomas Ewing met in the mountains of Montana in 2015. Before the band started, they were both worship leaders and solo artists in their own right but they feel like the Lord brought them together to create something that is unique and greater than the sum of the parts. Gary was born and raised in South Africa and Thomas is from Colorado. Their different cultural and musical backgrounds have resulted in a unique sound that is a blend of African rhythms, singable melodies and tight harmonies.
The guys talk about how the band was birthed out of the community and that it was at family gatherings in the early days of their friendship that they would grab their guitars and start writing songs. “The songs came quickly and easily” says Thomas “and they were simply an overflow of what the Lord was doing in our lives individually and as a community.” In 2016, they decided to record an album of the songs that they had been writing under the name HOLY MNTN and before long they were getting invites from all over the country for them to perform their music. In 2018, they changed their name to Land of Color and signed a record deal with Remade Records, an imprint label under Sony/Provident.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As far as music and the relationship between Gary and me as Land of Color, it couldn’t have been smoother and easier. The reason we started this whole thing was because we are such good friends and our songwriting came very easily together. We signed a record deal with Sony Provident in 2018 and put out 1 project with their support. 18 months later, we found ourselves desiring a different direction so we decided to become independent. I would say, that has come with its own benefits and hardships.
As far as our journey through life and what has inspired many of our songs, I would say we’ve both been through quite a lot. We write songs about our own search and discovery of the goodness of God. Sometimes it’s hard to see through the season you’re in. But to look back on all of the things that God has brought us through, it brings a sense of hope and determination to maintain faith in a faithful God.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are a band called Land of Color. I (Thomas) am from Colorado and Gary is from Cape Town, South Africa. We try to be authentic with our songwriting and tell stories of our journeys throughout the years. We’ve seen that our transparency and honesty connect with a lot of different people from all sorts of backgrounds.
Any big plans?
We plan to continue to write and release music. We stepped back from full-time touring, but very much enjoy it. We often open up for our friends Rend Collective. We plan to do a few of our own headline tours come 2023.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.landofcolormusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landofcolormusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/landofcolormusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/landofcolor
Image Credits
Pure Soul Media | www.instagram.com/puresoulmedia
