Tribute Quartet has become one of the most consistent quartets in southern gospel music. Their new release, Here For You, is receiving quite great reviews by fans and industry personnel alike. I had a chance to catch up with owner, lead singer and emcee Gary Casto recently. Enjoy a peak into our conversation!
Jennifer Wilkerson: You guys have been singing together for a decade now! Wow! Give us a brief history of the group and how you got started.
Gary Casto: Josh and I started Tribute after the retirement of the group we were both members of, The Wilburns. We started the group New Year’s Eve 2006. Throughout the life of Tribute, we’ve had great folks be a part of our team, but I’m so very proud of our current (6 year) line up with Riley Harrison Clark and Anthony Davis. We have a really great team!
JW: Your new project, Here for You, is already making quite the waves in gospel music. Tell us a little about it?
GC: Here For You (#hereforyou) is something that we are thrilled about. This is our sophomore recording with Daywind Records, and it was produced by Wayne Haun. We went into this project knowing it had to be a step up, so the song selection process was a bit more intensive than any previous project. All-in-all, it is something we worked very hard for, and we were eager to share it with the world.
JW: How do you choose songs for your projects?
GC: We filter through hundreds of songs a year. The process is detailed. We first settle on the lyrics. Then, we analyze the melody. Once we agree on the song, we move forward to another. It is a collective effort.
JW: What are a few of your favorites to sing in concert?
GC: Honestly, I can’t accurately answer that question because we’ve been blessed to have many great songs. A perfect example is the fact that we have been performing 10 out of 11 songs from Here For You each night.
JW: Is there one particular song you’re seeing a tremendous response to from audiences?
GC: We are seeing a great response from “That’s How I Know” (from Here For You) which features Anthony Davis.
JC: Where do you see the group 10 years from now?
GC: Well, I believe we will still be sharing the Gospel but, in a broader spectrum. As a ministry, you only really have one desire: to continue in what you feel God intended it to be from the beginning.
JW: What do you want fans to take away from your concerts?
GC: We want them to not only take the Gospel, but to have left every care at the feet of Jesus.
JW: Any funny road stories you want to share? Our readers love a good laugh! :)
GC: We’re actually more boring on the road than people would imagine. But, one of the guys’ favorites is recalling the time Riley jumped out of a bush behind a fast food restaurant causing me to throw my freshly filled large soda all over the parking lot. They like to take advantage of startling me and video recording it.
JW: How can fans reach you, find your music and pastors schedule you guys?
GC: You can find everything there is to know about Tribute Quartet on ANY social media outlet (FB, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.). Also, on any digital music outlet (ITunes, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify, etc.). If all else fails, Google “Tribute Quartet.”
Or just type in TributeQuartet.com
