Southern Brothers a little bit country, a little bit soul

As sons of a Baptist minister, Christian messages were instilled in Tim, Scott and Todd Mills throughout their childhood.

Now, the brothers incorporate those themes into the music of their country/gospel group, the Southern Brothers.

The brothers will bring their blend of country and gospel music to Cape Girardeau on Sunday night. The group will record a live album and film the performance for a music DVD at 6 p.m. at La Croix United Methodist Church.

"It's just a good place to perform," Tim Mills said. "We were considering recording in Nashville, but we have many fans and friends who attend Cape Country Cowboy Church and they couldn't make the drive to Nashville."

Tim Mills describes his group's music as a mixture of "new-country and gospel," and some fans compare its music to that of Diamond Rio or Rascal Flatts.

"We want to make quality music that anyone can listen to," he said.

The three brothers are vocalists and are backed by a changing set of musicians, who vary by the location at which they play. Tim Mills said the group has taken them "all over the United States." The show will be opened by The Jeff Treece Band.

"We've performed with Billy Ray Cyrus, many Opry stars, comedian Jerry Clower and many gospel artists," Tim Mills said.

Paul Smollen, technical director at La Croix Church, admits the Southern Brothers' musical style does not match the contemporary music usually played at its services. He said, however, that different music may help attract diverse audiences, something the church encourages.

"It's great to incorporate those styles into our own," Smollen said. "La Croix has intentionally incorporated the arts because the arts have the ability to connect with people more than spoken word can."

The band looks forward to the show because performing live means more to them than recording in a studio.

"You send out energy to the crowd and they send it back to you," Tim Mills said.

The brothers' father was a minister at Grassy Friendship General Baptist Church, near Marble Hill, Mo. While they aren't afraid to affiliate themselves with Christianity, they're not theologians or evangelists, according to Tim Mills.

"Our music has a message, but it's not over the top," he said.

Smollen said the Southern Brothers are the third performance La Croix Church has payed host to for a touring act, and the church's building committee seriously considered whether they fit into the church's objectives.

"We want people to understand the benefits of contemporary music in the church," Smollen said. "We asked, 'Does this fit into the mission of the church?' After hearing their music and message, we decided it absolutely was part of our mission."

sludwig@semissourian.com

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