An almost-native of Canby, Oregon, Amy has been writing songs since the age of 14, but will never let you hear those early ones. She graduated from Wheaton College in 1998 with a degree in Christian Education and Ministry, and has since put it to good use as a residential group home counselor, a professional scrapbooker, a children's/youth/music minister in France, an instructional assistant, an administrative assistant, and a church planter (she suspects she has some kind of Career A.D.D., but has never been officially diagnosed).

She currently leads worship for Two Rivers Church in Milwaukie, OR (pretty much the greatest church on the planet), and spends her time amusing/confusing the congregation with her anecdotes, planning trips back to France in her head, smothering her nieces and nephews with kisses, referring to her new guitar as if it were a man, and seeking to honor JESUS CHRIST in and above all things.

Thom likes ice cream. He also enjoys activities like studying theology, watching movies, creating parodies of Amy's songs, and listening to his iPod, especially if he can eat ice cream afterwards. He has been playing guitar since age 14, and experienced some recognition as a singer/songwriter/heartthrob during his undergrad years, then abandoned the calling of "cool" for a more subdued life as a married guy. He now lives with his wife Emily, and is enrolled in the Masters of Divinity program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.

Thom graciously lent his extraordinary guitar skills to both of Amy's latest albums. "Live In The Tension", however, is his first venture as a producer.

Emily is the one to blame if this website looks bad on your computer screen. A (mostly) self-taught web-design novice, her previous work includes such sites as www.dwellsfarms.com, www.dwellsnursery.com, and the now extremely out-of-date www.blairs.gustafsons.com. She currently lives with her husband in either Oregon or Illinois, and may or may not be presently employed.

Most importantly, Emily provides the familial link between two of the major talents in the band: she is the younger and taller sister of singer/songwriter Amy Gustafson herself, and the devoted wife and pal-pal of guitarist/producer Thom "spell it however you like" Blair. For this reason, she takes most of the credit for this album's je-ne-sais-quoi.

Emily also contributes, in her way, to the vocals on both the "Becoming Less" and "Live In The Tension" albums.

In the first 6 days God made all that was and He was pleased with it, but in the year 1966 He realized that something was missing. That something was an enigmatic ball of talent, thunderous power, rugged good looks, and animal magnetism unlike the world had known all rolled into one package. That missing piece was Jeff Warren.

Jeff (Everyone's Favorite Drummer and single father of son Kelly and daughter Leah) flew under the radar of the world by keeping his amazing gifts in check and only using them for the good of local people. Often stopping the development and perfection of his craft to save drowning children or to care for the oppressed and be their voice in a world against them, Jeff kept his flashing and blinding light of pure good hidden until the time was right for it to be unveiled. But, like the power of atomic energy, Jeff's gifts couldn't be contained for long...

Put on your sunglasses, world. That "right time" is NOW.

Butch is a drummer who fortunately also plays bass. And piano. And guitar. And anything else you hand him. He and his gorgeous wife Tammie have three sons, Cody, Kasey, and Christian, and they manage Cody's Coffee in Canby, OR. He also enjoys coaching football and softball when he's not trying to beat out Jeff for the title "Everyone's Favorite Drummer."

His energy and enthusiasm, as well as his musical prowess, were a great contribution to this project!
 
 

Rob is the founding pastor of Two Rivers Church in Milwaukie, OR, where he lives with his fabulous wife, Bonny, and three strapping boys: Nick (the guitarist), Andrew (the singer), and D.J. (the hugger). Rob and family spent time as missionaries in Mexico, which is why you won't hear him singing backup on the French songs. He's such a good pianist that Amy not only let him play on the CD, but she lets him play keyboard with the worship band every Sunday morning.

For the privileged few possessing Amy's "first" "CD", "For The Record", you'll remember Rob from the song "Look Into My Eyes".

THE YAMAHA

My sophomore year in college all my little 19-year-old heart wanted for Christmas was a guitar. I had started learning to play that summer on my dad's Gibson, and then one of my roommates had a Yamaha that I adopted. Over the course of the semester, I dropped hints to my parents about how much I was playing, hoping they'd catch on. When I arrived at PDX for Christmas break, I remember vividly standing at the baggage claim with my dad, and I started in on how my roommate had this guitar and how she never played it so I used it all the time (there were still a few more shopping days left!). Dad nonchalantly asked, "Why don't you ask her if you can buy it from her?" and my heart sank.

Christmas morning came and the presents were all opened; the carpet had disappeared under wads of wrapping paper, but the only guitar in sight was a 6" plastic one Emily had slipped in my stocking. Then, when almost all hope was lost, just as nonchalantly, my mom said something about another present for me in their bedroom. Like a little kid, I scampered off to discover - if I remember correctly, I screamed with delight at this point - a guitar waiting for me under their bed.

Dad told me later that he'd made that remark intentionally to throw me off, and that they'd actually purchased this guitar several months before.

THE GIBSON

For reasons I can't quite articulate, this guitar (my dad's since the early 70s) has always created a sensation of awe in me. Forever imprinted in my brain is the image of Dad in the recliner, singing and playing quietly to himself, and his guitar still radiates nostalgia and wonder. The slightest glimpse of the furry safety-orange of the interior of the case transports me instantaneously to childhood and all the accompanying emotions.

When he left us for Heaven, Dad left the guitar to me, and it is the most precious thing I own, as far as earthly possessions go.
 
 

It was love at first sight. Well, okay, not exactly. But it was love at first strum. I tell everyone that I am part of the coolest church on the planet. I submit that the following story may very well chase any doubt from your minds. On Mother's Day 2006, successfully pulling off one of the most well-executed surprises ever performed on me in my life, Pastor Rob and his scheming cohorts (a.k.a. my beautiful and beloved brothers and sisters in Christ at Two Rivers Church) presented me with a very generous amount of money to buy a new guitar as a way of thanking me for my service as worship leader. I was completely floored and humbled, and so incredibly touched.

And I didn't waste any time...with the help of my brother-in-law/guitarist extraordinaire Thom and his lovely wife/my sister/photographer extraordinaire Emily, I found "the one" the following Monday night: a Martin DCME Mahogany Dreadnought Cutaway (I've taken to calling him Martin for short). Once I strummed that first chord, ohhhh, I tell ya, there was just no going back...

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