Nepean band rocks out for Ottawa Food Bank

Posted Feb 9, 2012 By Jennifer McIntosh

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Ian Warner leads his band in song. The Nepean-based band will play Sunnyside Wesleyan Church on Feb. 18 to benefit the Ottawa Food Bank.

Nelson Zandbergen

Ian Warner leads his band in song. The Nepean-based band will play Sunnyside Wesleyan Church on Feb. 18 to benefit the Ottawa Food Bank.

Nepean's Ian Warner is performing with his band at the Sunnyside Wesleyan Church on Feb. 18 to benefit the Ottawa Food Bank.

The 28-year-old singer-songwriter said his musical career really came together once he let God help him write the songs.

"I tried a solo career before and it wasn't really coming together," he said, adding that he took his time to write material that would inspire people to look at how Jesus helped them in their lives.

The Ian Warner band's latest album - Hope for Today - was nominated for the Gospel Music Association of Canada's covenant award in the modern rock album of the year category.

Warner said it took him nearly three years to write the material because he wanted to be inspiring but not sound too preachy.

Warner said his influences include Kutless, Sanctus Real and Matt Maher. He said his sound is modern rock, with some softer elements.

Warner, whose day job as a development support worker for Christian Horizons - a trans-denominational charity that provides support for people with developmental disabilities - said he has always enjoyed music.

"I played piano for years and made it all the way to Grade 6 within the Royal Conservancy (of music)," he said.

He graduated from Heritage Bible College in Cambridge, Ont., with a Bachelor in music and recording arts in 2008.

At the age of 15 Warner taught himself to play guitar and now plays rythym in the band.

LOCAL MEMBERS

Warner plays with Rod Santini on lead guitar, who hails from Barrhaven and provides music for the Saturday mass at Saint Monica Church on Merivale Road.

Dave Potter, from Chapman Mills, is on drums. He met Warner in October 2011 and "the rest is history." Marc Ouellette is on bass and handles background vocals. He picked up his first acoustic guitar at just six years of age.

Warner said the band mostly plays in churches and has plans to tour Ontario and hopefully Canada and into the U.S.

"We plan to tour as a kind of ministry," he said. "We will go where God takes us."

jennifer.mcintosh@metroland.com