Ellington

For seven years, the members of Christian metal band A Plea For Purging lived on the road. They toured the nation, earning fans and living their dream lives along the way. This summer, however, marks the end for the band, as it undergo its final tour. A Plea for Purging, along with As Hell Retreats, are currently in the middle of the "Quit Your Band And Get A Job" tour, after which both bands will call it quits.

A Plea For Purging originally formed in 2005 when the members met each other at Middle Tennessee State University. In 2006, however, the lead singer left the band to continue school when the others graduated.

Andy Atkins, a part of the Nashville hardcore punk scene, decided to fill the gap in the group, and the four have been on the road ever since. "It was going to be one summer of touring, and it somehow turned into six or seven years of being on the road," Atkins says of their start. The group was motivated by two things: the desire not to have a job, and to hang out with their best friends every day, while creating art that they were all passionate about.

Life on the road had its hardships. The band members didn't always know where they would eat or sleep or what they would do when the vehicle broke down.

Atkins insists, however, that the positives greatly outweighed the negatives, and in light of their incredibly good times, he can hardly remember the bad ones. The best parts, to Atkins, was getting to see the world, meeting new people, and learning new things. "I've been to 17 or 18 countries as a part of this band," he says.

Their seven-year journey comes to an end soon, however. The band's final tour concludes on Sept. 8, in their hometown of Nashville. It's not a bitter breakup, fortunately; the band is just ready to move on. They're all around 30 years old and have been performing together for the better part of a decade. Atkins was already playing with other bands for three years prior to joining the others. Each member of the band is in a serious long-term relationship--one even married--and is ready to find what's next in life.

As Atkins says, they've all decided "it's time to move on." While no member of the band has a definite plan set up for what he will do next, they are all excited to discover what the next chapter in their lives will hold.

A Plea For Purging, along with As Hell Retreats, will be in Vicksburg (111 Amanda Drive, 601-863-9516) Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. The cover charge is $12. Check the Facebook event page for A Plea for Purging's farewell show.