When four college students got together to form a band 13 years ago, they named it after their favorite book, J. D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, the story of a disillusioned teenager named Holden Caulfield.

Declaring themselves part of China's "Catcher in the Rye Generation", members of the band Catcher in the Rye say they don't worship success but it looks like success has found them anyway.

"Instead of taking a company white-collar job like most of my college friends, after graduation I chose to be a singer because of my passion for music," says Xiao Wei, the band's vocalist and guitarist.

The band, made up of Xiao (pictured below, second from left) and three other pals, Liu Le, Da Le and Su Yang, from the Beijing Printing College, debuted at a nightclub in 1994 and released their album under the Red Star label four years later. Their self-titled album hinted to influences such as 1970s greats like The Ramones, The Clash and The Sex Pistols.

However, lyrically the punk rockers do not consider themselves rebellious. "We convey a positive messages through the album, not cynical or angry feelings like other rock bands," Xiao said.

One of their signature songs, Wizards of Oz, is still popular among music fans 10 years after it was written. "The song describes a state of utopia, where we're a team heading towards where the sun rises, and see others joining us on the road. I dream of such a state," Xiao said.

Supervised by the celebrated producer Zhang Yadong, Catcher in the Rye's debut was a hit, turning them into the new idols for the younger generation. They even made their influence felt in Hong Kong, performing at a series of small-scale but popular concerts late in 1998.

After their initial success, these multi-faceted musicians moved on. They thought their first album a bit superficial and too outspoken, and decided to try something more interesting.

They shifted their way of making music from guitar-based melodies to mainly composing on keyboards - deciding on the programs first, choosing the drum loops, harmonies and the right tone to create an atmosphere, then singing to it.

Released in 2000, their second album Save As shared the band's thoughts on the new digital era where technology was starting to have a powerful impact on peoples' lives. The song E-Wish, depicted the early days of the Internet, as well as their uncertain moods about the new century. "New technologies like e-mail and online chatting had just popped up in 1999 and I actually felt a little resistant to them," confessed the musician.

Their release of their third album was left high and dry, because their label Red Star ran into financial difficulties. Their artistic limbo inspired Xiao to write the song, Money.

Due to their financial situation the band members learned their own individual trades to make ends meet. Frontman Xiao became an album design artist, guitarist Liu Le performed in a state troupe, bassist Da Le founded his own medical equipment company and drummer Su Yang entered the racing car industry.

Meanwhile, passionate Xiao, soul of the band, tried to continue the band.

They went on to set up a design studio, which now specializes in CD covers for a number of local bands and singers including Cobra, Xu Wei and Han Hong. "I enjoy the freedom of designing for CD package covers. It's fun," said Xiao.

Last year they released an ambitious comeback album Our World, much to their fans' relief under the Taihe Rye Record label.

The "new-born" Catcher in the Rye has maintained a pure love for music, refusing to give up their dreams in order to earn more money. "We don't have unrealistic expectations on the commercial success of our album, because it's not important to us," said Xiao, who, like his friends, thinks of music as a religion. "I think music is something worth your respect and efforts. It's a sacred cause."

The band also strives to help enhance the common good. Xiao just returned from a protest journey in Papua New Guinea, as a volunteer to save the earth's last remaining virgin forest in Lake Murray, known as the "the Last Paradise in the World". He was invited by Greenpeace to join the international initiative.

Xiao said he did not want to feel guilty for being part of the destruction of the earth.

"I do not want to wake up in the morning and know that the floors underneath me are the very reason some people and animals have lost their homes," said Xiao. "I do not want to tell my 3-year-old daughter with innocent, hopeful eyes, that orangutans have become only fairy tales."

For the recent Midi festival the band composed a special piece Go Green and performed it together with a foreign band led by Dave Stewart, a top musician who has worked with U2, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan.

Catcher in the Rye's musical style is strongly influenced by the West; traditional Chinese elements are rarely found in their music.

"I make Western style music in China, creating a more international language, for better communication," said Xiao. "Like when in Papua New Guinea, I sang songs as Perfect Day, which is written in Western chords and in English, so that international audiences can get it."

(China Daily 05/30/2007 page18)