In the business of music, 15 years might as well be a lifetime; however, for four ordinary guys who couldnt imagine anything better than singing about Jesus, the past 15 years have been more like a dream come to life. 4HIM has been about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through the powerful, incomparable medium of music since their beginnings singing with the well-known ensemble group, Truth.

From the four ordinary guys who formed while sitting down at McDonalds to explore the idea of forming a four-man pop-gospel group, 4HIM presents ENCOREFOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, their final project as 4HIM, a collection of career favorites, as well as a solo song from each member.

We couldnt think of a better way to write the closing chapter to our story than to sing our way out, 4HIM states, We hope you hear our hearts in ENCORE and know how blessed weve been to be a part of your lives.

Since their formation in 1989, their harmonic convergencethe likes of which hadnt been heard in Christian music since the Imperials took audiences by storm in the late 1970sblended the best of tradition from past decades in Christian music with modern pop sensibilities and no-holds-barred, real life lyrics. Christian radio got it right of the box with the groups first No. 1 single, Where There Is Faith, and audiences began to sit up and take notice of the fresh-faced foursome from down south.

4HIM managed to transcend any of those potential pratfalls, continuing to make music that not only met the needs of listeners but pushed the creative envelope as the mainstream pop music scene evolved into something a little less slick, less produced.

By the time 4HIMs best of album released in 2004, all four men were contemplating where do we go from here? Not because they were drifting apart or because the opportunities were few and far between. No, call it sixth sense, the sense of discovery, of beginning to understand that there could be life beyond the ministry theyd devoted the biggest part of their adult lives to.

After much prayer, Andy Chrisman decided to pursue a lifelong passion as worship leader at a local church in Celebration, Florida. Mark Harris had begun writing new songs for a solo project. Marty and Kirk were also busy writing and doing production work on their own.

Each one, in his own time, began to feel the excitement of seeing new roads winding out before them. They began, one by one, to sense God saying I am doing a new thing in you. And so, with gratitude for all God has done over the past 15 years, they began to write the closing chapter in the story of 4HIM.

Taking a walk down memory lane, 4HIM recorded new versions of their biggest hits on the farewell project. Once again their longtime producer Michael Omartian produced the project, which features nine favorite 4HIM songs, in addition to a medley and one new track, Unity (We Stand), featuring guest vocalists Point of Grace and Jeromy Deibler of FFH. Four bonus solo songs from each band member will also be included.

This project will hopefully capture the spirit of the songs and where we are now in 2005 musically, spiritually and thematically it will be a trip down memory lane with a new twist, Mark Harris explains. We wanted to do this last project as a gift to our loyal fansto commemorate all the years of faithful support we have received from them.

Throughout their time together, 4HIM has received much acclaim for their 11 hit albums including an RIAA Gold certified album (The Basics of Life), 24 No. 1 radio singles, eight Dove Awards including three Group of the Year, and a Grammy Award nomination as well as Alabamas Music Hall of Fame for The Governors Achievement Award. In addition to their numerous tours across the nation, the group has also been featured performers with the Billy Graham and Louis Palau crusades.

We’re all aware of the opposite side of the equation, but what are you supposed to do when at first you do succeed? How should you react when the things you’ve been working for, individually and collectively, your entire young lives start to take shape? And more important still, how do you get back to that place of openness that jumpstarted that success when almost everything about your existence has changed?

Simple. You stop, sit down and reflect on the Wonder Of The World.

Two years can seem like a lifetime, or it can seem like it has passed in the blink of an eye.

“It’s funny to think about the course of events that have taken place,” says Kevin Huguley, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for breakthrough Midas Records band Rush of Fools. “And all that time, God’s still kept us on that path we feel He’s called us to be on. It feels like the fast-forward button has been pressed on our lives this whole time.”

Given the opportunity, Huguley will rattle off the personal accomplishments of his band mates – lead vocalist/songwriter Wes Willis, guitarist Dustin Sauder, bassist Jacob Chesnut and drummer Jamie Sharpe – right alongside the professional ones his Alabama-based band has gone through.

It’s that intertwining of the internal and the external that made Rush of Fools’ self-titled debut (and monster hit “Undo,” ASCAP’s most-played Christian song of 2007) so approachable and embraceable by a now-legion of fans.

That fusion carries over into the band’s second full-length release, Wonder Of The World, a record crafted simultaneously on the run and yet with purpose and progress in mind.

“I think that compared to the last record, we actually had time to breathe,” Willis says. “We played hundreds of shows and wrote and sat and played together and worshipped together. All those things fed into this album and I think we were able to write songs the same way we did last time and yet we found a new voice, a growth in ourselves and in our collaborations with our producers. We’re still a worship band, and we still love writing those kinds of songs.”

“I think this time we were able to be more hands-on in the musical process, and the producers asked ‘What do you want to do?’ rather than last time when we were all saying ‘Help us,’” he continues. “This time, we were more able to say exactly what we wanted musically.”

The expansion of Rush of Fools’ musical vocabulary is evident throughout Wonder Of The World, with the pogo-ready rocker “Lose It All” lining up right alongside the hypnotic “Escape,” contrasting with the lullaby feel of “Tonight” and the piano ballad “The Only Thing That’s Beautiful In Me.”

The core elevating factor of the band’s presence, much like on their debut record, is the commitment to lyrical innovation that showcases that willingness to strip the artifice of success away and focus their eyes (and through the music, the listener’s ears) on the one, true wonder of the world.

“As we’ve been playing the title song already, we’ll usually stop in the middle of it and talk about the lines ‘Father, how can it be that you are Father to me?’ as well as all the other things mentioned: Savior, Healer, One who shows favor on me,” Willis says. “I think back to all that time on the road and all the things that have happened over the past year, and I’m still amazed by those facts, that He is Father and Savior and Healer. He’s been so faithful to us and at the very least, we should be that back to Him.”

Huguley concurs with his band mate and co-writer. “We should be asking those questions in the song, because we don’t deserve those things He’s given us, but that’s what makes it so wonderful.”

“I think God has allowed our situation and our story and our journey to take place and it has uncovered these truths for us,” Huguley continues. “He’s saying ‘I’m going to continue using you five guys from Alabama, who are not worthy of My grace, because you’re starting to get the picture that grace is what it’s all about.’”

At the same time, being young men constantly on the road, playing to growing crowds that respond by singing songs back to the band during shows, can have a negative impact as well. “When we started playing on the road more, I realized there were times when I’ve been not a great husband or a great friend,” guitarist Frazier says. “Then I thought, ‘Was I ever a great husband or friend or son?’ I always thought I had it straight and I had the answers. Now I have to question all those things and it stinks that I have to go through those things. Yet at the same time, I’m really thankful because I got knocked down and now I can get back up and work on those things.”

“This has been a dramatic lifestyle change,” Willis admits. “Being sucked out of your homes and stuck out on the road playing all over. But when you’re in the same little van, driving around with the same guys, you get to grow together. You have to stick to those things God is calling you to do. We’re a worship band; let’s continue to write worship songs.”

“It should impact us all, in a way that should cause us to seek the Lord more,” Willis continues. “I think it has, for us, whether it’s been good times or bad. I think He blesses those moments when you do.”

The reciprocal result has fostered a set of worship songs on Wonder Of The World, such as “Holy One,” “Freedom Begins Here” and “You Are Glory.” Each are shaped differently from a musical perspective, but keep that aforementioned focus on the force carrying the band and the listeners through life’s difficult circumstances.

“We always put our hearts and souls into the lyrics, because if we’re going to be writing songs about God, they had better be true, they had better be good and they had better be honest,” Huguley says. “It’s that creativity in our lyrics and now our music as well, that shows where our progress has been. We strived hard to not shy away from the tough lyrics about our own sins and struggles. But now we’ve created this new version of our own band because there’s a new musicality to it.”

“It doesn’t matter what aspect of life you’re working on, you always have to learn how to recreate something,” Willis says. “You always have to learn how to grow and change and from a musical aspect, that’s definitely what we’ve done with this album. There was a lot of growth on this project, but still true to our core heart of worship, because that’s who we are.”

These statements further answer the question above, the one about what you do when if at first you do succeed. You try again, and when you’re trying to point out to others the glory of the true Wonder Of The World, it’s all quite simple.

Rush Of Fools members:
Kevin Huguley – BGV’s, electric guitar and keys
Wes Willis – Lead Vocals, acoustic guitar
Jacob Chesnut – Bass
Jamie Sharpe – Drums
Dustin Sauder – Electric guitar

American Idol Season 6 finalist Phil Stacey recently finished recording his new 11-track album, Into the Light, which releases August 25, 2009. Stacey, an Idol Top 5 contestant, will showcase his acclaimed power vocals and songwriting chops with this first modern pop offering on Reunion Records.

“Given the recent past, it’s understandable that people are quick to ask me about the musical side of what I do,” says Stacey, who performed for an average of 30 million viewers a week, for the 11 weeks he competed on American Idol. “I enjoy talking about the music, too. In fact, I love it. But the biggest hope I have is that what I do will help draw people to God–whether that’s through the songs I write, how I conduct myself on stage, or more importantly, the ways I relate to other people. Everything I did with American Idol has readied me for this platform and this album. This is where I feel at home and I can’t wait for people to hear these songs.”

With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that Stacey–the son of a pastor, grandson of two pastors, and a one-time music minister himself–celebrates faith and family on Into the Light as he sings passionately about an unshakable and loving God. With legendary Christian music producer Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Mandisa, Steven Curtis Chapman) at the helm, Into the Light artfully taps Stacey’s longtime love for the church and its most modern musical expressions.

“There are songs on the project that will encourage and others that will challenge. Some that I’ve written and others that I heard and just had to record, including one by one of my favorite artists, Rich Mullins, called ‘Hard to Get’,” adds Stacey.

Paul Colman is a Grammy Nominated singer/songwriter/entertainer. He has performed all over the world, written hit singles, garnered numerous awards and has sold hundreds of thousands of records. Paul still travels the globe singing and speaking and sharing his songs, thoughts and faith. He has released 15 recordings featuring his songs and for the three years (2005-8) was the guitarist for Aussie rockers, The Newsboys. Jan 2009 saw him release HISTORY: a collection of his best songs. Aside from HISTORY, you can purchase all of Paul’s music (solo and Trio) on itunes.

Early years (1978-1985)

Paul began writing his own music at the age of 11 and by the time he was 18 he had written over 100 songs and performed them hundreds of times.

Paul’s father, Robert Colman, was a much-celebrated singer/actor who had spent over a decade in London, England (where Paul was born) as the lead in many a musical. He was, and still is, the youngest person to ever win the Sun Aria Award in Australia and released close to 30 of his own recordings. (www.robertcolman.com) Music was always in the Colman house and Paul would spend many an evening in the audience watching his father perform. In 1973 Robert left the secular artistic world and became a minster at a church in Melbourne, Australia. He also, for a period of time, was recognized as Australia’s leading gospel entertainer. This title galvanized by two sell-out nights at the Sydney Opera House and captured on a live double album.

Early musical influences for Paul were Elvis, Larry Norman, Steve Taylor, Andre Crouch, Randall Waller, Avion, Kansas, The Angels, AC/DC, U2 and Midnight Oil. It was Larry Norman however that really captured Paul’s imagination. The Colman family saw Larry perform live many times in the 70’s and 80’s in Melbourne, Australia. Paul recalls, “I remember seeing this guy up there on stage at Dallas Brooks Hall in the heart of Melbourne on his own with an acoustic guitar, a microphone, a razor sharp wit and songs that really went deep into me. Somewhere inside my heart and mind I said ‘I want to do that! It was actually about 18 years later that I stood in that exact spot and sang my own songs to a packed house.”

Paul performed a lot during these years at events connected with his father’s church. This connection with music and faith would become the backbone of all of Paul’s future musical endeavors. He played drums, bass, piano, flute and guitar from week to week in the church band as well as performing at youth group camps, coffee shops, church concerts and outreach events.

Paul’s first band, ‘Childish Behavior’, played mostly at youth gatherings, roller-skating parks, high school parties and community events. Paul was the band’s primary songwriter as well as the lead singer/bass player. One of the bands guitarist and Paul’s main co-writer David Thomas (Davage) went on to form 2 of Melbourne’s influential Indy outfits: Nursery Crimes and Pre-Shrunk. Childish Behavior disbanded in Dec 1985 after a series of shows at a local Roller-Skating/Music venue headlined by none other than metal pioneers Motorhead. Paul’s living memories of these shows remain to be some black and white pictures, a scrappy desk tape and Lemmy’s beat-up leather jacket that was left behind in the trashed dressing room. The jacket became a staple gig outfit for Paul for a number of years, but Childish Behavior was over and Paul headed to the USA to live for a year in Washington D.C and Billings, Montana where he worked on his performing and songwriting and began his love affair with America.

Just prior to flying to the USA Paul won a competition at a local coffee house called The Green Lantern. The Lantern was a very popular hangout for musicians and particularly singer/songwriters. This was a small venue that seated only about 60 people and the competition that Paul won first prize for was for about 50 performers of all ages. The 1st prize was 10 hours in a recording studio. Paul recorded two of his own songs “Its’ too late” and an unnamed composition. The songs were not hits and the recording went nowhere but it gave Paul his first taste of a professional recording studio.

Development and performing with Larry Norman (1986-1992)

Paul returned from the USA at the end of 1986 and threw himself into academic pursuits. While studying though he did manage in the period to chalk up hundreds of performances. Paul played a lot of coffee shops, churches and church functions, pubs and clubs and youth groups. When he wasn’t performing and studying,hespent a lot of time recording his music in his small home studio. The songs he wrote in the period became the staple of his live shows. They were also the songs Paul played with the Paul Colman Band when in June 1987 Paul was asked to open for Larry Norman on his 6th Australian tour. As you can imagine this was a dream gig for Paul who had idolized Larry growing up. Larry was very complimentary and asked Paul and band to not only play a 30 min set before Larry but to actually be his backing band. Paul remembers, “It was definitely an honor to play with my musical hero. I remember when he popped in to our rehearsal and sang along to SOUL ON FIRE. It was a real thrill. I had met him when I was 15 when my Dad arranged for him to come to dinner but to actually perform with him was truly awesome. The only disappointment was that I rehearsed LONELY BY MYSELF on piano for months and it was going to be just me and him up there but we never played it.”

In 1989 Paul auditioned and was accepted into an intensive one-year tertiary bridging music course. It was in this year that he achieved 5th grade music theory, greatly developed his aural music skills and engaged in a rigorous study of the history of music. Paul’s major was voice and his minor was classical piano. He achieved 5th grade AMEB for singing and 3rd grade AMEB for piano. He also made a lot of great friends and enjoyed years of collaborations with the musicians he met. Whether it was weddings, corporate functions, original performances or pub rock bands, the next 3 years of his performances usually included musicians such as Craig Harris and Ashley Smith. Paul was accepted into music at the University of Melbourne in 1990. He auditioned as a singer and did a year of composition, music theory, vocal and piano but at the start of his second year at University but he changed his focus instead to History/English/Literature/Philosophy. “I just don’t love music in the same way as a lot of my friends. My true interest in life is people. I can get to people in a unique way through music but I am just as passionate using spoken word”. Paul went on to graduate from the University of Melbourne with a bachelor of Education and spent 2 years teaching at one of Australia’s largest and most prestigious private schools.

The Lo-Fi’s (1991-94)

It wasn’t until 1994 that Paul first went back into the studio to record his music. His first project that became a released recording was with fellow singer/songwriter/guitarist Michael Mancev under the band name The Lo-Fi’s. The resulting 10-song album, now out of print, included 5 of Michael’s songs and 5 of Paul’s and was called “Violets and Violence” after one of Michael’s wonderfully moody songs. The record was recorded and produced by David Carr, a fellow Melbourne based musician and featured the rhythm section of a local rock band, Bodymotors. Paul played at a number of venues in Melbourne at the time alongside Bodymotors and actually filled in a number of times for the band on guitar, bass and lead vocals. Erik Chess (drums) and Mel Lewis (bass) played on most of the album with David Carr performing some bass, guitars and keyboards/programming.

Paul and Michael performed together as an acoustic duo for most of this period. They performed songs from “Violet and Violence” as well as a host of cover songs. The song that usually got the most response was their version of the classic Dire Straits hit ‘Sultans of Swing’ that featured Michael’s vocal and guitar. Paul and Michael also put together a covers rock band during this period that played Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz, U2 and The Doors as well as ‘Sultans’.

The Lo-Fi’s only performed a handful of times as a band and whatever aspirations Paul and Michael had as becoming the next long-standing timeless rock duo soon evaporated and they went their separate ways. Michael went on to record a very rootsy and heartfelt solo record in the years to come under the name Vex entitled ‘end of days’. He was to Paul a very influential and positive musical influence, “Michael Mancev was a great mate and he was my most influential guitar teacher. Michael had a great sense for good songwriting and he and I performed for a few years as an acoustic duo as we dreamed of musical purity and mega-stardom”.
The wedding and bar singer, teacher and ‘the band thing’ (1994-98)

During these years Paul worked consistently in bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants singing his own songs and a large repertoire of cover songs. He also song at hundreds of wedding and wedding receptions. “Playing at weddings and clubs taught me a lot about interacting with an audience. At a wedding,music ,or my performance, was not the focus. The focus was the bride and groom. It taught me to put people first and use music to serve them. I actually loved being a wedding singer.”

For 2 years, Paul taught English, Literature, History and Religion at a private school in Melbourne. This was one of the schools Paul had visited during the compulsory student teaching component of his Bachelor of Education. After not being able to get Paul on the telephone, the headmaster of the school actually knocked on Paul’s front door in an attempt to find him and offer him the job. On the weekends Paul would still perform all around town and he was in a season of serious songwriting that would result in his first fully-fledged solo recording.

‘the band thing’ was recorded between 1996-1997 and was Paul’s first solo album. It was an eclectic recording that really showed a myriad of influences. The album was recorded and produced by David Carr at Rangemaster Studios in Melbourne. Paul once again used Erik Chess on drums and himself or David Carr played most of the other instruments. Phil Gaudion, who later went on to be the drummer of the Paul Colman Trio, performed two of the drum tracks. ‘the band thing’ sold a modest 5,000 copies and at the album launch at The Royal Derby hotel about 20 of Paul’s students from school tried to get in but due to their age had to settle for listening outside the venue. The pub was packed with fans and friends and the night was a huge success.

A few of the songs that didn’t make the band thing’s final list were included on a bonus EP sold with the first 1000 copies of the record. This EP was later separated and sold as the “Life is Where you Are’” EP and is now discontinued.
One voice – One guitar (1998 – present)

After ‘the band thing’, Paul went searching for a sound that was truly his. After some life-changing advice from record executive John Durr of Black Market Music/Records, Paul went right back to basics and started with just his voice and guitar. He was still writing constantly and performing now full time after leaving teaching at the end of 1997. The songs from ‘one voice – one guitar’ literally came out of these live shows and Paul writing songs that he could sing a alongside the covers he was performing. The songs on this record are so strong that Paul still performs a number of them as a regular part of his live set. Some of the were also re-recorded with the Paul Colman Trio and one of his most popular songs from the album, ‘Run’, went on to sit at number 1 on the US Gospel charts for 11 weeks and help earn a Dove award and a Grammy nomination.

The ‘one voice – one guitar’ idea and title became Paul’s very own brand that defined this particular style of performance. Its success was in its limitations. “When you are alone on stage with just a microphone and a guitar, the limitations are really the freedom. It forces you to find things in your performance that you don’t need in a band as you have nobody but the audience to rely on for interaction.” Paul certainly began to sharpen his ‘audience interaction’ skills during this period of his career. Actually he became know for it. Most Paul Colman fans would agree that Paul’s skills with an audience are the main reason he is different from other performers.

Paul traveled through Australasia and the US extensively from May 1998 to Dec 2000 performing in the one voice-one guitar format. As the Paul Colman Trio grew in popularity, Paul was still in demand as a solo performer. He did 11 solo tours of the US during this period and as part of his travels in the America would visit Nashville, TN where he began to develop relationships with writers, producers, musicians, managers and record company executives in the gospel music industry. Paul became close friends with Peter Furler, the co-founder and creative force behind the newsboys, and this relationship would become a pivotal one for Paul both personally and professionally. Paul did two “one voice-one guitar’ national Australian and New Zealand tours as well during this period. He performed at Australia’s Parliament House for government and international leaders 4 times as well as a host of conferences, corporate and private events. He was a regular performer at clubs/bars/restaurants at the beach in the summer and at snow resorts in winter. He headlined many church events and became one of the first performers in Australia to sing/speak at all denominations and expressions of faith. All of this momentum was to be the fuel behind the explosion of the Paul Colman Trio.

The Paul Colman Trio (1998-2004)

Paul embarked on a 51 date solo tour of the USA and the Philippines in Sept 1998. He decided to take friend and drummer/producer Phil Gaudion with him. Phil simply brought a shaker a set of brushes and a snare drum There was little time for rehearsal “we can rehearse as we perform” Paul suggested. Phil became an expert and accompanying Paul on vocals and percussion and the tour was a roaring success. They played all across America at churches, colleges, high schools, coffee houses and bars (including the famous Bitter End on Bleaker Street in New York). The tour finished with 17 shows in 10 days in Manila, Philippines on the way home. Paul commented, “Phil and I were great together both as friends and performers. He became amazing at fitting into and adding to what I did. We developed so many little quirky, funny, entertaining moments and I think the whole experience taught me a lot about collaboration and really helped Phil come out of his shell a lot too.”

When Paul and Phil returned back to Australia they called on long time friend Grant Norsworthy to join them on bass. To preserve the essence of the sound that they had created, the idea came up to use acoustic bass rather than electric. Whereas a lot of band broke down to an acoustic lineup for a handful of songs, the Trio decided to make this ‘their’ sound. In Australia, the current music trend was still the sound of grunge. It was all about walls of guitars, gravelly angst- ridden vocals and an almost anti-performance stage ‘cred’. When the Paul Colman Trio stepped onto the scene therefore in early Dec 1998 they were a fresh sound. They also had a swell of momentum from Paul’s solo work, a definite on stage chemistry and Paul was supported by two thoroughly professional, passionate and skillful musicians who each brought a lot to the table. Norsworthy was a very versatile bass player with a strong voice and a great sense of humor. Gaudion was a brilliant drummer with a wonderfully unaffected coy stage personality. Grant and Phil jumped on many of the classic Colman interactions and added to them. The Trio was a super interactive, professional and yet ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ performance experience. Their debut recording, the aptly titled ‘Serious Fun’, was a landmark recording in the Australia Gospel industry. It contained wonderful songs and the performance was fresh and exciting.
The trio toured heavily in Australia and New Zealand between 1999-2001. They followed ‘Serious Fun’ with the more electric and serious ‘Turn’ and two live albums. These albums ‘electric’ and ‘acoustic’ reflected the two now distinct styles the Trio expressed. Due to the demand of playing to large crowds and in large arenas, Paul, Grant and Phil performed also electrically and acoustically. The electric performances were mostly enhanced with the use of an additional guitarist and often a keyboard player. The band almost exclusively featured Adam Lester on electric guitar and Derek Bailey on keyboards. The Trio’s friend and expert sound technician, David Jacques, was also instrumental in the bands live sound.

In 2001 The Paul Colman Trio toured the USA for the first time as Paul used his contacts from solo efforts to keep the band busy for a 6 week tour that climaxed with a weekend in San Hose, CA with the band opening for P.O.D and Third Day. The band showcased for various record labels on a two day visit to Nashville but nothing came directly from these performances.

A support slot with Third Day on their national Australia Tour proved to be a turning point for the band as Third Day, after being impressed with the Trio, invited them to open for the ‘Come Together’ tour of the US in 2002. The Trio happily accepted their invitation and spent 2001 preparing to move to the USA indefinitely. Paul flew to Nashville in August of 2001 and secured the band a record deal with Essential Records (then home of Third Day and Jars of Clay) and the services of renowned producer Monroe Jones (U2, Chris Rice, Third Day)

In October 2001, just week after the September 11 terrorist strikes against the US, the Trio flew to Nashville to commence work on their first international and record label release. In 6 weeks and at The Bennett House in downtown Franklin, TN the Trio recorded ‘new map of the world’ to critical acclaim. The following February the band and wives and children flew back the USA and began the year-long tour with Third Day, which eventually took in over 100 cities.

The masses took notice; propelling pc3’s singles ‘Turn’ and ‘Run’ to No. 1 and ‘Fill my Cup to Top 5, turning out in droves for its tour appearances with label mates Third Day and FFH. The music industry responded as well, with Radio & Records magazine naming the band to its annual Top 10 Breakthrough Artists, the Recording Academy bestowing a Grammy nomination for best Pop/Contemporary Album, and Gospel Music Association honoring Paul Colman Trio as New Artist of the Year at the 2003 Dove Awards.

Just 9 months after receiving the Dove Award, the Paul Colman Trio disbanded after triumphal tours of the US, Europe and a national sell out tour of Australia (Feb 2004). The band cited pressures of traveling on families and finances as the reasons for splitting but on their website left the door open for a possible future reunion. It had been a wonderful 5 years with so many amazing memories, great music and performances. Fans were understanding but disappointed as the Trio had won the audiences and music industry personnel all over the world. Grant stayed in the USA and joined ‘sonicflood’ as their new bassist and Phil traveled back to Australia to engineer and produce records. Paul stayed in Nashville, left Essential Records and signed as a solo artist with inpop Records (EMI). He began touring the US and Europe as a solo artist and began recording his fourth international solo record.

Let it Go (2004-2006)

Paul began writing for his solo record in the spring of 2004. He retreated to a snowed-in cabin in the middle of a California’s Yosemite National Park in January and sat and wrote, read and prayed on his own for 5 days with no telephone or TV. The first song written for the album was ‘Sweet River’. It depicts a struggle in the supernatural realm and a cry out for the Almighty to release and rescue from the evil voices of accusation and fear. All the songs that made the final list are a deep expression of faith and reflect a very profound soul searching season. “When I took stock of everything I had been doing, I looked at all the doors I’d been through and couldn’t determine which ones I’d broken down and which ones had been opened. I just didn’t know,” Paul shared. “I felt like that still quiet voice in my heart was saying, ‘Let it go. Be who you truly are. Stop being driven, controlling and fearful. I discovered I needed to slow down and listen for that voice instead of just my own,” he says. Colman drew into his family and his Creator, and there he found the inspiration for Let It Go.

Paul’s song craft on the record was sharpened through a rich collaborative process with other songwriters including producer Cash, Randall Waller (Shania Twain), Newsboy’s front man Peter Furler, Reuben Morgan (Hillsong) and Jason Ingram (Rebecca St. James, Point of Grace, Salvador, Building 429, Joy Williams and Bebo Norman).

Gloria (all God’s children) was the first single and it went top 30 in the USA. In Australia the single spent a record 3 months at number and won ‘song of the year’ for being the most played song of 2005 on Australian Christian radio.

Let if Go’s second single ‘the one thing’ stayed in the US top 20 for nearly a year and won Paul a songwriters awards from ASCAP as well as one for the achievement of over 20,000 plays/spins on US radio. The song really connected with people and has become one of Paul’s most requested.

The albums’ third single. ‘Holding onto you’, also received a great reception at radio and has been used heavily in churches for corporate worship. Paul wrote the song in his hotel room in Copenhagen, Denmark on a European Tour. “I was alone and desperate for some changes in my heart. At that moment I realized two major things. One, I felt I had never really completely trusted God with my life and two He was completely worth trusting. ‘Holding onto you’ is special to me as it really documents that moment for me. Ed Cash made me sing it at the top of my range too, which I think added to its sense of urgency.

‘Let it Go’ was produced by Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Matt Wertz, Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman,Bebo Norman and Bethany Dillon) and Vince Emmett (Rebecca St. James, Phil Keaggy, Ginny Owens).

Paul toured the record heavily throughout the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 2005 and many of the songs from ‘Let it Go’ are still in his current live set list. At one stage he had bands in Australia, the US, Germany and the Czech Republic that he used to tour. Towards the end of the though, after nearly a decade of touring a recording his own music, Paul was seeking a change of scenery in terms of his musical career. “I felt like somehow I had come to end of something. I really needed some space from my own music for a while. This seemed kind of crazy to some people and especially some of my fans. On one had I felt I was writing and performing better than ever but deeper I felt I had to take a step back and face some personal stuff that in the end is way more important. A gift is one thing but even issues of character are more important. What I cold not figure out was how I was going to somehow stay in music and yet take a break from me. It sounds corny but I just prayed and trusted God.” In November and quite out of the blue Paul got a call from long time mate and collaborator Peter Furler asking him to join the newsboys as their new guitarist.

The Newsboys (Nov 05-Dec 08)

Paul accepted the invitation to join the Newsboys and promptly began learning the set list and programming sounds for a tour that started Jan 13 of 2006. For the moment, Paul shelved his own music and threw himself headlong into the band.

In 2006 the newsboys toured the USA as well as Australia, Canada, Africa, Finland, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Singapore and China among others. Paul reflects, “It was a wonderful year. I fully embraced my new role as guitarist and backing singer in the band. I bought some awesome guitars, built a great guitar rig and hardly played the acoustic all year! More importantly though, I got a chance to step back from me for a while and serve something I did not start, own or control! I also learnt a very different musical skill set. The guys were awesome and the whole newsboys experience was wonderful: Great songs, great shows and great people.”

The Newsboys recorded their 14th studio album and Paul’s first with the band during 2006. Paul played guitar on the record and sang backing vocals but more importantly contributed to the songwriting. The most important collaboration was on the band’s hit single ‘Something Beautiful’ that Paul co-wrote with Peter Furler. The song became the bands biggest hit for a number of years and recently became the 2nd most downloaded newsboys song. 2007/8 saw the GO album and tour of the same name propelling the band once again to sell-out crowds and huge record sales. The GO tour visited 85 cities across the USA and in the fall of 2008 the Newsboys released GO LIVE: a CD and DVD documentation of the tour. Paul performed 284 shows in 17 different countries with the band and departed in Dec 2008 on excellent terms.

New solo album (2009)

During 2007, Paul spent some time in the studio recording. For the first time in his career he took a break from recording his own music and recorded some of his favorite ‘faith inspired’ cover tunes. Three of these songs can be purchased on HISTORY released Jan 27. This album is a Paul Colman ‘best of’ collection and currently available in stores, on order via the web or at Paul’s live shows. IF I WAS JESUS is a digital only EP released as well on Jan 27 on itunes and features five of the cover songs Paul recorded including the three on HISTORY.

So why record a bunch of cover songs? Paul tell us that, “halfway through 2007 I felt good about beginning to record another solo record. It had taken quite a long time because I have only been able to being the studio about 4 days a month. I started making a very intense singer/songwriter album and had lots of very cool new songs. After a month or so though it just didn’t feel like the right time to make this kind of record. So I changed directions and began recording songs from other artists. It actually was very freeing to do so! I focused my creative efforts on singing/playing and arranging. These are 10 truly great songs. I can say that because I didn’t write any of them J”

The second digital EP with the other five songs will be released sometime later this year.

At its very essence worship is an invitation. Whether it’s a church congregation on a Sunday morning or a solitary soul reaching up to God in a moment of personal praise, worship is inviting God’s presence into our lives so we can celebrate His glory. That’s why “The Invitation” is such a fitting title for singer/songwriter Meredith Andrews debut on Word Records.

Beneath her youthful exterior and fresh-faced exuberance, Andrews is a focused artist who knows exactly what she wants to say. She creates music that serves as a personal conduit for those seeking to worship God, and she also wants to remind others of God’s desire to reach them. “God is extending an invitation to you, to you personally, calling you by name,” she says. “He knows where you’ve been and he knows your background. He knows your family situation. He knows the things you struggle with, but he’s calling you by name and he’s inviting you to come in and to meet with him and to know him.”

Andrews shares that theme on her debut album with a well-crafted set of songs that are musically inventive and lyrically challenging. It’s a potent combination that is garnering Andrews enthusiastic support. Even before “The Invitation” hit store shelves, Andrews was tapped to open Aaron Shust’s spring tour. In Billboard magazine’s yearly “Faces to Watch” feature, she was singled out as Christian music’s most promising new artist.

Andrews felt the call into music ministry very early in life. Growing up in Wilson, NC, she started singing in church when she was only six-years-old. “I remember the first song I ever sang in church was ‘I Love You Lord,’” she recalls. “Then me and my mom would go around to other churches in our area and sing Southern Gospel music.”

Andrews’ childhood love of music matured into a desire to lead worship. She learned to play piano, began writing songs and during her high school years, she began leading worship at her church. On Saturday nights, young people from all over the area would converge. “That youth group thing we had on Saturday nights was called the Potters House and it was one of the most influential things in my life,” she says. “I learned what it really means to worship the Lord. I’ll never forget that time in my life. It was just so powerful. All the kids that would come were just so hungry for the Lord and we would worship for an hour and then my youth pastor would speak and then we’d worship for another hour or more. I remember there would be nights that the power of the Lord was so strong that I’d be under my keyboard playing because I just couldn’t stand. I couldn’t stand anymore, just being so humbled and in the presence of the Lord. It was powerful and I will never forget that.”

Andrews attended Liberty University where she majored in family and child development, and planned on working in an orphanage after graduation. She was born an only child, but her parents provided homes for many foster children. “We had about 20 kids come through our home in a period of about 10 years,” she recalls. “We ended up adopting three of the boys. They are my brothers now. I forget they are adopted.”

Seeing the impact her parents and their faith had on other children was an inspiration to Meredith and she had planned on a life of service, working to help children. However, during her junior year at Liberty, God revealed His plan for her life. “It was an amazing time of worship,” Andrews says. “Looking out at the student body with their hands in the air, you could tell that the presence of the Lord was so sweet in that place. It was like the Lord just dropped something into my spirit saying ‘This is it. This is it! This is what I called you to do.’ I remember thinking, ‘This is the thing that makes me feel most alive.’ It is also the thing that I feel like the Lord takes the most delight in and I feel closest to him when I’m doing it. That doesn’t necessarily mean being in an arena leading worship, it also means when I’m behind closed doors. Private worship must precede public worship. If what I’m doing on stage isn’t first birthed behind closed doors, then it’s inauthentic. I can’t take people where I haven’t been with the Lord.”

While leading worship at Liberty, a pastor from Chicago’s 12,000 member Harvest Bible Chapel heard her and recruited Andrews to join his worship team. “I went up there in April 2005, which was a month before I graduated from Liberty,” Andrews recalls. “They let me sing with the worship team and I just remember thinking this is a place where I can really grow and that night, they offered me a job.”

Just as God led Andrews to Liberty University then on to Harvest Bible Chapel, he opened doors in Nashville that led her to sign with Word Records. “I wasn’t really looking for a record deal. It just fell in my lap,” says Andrews. “I’m so humbled by it all. It’s obvious that it’s the Lord’s hand and not my own.”

Andrews wrote or co-wrote every song on “The Invitation.” Produced by Jason Ingram, the project not only showcases Andrews’ skills as a songwriter, but her engaging vocals as well. She has a clear, pure voice that draws the listener into her songs and points them to the heavenly father. The opening track, “You Invite Me In,” reminds us all that God’s arms are always open to us. It’s a message that also resonates powerfully on the stunning ballad “You’re Not Alone.”

“Deeper” is another compelling ballad that finds Andrews longing to delve more completely into a relationship with God. In a voice that is hauntingly vulnerable, she shares her heart in a poignant lyric that other believers will readily relate to on an intimate level. It’s that ability to be so transparent in her writing and her delivery of these songs that invites others in.

“When we were in the studio recording, I remember listening to Jacob, my fiancé,’ playing piano on ‘The River’ and there was the element about God inviting us in there in that song as well as ‘Invite Me In’ and ‘Lift Up Your Head.’ That theme runs through all of the songs, but as he was playing this song and I was sitting at this table, all of a sudden it just hit me, ‘The Invitation!’ That’s what the album should be called!”

Though Andrews’ music ministry is poised to impact a national audience with the release of “The Invitation,” she continues serve where she feels God has planted her—leading worship at Harvest Bible Chapel. Additionally, her desire to help underprivileged children has never waned and she’s established Meredith Andrews Ministries to aid orphans and children in need.

Meredith Andrews has seen the impact music can have on people’s lives, but it’s not her agenda she wants to share. Her songs are laced with scripture because of her passion for sharing the word of God. “I never want to write songs just to write songs. I always want them to be about conveying the heart of God to people, whether they are people who walk with the Lord or people who don’t walk with the Lord,” she says. “I think the best way to do that is to do it through His word. I always want my songs to be infused with the word of God because if it’s my words, it’s null and void. What do I have to say to people that is going to change their lives? Nothing! But if it comes from the Lord, it’s that’s what’s going to change them.

“I’m coming back to the heart of worship.” This is how Clay Crosse has described his past few years. “Worship has become who I am and what I do.” How fitting for someone as talented as Clay to turn his time and talents to God with his new project, “Eternity With You: Live Worship.” It all started in 1998 when Clay sat down with his wife Renee to admit to her that he was not walking closely with the Lord. Out of that conversation and months of healing, Clay and Renee both rededicated their lives and homes back to the Lord. “It has been an amazing time of growth for us. We have seen God’s hand leading us the whole way.” It may appear that Clay had put away his music, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. During the past few years, Clay has remained busy traveling on the road as well as being part of the critically acclaimed projects, “David, Ordinary Man, Extraordinary God” and “Lullaby’s” (Discovery House). Clay and Renee have also spent the past year writing their yet to be titled book which will tell their story and give practical ways for readers to grow closer in their walk with God. The book will release next summer on Navpress. And if this weren’t enough, Clay has spent the past two years leading worship at The Love Of Christ Community Church (TLC) in Memphis, TN. “This truly has been the highlight of my ministry. I used to view myself as an entertainer. Then God changed my heart. He gave me an assignment that has brought more purpose than ever before. I am thankful everyday to be a part of leading the local body.” Now Clay is ready to open more doors. “Eternity With You” is Clay’s first live project and was recorded at the historic Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN. “We had a blast recording this CD, but the best part was being able to worship with my home church friends as we made this live project.” Worship is exactly what you will find throughout this CD. From the opening, “We Will Dance” to the passionate “Our Great God”, this record is full of moving moments that will lead you into a state of worship. “Most of my fans will see this as a departure from classic Clay Crosse. In some ways it is, worship is the center of who I am. I felt it appropriate to make my next CD one of worship. There will be more Clay Crosse Cds in the future.” Well, it may not be the power ballads that put Clay on the map, but it is definitely classic Clay Crosse style. His matchless vocals flow throughout the entire record. Moments like “Here I Am to Worship” make the listener want to press the repeat button and engage in non-stop worship. The title cut, “Eternity With You”, penned by Crosse, showcases that bluesy voice fans love and adore. “I can’t wait for people to hear this new CD, to read the book, and see the DVD…mostly I want them to hear my testimony, to understand my heart and be drawn closer to our Father. That is why I keep doing what I love to do.”

She’d always been an old soul.

From her recording debut at age 14, Bethany Dillon was one of those rare young singer/songwriters who did not fit the status quo. Her songs possessed a lyrical depth that belied her age. Her carriage, sense of composure and way of looking at the world revealed a certain maturity, disarming for one so young.

So it almost seems a given, seven years later, that 21-year-old Bethany Dillon—now married and living in Dallas with her husband, Shane Barnard (Shane & Shane)—would be officially grown up.

That she has something even more complete and compelling to say is a given, too. Major life moments have a way of doing that to anyone.

“The last year has been the sweetest year of my 21…” Bethany says, “There are so many layers to it, and I don’t always feel like a grown up, but it’s been a really sweet time of learning. I can see the grace of God in it. So much has come to the surface.”

Stop & Listen, Bethany’s fourth release on Sparrow Records, reveals a young woman coming to terms with God’s grace in a new season of becoming.

“This record is probably the most confessional record I’ve ever made,” Bethany says. “These songs feel a little more raw to me than usual. It’s probably just true the more life goes on, the more aware you are of your failures and struggles. And with that, in a believer’s life comes—odd as it is—a deeper joy.”

Produced by Marshall Altman (Brooke Frasier, Warren Barfield), a Los Angeles-based producer who persistently sought Bethany out after hearing her acoustic EP, Stop & Listen is a call to peace in the middle of life expectations and the day-to-day chaos that all too often takes over.

“Most of the songs are about the not-so-simple ideas of stopping, listening and waiting,” Bethany explains.

The title track—which she co-wrote with Joy Williams and Ben Glover—sets the tone. “I’m a to-do list person,” Bethany adds, “but I’m still called to know God and have an intimacy with Him, even in busy seasons. That Bible story of Mary and Martha has always bothered me. There’s Martha working so hard to get everything right and Mary sitting at Jesus feet. And Martha, in all her frustration, saying ‘Don’t you care that I’m doing all this?’ And Jesus replying, ‘You’re anxious about a lot of things, but Mary has chosen the one thing necessary…’ That’s such a hard thing for anybody to hear. That haunting call of the Lord… When I see Him face to face, I want to know Him. I’m called to know Him.”

“The Way I Come To You,” perhaps as much as any song on the CD, reflects this singer/songwriter’s spiritual journey as of late: “I love being married to Shane for lots of reasons—one being, how much I’ve learned about loving Jesus from him. He is constantly talking about the glory of God in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The more time I spend with him, the more I’m hit with the reality… the forgiveness and reconciliation found in Jesus is staggering. The freedom that we who are in Christ have is ETERNAL!”

“Get Up and Walk,” a song inspired by stories of healing throughout the New Testament, is a powerful reminder that God still restores the broken: “The promises in the Bible that grip me the most are the ones of contrast,” Bethany explains, “turning ashes into beauty, heaviness into a garment of praise, being transferred from the domain of darkness to the Kingdom of light. The words of Jesus ring true today, that he (or she) who’s forgiven much, loves much…. I’ve been forgiven of much; I was deaf, blind, and completely lost. But He broke through my deafness, and has forgiven me of much, and I can’t help but love Him much in return.”

“Reach Out,” continues the thread, inspired by an outcast woman in the Gospels (Mark 5; Luke 8). “What’s so moving about her story for me is her abandon,” Bethany says. “She had reached this point, this depth of need, that she was willing to risk her life to get healed by this man named Jesus. Her urgency is tangible on those pages—she couldn’t reveal her presence there, so she pushed her way through until she could just touch [Him],

…she took advantage of being in Jesus’ presence.” Such a story, she says, begs the question of us: are we desperate enough to have that kind of faith, to pursue Jesus at any cost?

Always one to push herself to write deeper and truer songs, Bethany says Stop & Listen is a big step forward. “I’ve always felt a sense of direction and focus in my writing, even back at age 14 and 15,” she says, “but I think even that has been honed and sharpened. The things I want to write about, the desire to tell a complete story, I think that’s really fresh.” The result on this record, she says, has been in being able to push through the anxiety that plagues the process and instead, relax and stretch.

Longtime producer and co-writer, Ed Cash collaborated with Bethany on two songs, including the first single, “Everyone To Know,” a simple, carefree song that sticks with you, long after the track is over.

I want everyone to know, everyone to know I wanna tell the world about your love

“We wrote it in two hours… very simple, played the melody on the piano, and I was so drawn to it,” Bethany says. “It’s about how my life is so different, what I thought was freedom wasn’t… I remember chasing after things that didn’t satisfy me, and how now, being in a simple place, learning how to depend on God, I can finally see how much freedom there is. This song seemed like such a divine appointment, a reminder that the love of God in Jesus is so satisfying. Honestly, its one of the first singles I’ve felt really connected to.”

Sonically, Stop & Listen takes a decidedly different turn as well, not completely removing Bethany from the acoustic pop space she’s settled into, but giving her songs the layered, detailed attention they deserve. “Production-wise, a lot is going on,” she says. “But Marshall was really drawn toward the songs more than production, so there isn’t much in the way of huge dynamics—ear candy, strings, etc.—but rather simple, five or six instruments playing on a song. The players were so good, they spoke the same vocabulary to each other, and they really listened to the lyrics.”

“You hear every word to every song, and nothing gets in the way of the lyric. The sound is beautiful and honest and simply produced…more like a piece of art. That’s what I was pining for, to make a record that was more artful, more singer/songwriter than pop/folky….”

Her desire was to nurture her music, like her life, to a whole new place. To be intentional with every step. To stop and listen to what’s been growing in her soul and give it a life of its own.

And inspired by grace in this new season of becoming, so she has.

You get up. You eat breakfast (or not). You go to work. You eat lunch. You come home. You have dinner. You go to bed. For most, the routine leaves little time for anything else. The results are usually shallow relationships with our friends, families, and our Maker. But, when your head hits the pillow at the end of the day, do you ever question if you’ve made the wrong things important?

North Carolina-born singer/songwriter Warren Barfield is on a mission to make the truly important things important again in his life. Things like faith, love, marriage, children, truth, and with his songs, he challenges us all to do the same. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” Warren has found those things in his faith, his wife, and his belief in love. “These are the things I would die for; things I will wake up every morning and spend my day fighting for.”

Worth Fighting For, Barfield’s third record out May 20, 2008 on Essential Records, expresses a vulnerability and passion born out of the realization of how much life passes by without intentionally living, how little we invest in those we love, and how often we settle for the status quo.

Produced by Charlie Peacock (Switchfoot, Nichole Nordeman); Mark A. Miller (Casting Crowns); and Jason Ingram and Rusty Varenkamp (Bebo Norman, Rush of Fools), Worth Fighting For marks a decided return to Barfield’s own creative instincts. “There was a huge difference between the first and second records,” he says, “but this one meets in the middle. My life is so much different than it was a year ago, and I’ve got something important to say, so I wanted to clothe these songs in a way that will carry the message to the people who take time out of their lives to come see my shows. That’s what we set out to do, musically.”

The result is a project that is both sonically progressive, yet completely accessible…truly reflective of the artist—and the man—Barfield is today.

“The most unique thing about Warren is his voice. All of the songs and the production are meant to highlight his unique gift,” shares producer Charlie Peacock. “Warren is gracefully human as a person and an artist, with a heart bent toward Jesus.”

Producer Mark A. Miller agrees, “Warren is not only a great artist, but a great writer, with a very cool, distinct voice and great overall style.”

The songs of Worth Fighting For draw a bead on the sanctity and sacrifice of relationships—the encouragement, prayer, the listening and the commitment we make to those we love, to those we choose to ‘do life’ with. “True Christianity is about being Christ to others,” Barfield says of the theme of the record. “If we really believe in the whole thing, if we really believe He came all that distance and gave His life because He loved us, it’d change the way we love each other. That kind of love really could change the world.”

Love is not a place
To come and go as we please
It’s a house we enter in and then commit to never leave
So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
We’ll work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees…

Love is not a fight, but it’s something worth fighting for…

The epicenter of the album is the first radio single, “Love is Not a Fight,” a powerful song about the lengths we should be willing to go to for those we love. Already eliciting emotional responses from those who’ve heard it, “Love is Not a Fight” was born out of Barfield’s own personal awakening.

“My wife is my best friend, who I love dearly, and she loves me,” he says. “But isn’t it fascinating that two people who love each other so much can cut one another so deeply? When you let issues build up in a marriage, the smallest thing can trigger a war, and pretty soon you can lose sight of your love and commitment to one another. We had a night where something as trivial as spilled pretzels forced into the open things we had left unsaid. Once everything had calmed down, I wrote this song. In that moment, I fully realized my duty, as my wife’s husband, was to wrap my arms around her. To love her more than my pride, more than my desire to be ‘right,’ and to find a way to move through life’s good and bad times together. That will be a struggle at times, but love is worth the fight.”

For those who have lost or feel they’re losing the battle in relationships and in life, the poignant ballad “Drop The World” is a prayer for comfort and healing. “We’ve been taught our whole lives that God holds the whole world in His hands,” Barfield explains. “There’s an epidemic of brokenness in our world, people hurting so much, they need someone to drop everything and hold them. My heart is broken for people whose marriages have ended, people who’ve lost people they love, and I believe Christ is broken for them. He knows our deepest secrets and loves us anyway. We don’t have to hide our pain from Him.”

Without an ounce of judgment, Worth Fighting For strikes a delicate balance between hope and hurting, between love and loss, infused with a heavy dose of encouragement and grace. Songs like “God Believes In You,” “The One Thing” and “Say It With Your Life” reinforce Barfield’s confidence in God’s passion for His children. “We can run away from our problems, our fears; we can run out of money, run out of hope, but the one thing I can’t run out of is God’s love,” Barfield says of “The One Thing.” “He’s always there watching, waiting for us to let Him love us. When everyone and everything runs away, God is running to us.”

These are the lessons that cannot be imparted by parents or college professors. These are truths learned in the trenches, carved out on the journey, forged in fires of failure and forgiveness. Truths only time and experience can teach.

Worth Fighting For sings with conviction these ongoing, perpetual truths, underscored by the power and honesty of Barfield’s lyrics and the rich complexity of his musical palate to deliver his richest, most personal recording to date.

Best known for their hook infused pop-rock sound and refreshing lyrics, Fervent Records’ Dove Award-winning band By The Tree released their highly anticipated fifth album entitled World On Fire on September 26th. Following the success of the group’s previous album, Hold You High, which featured the No. 1 radio hit “Beautiful One,” World On Fire showcases By The Tree’s signature style and delivers the band’s most mature work to date. Produced by Dwayne Larring (formerly of SONICFLooD), the album lyrically centers on the need for God and allowing His light and love to radiate through people to share with the world. “The past year and a half has been a time of growth for us,” shares Aaron Blanton, lead singer for By The Tree. “We have seen God build, protect, restore and cover us. With the release of World On Fire, there is a coming message of desperation: The need for God.” The first single and title track from World On Fire released to radio on July 14th and the music video for their first single was released in August. At the retail level, the enhanced CD includes features such as a guitar instructional video, the “World On Fire” music video as well as B-roll footage of the band in the studio.