Fusing the instant accessibility of pure pop/rock with an unrelenting indie rock work ethic, Article One refuses to acknowledge the rift between art and faith. Neither do they succumb to the myth that intellectual honesty must be dumbed down to appeal to a mass audience. Instead, the Ontario, Canada-based foursome eschewed any formulaic, by-the-numbers notion of what works and what doesn’t. Embracing a broader musical palate, Article One spent seven months honing each of the fourteen songs that would coalesce into its highly anticipated sophomore project, Colors and Sounds.

The writing process, facilitated by super-producer Tedd T (Mute Math, newsboys), was grueling, but fruitful. “Tedd brought us to a whole new level of professionalism,” explains Nathan Piché, the band’s guitarist, pianist, and primary songwriter. “He pays so much attention to the details. We asked him to push us on every aspect of our songwriting and performance, and push he did.”

The band pushed too – sometimes for ten drafts; sometimes for twenty, only satisfied with ‘perfect.’ “Looking back, it was an awesome, though at times very frustrating, experience,” Nathan says. “I think we are all big perfectionists,” Matt Piché, Article One’s eclectic violinist adds. “But Tedd taught us more than perfection; he taught us perspective.”

Where other bands yield to the sophomore slump, Article One has ratcheted up the intensity and delivered an ear-catching collection of fourteen innovative pop/rock songs. Colors and Sounds sports a grittier edge than the band’s previous project. From the torrent of guitars and horns that launch “Without You (I’m Not Alright),” to the massive violin orchestration on, “Never Too Late To Call,” Article One surges with electricity. You can hear it in the unrelenting drums of “Taken By The Storm,” the bold bass riffs on “Colors and Sounds,” and quiet introspection of worship tune, “Above All Else.”

Colors and Sounds is also marked by the band’s undeniably hooky melodies and the unabashed passion that brought Article One this far. Anyone who has witnessed Article One’s exhilarating live show – which was birthed in rec halls and perfected on high-profile stages across the U.S. – will appreciate the drive of Colors and Sounds.

“Our first record was very straightforward pop/rock. The sound was very clean,” Nathan explains. “Our goal for Colors and Sounds was to keep the pop/rock accessibility of the first record, while adding more artistic elements, such as an emphasis on Matt’s violin because it is so unique. More than just a collection of songs, this record has a lot of cool moments and textures.”

Article One is equally proud of the lyrical content on Colors and Sounds. “When you write a song, you write what you know,” declares bassist Mark Laidman. “These songs are about life – ours, and the lives of people around us.”

“Colors and Sounds is not a concept album, but it does seem to revolve around the theme of purpose,” says Piché. “This project was really birthed from personal experience, and while the message is very clear, I think it is as accessible to non-believers as it is to believers. That was important to us.”

“We have lived with these songs for the past seven months,” Matt adds. “I can honestly say that every song is strong and together they make a great album. In a day when people tend to buy only singles, this project brings back the validity of purchasing an entire record. It’s solid from start to finish.”

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After Edmund are a band. Shocking, I know. More on the “is vs. are” argument later. We released our national debut album entitled Hello on Slanted Records (released 2/26/08). We are quite happy to be a signed band. After all, that’s what so many people dream of being. With this said, I assure you that there’s a lot more to life than a signature licensing the collective creativity of five guys. You see, all of us, known as the singular entity After Edmund, think music, creativity, work, play, marriage, school, birth, life, and death are just part of our having a relationship with our Creator. Everything we do is ultimately to show love for/to God. (That’s Jesus the Jewish rabbi from 0 A.D. for those of you keeping score). All of our lives have been radically changed by the guy we pray to. Naturally, this affects everything we do. And that’s a good thing. We don’t necessarily condone the actions of everyone who calls themselves Christians. A lot of what people do in the name of Christ has nothing to do with Jesus or what he calls us to do. And that makes Jesus look bad. We don’t want to be those kind of people. Loving Jesus is all about receiving God’s gift of grace and freedom and genuinely caring for and sharing Christ’s good news with everyone around us. If you have questions about this stuff, feel free to ask us about it. You can send us a myspace message and we will get with you asap.

More about the band: We’re just a bunch of goofballs. We really don’t take ourselves or much of anything seriously. For examples of this checkout our video blogs at youtube.com/afteredmund … we also think it’s hilarious to provoke random people into an argument on the plurality of the band name After Edmund. This is the famed is vs. are I spoke of earlier. If you don’t care then you’re with us, but you’d be surprised how many people have strong feelings on the subject. And if you ask us how long we’ve been together and we answer in some ridiculous number of months, don’t be alarmed. Just divide by 12 to get it in an intelligible format. Oh, and we’re considering taking stage names and we’re open to suggestions. Just send us a message. Right now we’re thinking: Newton’s Nemesis, Mr. DJ Icedream, Big Dragon, they call me Hawkeye, and Brittlenickel. (The preceding idea is actually just a test to see if anyone reads this thing).

More about our music: We write and record music that we think you’ll like. We don’t strive to sound like anyone or any genre (though some people will strongly disagree with both the former and latter statements). You are free to pigeon hole us however you like, but we think the best description of our music can be found by clicking the play button on this page. We encourage you to tell your friends whatever’s necessary get them to go buy our music. Even if you need to do personal favors for them like mow their grass or baby-sit their children, it is but a little sacrifice to encourage such good behavior. And we appreciate it.

If you’re still reading this then I apologize for being long winded, and I hope you find something more productive to do with the next 10 minutes of your life. If you skipped to the end without reading the whole write up then do yourself a favor and stop skipping to the end of novels to find out what happens. It can’t be healthy, and you know they’re going to start asking if you exhibit that type of behavior in those psychoanalysis questions on wal-mart job applications. I hope you enjoy letting us into your world. We’re glad to be here. Please come sing hello, hello to us at a show sometime. It’ll be good to have you close.
Enjoy your day,
The After Edmunds

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The Prayer Chain was one of the best “christian” alternative rock bands of the 1990’s, leading influences for a lot of modern bands. Their first album was recorded with Steve “Skinny” Hindalong at Neverland and was entitled The Neverland Sessions. This was their first release, independent. After signing to Reunion Records they put out The Whirlpool Ep and started touring, while focusing on their first LP Shawl released in 1993. After extensive national and international shows they started working on their soon to be masterpiece Mercury, which was released in 1995. This album, which some say “you can hear the band breakup as the cd is played” was their last cd, not to mention some rarities following. The band did a reunion show in Chicago in 1998 then the Gene Eugene tribute show in 2000, but other than some local california shows and their 2003 reunion show at Cornerstone, they are finished. Here are what the band members are doing now: Tim Taber – Owner of Floodgate Records Eric Campuzano – Plays with The Lassie Foundation and made a solo projet of drones entitled Charity Empressa. Also plays bass with Cush. Played with Starflyer 59. Andy Prickett – Plays with Cush and does extensive recording/producing/engineering. Has also played with Starflyer 59, The Violet Burning, My Brother’s Mother, and others. Wayne Everett – Started playing guitar and started The Lassie Foundation. Played in Starflyer 59 and Cush. Has done some producing also.

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Anyone who’s ever listened to a pop song is far too familiar with the idea that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. But is the converse true? Do you not know what you need until you have it?

Todd Agnew, an artist who has long challenged listeners to ask better questions, has found at least some of his needs fulfilled as of late: the need for companionship, family, roots and direction.

But that doesn’t mean Todd finds himself in a place of creative complacency, either. Needs met in one area frequently point out deficiencies in others, and Agnew has never been one afraid of the microscope when it comes to looking at his own life.

“The perfect version of me still has a deep need for God,” Agnew says. “It’s the ongoing conversation we have with God: ‘you’re supposed to need me from the beginning. Need is not a bad thing; it’s something that ties this relationship together the correct way of me being God and you not.’ You really have to learn that and think ‘that’s what I was made, how I was designed.’ And that’s how this music was designed, as well.”

In short, Todd Agnew is taking care of his artistic need through NEED, his fourth album for Ardent Records/INO.
 
“It was a pretty big life change all of a sudden,” Todd says of his return to his home state of Texas, his recent marriage and becoming a stepfather. “I think I closed on my house on a Thursday and got married on a Saturday. I went from ‘single musician guy with no responsibilities’ to ‘homeowner, husband, father of two’ in 48 hours.”

For anyone, those kinds of changes could cause a whiplash effect. For a man with an admittedly critical artist’s eye, Todd’s new life opened up a brand new set of observations.

“It’s incredible, but it’s also definitely hard. There’s nothing that can prepare you for that kind of a life change, especially someone like me, who notices every detail of every failure on my part,” Todd says. “Being a husband is one thing, raising two kids is another. You can find yourself thinking, ‘Man, I didn’t do a very good job again today.’”

The presence of his wife and the kids has obviously served Todd’s need for balance in his personal life, but the veteran singer-songwriter has found an unexpected carryover into his professional existence as well. “I’ve always been kind of the hammer – walk in, speak the truth, blow up the town, walk off and let all the pastors apply that truth or pick up the pieces. Now I’m having very similar things in my marriage and in my life, where I’m definitely someone who sees the truth that needs to be spoken, but I’m watching my wife who always see the love that needs to be shared.”

It is things such as these new roles and relationships that have caused Todd to pen songs such as “Joy Unspeakable,” the first single off of NEED. “I got married in Feb. of 2008, so there was a great deal of joy added to my life through this amazing gift God had given me,” says Agnew. “Now, being over a year into it, I know that it’s not all easy and fun; some of life is still quite difficult.  But what I have found is that joy runs through it all, and that is God’s plan for His bride as well.  The strength, the comfort and the joy that comes from our relationship with Him is ever present, even in our troubled times.  That is a joy that I do not have words to describe.”

The song – “Written On The Wall” – typifies a quest Todd never even realized he was on during the making of NEED. “It comes from a place of saying ‘I don’t understand all this stuff.’ I want to follow, I want to do what he wants me to do, if only he’d make it a little more obvious,” Todd admits.
 
Another area Todd Agnew the musician fends his needs met is the musical scope of NEED, which falls right in line with his previous projects, a broad stroke of rootsy music that touches on everything from rock ‘n’ roll to blues to soul to traditional gospel.

But that sort of musical exploration never seems to come easy, especially when trying to balance the needs of the artist with the perceived needs of the marketplace. “This record is definitely the hardest one I’ve worked on so far. It was much more of a struggling process, spread out over more than a year,” Todd says. “Finally I come to the place at the end where God goes, ‘What you need is for me to be active in what you’re doing.’”

And so that struggle – all facets of it – makes its way onto powerful tracks like the bluesy, rollicking “Deep Deep Love” and the stomp-filled “Tell Me The Story,” to the quieter, more contemplative moments found on the loping, strummy “Give Me Jesus” and the hope of “Did You Mean Me?” (with the fantastic yet familiar Sunday school notion of having “met Jesus at the felt board.”)

It’s the latter track, “Did You Mean Me?,” which Todd has had floating around in a notebook for more than a decade, which helped sharpen the focus of the album’s final push toward completion, shaking him and the project from the struggle. “When we were making the record, a friend told me that there’s no Hebrew word for ‘promise,’” Todd says. “God doesn’t need to promise. If he says it, that’s the way it’s going to be. There’s no extra need for reassurance. So the questions we have for God: ‘Does that really apply to me? Did you really promise that to me?’ are sometimes a waste of time and effort. It’s more God saying, ‘This is how it is.’”

As for the first single “Joy Unspeakable,” which is impacting AC, CHR and INSPO formats on Jul. 17, Agnew says, “I got married in Feb. of 2008, so there was a great deal of joy added to my life through this amazing gift God had given me.  Now, being over a year into it, I know that it’s not all easy and fun; some of life is still quite difficult.  But what I have found is that joy runs through it all, and that is God’s plan for His bride as well.  The strength, the comfort and the joy that comes from our relationship with Him is ever present, even in our troubled times.  That is a joy that I do not have words to describe.” To hear the story behind “Joy Unspeakable,” visit http://toddagnew.com/2009/07/01/behind-joy-unspeakable/.
 
So as Todd Agnew’s life morphed in front of him, so did his music, and so did his reactions to the changes that both were going through.

“I thought it was about me needing answers, so I could do God’s work for him. Give me the plan so I can go do this for you. Wanting to understand those things,” Todd says. “But I started to realize that what I thought I needed wasn’t exactly accurate. I really needed to learn to be dependent on God for everything.”

Todd looks up, respectfully asking for one more need to be fulfilled. “And if you’d like to give me some instruction, that would be awesome.”

“One after another, we learn that we have a need to be loved, to be rescued, to be redeemed, to be restored, all these things. Those are the universal needs, and they are all met in Jesus,” he continues. “It’s a matter of trusting God to help me walk through that, even though I don’t know what I’m doing.”

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Following the critical and commercial success of its 2007 debut, Even Heroes Need a Parachute, Ohio rock band This Beautiful Republic returns August 19 with Perceptions, a new ForeFront Records/EMI album that clearly showcases the act’s increasing creative and spiritual strengths.

Lead singer Ben Olin explains, “The title deals with the idea that there are at least two sides to every story. Things inevitably appear different to each individual based on their experiences, predispositions, prejudices, or vantage point. When we understand this—that what we see may not be the whole truth—we arrive where grace and love prevail.”

Perceptions is an effort that decidedly goes to the extremes of modern rock and timeless worship. It was produced by Allen Salmon (MuteMath) and comes in the storied wake of This Beautiful Republic’s first two years of touring together as a major label act. The band shared stages with headliners Sanctus Real and Family Force 5 among others and traveled overseas for shows in the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Ireland and Sweden.

“I think the overall toll that being in a band takes was underestimated by us. Until you’re doing it and seeing how it affects your friendships, relationships, your bank account, your physical health, and your mental health, you can’t really get a true grasp on it,” says Olin. “Yet at the same time, we never knew it would be so good. We’re so proud that we’re being allowed to do what we are doing right now. Perceptions is a huge step for us and a better representation of where we’re at as musicians.”

This Beautiful Republic first made headlines when pioneering EMI-owned Christian rock label ForeFront Records (dc Talk, tobyMac) chose the act as its first new signing in five years. The band’s debut album, Even Heroes Need a Parachute, charted the singles “Jesus to the World” and “Casting Off” and earned glowing reviews. MusicFaith.com called TBR “my vote for New Artist of 2007” while Christianity Today compared the band to Foo Fighters and estimated it was “capable of improving from good to great.”

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A beautiful young woman, always effortlessly fashionable, Meyers is almost an anomaly in today’s culture. In a world where young artists seem to continually wind up as troubled tabloid fodder, she’s a successful recording artist who is incredibly grounded and ever mindful of her platform as an influencer. She’s equally comfortable appearing on the cover of Nylon Magazine (Japan) or speaking to young girls on the Revolve tour.

Meyers first burst on the scene with her self-titled Essential Records debut in 2005, spawning her breakthrough hit “Anticonformity,” a song she wrote before entering ninth grade. Her debut set spawned four top ten singles and also launched her career abroad. That same single went 1 on Japanese pop radio charts and led to her debut being certified GOLD in that country. Her sophomore album, Dying For a Heart, solidified Meyers’ stature—earning her a second Dove nomination in the female vocalist of the year category–and boosting her audience overseas, earning her major pop star status in Japan.

Krystal has performed before more than 500,000 people in North & Central Amercia, Europe, and Asia with artists such as Wyclef Jean, Toby Mac, Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys), Q-Tip, and Jay Chou.

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It’s often been said that work and friendship simply don’t mix. But for members of Texas-based rock band Grey Holiday, their long-standing friendship and tight-knit sense of community makes musical collaboration all the sweeter. After all, the guys were friends first, and band mates second, a distinction that continues to be important as they recently signed with Essential Records and will be releasing a much-anticipated debut, The Glorious Revolution.

Unlike many aspiring artists, a record deal was never the ultimate goal for Grey Holiday’s Matt Minor (vocals, keys, guitar), Steven Bedingfield (guitar, electronics, programming), R.T. Bodet (bass) and Josh Fenoglio (drums). In fact, all they really wanted to do was have some fun—playing music, that is. And if really lucky? Maybe they would head to a studio and record a few songs someday.

“We have always been willing to sacrifice for our music, but our friendship has, and always will, come first,” says Matt. “When Steven and I knew we wanted to play full-on rock ’n’ roll music and would need a band, we didn’t want to have to go through the process of weeding out musicians that we didn’t have a relationship with, so we asked our friends, R.T. and Josh, if they wanted to join us.”

The only trouble with this scenario, however, was that R.T. hadn’t played bass before, and Josh didn’t know the first thing about drumming. But eventually, the countless hours of practicing paid off for the guys, who were also roommates at the time. “We were basically forced to learn our instruments, so we had to practice,” R.T. recalls. “Then all of the sudden we had a show, so we had to pick things up very quickly. It was shaky at first, but we got better as time wore on.”

As the band started to gel musically, it wasn’t long before playing Dave Matthews Band and Jars of Clay covers at its local coffeehouse inevitably grew tiresome. Instead, they were eager to write songs that communicated a sense of urgency about making a difference in the world. And the pop/rock soundtrack that accompanied the message shared an equally dramatic flair, reflecting a myriad of influences from British acts like Muse and Bloc Party to Indie singer/songwriters like Ed Harcourt.

“There just comes a time when you have to find your own voice, and it’s a process of trial and error,” Matt says. “There’s so much music that’s available to people, so the opportunity to have a unique voice was exciting for us.”

Keeping that spirit of creativity alive, the band also had a desire to craft memorable visuals for a few key tracks on The Glorious Revolution and has accomplished that by making a few of its own music videos.

A hands-on approach to its career is important to Grey Holiday. Even when it came to choosing a name that best reflected the band, the guys were equally deliberate. “We basically found two words that we thought sounded amazing together,” Steven shares. “But the name takes on a different, symbolic meaning in light of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The ‘grey’ reflects the death and pain that Christ endured, while ‘holiday’ represents the joyous and everlasting goodness that also came because of His resurrection.”

In the same way, a message of living a life centered around God and the importance of community—as a band and to the world at large—is what makes The Glorious Revolution such a buzzworthy effort.

Produced by Jason Ingram (Rush of Fools, Bebo Norman), the album includes the catchy, energetic opener “Glorious,” the emotionally charged ballad “You Belong to Me,” and the band’s first radio single, “Let Go,” a timely reminder that following Jesus is never easy, especially when it’s so easy to hold onto baggage of the past.

“There is a common struggle we all seem to share,” Josh says. “We often hold on so tightly to our selfish desires and worldly pursuits that we miss out on what God has to offer—a life filled with joy and freedom. We’re the first to admit that we aren’t perfect, but we are doing everything we can to live like Jesus wants us to. But it’s a journey.”

Yet despite the obvious challenges, it’s a journey that Grey Holiday is excited to be on as part of a community of like-minded believers.

“We’re making music that is dramatic, emotional and frantic—a space for our struggles and victories to live,” Matt shares. “We do hope, and have always hoped, that our lyrics speak true to our struggles, and we would love for people to gain comfort or encouragement from what we create and share along our journey.”

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Daniel’s Window is a modern worship band with a heart for personal ministry.  In the 12 years they’ve been together, they’ve played over 1000 shows and have shared the stage with the likes of Skillet, Mute Math, Relient K, and Third Day.

You’ll feel the surge of modern worship at its best as Heather, Caleb, Alby and Jesse perform some well-known favorites and some incredible new worship songs of their own from their past three critically acclaimed albums and their new 2009 release “Redefined.”

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My name is Chris Sligh. I am a singer/songwriter living in Nashville, TN. I write songs for myself and others. I produce other artists and myself. I travel the world wide with an incredible band of musicians and play shows as many days as I can. I am signed to Brash music out of Atlanta. I was on American Idol. I’m married with 2 dogs. My wife is beautifully awesome.

I think that’s all you need to know for the short version.

THE LONG VERSION

Chris Sligh may have come to prominence through his appearance on America’s popular television show American Idol<>, but the songwriting skill shown on his debut album Running Back to You comes from years of writing, practicing and training as an indie musician in Greenville, SC.

“Most people think that because they discovered me on Idol that that was the beginning,” Sligh comments. “But people don’t realize that I’ve put out 4 albums before the show. I have written worship songs that have been done in hundreds of churches. I’ve performed over 500 shows as an artist, plus 7 years of leading worship for churches…I’ve come ‘this’ close to being signed, both as a solo artist and in a band…believe me, American Idol wasn’t the beginning.”

Chris Sligh grew up in a conservative Christian home where Mozart, Beethoven and a little Jim Reeves was the craziest music he was allowed to listen to. But music was always an interest.

“At about 15, I started to explore the radio,” Chris says, laughing. “At first it was all vocal pop stuff: BoyzIIMen, Shai, Michael Bolton – that was the stuff that I was naturally drawn to. Then some pop/rock stuff started to pop up for me: Bryan Adams, Blessid Union of Souls, R.E.M., Hootie…I still loved my pop stuff, but I seemed to gravitate towards pop/rock because the songs were great and the singing still had to be pretty good.”

As a freshman in college, he started as a pre-law major. He admits that, though he was interested in music, doing something as a career was not on his radar. But a chance encounter with a singer/pianist lead to him being a part of a singing group during his freshman year, which lead to writing some of his first songs. Sligh explains, “Once I started singing, I realized pretty quickly that was what I wanted to do. So, I transferred to a better music program and studied voice performance because that was all I could do in music…sing.”

Sligh’s time at Bob Jones University was a time of exploration and coming of age. He began to realize that the pop music he had been told his whole life was sinful simply wasn’t. He worked hard, did well in his classes and came out with a broad knowledge of music theory, arrangement capabilities and orchestration techniques.

“Bob Jones was weird and crazy, but from a music standpoint, they have a great music program…it’s up there with some of the major conservatories. So, though I had to struggle with certain issues, I know I got a great education from some of the best teachers money can buy.”

In 1999, a chance encounter at a local coffee house changed everything for Sligh: “I happened onto a concert with an artist named Bebo Norman. He was at this coffee house, playing songs on his acoustic guitar, telling stories and the place was packed! I was hooked. I bought his CD Ten Thousand Days and as I listened some more I said to myself, ‘This is what I’m going to do with my life’.”

It was the turning point of his life, he says. The next day he went out and bought an acoustic guitar at a pawn shop, and immediately started writing songs, one of the first being a simple prayer that is shining moment on his debut label album Running Back to You: “Vessel” – the song was also the title song to his debut album in 2001, Vessel.

“After buying that acoustic guitar, pretty much everything else became secondary. I played that thing every second I could. I wrote hundreds of songs over the next year or so…then when I got kicked out of BJU, I decided I wanted to record an album…I just had to figure out how.”

How came with a local studio that offered a simple deal: if you record with me, you can do it for free, as long as you don’t put your name on it. Sligh explains: “This producer, Steve, had this thing, and it really was a pride check. If I record do I really have to have my name on it, so that everyone who gets it knows me? And I decided I didn’t. We set up a website and an email where people could email me and I’ve literally gotten emails the world over from people who got that first album no knowing who it was, just blessed by the songs.”

The first album lead quickly to a second album with real money, and Chris actually put his name on the CD! The album Someone Just Like You quickly became a fan favorite and Chris began to perform all over the southeast with his band of 17 year olds.

“At the time, the only musicians I knew were guys in the youth group of my church and they introduced me to guys they went to school with. We put together the Chris Sligh band, originally enough, and started playing shows. I was 23 and they were all 16! Talk about an experience.”

The Chris Sligh band regularly sold out shows and became a buzz band in the blossoming music scene of Greenville, SC. In 2002, Chris went to GMA’s Seminar in the Rockies where he placed 2nd place in the pop songwriting contest. Then in 2003, the whole band went to the Seminar and did the band competition. That year, Chris won the songwriting competition with a worship song “Only You Remain”.

That summer, however, was a time of transitions. Chris got married in May, won the GMA event in July and in August, his band mates went to college and the band broke up.

“It was an interesting time. I had met this guy name Joey Bradley who had been in a band that had been signed and it didn’t work out. We became friends and decided to start a 2 frontman band, so when the guys went to college, we started this band called Half Past Forever. Man, it was great…we wrote tons of songs and we practiced all the time and finally started playing shows live.”

Half Past Forever quickly became a mainstay in the South Carolina music scene. In 2004 they began recording their debut in Nashville with Stephen Leiweke, who had worked with Jars of Clay’s independent debut and with artists like Margeret Becker, Cindy Morgan and many others.

“That first time with Stephen was culture shock,” Chris says. “I had always produced out of necessity…I had no idea what I was doing. But Stephen, man…he is a great engineer, he is a great song cutter and he made us really work to be great. In the end, we made a great pop worship album that I still love.”

The self-titled debut came out in 2005 and soon after, Joey decided to leave the band. “Joey had been the main reason we were doing more worship-type stuff. He originally had been the lead singer of the band…so when he moved on, it freed us up to do more of the mainstream thing that I was really wanting to do.”

The band went through several lineup changes, eventually settling on Chris (vox/gtr/keys), Adam Fisher (gtr/vox/keys) and Cole Edmonson (bass/vox). The band never settled on a drummer, hiring out for shows.

“Half Past Forever, part deux, was a renaissance of sorts for me. For the first time in 5 years, I took time off from a band and just wrote. Adam had brought over this old computer with a recording program called Logic on it. I would sit up in my attic room, sweating because it was so hot and just write and record, write and record, write and record.”

Within a couple of months, Chris had written 50 new songs that had been demoed. At that point the band got together and learned the songs, re-arranging, re-demoing until they finally found what was right. At the same time, they slowly but surely began to play shows in the mainstream. In the summer of 2006, the band won a large contest with a mainstream radio station in Columbia, SC to open for a major label band, receiving over 110,000 votes. And from there, things began to explode for the band.

“It was funny…I had played for 5 years in the CCM market and couldn’t get anyone to notice me. We had fans, sure, but labels just didn’t get me. Literally within 3 months of the new HPF playing our first show, we had major labels calling. It was nuts! Then American Idol happened.”

American Idol happened indeed. Chris Sligh exploded onto the national spotlight with an audition that was named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the top 10 in Idol history. He was funny, he was quirky, he didn’t look like the models that make up so much of pop music and on top of it all, he had a great voice. People were taken aback and Sligh was an early favorite.

Though he ended up not capitalizing on his early promise with the show, he met his goal of making the top 10 and was able to go on tour with the show. But more importantly, it opened up doors to finally make a full-time career out of music.

“I love what Idol has done for me and I appreciate the show…but ultimately I couldn’t care less about the show, IF it didn’t lead to something else. The show is a 3 months experience, at least on tv, plus 3 months of touring. What about the rest of my life…Idol doesn’t mean anything if I don’t get to do music full time. I don’t need to be famous, I don’t need to be rich…I just want to make a living doing music.”

Within a few weeks of being off the show, Chris had been contacted by 11 labels, eventually settling on Brash Music, a mainstream indie label with ties to the Christian market. For management, he settled on one of the largest in Christian music: Blanton, Harrell, Cook and Corzine, who manage Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Aaron Shust, and Bebo Norman.

“When I first met with BHCC, they had heard how influential Bebo was to me, so they had him come into the office and hang out with me…and I was sold! Hey, I’m still a music fan!”

He began to record his label debut with Brown Bannister helming the production. Bannister is a legend in Christian music, producing nearly every major Christian artist in the last 20 years. Will Owsley produced 3 tracks and Chris brought in Stephen Leiweke from the HPF days to co-produce 3 tracks with Brown.

“Recording with Brown while still working with guys like Will and friends like Stephen was an incredible experience. Brown was my hero going in as a producer and ended up my hero as a man. He’s a legend in this community and has produced some of the biggest Christian albums of all time, but is still filled with humility and is incredibly gracious…if I can ever find success, I hope I handle it with the same grace.”

Running Back to You has been referred to as an incredible debut and has received high ratings nearly across the board from reviewers both mainstream and Christian. USA Today gave the album 3.5 our of 4 stars, calling Chris “the most musically ambitious Idol”; Christian website soul-audio.com gave the album 9.5/10; while famed Christian music website Jesus Freak hideout gave it 4.5/5 stars while calling it “…one of the year’s best albums.” The album’s first single “Empty Me” is a top 10 single. And as of July 2008, he was the year’s best-selling new artist (in CCM).

“Let’s be honest: plenty of Idols have come off the show and never made a career. I’m not any more talented than them…I certainly am not better looking than them. So, what’s gonna set me apart? I simply have to do things better than they did, learn from their mistakes and make a career. I can’t rely on Idol fans to buy the record, I have to work my tail off to connect with an audience that maybe hasn’t heard of me before. I have to make fans of other artist fans of me…that only comes with working as smart as possible. Believe me Idol changed my life! But I’m treating my career as if it never happened…I think as an artist I can’t rely too much on the show to bring me fans…I have to make those fans.”

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If you ask Jeremy Spring, frontman for the quartet Abandon Kansas, what it is that motivates he and his band, you may be shocked at the answer.  And in the answer to this question lies the very thing that sets his band apart from the endless parade of fame-seekers in this industry:

“As far as long term goals, none of us have any desire to be rich and famous. If we can keep connecting with people through music then we’ll be content. There are way too many bands out there already so we’re trying to make what we do a little bigger than music.”  And deliver something larger than just music is exactly what they do on their debut release from Gotee Records, the Weʼre All Going Somewhere EP.  With fearless hearts, ingenious songwriting, and poignant wit, Spring and company shine like supernovas among fading stars.  This is indie pop/rock that will surprise you with its candor and cause you to contemplate the deepest recesses of your heart.

Consider the track “The Harder They Fall,”  for starters. If Abandon Kansas were just simply seeking to ingrain a melody in your head while simultaneously appeasing the music elitist in you, this song would more than achieve their goals.  A bed of tasteful, yet compelling instrumentation snaps you to attention, as you say to yourself these boys can play. Then, Springʼs vocal turns attention to attraction with obvious charisma and charm.  As verse ebbs to chorus the energy swells and the deal is sealed, as you sing There is no one left who isn’t better than the rest.  I need to hear you say that I’m the best.   You are officially charmed, hook, line and sinker.  You are pulled into the song with breakneck speed, traveling down the rabbit hole to an unknown destination.  But as you submit to the hypnotic pulse of the song, a question pops into your brain: Where is Abandon Kansas taking me?

“We donʼt just write songs about love or breakups, or the clicheʼ things that you hear over and over again.  We try to write about the deeper places of our hearts, asking questions of the listener, rather than just giving answers.  If we can cause someone, when the music is finished, to contemplate their life, their motivation, and their soul, then we have done our jobs. We canʼt complete the journey for the listener, but we can open the door.”

The band linked up with producer Mark Lee Townsend (Relient K, House of Heroes) for what promises to be a highlight in his already amazing resumeʼ.  Weʼre All Going Somewhere comes with a full chamber; this is six shots, not just a couple rounds. Yet, if one were to focus on key tracks, it would have to include “I Wonder If Itʼs Me,”  a driving, dancy, yet contemplative number that confronts the “grass is greener” mentality that is so pervasive in our culture.  And “Months and Years,” another standout among standouts, is an uplifting exercise in perseverance, complete with a chorus that could become the rallying cry of a generation of lost souls seeking a greater purpose.  

Perhaps the greatest triumph of all here is the lyrical potency of Jeremy Spring.  Only a truly inspired mind could conjure up lines such as these:  We spend our lives tip toeing carefully just to arrive at our death safely…We all want what we deserve, unless it’s going to hurt.  And while he excels in providing sobering thoughts, Spring provides just as many euphoric moments as well:  Close your eyes, then we’ll start to see.  Shut them tight, now we can believe.  It’s taken me so long to find out where you are.  You live in me.  Few have the power to shape the listenerʼs emotions with words, but here you will find one who can do just that, and Abandon Kansas will leave you singing (as well as thinking) long after the songs end.

Amidst all this depth, it would be hard to imagine a band that who can also bring one of the most energetic and spirited live shows around, yet Abandon Kansas brings just that.  Spring explains:  “Our live show is a lot more intense than the music suggests. We love to dance and we love to communicate our music with the audience whether they know our music or not. Our guitar player Brad is known for his Michael Jackson-esque dancing and it’s always an entertaining show. We also never make a set list so we can vibe off the audience as to which direction we should take the show.”

An exhaustive touring schedule and work ethic has built a steady, resolute following.  If you can believe it, the band played 200 shows in 2008, and is on pace to do even more in 2009.  One heart at a time, one city at a time, day after day, the band adds to their fast-growing following.  With such a schedule, itʼs little wonder that the industry at large is beginning to pay close attention.

In the end, Abandon Kansas succeeds where so many fail because of their hearts as a unit, their commitment to a unique vision, and most of all because of their one-of-a-kind voice.   We are all going somewhere.  And Abandon Kansas is taking us there. Or at least they are pointing us to the door…

“If people remember anything from our concerts I hope it’s not the band name and the crazy dance moves. I hope that long after our T-shirts have been given away to thrift stores and our CDs have been lost, people will remember having been drawn to something and someone much more important than music.”

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