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Biography (courtesy of Wind-Up Records)
THE BACKSTORY
After selling 500,000 copies of their first two albums (their self-titled debut and Potter's Field) and touring relentlessly, 12 Stones decided it was time for a break from the road. The band packed up their gear and headed back to Mississippi and Louisiana. And what did these guys do on their time off? Well, as singer Paul McCoy put it, they "grew up a lot."
All of the guys are now fathers, and they spent a good deal of their time away from music with their families. However after a few years away from touring, McCoy says, "I really just couldn't wait to get back to making music."
THE INSPIRATION
12 Stones has always thought of themselves as the "underdog" in the music business. Sure, they have hundreds of thousands of fans but they fought for each and every one of them. The band has yet to have a big, break-out radio hit at pop, but active rock has embraced their sound since the release of the debut. Their fans have stuck by their side and continue to reach out to on a daily basis through their website and MySpace.com page. This support is evidence that hard work truly pays off, and even after a long absence from the scene the faithful are still by their side.
McCoy says the resolution to make the best of what you've got was only intensified during the 2005 hurricane season. All natives of the Gulf region, each member of the band felt the hardships of that fall. Whether it was seeing family and friends pack up and move away from their hometowns or witnessing the region's morale drop in an instant, the band felt the effects Hurricane Katrina. "We know what it's like to be on the losing end but be making the best of the situation at the same time," McCoy says.
THE SONGS
12 Stones did not set out to write an album for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Still, the loss felt in their local neighborhoods had its obvious effects on the band members, and they were compelled to write about the recovery taking place around them. "Anthem for the Underdog" spells out 12 Stones' philosophy for those working hard to get back on top. McCoy sings, "We're here now feeling the beat of a thousand hearts coming back to life again, we can make it." The lyrics are a testament to the spirit of those affected by this tragedy.
On the other hand, the weather is not the only thing that is uncontrollable. People prove to be just as unreliable in songs such as "Lie To Me," "World So Cold" and "Arms of a Stranger." McCoy sings about betrayal and loss in "Lie To Me," as he passionately offers, "All the times I shared with you, were you even there at all? Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, you're scared of the truth; I'm tired of the lies." Yet, through all of the loss and pain in these songs, there is still an underlying feeling of triumph in the end.
"There is a real sense of urgency to get back on top throughout the album," McCoy explains. "We know what it's like to be the underdog but that doesn't mean we always will be. It's important to show our fans that things can change, life does get better."
THE RECORDING PROCESS
McCoy, guitar player and co-founding member Eric Weaver and drummer Aaron Gainer spent months meeting with "big time" writers and producers only to be let down over and over. McCoy says, "The big name producers made us feel like the underdogs once again, like we were lucky they agreed to meet with us." All of that changed however when the band traveled to Memphis, TN for a meeting with Justin Rimer (former guitar player for Breaking Point) and Skidd Mills (who has worked with Skillet, Saliva, and Sister Hazel). There was an instant chemistry between 12 Stones, Rimer and Mills, and the band spent the following eight months in Memphis recording Anthem For The Underdog.
Rimer has anxiously waited to team up with 12 Stones for years. They both share the same manager, so they have kept up with each other's work from the beginning. Rimer says, "The first song we did was 'It Was You,' and as soon as we played it for everybody it just clicked. I got the offer to work on the entire album right after that. I didn't want to take them too far from where they had been as a band in the past, but this is a diverse album for them. Paul definitely wanted to kill me by the end because I had him singing in higher ranges than he had ever sung before."
When the album was complete, the guys were not ready to say good-bye to Rimer, and invited him to join the band on the road. "We had never been so open to criticism or trying new things in the studio as we were when working with Justin. It was great to have someone working with us who really knows their way around a studio," McCoy says of their new guitar player.
Weaver also appreciated Rimer's contribution as the second guitarist. He says, "Justin comes from more of a metal background than I do, so it is nice to mix the different flavors of music. He is a great addition to the showmanship of the band." Rimer calls playing with 12 Stones "like home." "I was in Breaking Point for years, but I am just as comfortable playing with this band."
THE FUTURE
12 Stones has been through a great deal in the past few years, but somehow the band has made the best of what they've got and come out the better for it. They continue to strive for the top, and McCoy says they "are ready to step up and take the lead. This album is the best attempt we've got to grab new fans, and we're ready."
"We are really proud of this collection of songs, and think the fans are going to love it," McCoy continues. "We've been gone for a while but can't wait to get back out there – we've never been in a better place."
Underdog? Not for long…
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Biography (courtesy of INO Records)
You only get just one time around. You only get one shot at this-one chance to find out the one thing that you don't want to miss. One day when it's all said and done, I hope you see that it was enough: this one ride, one try, one life to love.
The developing story of talented pop trio 33Miles goes hand in hand with the message of its completely heart-stirring second album, One Life. Group members Jason Barton (lead vocals), Chris Lockwood (guitar/vocals) and Collin Stoddard (keys/vocals) were taking a risk, giving their dreams a shot when they released their self-titled debut less than two years ago.
Validation was seemingly instant. Concerts at more than two hundred churches nationwide ensued, and radio spun several of the band's songs into hits. Journalists also took notice, calling these humble guys "a talented and devoted group of performers who possess some amazing gifts for music" (InFuze Magazine). Soon enough, 33Miles was a Gospel Music Association Dove Award nominee for New Artist of the Year.
Now, One Life reveals the heart of a group even more intent than before on loving the church with transparency. Committed family men who are as fun to meet personally as they are to hear in song, each member of 33Miles is married, and two have children. They've kept a constant presence at home and still managed to put 120,000 miles on the touring van over the past year, not to mention the thousands traveled by air.
The road isn't always easy (ask Chris about the car that crashed into their dressing room and started a gas leak), and the skyways have their turbulence (ask Collin about that landing during a tornado watch), but the rewards are eternal.
Jason puts One Life in perfect perspective: "The theme of the album is simple, it is about loving God and living every mile to the fullest."
Indeed, One Life resounds with the experience of casting off safety nets and following dreams. First single "One Life to Love" tells of men and women who finally learn to love their families and God more than work and money, played out across a powerful melody and musical track.
"'One Life to Love' still gives me chills," says Jason. "It also goes back to the meaning behind 33Miles-the idea that life can be short, that Christ lived only thirty-three years on this earth. So the question remains: what will you and I do with our miles, with the years we are given?"
Collin sees the song in relation to the band's unfolding adventure, how each member could have stayed put where they were, but instead chose to answer a no-guarantees call.
"We joke with each other about leaving school early or foregoing other job opportunities to be in 33Miles, but the song says, you only get one time around to find the one thing you don't want to miss, and this group is clearly a God-given opportunity to honor Him."
As implied, the formation of 33Miles didn't come without its leaps of faith. Jason was already an established studio and touring vocalist. Chris was about to enter Boston's eminent Berklee College of Music (John Mayer, Diana Krall) on a scholarship, and Collin was just one semester shy of a commercial music degree. But there's no doubt today about the appeal and strength that's found in the sum of their parts.
Like 33Miles' acclaimed debut, One Life was produced by Nathan Nockels (Passion, Point of Grace, Phillips, Craig & Dean) and Sam Mizell (Matthew West), adding top song-shaper Brown Bannister (Third Day, MercyMe) into the mix for the first time on "Something Different," "Gone" and "Apologize." The former cuts represent the muscular, rootsy pop/country tinge that flavors half the album and flows naturally from Jason's Louisiana upbringing, Collin's love for classic rock, and the passion Chris has for his well-worn six-string. "Apologize," a stand alone ballad with a classic ring to it, more quietly highlights the vocal and piano gifts of Barton and Stoddard, pleading to the wronged one: if I left a scar, let me say I'm sorry.
Deeper in, "When It All Comes Down" and "One of Those Days" also carry an upbeat style comparable to today's biggest selling country pop acts.
'"One of Those Days,'" admits Lockwood, "We've all said it … 'Ugh, it's just one of those days.' But this song puts a spin on that statement. Some days have their clutter and distraction, but God is worthy to be praised every day, so hallelujah anyway!"
Certainly, a signature element found throughout the music of 33Miles is the expressive worship so evident on the urgent "Jesus Calling" and unforgettable "My Offering."
"My favorite song, at this moment, is 'Jesus Calling.' It captures the sound 33Miles has looked for over the past year. When you come to our concerts, this is what you're gonna hear live," Chris says with enthusiasm. "And the message is clear: even though the world is so full of noise today, if you just listen, Jesus is always speaking in and through it all."
The performance merits of "My Offering" are no less definitive of 33Miles; shining examples of the band's exceptional, emotional vocal interplay, chiming guitars, and a poetic lyric for the church that could just as easily stir people outside the chapel walls:
I cursed your name; You called me child. I was to blame; You went to trial. And I lived to take … On my own I made a mess of things, but You take it as my offering.
At every turn, One Life grippingly offers the listener a reminder of what matters most: tuning in ever closer to God and those we love, aligning our earthly dreams with heavenly things. Be watching for the mile markers that you don't want to miss.
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38th Parallel Biography (courtesy of Warner Records)
Members: Mark Jennings (vocals), Nate Rippke (vocals), Shane Moe (guitars), Jeff Barton (bass), Aaron Nordyke (drums) Relaxing over a quiet breakfast, the members of Ames, Iowa-based 38th Parallel pause to consider the question, "what is the most exciting thing about being signed to a major label recording contract?" After a thoughtful consideration, drummer Aaron Nordyke says, "Well, we get to wear somewhat cooler clothes than when we worked at Dairy Queen." Peels of laughter threaten to disrupt diners at the small sandwich shop, as bassist Jeff Barton (also a DQ veteran) adds, "Don't get us wrongthose were great uniforms. And they were cleaned and pressed for us every day!"
"Small town boys make good" might well be the best way to sum up the breakout career of 38th Parallel. Turn the Tides, its Squint Entertainment debut produced by Tony McAnany (P.O.D., Madonna, Missy Elliot) is equal parts wistfulness and angst; melodic, riff-based rock and urban rhythms; gorgeous harmonies and gruff hip-hop rhymesas Barton describes it, "huge, 'rock star' choruses, with rhymes and lyrics that really make you stop and think." Gripping, thought-provoking lyrics are delivered by co-lead vocalists Mark Jennings and Nathan Rippke; the groove-oriented low end is supplied by Barton and Nordyke, while guitarist Shane Moe rips through the mix with slashing lead and rhythm guitar runs. "We've put our own twist on hard music," asserts Shane. "Yeah, we've got guitar, bass and drums; we've got some hip-hop rhyming and some singing. But I think we've got a fairly individual lyrical perspective."
The song "Horizon," a unanimous favorite of the band, might best sum up the unique sound on Turn the Tides. "It's got everything," explains Nathan. "A soft verse, then it busts it hard. Pretty singing, heavy singing, driving rap, clean guitars, dirty guitars, funky drums. I'm a big vibe person and that song has a tremendous vibe. It's very warm, very pleasant. It sounds like hope, if that makes any sense at all." "The goal of the CD," adds Aaron, "is to impact people, to challenge them to think about a new way of life with Christ's love at the center."
This thinking man's hard music, born on the windswept Midwestern prairie, is the product not of market calculations or music industry formulas, but of the friendships of five young men, many of whom have known each other since elementary school. "And we're all graduates of Gilbert High School, four miles north of Ames," explains Mark. So I guess that makes us uniquely qualified to form a rock and roll band." That and a hidden desire to sing show tunes — yes, the secret is out! Each member of 38th Parallel did time in high school chorus, with Aaron, Jeff and Mark displaying a particular talent for participating in musicals. "I was the Mayor of the Munchkin City in 'The Wizard of Oz,'" admits Aaron, "so that probably explains a lot about me." "I loved show tunes." Mark confesses. "I was a big fan of 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' 'Phantom of the Opera' and those kinds of musicals. But I was also a big fan of the Deftones, Korn and heavy music. It was a strange transition to go from 'Phantom' to Korn. But essentially, it's just getting inside the song, feeling it, and communicating the emotion of it. Just a different technique."
Diversity is a large part of what makes 38th Parallel such a compelling band; not only in musical influences – from hard music to Broadway to traditional jazz – but the fact that the members all spring from different religious backgrounds and came together at different points in their individual relationships with the Lord. "We were a band before any of us buckled down, as far as our faith goes," explains Mark. "In my case, I really wasn't interested in living for God. Then I met these guys who were ballistic Jesus freaks, who wanted to go sit in the middle of Iowa State University and sing praise and worship songs. They had so much genuine love for God and desire to spread that love that without telling me I needed to sell out for God, it caused me to look at myself and know that's what I needed to do. God challenged me to use the best I had to serve Him and that's writing lyrics and making music."
While participating in a local inter-denominational bible study, the members of 38th Parallel soon found their friendships blossoming into something much more spiritually rooted. And as 38th Parallel honed its chops, it was embraced by the patrons of a Des Moines club called "Frank's House of Rock." The reception the band's live show received prompted it to make a serious demo recording. "We had become the house band at this venue, but we had only made a bunch of cheap, lo-fi demos," says Mark. "So we figured we had to step up and make something good enough to sell and that would interest record companies. We were starting to feel confident that God was preparing us for something and we hoped we could find a label that would catch that vision." "Having Frank's House of Rock as a home venue for us was another great stepping stone," adds Jeff. "A lot of nationally known Christian bands passed through there and we were able to open for many of them, including Five Iron Frenzy, Bleach, Relient K, Earthsuit and Stavesacre."
38th Parallel quickly became a favorite at local radio as well, landing its songs alongside artists such as P.O.D. and Lifehouse on several 'most requested' lists. Unbeknownst to the group, radio station personnel contacted Word Entertainment in the spring of 2001, during the label's nationwide search for new talent. "The label was flooded with demos from radio stations, managers, booking agents and just bands like us, trying to break in," explains Jeff. "The A&R department got two responses from radio stations in Des Moines and Seattle about us, so a representative emailed us and asked us for a demo. We were like 'Word Records – Point of Grace, Sandi Patty – okay, they're interested, send them a demo (laughs).' So we did and kind of forgot about it. One of the executives later told us that they had sifted through hundreds of demos and were down to the last couple and weren't even going to listen to them, because they had been so discouraged that they hadn't heard anything close to the quality they were looking for. But after reluctantly putting on our demo, they were excited enough that they asked to meet with us."
Even though the band was thrilled at the interest, Shane says that was tempered by the question of where they fit in the music industry. "At first we thought, 'no, we want our music to impact kids who don't already agree with our message and we want to draw them to God through what we do.' That was really the way we had been approaching our live shows – we would open for any band, anywhere and after shows, we had kids who were avowed atheists and homosexuals talking to us about our music. We thought if we wound up in the Christian industry, we might lose touch with those kids. But then we thought, 'that's really boxing God in and determining the way He can he work. Then we learned that they were interested in us for their more mainstream-minded label Squint Entertainment. We were so impressed with the quality of artists on Squint and the label's vision for reaching listeners in the general market that we knew it was a true move of God bringing us to this company."
Jeff explains how that determination to be a culturally relevant voice extends to the band's name. We've had the name since learning about the 38th parallel – the border between North and South Korea – in a history class. But Shane really crystallized the meaning for what we now do. Just as those countries were at war, we're in the middle of conflicting beliefs and ideologies every day; over what's real, what's meaningful, what's true. As Christians living in the world, we're literally caught in the middle. We want to demonstrate what the Truth is and how it's relevant to our lives today."
For the past several years, 38th Parallel has gone about fulfilling the Great Commission in its uniquely rock and roll fashion, splitting dates opening for Christian artists with shows where it was quite obvious that the bulk of the audience had little interest in hearing anything about God. "Sometimes when you're onstage, you wonder if anything you say is really having any effect," Mark admits. "So talking to people before and after shows really is the payoff. Everything you say you're out there to do, you're doing. You can talk theoretically about wanting to have a spiritual impact on kids, but that's when it really happens. It's been said many times, but it's so true – music is the universal language. It may be the only language that some kids can relate to or understand, and it can often reach them in a way that preaching never will. It's just such a privilege to have kids coming up to us after to shows wanting to talk to us and hang out with us when you can tell that they've never been exposed to anything having to do with Christianity."
"We've said a lot about the outreach vision of the band," Shane adds, "but we want to have in reach as well, to those who are already believers. We realize that being a band signed to a Christian label, we're going to be reaching primarily those kids. We want them to do what we're trying to do, which is impact the culture and bring truth in a powerful and loving way into the world."
Although the music on Turn The Tides is often stylistically diverse and disparate, Mark emphasizes that there is a common thread to what 38th Parallel is trying to say. "The songs are very different and they all sound very different. In some cases they are abstract, but I don't think we've made them "artistic" to the point that you don't know what I'm talking about. Words are awesome – they have textures, tones, colors – sometimes I'd swear they have smells and tastes. If you get the right combination, you can tell a story of reality that's awesome. It's difficult, but we're very excited about the results we achieved. The glory and honor to God for this album; it's for His kingdom. I think there's some serious lyrical power in what we have to say. With anything we write it's really just a matter of trying to express what we feel God is trying to say to us or through us. It's our world view as Christians, with an attempt to be tactful and artful and intriguing."
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Biography (courtesy of INO Records)
In the business of music, 15 years might as well be a lifetime; however, for four ordinary guys who couldn't 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 McDonald's to explore the idea of forming a four-man pop-gospel group, 4Him presents Encore … For Future Generations, their final project as 4Him, a collection of career favorites, as well as a solo song from each member.
"We couldn't 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 we've been to be a part of your lives."
Since their formation in 1989, their harmonic convergence—the likes of which hadn't been heard in Christian music since the Imperials took audiences by storm in the late 1970s—blended 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 group's 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 4Him's '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 they'd 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 fans—to 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 Alabama's Music Hall of Fame for The Governor's 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.
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