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Sanctus Real

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Sanctus Real

Sanctus Real is an American Christian rock band formed in Toledo, Ohio in 1996. The group is composed of Matt Hammitt (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Rohman (lead guitar), Dan Gartley (bass), Pete Prevost (guitar), and Mark Graalman (drums). The band is best known for their number 1 singles "Beautiful Day" (a U2 cover), "Everything About You", "The Fight Song", "I'm Not Alright", "Don't Give Up" and "We Need Each Other". They have released a total of four albums through Sparrow Records.

Sanctus Real formed in 1996, and the band released three independent albums over five years. After signing with Sparrow Records in 2002, the group released their major label debut, Say It Loud, at the end of the year. In June 2004 it was followed by a second album, Fight the Tide, which garnered success with a GMA Dove Award win in 2005, and two singles that charted at number 1 on Christian radio. The band's third album, The Face of Love, was released in April 2006. The track "I'm Not Alright" became one of their most popular songs, and received a GMA Dove Award nomination in 2007.

Their fourth album, We Need Each Other (2008), was recorded in late 2007 and released in February. It received a Grammy Award nomination and spawned the hit single "We Need Each Other". Sanctus Real is expected to release a fifth studio album in 2010. The band's music incorporates a modern alternative rock style, and has evolved from power pop to a more melodic and guitar-driven sound.

History

File:Sanctus Real Demo Tape.jpg
Cover art from the 1997 Demo Tape

In 1996, lead singer and guitarist Matt Hammitt met guitarist Chris Rohman while they were tenth graders attending Toledo Christian School in Ohio.[1][2] They led youth worship at their school and church, and began writing their own music that year.[3][4] Drummer Mark Graalman and bassist Matt Kollar soon joined, forming the band's original line-up.[1][5] The group performed their first concert for several friends in the back of a warehouse during the 1996 holiday season.[4] They released a six-track demo tape in August 1997,[6] and a 5 track EP titled All This Talk of Aliens in January of 1998.[6][4]

Their full-length studio album Message for the Masses was released on June 18, 1999,[6] and shortly afterward, bassist Matt Kollar was replaced by Steve Goodrum.[1] Following Message for the Masses, which was recorded in a garage, the band began plans to record tracks at a major studio. To earn money for the endeavor, Hammitt and Goodrum took up telemarketing jobs for a few months, which were difficult and described by Hammitt as "the most dreadful [jobs] ever".[7] They recorded three songs with producer Skidd Mills in Memphis, Tennessee, and after winning a local radio contest, decided to record an entire independent album with Mills. It was completed in 2000 under the title Nothing to Lose, and the band attended 2001's Gospel Music Week in Nashville to distribute copies of the project.[7][3]

From 1996 to 2001, Sanctus Real had been touring areas of the United States, and also sent demos to several Christian and mainstream record labels.[3] After they received multiple recording contract offers in 2001, the band made the decision to sign with Sparrow Records. Matt Hammitt said, "At that point, we really had to do some soul searching and figure out where it was we were supposed to be ... Ultimately, we knew we could relate to kids in the church. We are passionate about our faith ... [and] from our personal experience, we felt this was the place we were supposed to be."[4]

Say It Loud

Toward the end of 2002, before releasing their first non-independent album, Sanctus Real performed as an opening act on the Festival Con Dios tour.[3] The band also guested on Bleach's first headlining tour, the We Are Tomorrow tour, in December 2002.[8] Sanctus Real's major label debut, Say It Loud, was then released on December 24, 2002 through Sparrow Records.[9] The album was produced by former Grammatrain lead vocalist Pete Stewart.[10] Sanctus Real began touring again in February 2003 as a guest band on the See Spot Rock Tour, with Relient K, the O.C. Supertones, Pillar and John Reuben.[11]

Fight the Tide

Lead vocalist Matt Hammitt performing at Taylor University in April 2004

The band recorded a cover of U2's song "Beautiful Day" on the compilation album In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa, which was released on January 27, 2004.[12] The track reached number 1 on Christian contemporary hit radio charts in 2004, becoming their first chart-topping single.[13] "Beautiful Day" also received a GMA Dove Award nomination for Modern Rock Song of the Year in 2004.[14]

In February 2004, the band went back in studio to work on their second album.[15] Most of the album's tracks were written over a period of one month.[16][17] It was recorded in six weeks with producer Tedd T,[17] and soon released under the title Fight the Tide on June 15, 2004.[18] The lead single "Everything About You" was released in mid 2004, and by September it had stayed at number 1 on Christian radio charts for six consecutive weeks.[13] The song was later featured on the X 2006 compilation album in 2005.[19] On September 24, 2004, Sanctus Real launched their first headlining tour, the Fight the Tide Tour.[13] The tour featured guest bands Hawk Nelson, Seven Places and Ever Stays Red, and travelled through more than 25 cities.[13]

After being nominated in late 2004, Fight the Tide won the GMA Dove Award for "Modern Rock Album of the Year" in early 2005.[20] Released near the beginning of the year, "The Fight Song" was Sanctus Real's next single, and became their third number 1 song by the middle of May 2005.[21] The group's members changed around that time: Steve Goodrum no longer played bass for the band after April 2005, and was replaced by Dan Gartley. After previously being on the road with Relient K, Gartley played his first concert with Sanctus Real on May 6 at the 2005 Agape Festival.[21]

The Face of Love

Bassist Dan Gartley in June 2006

Sanctus Real's third main studio album, The Face of Love, was released on April 4, 2006.[22] "I'm Not Alright" was the album's first single, eventually becoming a number 1 hit on Christian CHR charts.[23] It was also the third most played song of 2006 on Christian radio formats.[23] In early 2007, the band received two GMA Dove Award nominations: "Rock Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year" for "I'm Not Alright" and "Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year" for The Face of Love.[24][25] Following the album's release, Pete Prevost became the fifth member of Sanctus Real as an additional guitarist for the band.[26]

The album's second single, "Don't Give Up", was released in the beginning of 2007, and by May it had become the band's fifth number 1 hit.[27] and at the end of 2006 they were named the most-played artist of the year on R&R's Christian CHR chart.[28] The title track "The Face of Love" was also a radio single. Sanctus Real launched another headlining tour in April 2007, The Face of Love tour, featuring Needtobreathe and This Beautiful Republic.[29]

We Need Each Other

Starting in August 2007, Sanctus Real returned to the studio to record a fourth album; it was finished by the end of the year, spanning a few months of time.[30] In November 2007, the album was originally slated for release under the title Turn on the Lights, the name of a track on the album.[31] It was later changed to We Need Each Other, and was released on February 12, 2008 through the Sparrow Records label.[32] The title track "We Need Each Other" was the first single, released on November 13, 2007.[33] The song stayed at number 1 for five consecutive weeks by February 9, 2008,[34] and it was the eighth most-played song on R&R magazine's Christian CHR chart for 2008.[35]

Beginning on March 6, the band guested on Third Day's headlining tour in early to mid 2008.[36] Also, in 2008 the band appeared on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Two more singles from We Need Each Other were released: "Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)" in early 2008, and "Turn on the Lights" in August 2008. Later in the year, Sanctus Real launched their own two-month We Need Each Other Tour in the United States, accompanied by VOTA, Tenth Avenue North and speaker Sammy Adebiyi.[37] The tour ran from September 4 through November 8, passing through 16 states and over 30 cities.[37] In 2009, We Need Each Other received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album.[38]

According to Jesus Freak Hideout, Sanctus Real will be releasing their fifth studio album in February 2010.[19]

Musical style

Sanctus Real's main genre is typically labeled as Christian rock and alternative CCM.[1] Their first three independent albums were described by Allmusic as power pop.[1] Say It Loud was characterized by increased guitars and a powerful modern rock style.[3] Their second release, Fight the Tide, was described as "melodic power rock" with similarities to Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Switchfoot, U2, and PFR.[39] The band's music on The Face of Love blended the styles from their previous two albums, evolving into less of a heavier rock sound.[1] With We Need Each Other, lead singer Matt Hammitt noted that he "just pushed the limits of what I can do vocally" during some songs, "whether it be on a soft, kind of rustic sounding vocal or whether it be this overdriven, rock high-range kind of vocal."[26]

Members

Current members
Former members
  • Matt Kollar – bass
  • Steve Goodrum – bass

Awards

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • 2002: "Say It Loud"
  • 2003: "Hey Wait"
  • 2003: "Audience of One"
  • 2004: "Beautiful Day" – reached number 1
  • 2004: "Everything About You" – reached number 1
  • 2004: "Alone"
  • 2004: "Things Like You"
  • 2005: "The Fight Song" – reached number 1
  • 2005: "Closer"
  • 2006: "I'm Not Alright" – reached number 1
  • 2006: "The Face of Love"
  • 2007: "Don't Give Up" – reached number 1, number 6 most played Christian CHR song of 2007[40]
  • 2007: "We Need Each Other" – reached number 1
  • 2008: "Whatever You're Doing"
  • 2008: "Turn on the Lights"
  • 2008: "Sing"
  • 2009: "Forgiven"

Compilation appearances

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Steve Leggett. "Sanctus Real > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  2. ^ Blake Garris (2001-12-15). "Sanctus Real, "Nothing To Lose" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e Russ Breimeier. "Sanctus Real – Say It Loud". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  4. ^ a b c d David Jenison. "Sanctus Real:A League of Its Own [page 2]". CCM Magazine. Crosswalk.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  5. ^ Yonke, David (December 7, 2006), "Sanctus Real Throws a Party", Toledo Blade, retrieved 2009-08-01
  6. ^ a b c www.sanctusreal.com (archived on Oct 17, 2000), retrieved 2009-09-19
  7. ^ a b David Jenison. "Sanctus Real: A League of Its Own [page 3]". CCM Magazine. Crosswalk.com. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
  8. ^ "Music News: December 2002". Jesus Freak Hideout. 2002-12-30. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  9. ^ Blake Garris (2002-12-08). "Sanctus Real, "Say it Loud" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  10. ^ John DiBiase (2004-06-15). "Sanctus Real, "Fight the Tide" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  11. ^ "Music News: November 2002". Jesus Freak Hideout. 2002-11-28. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  12. ^ "In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  13. ^ a b c d "Sanctus Real embarks on first headlining Tour Sept. 24, features Seven Places, Hawk Nelson". Top40-Charts.com. 2004-09-08. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  14. ^ David Jenison. "Sanctus Real: A League of Its Own". CCM Magazine. crosswalk.com. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  15. ^ "Music News: February 2004". Jesus Freak Hideout. 2004-04-27. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  16. ^ "Getting Real With Sanctus". Christianity Today. 2004-08-30. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  17. ^ a b "Sanctus Real – Biography, Interviews, and Music Interviews". 1Cubed.com. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
  18. ^ "Sanctus Real – Fight the Tide". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  19. ^ a b c "Sanctus Real Discography". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  20. ^ Kim Jones. "36th Annual GMA Dove Awards Winners". About.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  21. ^ a b "Sanctus Real Delivers 3rd Radio Hit, Announces Lineup Change". Top40-Charts.com. 2005-05-28. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  22. ^ John DiBiase (2006-03-29). "Sanctus Real, "The Face of Love" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  23. ^ a b "Alright! Sanctus Real Charts 4th No 1 Radio Single". Top40-Charts.com. 2006-05-19. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  24. ^ Kim Jones. "38th Annual GMA Dove Awards Album of the Year Nominees & Winners". About.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  25. ^ Kim Jones. "38th Annual GMA Music Awards - Songs of the Year Nominees & Winners". About.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  26. ^ a b "Sanctus Real Biography". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  27. ^ "Sanctus Real No 1 At Radio With 'Don't Give Up'". Top40-Charts.com. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  28. ^ "2006 Year End Chart: Top Christian CHR Artists". R&R. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  29. ^ "Sanctus Real Goes No 1 Again". EMICMG.com. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  30. ^ "Sanctus Real in Studio, Preparing for Tour". BREATHEcast.com. 2007-08-28. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  31. ^ "Sanctus Real Release New Single 'We Need Each Other'". Soul Shine Magazine. 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  32. ^ "Sanctus Real – We Need Each Other". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  33. ^ "Sanctus Real Release New Single 'We Need Each Other'". Soul Shine Magazine. 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  34. ^ "Sanctus Real's We Need Each Other Releases Today!". BREATHEcast.com. 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  35. ^ "2008 Year End Charts: Top Christian CHR songs". R&R. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  36. ^ "Sanctus Real Begins Tour with Third Day On March 6, 2008". Top40-Charts.com. 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  37. ^ a b "Sanctus Real Headlines Fall 2008 "We Need Each Other" Tour". Jesus Freak Hideout. 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  38. ^ "51st Annual Grammy Awards Nominations List". Grammy.com. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
  39. ^ Russ Breimeier. "Sanctus Real – Fight the Tide". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  40. ^ "2007 Year End Charts: Top Christian CHR songs". R&R. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
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