Stephen Christian | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Stephen Christian Arnold |
Born | Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, pastor |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, keyboards, guitar |
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels | Tooth & Nail Records |
Member of | Anberlin, Anchor & Braille |
Formerly of | SaGoh 24/7 |
Stephen Christian is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Anberlin, as well as the vocalist of his acoustic side-project Anchor & Braille. He and his bandmates started Anberlin in 2002, after the demise of their previous group, known as SaGoh 24/7. He is one of the main songwriters for Anberlin alongside Joseph Milligan, and with the band had released seven albums before their initial disbandment in 2014 and began working on an eighth album in 2020. Many of the albums in the Anberlin discography have peaked in the top ten on various Billboard charts.
He founded the non-profit and humanitarian-oriented band Faceless International, and is the founder of Wood Water Records, the home of Anchor & Braille. Christian wrote and self-published the memoir The Orphaned Anything's (2008). Christian also started the solo project Anchor & Braille in 2007, and their debut album Felt , produced by Aaron Marsh of Copeland, was released in 2009. Felt debuted at number 30 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. [1] They released a second album, The Quiet Life , in 2012, with Christian again handling vocals and songwriting. A reviewer on Absolutepunk called The Quiet Life "a chaotic beauty of an album as well as [Christian's] most personal and eloquent effort to date." [2]
On October 30, 2018, Calvary Church of Clearwater, Florida announced that Christian will assume the role of director of worship and creative arts in January 2019, and on August 26, 2019, Christian announced that he would be the campus pastor for Grace Family Church's South Tampa Campus. [3]
Stephen Christian was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
At some point in his early life, Christian moved to Winter Haven, Florida.[ citation needed ] Christian attended Winter Haven High School along with bandmates Deon Rexroat and Joseph Milligan. [4] During high school, the three formed the punk band SaGoh 24/7 with Joey Bruce, which eventually transformed into Anberlin. Christian's younger brother Paul was an influence on some of the band's music. [4] They released two albums, Servants After God's Own Heart (1999), and Then I Corrupt Youth (2001), with Christian singing lead vocals on both.
Christian is a graduate from University of Central Florida and the Florida State University College of Law, [4] with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. [5] He attended college to study non-profits, with plans to work for Habitat for Humanity or UNICEF, but Anberlin was signed a month after he graduated. [6]
Following the signing of Anberlin, Christian wrote many of the songs on each of the band's albums. Anberlin has released seven albums: Blueprints for the Black Market , Never Take Friendship Personal , Cities , New Surrender , and Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place , Vital , and Lowborn . Anberlin also released a compilation album, Lost Songs . They released their final album in 2014.
Christian wrote a memoir, The Orphaned Anything's, which was self-published via iUniverse in early 2008.
He is also the founder of Anchor & Braille's label, Wood Water Records, which is distributed through Universal Music Group, which Anberlin is signed to. [7] [8] He founded the acoustic group Anchor & Braille, and they released a 7" single in 2007. He wrote all songs and performed vocals on their 2009 album Felt , which was recorded in 2008. The album was released through Christian's own label Wood Water Records and Federal Distribution on August 4, 2009 and was produced, engineered and mixed by Aaron Marsh from fellow Florida-based band Copeland. [7] [9] Felt debuted at number 30 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. [1]
His 2012 album with Anchor & Braille, The Quiet Life , was well-received by critics, with most of the praise directed at Christian's songwriting. Of "Goes Without Saying", Artist Direct called it "One of the most brilliant and beautiful entries into Christian's catalog, and it's the perfect prelude to the sonic majesty contained in The Quiet Life." [10]
After what was purported to be a final world tour with Anberlin, Christian followed what he described as "God's leading" to serve as director of worship at Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. [11] In May 2015, Christian was a contestant on The Price Is Right , dressing up like host Drew Carey circa his appearance on Star Search . [12]
The Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida announced that Christian would return to the Tampa Bay region to assume the role of director of worship and creative arts on January 6, 2019. [13] [14] He accepted the role of campus pastor of Grace Family Church's South Tampa Campus on August 26, 2019. [15] [3] That same year, Anberlin formally announced their reunion after what was believed to be a one-off tour in 2018. [16]
Books
Studio albums
Studio albums
Year | Album title | Release details | Chart peaks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Heat | |||||
2009 | Felt |
| 30 | ||
2012 | The Quiet Life |
| 11 | ||
2016 | Songs for the Late Night Drive Home |
| — | ||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
The following is an incomplete list of songs that have Stephen Christian featured as either a vocalist or songwriter:
Lincoln Brewster is an American contemporary Christian musician and worship pastor. As a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Brewster became a sought-after session guitarist in the early 90s. Brewster is the former senior worship pastor at Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California.
Anberlin is an American alternative rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida, in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band consists of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.
Telecast is a Christian worship band. The band began in Spokane, Washington, with songwriter Josh White, guitarist Brian Ortize, Marquis Ashley and Nick Tibbetts. Telecast released its debut album, The Beauty of Simplicity, on BEC Records in 2003, and followed it with Eternity is Now on the same label in 2005. In 2008 they released their third album, Quiet Revolution.
Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian and Christian rock band started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall, who serves as the band's lead vocalist, as part of a youth group at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida. They later moved to Stockbridge, Georgia, and more members joined. Some members of the band currently work as ministers for Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia. The band has won a Grammy and a Dove Award.
Copeland is an American rock band formed in 2001 by the singer, pianist Aaron Marsh with his friend, the bass guitarist and backing vocalist James Likeness, in Lakeland, Florida.
Reuben Timothy Morgan is an Australian worship pastor at Hillsong Church and one of several worship leaders and songwriters in Hillsong Worship group. Prior to this he was a worship pastor at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. He has written songs such as "Eagles Wings", "Hear Our Praises", "I Give You My Heart", "My Redeemer Lives" and "Mighty to Save", which won the Worship Song of the Year at the 40th GMA Dove Awards. In 2005 his first solo worship album, World Through Your Eyes, debuted at No. 3 in the Australian Christian Charts.
Dustin Michael Kensrue is a musician, singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Thrice, as well as a solo artist.
Anchor & Braille is the recording alias for American singer-songwriter Stephen Christian, known for fronting the alternative rock band Anberlin. Originally conceived as a side project for Christian, Anchor & Braille became his primary vehicle for releasing music after Anberlin's initial dissolution in 2014. Christian has described Anchor & Braille as a collaborative effort, having recorded with musicians such as Aaron Marsh of Copeland, Micah Tawlks, and Kevin Dailey of Civil Twilight. Since its beginning, Christian has released four studio albums under this name, Felt in 2009, The Quiet Life in 2012, Songs for the Late Night Drive Home in 2016 and Tension in 2020.
Aaron Marsh is an American musician and record producer from Lakeland, Florida. He first gained prominence as the lead singer, guitarist and pianist for the Florida-based indie rock band Copeland, which formed in 2001. Marsh has since gone on to numerous production projects, co-producing his own band's studio albums usually along with either Matt Goldman or Aaron Sprinkle. Marsh also has worked as a film composer both in narrative film and in advertising. His credits include the 2013 film Worm, the 2014 film A Bottle's Odyssey, and the 2018 film Shed.
Alejandro Alonso was a Mexican Christian guitar player, singer and composer.
John Mark Hall is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist for the Georgia-based contemporary Christian music group Casting Crowns, a seven-member group composed of worship leaders. He is also youth pastor at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough.
Felt is the debut studio album by Anchor & Braille, the side-project of Anberlin lead vocalist, Stephen Christian. The album was released through Christian's own label Wood Water Records and Federal Distribution on August 4, 2009 and was produced, engineered and mixed by Aaron Marsh from fellow Florida-based band Copeland.
The Quiet Life is the second studio album by Anchor & Braille, the side project of Anberlin lead vocalist Stephen Christian. The album was released on July 31, 2012 on Tooth & Nail Records with a vinyl version expected for release on September 7, 2012.
The Neverclaim is a Christian contemporary Christian music band from Portland, Oregon. They are on the Essential Records label, which they released their first studio album on September 24, 2013, entitled The Neverclaim. Their second album, The Joy, was released from The Fuel Music in association with Radiate Music, in 2015.
Lowborn is the seventh studio album by the American alternative rock band Anberlin. The album was scheduled for release on June 24, 2014, but was pushed back to July 22, 2014. This album was produced by the band. The album has been described by Stephen Christian as "eclectic and chaotic, just like a good Anberlin record should be."
Among the Thirsty is an American contemporary Christian music and worship band based out of Clearwater, Florida. Formed in 2005, their members include lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, Ryan Daniel, guitarist and background vocalist, Brian Scott Henderson, bass guitarist and background vocalist, Brock Douglas and pianist, Alan Pelno. They released, Wonder, with Rev Music Group in 2008, and their song, "I'd Need a Savior", appeared on various Christian Song charts published by Billboard magazine. Their second album, Who You Say I Am, was released by BEC Recordings in 2015, this album saw two songs, "What Love Looks Like" and "Completely", appear on various Christian Song charts.
Evan Matthew Wickham is an American Christian musician and pastor who primarily plays a contemporary Christian music and worship style of music. He has released four studio albums, Mysterious Things in 2006, Above the Sky in 2009, Christmas Music Vol. 1 in 2012, and Make Us One in 2013, all independently released.
Open Heaven / River Wild is the 24th live album of Hillsong Worship, which consists of several worship pastors from Australian church Hillsong Church. The album was recorded during the 2015 Hillsong Conference at the Sydney SuperDome from 29 June until 3 July 2015 and was released on 16 October 2015, under Hillsong Music, Sparrow Records and Capitol Christian Music Group; this marks the first time the church's annual worship album was recorded entirely during the conference, as opposed to the annual July releases that coincide with the event. Michael Guy Chislett oversaw production of the album, while Hillsong senior pastor Brian Houston and his son, worship leader Joel Houston, served as executive producers.
Songs for the Late Night Drive Home is the third studio album from American singer-songwriter Anchor & Braille. Tooth & Nail Records released the album on February 5, 2016, as their second release with the label.
Zachary Stephen Williams is an American Christian rock artist from Jonesboro, Arkansas. From 2007 through 2012 he was a member and lead vocalist of Zach Williams & The Reformation. He was also the lead singer of the Christian group Brothers of Grace, renamed as Zach Williams and the Brothers of Grace. In 2016 he went solo.