The Afters have a brand new track out today from their upcoming album that you don’t want to miss. If you got to see the recent movie, “October Baby,” then you’ll probably recognize their song “Life Is Beautiful” from the closing credits. We featured the music video here a little while back, but here it is again in case you missed it!
“It’s an honor to be able to partner with a movie that promotes love, acceptance, forgiveness, and mercy in such a poignant and effective way. We hope that the song and the movie remind people of all the things that make every life beautiful!”–Josh Havens, The Afters
Fans looking for an early preview of new music from chart-topping foursome The Afters will have their chance later this month as the band’s song “Life Is Beautiful” is featured in the upcoming feature film October Baby. Releasing nationwide on March 23 via Provident Films, the movie’s closing credits play to “Life Is Beautiful,” a newly penned song from the band’s forthcoming Fall 2012 studio album. Before the movie hits theaters, however, the music video for the song, which also features footage from the film, is available to view online at TheAfters.com. GodTube exclusively premiered the video for “Life Is Beautiful” on their site yesterday, and the video received over 30,000 views within the first 24 hours.
“It’s an honor to be able to partner with a movie that promotes love, acceptance, forgiveness, and mercy in such a poignant and effective way,” says lead singer Josh Havens. “We hope that the song and the movie remind people of all the things that make every life beautiful!”
Already having had their music placed in TV promotions for “The Biggest Loser,” “Army Wives” and “You Deserve It,” as well as in the trailer for last year’s feature film New Year’s Eve, The Afters are no strangers to their music receiving national film and television exposure. The band’s third record Light Up the Sky bolstered two No. 1 radio hits—“Light Up The Sky” and “Lift Me Up.” The Afters’ current singles include the Top 5 Billboard Christian CHR song “We Won’t Give Up” and the newly released AC single “I Am Yours.”
October Baby—premiering nationwide March 23—marks the feature film debut of award-winning music video directors Jon and Andrew Erwin. It tells the story of Hannah, a 19-year-old college freshman whose world is rocked by learning she is the adopted survivor of an attempted abortion. The realization leads Hannah on a journey to find her birth mother, but it is the power of forgiveness she ultimately discovers. The film earned the Grand Jury Prize for Best Fiction Feature at the Red Rock Film Festival and was named Audience Choice Feature Film at the Omaha Film Festival. In support of the film’s life-affirming theme, the producers of October Baby have assigned 10 percent of the profits of the film to the Every Life is Beautiful Fund. More information can be found at www.EveryLifeIsBeautiful.com. Visit the film’s official website at www.OctoberBabyMovie.net
The Afters Heard on “The Biggest Loser” and “You Deserve It”
Band Scores Back-to-Back No. 1’s at Radio with “Light Up the Sky” and “Lift Me Up”
No strangers to television exposure, The Afters’ latest songs from their album Light Up the Sky have received placement on a slew of TV promotions including NBC’s popular “The Biggest Loser” and ABC’s new philanthropic “You Deserve It”.
“Light Up the Sky” will be played in the Dec. 6 finale of NBC’s mega hit “The Biggest Loser.” ABC’s new show “You Deserve It” has also been supportive of The Afters’ music using “Lift Me Up” in promotion for the program.
In addition to No. 1’s at both AC and CHR radio, both “Light Up the Sky” and “Lift Me Up” have been constant mainstays in the top 5 on the iTunes ® Christian and Gospel Songs Chart. “Lift Me Up” is still Top 10 at AC Indicator.
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Texas-based band The Afters were propelled into the national spotlight with their INO/Sony Music Label Group debut I Wish We All Could Win. The project spawned the swirling, melodic hit “Beautiful Love,” earning the band an enthusiastic following when the song was selected as the theme track for MTV’s “8th and Ocean.” “Beautiful Love” was also the most downloaded track of 2006 on the iTunes ® Inspirational charts and garnered the band an mtvU award as well. The Afters’ sophomore release Never Going Back To OK (INO/Columbia Records) debuted in the Top 50 on the Billboard Top 200, and proved to be sensation on the silver screen with “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC), “Dr. Phil,” “Army Wives” (Lifetime) and “Rachael Ray.” The band’s third record Light Up the Sky has bolstered two No. 1 radio hits, as well as placement in “The Biggest Loser” (NBC) and “You Deserve It” (ABC). A slew of media including Rolling Stone, Seventeen.com, E! News Live, TV Guide, Premiere Radio and more also picked up on covering The Afters.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.Hewbrews 12:1-3
Over the last year I have gained a new found love of running. Yes, I am one of those people that takes joy in torturing myself that way, and am running my second ½ marathon this weekend to prove it. I never thought I would actually get excited to wake up at 6am each Saturday morning (the one day of the week that I could actually sleep in) in order to put myself in physical pain but I have in fact turned into that crazy person. Actually, now that I think of it, I truly believe that this transformation to crazy I’ve undergone has completely been God’s doing and I was reminded of that today while listening to The Afters’ song “Won’t Give Up.”
I used to run randomly off and on without any real purpose or motivation, and well… I can’t say that I actually enjoyed it very much. But throughout the process of training for an actual race there has been something about that bigger goal ahead that really gets me going. This morning I was watching this behind the song video below from The Afters for their song “Won’t Give Up” and it really reminded me of this lesson that God has taught me over and over again through the discipline of running. We are all running a race with our lives that God has allowed us to be a part of, and it’s so important to press on through the hard times and bumps in the road for the sake of our bigger goal. Keeping our eyes on the true prize at the end of it all is key, and the verses from Hebrews 12 above are what I think of every time I want to quit and throw in the towel during a rough spot.
The song “Won’t Give Up” was actually inspired by the The Afters’ favorite sports team (The Dallas Cowboys) and was written about staying strong and fighting till the end- in the actual game, but also in the race we’re all running for The Lord. Check out what frontman Josh Havens has to say about the song in this behind the scenes video interview. I know I’ll be thinking about it this weekend
When you’re down and out and you feel like you are not going to be able to get back up and finish. You need to have a rally cry. “Won’t Give Up” is kind of a rally cry to get back up, dust your shoes off and keep going on.
You CAN ask them any question in the world! The band recently added a section to their site where anyone can submit questions for the guys to answer. Here’s a few that have shown up so far-
Do you have any tips for song/lyric writers? How do you get your ideas?
Matt Fuqua: The tip I would give to any song writer would be WRITE! The more you “practice” the better you get at anything. A good song can be born out of anything. Keep your eyes open, listen, how do you feel? These are the things that often lead to songs for us. We almost always draw from personal experience when we write a song. So walk, run, live, breathe, cry, then write about it. Good luck, and God bless. Matt
Is it hard to travel so much and have little time to spend time with family? Also, how do you prepare for your concerts?
Josh Havens: Traveling as much as we do can be tricky having a family. It’s definitely not for everyone and we have to be very intentional about how we plan our touring and off times. Our families know that they are our #1 priority and we have rules about the maximum amount of time we’ll be away. We also make sure that we’re home for the important things. There are times that we’ve been on tour that i’ve flown home to see my sons soccer game and immediately flew back out for a show. We also try to make the most of our time at home by turning off our phones and computers and just investing in our wives and kids. We’re actually home as much as we would be if we worked a 9-5 job 5 days a week, it’s just in chunks. We might be on tour for 3 weeks, and then home for 2 weeks. As with anything in life, it’s all about your priorities and making sure that you’re putting the right things first. I think that if you asked any of our families, they wouldn’t change a thing. Our wives are called to this life, just as we are. As for your second question: I like to brush my teeth, have some alone time and then prayer with my bandmates before a show.
I’m excited to share this new music video with you from The Afters! It’s for their song “Lift Me Up” which is one of my favorites on the record. Check it out, and let me know what you think!
Lift Me Up
Waiting for the sunrise
Waiting for the day
Waiting for a sign that I’m where you want me to be
You know my heart is heavy
And the hurt is deep
But when I feel like giving up,
You’re reminding me
That we all fall down sometimes.
When I hit the ground …
CHORUS:
You lift me up when I am weak
Your arms wrap around me
Your love catches me so
I’m letting go
You lift me up
When I can’t see
Your heart is all that I need
Your love carries me so I’m letting go
I know I’m not perfect
I know I make mistakes
I know that I have let You down
But You love me the same
When I’m surrounded
When I lose my way
When I’m crying out
When I have fallen down
CHORUS
I can see the dawn is breaking
I am feeling overtaken with Your love
I don’t know what I can offer
In this moment I surrender to Your love
First God made heaven & earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
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Our God is a God of wonders. He created everything: heaven, earth, sky, and sea. He even created us! When I stop to think about the beauty of it, I am left incredulous. How could God make us so unique and complicated? How are our bodies perfectly created to compensate for injury, to learn new things, and to function automatically? How do our brains, structurally so similar, create different personalities and minds?
We are so used to our environments that we often take for granted what’s around us. The sun rises every morning and sets in the evening. We see the stars at night. It happens every day and it has happened every day that we’ve ever known. What’s so exciting about that?
But then there are days when we feel our need for God more. We feel alone, we might be scared, and we’re definitely lost. Where do we go and how do we get there? It’s so hard to figure out. Yet, even through these trials, and ironically sometimes because of them, we see that God is with us always.“I can’t deny that you are right here with me.You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me.”
God is in everything and He is everywhere. When the sun rises, God is revealing His presence. “You light up the sky to show me You are with me.” When we feel alone, all we have to do is look at the sky to see otherwise. We’re not alone, for God is with us.
On our life journeys, there are many times we feel we don’t know which way to go. “When stars are hiding in the clouds, I don’t feel them shining.” It’s dark, and we can’t see what’s up ahead. Through these times, we should remember that God will send His light to guide us. Just as He turns the night’s darkness into morning light, He will turn our darkness into bright light. “You’re the bright and morning sun.” No matter how dark it seems at the moment, we know that if we wait a little longer, the sun will rise again.
Check out The Afters on iTunes here and scroll down to see what Josh says about the song and read the lyrics. Don’t forget to leave your comments!
Lyrics:
When I’m feeling all alone with so far to go
The signs are nowhere on this road, guiding me home
When the night is closing in
It’s falling on my skin
Oh God will You come close
CHORUS:
You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me, You are with me
And I, I, I can’t deny
No I can’t deny that You are right here with me
You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me
You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me, You are with me
When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don’t feel them shining
When I can’t see beyond my doubt
The silver lining
When I’ve almost reached the end
Like a flood You’re rushing in
Your Love is rushing in
CHORUS
So I run straight to Your arms
You’re the bright and morning Sun
To show Your love, there’s nothing You won’t do
First Winning Band Takes the Stage in Huntsville, AL
This year the Rock & Worship Roadshow, which launches this Friday in Cape Girardeau, MO, is giving fans a chance to be a part of the show by presenting a Battle of the Bands contest in select tour markets, which can be found here.
To compete in The Battle of the Bands contest, listeners submit their music and youtube videos to their local radio station and the station narrows down contestants to a final three. The music from the top three finalists is passed along to the Roadshow artists who pick the winning act to perform a two-song set, 45 minutes prior to the beginning of the Rock & Worship Roadshow in the listeners’city.
The first set of finalists were recently chosen and hail from Tennessee, Texas and Pennsylvania. A Nashville-based band was ultimately announced as the winner, and will take the stage next weekend in Huntsville, AL.
“The Battle of the Bands contest is a great opportunity for our listeners and for us to learn about the talent in our audience,” says Kris Spain from 88.1 Way-FM in Huntsville. “We are glad to help discover and encourage up-and-coming talent. The station received over 30 entries from local bands and those in other states. Most bands dream of opening for a concert like this, and we are glad to offer them the chance!”
The all-star cast on the 3rd Annual Rock & Worship Roadshow includes MercyMe, Jars of Clay, Thousand Foot Krutch, Matt Maher and The Afters, with hip-hop artist LeCrae joining the lineup starting February 24. The Compassion International sponsored event will entertain audiences in major cities such as Chicago, Colorado Springs and Phoenix and more while on the 25-city tour. To see full list of tour dates click here.
LINEUP INCLUDES MERCYME, JARS OF CLAY, THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH, LECRAE, MATT MAHER AND THE AFTERS
Drawing over 350,000 to concert venues across the country since it’s successful launch in 2009, the Rock and Worship Roadshow, is ready to embark on it’s 3rd Annual run of the popular concert series. Compassion International will serve as the executive producer and is proud to announce the star-studded cast which includes the recent American Music Award winning band MercyMe, critically acclaimed band Jars of Clay, Thousand Foot Krutch, Matt Maher and The Afters. In addition to this stellar lineup GRAMMY ® Award nominated hip-hop artist LeCrae will join the tour starting February 24.
The tour will entertain audiences in major cities such as Chicago, Colorado Springs and Phoenix and more while on the 25-city tour. The fun will kick off January 28 and carry through until March 13. (to see full list of tour dates click here)
The tradition continues, as admission prices will again be $10 at-the-door, making it an affordable event for the whole family. In addition to bringing a night of exciting performances, the tour is also dedicated to a much greater purpose: helping children through Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. For more information on Compassion International go to http://www.compassion.com.
Here’s part 2 of our “Hometown Heroes” series. This time we’re hanging out with The Afters, as they take us to their favorite spots around their hometown of Dallas, TX.
Check it out.
Have you been to any of those places? Let us know what you think!
