In the industry of cool known as rock ’ n’ roll, it’s a particularly rare feat when substance actually triumphs over swagger. Even more surprising is when a band blatantly wears its heart on its sleeve, rather than simply championing lyrical ambiguity set to a catchy beat.
But in the musical world of GRAMMY-nominated Sanctus Real, substance and style have peacefully co-existed over the course of five albums that have garnered seven No. 1 radio singles (and six more that landed in the Top 5). Not afraid to experiment with new textures or leave things stripped-down and simple if the song calls for it, the Dove Award-winning act that features Matt Hammitt (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Rohman (lead guitar), Mark Graalman

(drums), Dan Gartley (bass) and Pete Prevost (guitar) also hasn’t shied away from tackling life’s tough questions. Offering glimpses of the guys’ own joys and heartbreaking struggles, that refreshing level of candor—and unflinching commitment to honesty—has endeared the band to fans around the globe.
And now with the March 9 release of Pieces of a Real Heart, Sanctus Real has continued to push themselves both artistically and thematically. Fueled by the real-life experiences culled from a life often spent traveling from city to city, not to mention the maturing that inevitably results when raising families, the album is confessional, thoughtful and really anything but surface-level.
“There’s a real depth here that I’m not sure we’ve ever had on any other album,” Matt shares. “We’ve always written about things that were important to us. But what really makes these songs stand out is that we’re getting older and have experienced so much more life. There’s a depth that naturally comes with age, and every couple years between albums there’s so much more growth spiritually, emotionally and even musically, and our music is evolving and progressing with life.”
When it came time to choose a name that encapsulated the band’s latest work, the group was intentional about having the title really fit the pulse of the lyrics.
“At first it seemed a little cliché, but we knew we needed to have the word ‘heart’ somewhere in the title,” Matt says. “It’s because all these songs —every last one—are about the deepest parts of our being, our hearts, what we’re thinking about and things we’re living through. As we started thinking about all the different pieces of our lives, it quickly became apparent that these songs are definitely pieces of our real heart.”
Armed with a passionate message, Pieces of a Real Heart also has plenty of hope for the world-weary. In what’s been a season of discouragement for many with challenging financial realities, “The Redeemer” is a stalwart reminder that God really has our hopes and dreams in His able, capable hands. With opening track “These Things Take Time,” listeners are encouraged that answers to life’s

most difficult answers will be answered—even if it’s not here on earth, while “Keep My Heart Alive” is a worshipful, call to action for believers to not allow the busyness of life swallow up your relationship with the Creator. Matt says that song is also a great “note to self.”
For anyone who’s particularly enjoyed the Sanctus Real concert experience in the past, the band’s latest work will be a surefire hit sonically, too. Thanks to a more minimalist approach in the studio, Pieces of a Real Heart has all the verve and intensity of the band’s electrifying live show.
“I think one of the reasons why the album is so special is because we embraced the idea of ‘less is more.’” Matt says. “It was a matter of saying, ‘These are the parts that we believe really convey the heart of these songs.’ That’s what made a significant difference this time around. Hands down, Pieces of a Real Heart is not only our favorite album, but I believe it’s the best work we’ve ever done.”

Lead singer Leeland Mooring wrote his first song "Shine" at the age of 11. After having a successful performance of the song at a church in Illinois, the Mooring family began touring the United States. When he was 14, Mooring entered into Embassy Music’s Ultimate Talent Search contest in Nashville, Tennessee, where he became a finalist in the songwriting and artist divisions. Although he did not win the competition, one of the contest's judges, Kent Coley, now the band's manager, took interest in the young teen. A year later, Eddie DeGarmo, then

President of EMI CMG Publishing, also was interested in Mooring, and the two signed a songwriting contract on EMI/Capitol Music Group. Less than a year later, Leeland Mooring, his older brother Jack Mooring, their cousin Jake Holtz, and friends Jeremiah Wood and Mike Smith, who the Moorings had known for several years, officially signed as a band onto their record label Essential Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's Provident Label Group. The five members began practicing at night in their church's building after youth group, which doubled as a funeral home. Leeland Mooring's first name was used as the band's name because the members said that "it sounded cool".

Leeland's musical style has been defined as "alternative CCM" and "progressive rock". The band's songs have been defined as "melodic" with "Brit pop/rock" influences,being compared to Coldplay, Keane, Travis and U2.
Their first album, Sound of Melodies, has been described as a "sometimes worshipful, always melodic". Leeland's style moved in a more rock direction with their second album Opposite Way. Allmusic reviewer Jared Johnson noted that the band "cemented their sound by creating electrifying walls of guitar" with their second release, having the same "energetic and melodic" sound as their first album. Leeland's third studio album, "Love Is On The Move", was released on August 25, 2009 in the United States. The album's lead single "Follow You", which includes vocals from singer-songwriter Brandon Heath, was released to Christian radio on August 7, 2009.

When Leeland’s not on the road, band members continue to lead worship at the Baytown, Texas church the Mooring’s parents began pastoring six years ago. The band also serves regularly in their community’s Gulf Coast emergency preparedness programs and at a local food pantry which feeds hundreds of people each week. Earlier this year, Leeland and Jack were also the only musicians invited to the White House for its “Compassion in ActionRoundtable” which targeted emerging leaders in developing the next generation of America’s social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. The way the band sees it, love should be on the move locally and globally. After all, doesn’tGod choose to expand his Kingdom and His love by reaching out to the world through the lives and actions of Hisfollowers? Perhaps Leeland sums it up best, “Jesus was the first to be love on the move when He went to thecross. But when He did that, he transferred that love to us so we become His love on the move.”

Every year, scores of new artists get pegged as “The Next Big Thing.” Few live up to the hype. Some exceed it. Even before their album hit streets, The Afters were generating a positive buzz in the Christian music scene and beyond—buzz their debut album lives up to.

Consider: The band is the first signing on Simple Records, launched by MercyMe’s Bart Millard and producer Pete Kipley in cooperation with INO Records. They were the opening act for MercyMe and Jeremy Camp’s Undone Tour hitting 40 cities in Spring 2005, and veteran Brown Bannister and up-and-comer Dan Muckala produced their album. Their debut

project was released on Epic to the general market simultaneously with the Christian release.

But it hasn’t happened overnight for these Dallas-ites. The foursome has spent seven years as an indie act, honing their Smashing Pumpkins-meets-Coldplay style rock as the house band at Dallas’ legendary hotspot The Door. They consistently packed out that club, drawing 800 plus fans to their monthly gigs and sold more than 25,000 units of their indie project. The band’s lineup includes Josh Havens on vocals, keys and guitar, Brad Wigg on bass and vocals, Marc Dodd on drums, and Matt Fuqua on guitars and vocals.

Havens and Fuqua came together to play for a missions conference at Dallas Theological Seminary. After their show earned a positive response, they graduated to a club show. They later added Wigg, who had fronted a blues band, and Dodd, who worked with the guys at Starbucks.

The band first came to Millard’s attention when they opened for MercyMe at a Halloween show in 2001, recalls Fuqua. They made an instant impression on Millard, who says, “I was really nervous to follow them because they were so amazing. They’re one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen.” Accordingly, The Afters, formerly called Blisse, were hotly sought after by several established Nashville labels when Millard came calling. Months later, they ended up signing with him.

“As a band, they represent everything we desire to be about as a label,” says Millard. Says Havens, “We really clicked with Pete and Bart. Their vision for us musically really lined up, and because they were both artist and producer, they saw more what we saw.”

Their debut, I Wish We All Could Win, draws its title from track “Someday.” Josh Havens says, “It’s about somebody close to me who turned their back on the truth. You know, we’re all in this race. We’re all trying to figure out why we’re here, and ultimately when we get to the end, there are winners and losers. I wish we all could win.”

Havens’ father passed away in November 2004, and his death after a long illness brought home to him that the brokenness we experience was not the way the world was intended. “We were not created to die, to face these things, but when we die and receive God’s grace, we’ll be restored to the way He intended it to be,” he says.

The band's sophomore effort, "Never Going Back To OK", is a strong collection of a dozen tracks that continue what the guys began with I Wish We All Could Win and take a few steps further.

The album mixes some familiarity with new territory for this Dallas, Texas foursome, immediately throwing a deliciously bizarre curveball with the Beatles-esque opener "The Secret Parade." When listening to such a start, bands like dc Talk come to mind as they offered something completely different when their 1995 album Jesus Freak released. What's important to note is that as the album progresses and The Afters shift gears from rock anthems to alternative rock to ballads and even pop, the guys pull off each style masterfully. Never Going Back To OK is a fitting title for a band that was determined not to release a stinker for a sophomore record

when many bands who come out of the gate with a stellar debut tend to drop the ball or crack under pressure on the second try.

Never Going Back To OK is a diverse sophomore effort from The Afters that makes time for the serious and the beautiful, all the while providing a great deal of thematic substance for the music listener to consider. With each spin, Never Going Back To OK only gets increasingly more enjoyable as the album really is all that we've been waiting for (and more) from The Afters. It's musically rich with in texture and production, thoughtfully written and performed. As 2008 is already off to a great start with memorable new music, consider the latest from The Afters to not only be right up there near the top of the list of highlights, but chalk it up as a favorite for the year.