Fair Trade Services announces the signing of Hawk Nelson to their acclaimed roster. Hawk Nelson is set to release their sixth studio album titled Made on April 2. In support of their new single “Words,” which will be going for adds at radio December 26, the band is featuring their lyric video on GodTube today. 
 
Earlier this year, Hawk Nelson underwent a line-up change as former front man Jason Dunn left the band to pursue his solo career.  Longtime Hawk Nelson guitarist Jonathan Steingard transitioned into the front man position and now the band is a trio with bassist Daniel Biro and drummer Justin Benner.
 
Daniel Biro, who co-founded the band ten years ago, has grown with Hawk Nelson this last decade and believes all of the change has resulted in an honest and God-breathed product. “This time around,” says Biro, “we’re going through all of this emotional change, physical change, and God breathed some new songs that channeled all those feelings and doubts and emotions into these lyrics.”
 
As much change as Hawk Nelson has undergone in the last year, new lead singer Jonathan Steingard explains the DNA of the band is still the same. "We're still that high energy band that a church or youth group would book if they want to have a fun youth night," says Steingard. We want to take what we've been and not leave it behind, but grow it a little bit and hopefully be a lot more intentional about what we're saying.
 
"This intentionality shines through the two central songs on the album: “Words” and “Made.” Steingard wrote “Words” with Matt Hammitt (Sanctus Real) and Seth Mosley, the producer on the album. The song, and first single, is product of a conversation Steingard had with Hamitt and Mosley. “We were talking about how easy it is to forget how impacting we can be in the lives of the people around us just with our words,” says Steingard. As the lyrics explain, Words can build you up; words can break you down. / Start a fire in your heart or put it out.
 
“Words,” which features vocals by Bart Millard (MercyMe), is a response to “Made”—a building song, layered with fast-tempo strings, that speaks boldly to the listener during the chorus: You’re beautiful, wonderful, perfectly made. “The idea behind that song,” says Steingard, “is that when something is made instead of just happening, everything about it is on purpose and intentional. If we didn’t just happen, if we were created by someone who loves us and cares about us and has a purpose for our lives, then when we look in the mirror, we should be satisfied with what we see.”
 
So “Made” tells us we are on purpose, and “Words” encourages us to live life purposefully.
 
Fan involvement is Hawk Nelson’s specialty. Further proof of this is in how they raised funds for Made. It was a Kickstarter project—an online fundraising tool now often used for producing new records. Biro believes the Kickstarter success proves the power of the relationships this band has built with the industry and with fans over the years. And despite the new chapter of Hawk Nelson, he says, “Real relationships span the test of time, and those relationships have stayed in tact and those people have showed their support.”

The band will be announcing a spring tour soon in support of the new album.  Stay tuned for more details.

Acoustic duo Shane & Shane is partnering with Fair Trade Services for its first studio release in two years, The One You Need. Available Oct. 4, the project’s debut single and title track is currently impacting Christian AC, CHR and Inspirational Radio.
 
After a brief hiatus from recording, Shane Barnard and Shane Everett have returned to the studio with two years worth of new material, all self-written and self-produced. The duo, who has been playing together for 13 years, has joined efforts with Fair Trade Services, home to top artists including The Afters, MercyMe, and Derek Webb, for its latest album.
 
“Shane and I are so excited about our new record label Fair Trade Services,” says Everett. “It feels amazing to have a team around us who is not only concerned about selling records but also about the Gospel moving forward through song!!! We love these guys.”
 
The Shanes, now both married with children, created this latest record through the lens of fatherhood and community. In fact, Barnard penned the title track—a poignant letter from daddy to daughter—a week before his daughter Lucy was born. Having also recently assumed the role of worship pastors at their local church, The One You Need additionally contains songs intended to minister to those hurting around them.
 
“For the first time, we’ve been in community; and when you’re in community, you see the hurt,” Everett explains. “Being on staff has been an eye opening experience for us, rubbing shoulders with broken hurting people helps us not only in our own struggles, but lets us know how to pray and how much we desperately need it.”
 
Preceding the record’s release is lead single, “The One You Need,” which went for adds at radio July 22. Shane & Shane wrapped a national promotional tour in support of the single earlier this month. Watch Part I and Part II of their road trip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihajxCkyZ4c and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ9DcP3QNjA. The duo also filmed a music video for the song, which will premiere on GodTube Aug. 4. Additional details are forthcoming. For more information on Shane & Shane and The One You Need, visit www.shaneandshane.com.
 
Shane Everett and Shane Barnard formed the duo, Shane & Shane, after meeting at Central Baptist Church in College Station, Texas in the late 90’s. Since then, the acoustic-guitar wielding pair has become a college-circuit favorite with six label releases to its credit, and countless hours logged on the road, including tours alongside Bethany Dillon, David Crowder Band and Robbie Seay Band, among others. In total, the band’s career sales exceed half a million units. Follow Shane & Shane at www.facebook.com/shaneandshanemusic or www.twitter.com/ShaneandShane.
 

Baltimore based rock/pop group, Ashes Remain, is preparing to release their major label album debut, What I’ve Become, with Fair Trade services on August 23.
 
Playing together for almost a decade, the band was formed after vocalist Josh Smith met guitarist/keyboardist Ryan Nalepa leading worship one summer in Maryland. After adding guitarist Rob Tahan, bassist Jonathan Hively and drummer Ben Kirk, the band hit the road in their converted 1987 Ford school bus performing in over 25 states across the nation for more than six years before signing with Fair Trade Services in 2010.
 
On their major label debut, Ashes Remain explores themes of hope through humanity’s brokenness. Many of the album’s tracks discuss the idea that no matter how broken you think you have become there is always hope in the presence of God.
 
To help make What I’ve Become’s grand entrance into the music world, Ashes Remain teamed up with producer Rob Hawkins (Disciple, Fireflight) who helped the band develop their accessible sound that draws from a wide range of influences from 3 Doors Down and 311 to Imogen Heap and Circa Survive.  
 
“Everything Good,” the first single recently released by Ashes Remain, is being well received at radio having already been added by their hometown station 95.1 Shine FM. Other stations on the song include WONU/Chicago, WHZN/Indianapolis, KGBI/Omaha, WAYG/Grand Rapids, WJYO/Ft. Myers among others. “It’s hope, it is praising God when nothing makes sense, says Smith.  “Like Paul singing praise while sitting in jail.” Watch Smith open up about the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbSEDafv-rA. Adding to the welcome response to Christian radio, Baltimore’s Active Rock mainstream station, 98Rock, is playing the band’s song Unbroken in regular rotation.
 
To hear more about Ashes Remain and What I’ve Become, check out their latest EPK at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62YiKOGTOak.

Anything but “fair” reviews, Tooth & Nail Records’ Fair releases their sophomore effort, “Disappearing World,” to rave reviews and fan reaction this week.    All-Star producer Aaron Sprinkle (Anberlin, Acceptance, Copeland, The Almost, Demon Hunter, Kutless, Jeremy Camp) leads Fair into a positive future with this indie-rock record.  To celebrate the release of “Disappearing World,” Fair is debuting their title-track music video on AbsolutePunk.net (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1550891).  In addition to today’s music video premiere, Fair has posted an in-studio video for “Walking In My Sleep” on the band’s MySpace with more live videos to come.

Already touted as a 2010 Album of the Year contender by some reviewers, Fair has hit the nail on the head with this release. Here are what media outlets are shouting about Fair:
“It’s probably for the best if you pay attention, it’d be a shame if you miss out on one of the best records of 2010.”
-- AbsolutePunk.net

“When it gets down to it, Disappearing World is a great pop-rock album to fit any mood. Listening to Fair makes me smile.”
--Sputnikmusic.com

“Fair is a collaboration of seasoned musicians making a dent in this contemporary rock scene the size of a meteor.”
--ReviewRinseRepeat.com

“Excellently done lyrically and musically, Disappearing World is worth the four year wait! With a seemingly excellent job done by Aaron Sprinkle and the rest of Fair, they give us possibly one of the best albums of 2010!” --IndieVisionMusic.com

“Lightning apparently does strike twice, because the boys of Fair have created yet another near-perfect album that was more than worth the wait.” --JesusFreakHideout.com

“Disappearing World is a stellar album. Disappearing World is a near perfect album by Fair.”
--TheChristianManifesto.com

“What we have here is a polished sound, which is quite the accomplishment for what is only a sophomore album.”
--ChristianMusicZine.com

“Disappearing World takes the sound from the debut to a whole new level - creating more solid melodies and memorable vocal performances this time around.  Overall, Disappearing World is a sure highlight in Sprinkle’s already celebrated career.” --TheBridgeLive.net

“Hands down a huge step up for the band in every way.”
--TheAlbumProject.net

Most associate the name Aaron Sprinkle with production credits in liner notes as an all-star producer (Anberlin, Acceptance, Copeland, The Almost, Demon Hunter, Kutless, Jeremy Camp) based in Seattle, WA.  However for those that pay attention, he has also been a leader of Poor Old Lu and Rose Blossom Punch and more recently Fair, who released their debut album “The Best Worst-Case Scenario” in 2006 on Tooth & Nail Records. Sprinkle and team are back with Fair’s sophomore release, “Disappearing World,” set to release February 9, 2010.

With their debut album, Fair received wide media acclaim.  Absolutepunk.net stated that it was “toward the top of their list for 2006”; Jesusfreakhideout.com named the album “really impressive”; Emotionalpunk.com said it was “a perfect collection of songs”; Sputnikmusic.com touted that “Fair is much better than its name.” It is no surprise that fans are ready for the second dose of this band who is known for sophisticated songwriting and structured pop song appeal.

“Musically I wanted to really tap into my influences, which are mostly ‘60s and ‘70s and lot of ‘80s too,” says Sprinkle. “And that’s really the feel of this record- a lot of very retro moments wearing those influences on our sleeve. The record’s more dynamic and exciting in some places than the last one, but it’s also more fragile and sincere in other places.”

Putting himself in the spotlight as opposed to sitting in the producer seat, Sprinkle is excited about this album more than any other record.

“I’ve never been this excited about something I’ve done before,” he promises. “I don’t question a single moment on this record and that’s a huge thing for me because normally I’m incredibly insecure when it comes to my own music. I’m so happy with every moment and I owe that to the guys in the band because it’s a great place for me to bounce ideas off of.”

Back this second round are members Erick Newbill (guitar), Joey Sanchez (drums, percussion) Nick Barber (bass) and Aaron Sprinkle (vocals, guitar).  For more information visit: www.myspace.com/fair. Follow on Twitter http://twitter.com/fairforever