Going independent has energized THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH as its momentum continues to build following the release of the band’s 5-star acclaimed, seventh studio album, The End Is Where We Begin.  After entering at No. 1 on the Hard Rock and Christian/Gospel-Mainstream, No. 3 on Alternative and Independent and No. 14 on the Top 200 Billboard charts, the recording continues to sell 41% ahead of its previous best selling album while Canada’s favorite modern rockers get ready to launch their unique blend of towering choruses, razor-sharp rhythms, epic arrangements and stadium shaking rumbles on main stages across North America during this festival season.
 
Billed as a top headliner for the first time at Christian music’s largest festival, Creation Festival, for its 34th annual event (6/29, www.creationfest.com/ne), as well as headlining for the first time Creation 2012 Northwest (7/19, www.creationfest.com/nw) and Sonshine 2012 Festival (7/12, www.sonshinefestival.com), THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH is also featured on the main stages at Ichthus (6/22), Alive (6/23), Kings Fest (6/28), Lifest (7/14), Ignite Fest (7/22), HeavenFest (7/28) and DownPour (8/17) festivals, among others.  The band will also be featured on the Uproar Festival along with Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind, Papa Roach, POD and others.
 
“Festivals locked TFK into their schedules early, foreseeing the success they are now having with their independently released new album and the strength of their growing fan base, the friends and family of the band,” says Tony Patoto, The Fuel Music Management Co.  “Plus, TFK is spectacular live, well-known for delivering one of the industries most compelling live concerts.”
 
“TFK’s The End is Where We Begin is ahead of the last album's sales by 41%, which is unheard of today!” exclaims Shawn Fowler, The Fuel Music Management Co. “Digital singles’ sales numbers are even stronger; up 64%.  And the festival season is sure to drive that upward momentum as the recording continues to be featured at all the major retail outlets.”
 
“We’ve been impressed with THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH from day one.  The level of energy they bring to their live show, and their commitment to excellence in everything they do, set them apart from the pack very early on,” says Mike Snider, Head of Paradigm Talent Agency, Nashville.  “Throughout the years they’ve consistently delivered the goods, and this newest record takes things to a new level.  Fans and newcomers alike are sure to be blown away when the band hits the road this summer.”
 
“Each year we look for a band that we feel can step up to a headlining spot. The band has to have mass appeal, great music, killer live show and the stage presence to stand with other headliners like Skillet, etc.,” says Wayne Seboa, Creation and Sonshine festivals producer.  “This year we all felt that THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH was ready to take that next step. The band has great songs, an amazing live show and have the maturity to entertain a crowd in that covered headline spot. I am sure that the fans will come to the same conclusion after seeing their brand new show this summer.”
 
In addition to the festivals, TFK is gathering significant radio airplay across multiple formats.  Its adrenaline-infused Active Rock single, “Let The Sparks Fly,” hit No. 2 this week on SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Octane Big-Uns Countdown (www.siriusxm.com/octane) as its CHR No. 15 and climbing single, “Be Somebody,” became the second-highest radio spin-gainer last week in the format.

The band also continues its string of sports entertainment song placements, including new songs from The End Is Where We Begin on ESPN (NASCAR, NCAA basketball), EA Sports NHL 2013 releasing this fall and, most recently, “War of Change” was named as the official theme song for WWE's “Over The Limit” pay per view event happening May 20 (www.wwe.com/music). WWE programming reaches nearly 16 million people per week in the US alone and 14 million more monthly online.  “Light Up The Sky” further became the soundtrack for the L.A. Kings' (NHL) playoff reel (http://ht.ly/aFciK).
 
Receiving over 1,350, 5-star average customer reviews on iTunes® alone for The End Is Where We Begin, THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH has found that sometimes the best way to move forward is to go back to the basics, taking all of the raw energy and emotion of the past and channeling it into the present.  For those who’ve been following the Ontario-bred players since their formation in 1997, it’s been a continuously escalating highlight reel that includes best-selling albums, four top 25 Active Rock hits (including the top 20 smash hits “Fire It Up” and “Move”), plus a slew of soundtrack slots. In fact, the group has literally infiltrated every facet of pop culture, from ongoing ESPN appearances, to various NASCAR, MLB, NHL and NFL airings (including the 2010 Super Bowl), along with the “GI Joe” movie trailer, WGN-TV’s “Smallville” and EA Sports’ NHL 2010 video game.
 
All the latest tour dates and additional band information can be found at www.thousandfootkrutch.com, http://twitter.com/officialtfk and www.facebook.com/thousandfootkrutch, where the band has over 556,000 fans.

Last week music industry icon Steven Curtis Chapman celebrated the release of his 17th album re:creation  and in less than 24 hours of its debut, re:creation became the top selling Christian album on iTunes ® Christian chart while also landing at No. 3 on Christian/Gospel overall soundscan chart and was the 43rd top selling album in America according to Billboard's Top 200. The Sparrow Records' project also continues to not only attract the attention from fans but from critics as well:
 
"Steven Curtis Chapman has presented us with an album that is compelling, personal, and touching. Both the old songs and the new ones inspire and encourage…The man makes incredible music and his 17th release is right on track with the first 16. This is an album that is destined to be ministering to generations long after ours is gone."- About.com
 
"There’s no better soundtrack for this brightening season than re:creation, the Dove and Grammy Award-winning artist’s latest release where he recasts eight of his classic hits and offers six more all-new tracks as well…If you’ve ever liked Steven Curtis Chapman, re:creation—nostalgic yet forward thinking—will make you like him even more."-Crosswalk.com
 
"You can tell that Steven Curtis Chapman took his time with this album. It’s evident in every new note and old lyric. It beautifully captures his heart… and is a must-hear."-Hollywoodjesus.com  
 
Critics and fans are not the only ones who are showing their admiration for Chapman’s new album. Chapman also has fans in outer space. On August 9, Chapman visited the men and women at NASA's Johnson's Space Center in Houston, TX. He was also privileged to be able to share a few words with American astronauts Ronnie Garan and Mike Fossum while they are aboard the International Space Station as they spent the morning in space working and listening to re:creation. (Watch the conversation here.)
 
Chapman also recently sat down with the ever-popular beliefnet.com for an in-depth two-part interview about his journey over the past few years and the new season of healing he and his family are in. Join the millions of readers to be touched by the captivating interview here.
 
re:creation features six brand new songs including his current single "Do Everything," which is currently No. 2 at AC Indicator, No. 4 at National Christian Audience and No. 6 at AC Monitored. Chapman also premiered the music video for his chart-topping single at Gospel Music Channel and Klove.com last week. Fans can check it out at www.stevencurtischapman.com.
 
Chapman will be performing "Do Everything" and more songs from re:creation this fall on his "Songs & Stories Tour" with Andrew Peterson and Josh Wilson. The uniquely formatted songwriters night tour starts Sept. 29. For more information on Steven Curtis Chapman, re:creation and the tour please visit  www.stevencurtischapman.com.
 

Yesterday morning, multi-platinum selling artist and five-time GRAMMY award winner Steven Curtis Chapman celebrated the launch of his latest release re:creation with his friends at NASA.  As a special treat, Chapman was able to speak directly with the two American astronauts currently stationed on the space station about the album. With a solid track record of consistently delivering remarkably transparent and musically engaging albums throughout his prolific 20+ year career, Chapman's 17th album, available nationwide, is no different as it receives praise from critics across the board including New Release Tuesday, USA Today, Beliefnet and more:

"Overall re:creation is at its most powerful in its most personal new material. Those are the most poignant and inspirational, and he blends them well with an organic version of his signature upbeat style. It's also encouraging to hear Chapman having fun again while welcoming listeners into renewed hope. re:creation recognizes there are more tears to come, but also shows that Chapman is able to laugh again." -ChristianityToday.com

"Far from a remix, re:creation offers us Steven Curtis Chapman's timeless songs for a generation that needs to hear them. New, stripped-down instrumentations, new instruments and new voicing not only breathe new life into classic songs like 'Dive' and 'Speechless,' but they are clear evidence that this songwriter has rediscovered new themes in his own life. This is like picking up a conversation with an old friend, right where you left it." --NewReleaseTuesday.com  

" re:creation is Steven Curtis Chapman at his best: creative, uplifting, and deeply emotional.  The re-invented songs showcase his continuing growth as an artist, and are only upstaged by the spiritual depth of the new material."-Beliefnet.com

 "Chapman, who has written thoughtfully about his faith since the late 80's, revisits early hits such as 'The Great Adventure' and 'For the Sake of the Call.' The older material deserves a listen."- USA Today

"Whether newcomers to the SCC canon or longtime followers, there is something for everyone on Steven Curtis Chapman's latest, re:creation. Whether old or new, however, the common thread among the tracks is Chapman's ability to change the heart's perspective time and time again."- CCM Magazine

 "Nearly 25 years into his career, SCC is finding that the ups and downs of life have given new meaning to old lyrics. The songs (and the singer)  seem more fragile but the message is just as sure. " -Rhapsody.com

In addition to the critics' rave reviews, the world premiere of Chapman's current single from the new album, "Do Everything," can be seen this week on the Gospel Music Channel's Uplifting Pop starting at 9am/8c all week long. The video also premiered on KLOVE.com and fans can watch it here .  "Do Everything" is continuing to climb the charts as well as it is currently No. 2 at AC Indicator, No. 5 at National Christian Audience and No. 6 at AC Monitored. Yesterday, Chapman stopped by the morning show at KSBJ in Houston, where he shared the story behind the song and album.
 
It has been over three years since the Chapmans lost their daughter Maria, but the family finally feels the sun is starting to rise as they are continuing their journey of healing and restoration.  Chapman opens up about this new season with Billboard Magazine, on stands next week,  AOL's The Boot and on the cover of the latest issue of CCM Magazine .

Chapman's support of the album continues with the launch of a  23-city "Songs & Stories Tour" this fall starting Sept. 29. For more information on Steven Curtis Chapman, re:creation and the tour please visit www.stevencurtischapman.com.

On August 9, multi-platinum selling artist Steven Curtis Chapman will unveil re:creation, his 17th album release over his iconic 20 + year career.
 
The new album features five new songs from the five-time GRAMMY ® Award winner and all new re-imagined recordings of his eight biggest hits. (See full track listing below)The entire record has a progressive and fresh acoustic sound, which reflects the energy and life found in the songs. The title speaks to the actual recreation of these songs, which are entirely new re-recordings in a new musical space. More and most importantly though, the word recreation speaks to the new life God is now recreating for Chapman and his family as they walk forward in their lives.

In examining how to best recreate some of the songs that made him the most awarded artist in Christian music history, Chapman once again tapped Brent Milligan, whom he worked with on Beauty Will Rise, to co-produce the new project.
 
“Musically I felt Beauty Will Rise went to a new place for me,” Chapman explains. “It was a more acoustic, more organic recording, and that was something that I felt was really appropriate for this album as well. I write almost all of my songs with just an acoustic guitar. They begin in that organic and stripped down space, but then you get into the studio and the sounds of the day and the technology of that era influence how the songs get recorded. I thought, ‘Wow, I’d love to redo ‘For The Sake Of The Call’ because that song means something different now. It means continuing to live out the call to share our faith in light of all we’ve been through. When I did it originally, it was a big production. The sounds of the drums were real big and there was a lot of reverb and I was thinking, ‘I would love to do that song more the way that I perform it live now.’ I found that since Maria went to heaven, many of the songs that I have written over the years continue to grow in meaning. The heart behind doing this was asking, how can I take some of those songs that have a new depth to me and reinterpret those, recreate those? Thus the title re:creation.”

The first single from the album “Do Everything,” recently made its debut at radio and in one week over 28 stations added it to their playlist, making it the most added song at Christian radio last week. Chapman opens up about the upbeat anthem in a personal video shown here.

Chapman cherishes his connection with his fans and supporters as they have walked with him throughout his career. “I feel like they’ve been on the journey with me from the very beginning and I feel like this album is another step in that and a chance for me to say, ‘Friends, you’ve prayed for us and loved us so much. I want you to know it’s okay to laugh with us. We’re still going to cry, but know that we feel like we’re coming into a new season and the sun is coming up.’
 
For more information on Steven Curtis Chapman and re:creation, please visit www.stevencurtischapman.com.

On the heels of their second American Music Award win for Contemporary Inspirational Artist, MercyMe recently garnered the National Christian Audience Song of the Year and Christian AC Song of the Year with “All of Creation” according to Billboard magazine. The track dominated Billboard’s AC Monitored chart for 11 weeks, the longest run at No. 1 in the band’s career.
 
Along with the Song of the Year nod, MercyMe is closing out 2010 with a bang in other ways as well.   Having wrapped their successful “The Generous Mr. Lovewell” tour, the Dallas-area locals had a dream come true when they were recently asked to open a Dallas Cowboys Football game by singing the National Anthem for Sunday night football.
 
“2010 has been an amazing year for this band,” remarked lead vocalist Bart Millard. “Christian radio, fans, etc have just been so good to us, and this year was no exception - it’s just beyond incredible.   Of course standing on the football field before the Cowboys fans and such was mind blowing – what a thrill for all of us!  We’re a blessed group of guys for sure.”
 
The multi-platinum selling band was also invited to visit Sam’s Club associates in Bentonville, AR for their quarterly business review and holiday party. With nearly 1000 in attendance, MercyMe charmed the crowd with their humor and gave an intimate stripped down performance of some of their greatest hits, along with a selection of new favorites off of their latest best-selling album The Generous Mr. Lovewell (INO Records).
 
MercyMe will kick off 2011 on January 28th when they hit the road for the third annual  Rock and Worship Roadshow. Compassion International will serve as the executive producer and along with MercyMe the tour will also feature Jars of Clay, Thousand Foot Krutch, Matt Maher, The Afters and LeCrae.

For more information on MercyMe please visit www.mercyme.org.