Behind the Scenes with Mat Kearney Part 1

Part 1 of a series in which Mat Kearney talks about the making of his new album City of Black & White.

Stryper to preview "Murder By Pride" on iTunes

BIG3 Records has announced plans to “preview” Stryper's upcoming studio album Murder by Pride at iTunes.com. With this groundbreaking new promotion, Stryper fans will have an opportunity to purchase the album song-by-song, one week at a time, until the album's release on July 21, 2009.

Every Tuesday beginning May 5th, a new song from the upcoming album will be released at iTunes – for one week only – until the album's July 21st release date. Each week, the song will be replaced by another, giving fans a chance to purchase the complete album one song at a time until the album hits stores.



Murder by Pride iTunes Release Schedule:
Tuesday, May 5 - "Eclipse of the Son"
Tuesday, May 12 - "Murder By Pride"
Tuesday, May 19 - "4 Leaf Clover"
Tuesday, May 26 - "The Plan"
Tuesday, June 2 - "Alive"
Tuesday, June 9 - "I Believe"
Tuesday, June 16 - "Love Is Why"
Tuesday, June 23 - "Mercy Over Blame"
Tuesday, June 30 - "Run In You"
Tuesday, July 7 - "Everything"
Tuesday, July 14 - "My Love (I'll Always Show)"
Tuesday, July 21 - FULL ALBUM IN STORES AND AT iTUNES

Murder by Pride also includes a cover of the BOSTON song "Peace of Mind" featuring BOSTON guitarist Tom Scholz. “Peace of Mind” is already available at iTunes.

Stryper will hit the road this fall with a 25th Anniversary Tour, hitting 50 cities in North America before going international in January and February 2010. Launching in September, the tour will be a two-set show. The first set will feature new Stryper material and include current bassist Tracy Ferrie, along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet and Oz Fox. The second set will feature all four original members, including original bassist Tim Gaines, wearing the original yellow and black stage outfits and performing the band's hits from the last 25 years.

In 1984, Stryper broke on to the scene with their debut EP Yellow and Black Attack, and have since gone on to sell 8 million albums and tour the world spreading an inspirational message through their branded sound of rock songs, heavy guitars and pristine harmony vocals. The group's unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.

In 2008, Michael Sweet joined legendary band BOSTON on vocals and guitar for their 54-city summer headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling," “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don't Look Back.” BOSTON has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including the band's 1976 self-titled debut, which has sold over 17 million copies to date and was the highest selling debut of all time. Sweet is currently in the studio recording the upcoming BOSTON album, due next year.

Jimmy Needham creates music video for "Firefly"

CAPTION: Inpop Records singer/songwriter Jimmy Needham partners with director Chris Corrado ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "Charlie Wilson's War," NBC series "Life") to shoot the music video for his song "Firefly" at a Los Angeles coffee shop on April 15, 2009. "Firefly," from Needham's current release Not Without Love, was written for Needham's wife Kelly, who makes a guest appearance in the video.

Read our interview with Jimmy.

Stryper Announces 25th Anniversary Tour

Legendary Christian rock band Stryper has announced plans for a 25th Anniversary Tour, hitting 50 cities in North America this fall before going international in January and February 2010. Stryper's upcoming studio album Murder by Pride (Big3 Records) will be released in July.

The 25th Anniversary Tour, scheduled to launch in September, will be a two-set show. The first set will feature new Stryper material and include current bassist Tracy Ferrie, along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet and Oz Fox. The second set will feature all four original members, including original bassist Tim Gaines, wearing the original yellow and black stage outfits and performing the band's hits from the last 25 years.

"After recently learning about how precious life is and how often we take for granted the time that we have here on earth, I realized that this tour may very well be the most important tour in the history of Stryper," said Michael Sweet. "Tim, Robert, Tracy, Oz and myself are all stepping out together to show the importance of unity and forgiveness and the only way to show this is to live it. We've been faced with challenges over the past 25 years but two things have remained certain within our hearts and within our lives - the power of God's love and the beauty of God's grace."

The tour will be a family project, with Michael Sweet Jr's band Flight Patterns opening all dates. Their debut album will release on Fifty Three Five Records in July.

In 1984, Stryper broke on to the scene with their debut EP Yellow and Black Attack, and have since gone on to sell 8 million albums and tour the world spreading an inspirational message through their branded sound of rock songs, heavy guitars and pristine harmony vocals. The group's unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.

In 2008, Michael Sweet joined legendary band BOSTON on vocals and guitar for their 54-city summer headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling," “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don't Look Back.” BOSTON has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including the band's 1976 self-titled debut, which has sold over 17 million copies to date and was the highest selling debut of all time.

Murder by Pride will include a cover of the BOSTON song "Peace of Mind" that features BOSTON guitarist Tom Scholz on the recording. Ironically, Stryper had recorded "Peace of Mind" and planned to put it on their 2009 release long before Michael Sweet was even considered as a new member of BOSTON.

In 2008, BOSTON's Tom Scholz and Gary Pihl joined Stryper on stage to perform “Peace of Mind” for VH1 Classic's After Math: The Station Fire Five Years Later – a televised benefit concert also featuring performances by John Rich, Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Aaron Lewis (Staind), Tesla, Twisted Sister, Winger and more.

"This record is a true miracle," said Michael Sweet. "We began rehearsing the new material in 2006 and now here we are looking at a 2009 release. It's been an extremely difficult process yet through this came one of the most powerful records that we've ever made. We decided to go back to what we were known for - vocal harmonies, guitar harmonies, solid grooves and melodic melodies and arrangements. We put our hearts and souls into making this record and we can only hope that it changes a few lives along the way. If so, it was all worth it!"

Everyday Sunday counts down to new album!

Everyday Sunday returns with its second Inpop Records release, Best Night of Our Lives, June 16, 2009. Produced by Mark Lee Townsend (Relient K, Jennifer Knapp, Supertones) and mixed by JR McNeely (Paramore, Jeremy Camp, tobyMac), Best Night of Our Lives finds the band exploring a more aggressive rock approach.

The follow-up to Everyday Sunday’s Inpop debut, Wake Up! Wake Up!, Best Night of Our Lives makes a power play in rock ’n’ roll with its booming title track “Best Night of Our Lives” about life-long friendship, and the full-force “Breathing for Me,” an anthem of surrender. The fullness of sound and lyric on “Where I Ended” reveals a passionate plea for escape and identity in God, while “Here With Me” strips down the sound to a pure acoustic melody.

“There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is a rock record,” says Everyday Sunday frontman Trey Pearson. “It’s more forceful in a lot of ways; it’s definitely more mature. It’s just the best album that any of us have ever been a part of.”

“Everyday Sunday has become a Christian music mainstay over the years due to relentless touring and incredible radio support,” says Shara Katerberg-Hsu, director of marketing at Inpop Records. “We look forward to the band’s continued success with this great new album that once again raises the bar for Christian rock music.”

The project’s first two radio singles, “Best Night of Our Lives” and “Where I Ended” began vying for adds at Christian Rock and CHR, respectively, on Friday, March 27. The band has been playing music from its new record on the Acquire The Fire “Here Comes Trouble” tour, currently running through May.

Comprising Trey Pearson (lead vocals), Tyler Craft (bass), Kevin Cramblet (drums) and Nick Spencer (guitar), Everyday Sunday hails from Columbus, Ohio. Attracting a national audience with its 2001 independent Christian Hit Radio single, “Just a Story,” Everyday Sunday joined Flicker Records’ roster in 2002. The band released two successful projects with Flicker, Stand Up and Anthems for the Imperfect, while raking in numerous accolades, including being named among CCM Magazine’s “Favorite New Artists of 2003,” as well as “Best New Artist of the Year” by TVU Music Television. The band’s Inpop Records debut, Wake Up! Wake Up!, released May 22, 2007, yielding the No. 1 CHR hit “Find Me Tonight” as well as Rock chart-topper “Wake Up! Wake Up!”. The album’s title track was additionally named 2007 Rock Song of Year by Radio & Records. For more information on Everyday Sunday, visit: www.myspace.com/everydaysunday.