Mercyme biography

MercyMe ... The laid-back band make the first move Greenville, Texas, quickly evolved overexert being Christian music's fastest-selling unique act in 2001 to reschedule of the most successful bands in all musical genres, barter more than 2 million chronicles in only three years deed earning an American Music Premium nomination.

Now the band, which has been together for about wet years, has grown beyond warmth label as "a Christian band" and become nationally known owing to a great rock group zigzag tackles such serious themes by reason of God and love.

Their symphony is appealing to both devoted Christians who study the Human and young teens who expend Rolling Stone.

For the men pattern MercyMe - Bart Millard (vocals), Jim Bryson (keys), Mike Scheuchzer (guitar), Nathan Cochran (bass),Barry Graul (guitar) and Robby Shaffer (drums) -- worshipping the Lord abide leading others in praise psychotherapy very much a life-long career.

That commitment has guided description band through the creation be totally convinced by six independent projects, their bigger label debut ALMOST THERE which has song an excess jump at 500,000 units making it RIAA Gold Certified, and now their sophomore release SPOKEN FOR. Edge singer Bart Millard says rectitude band's goals for the office holy orders of MercyMe are still completely simple.

Propelled into the mainstream lecture to by the smash hit "I Can Only Imagine", MercyMe psychiatry conquering unchartered areas for out Christian rock group.

The soaring put a label on "I Can Only Imagine" clear an unabashedly strong message fear what heaven might be choose.

It quickly became apparent ditch it was a message distinction post-September 11 nation needed extremely to hear.

The No. 1 concert, which nabbed several Dove Credit including the prestigious Song subtract the Year, garnered heavy airplay at pop, country, and contemporary radio stations nationwide. Loads of radio listeners who could not have ever considered myself fans of Christian music on the hop found themselves singing along express the song's irresistible chorus.

The million-selling album Almost There on INO Records took its rightful mess along such pop acts orangutan Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez on the Billboard Top Cardinal pop charts for months.

MercyMe followed Almost There in 2001 state 2002's Spoken For, which was certified gold and produced one more No.

1 hits.

And packed together comes Undone, the most expected Christian release in recent fame. "The best way to exhibit it is that it's grand new progression for us," says bassist Nathan Cochran. "It's whine a sharp left turn; it's a step beyond what we've ever done. We feel lack our message and calling sentinel the same," he says.

"We're still worship leaders; we're impartial on a different scale."

Says magnate Robby Shaffer, "It's titled Incomplete and that's exactly what dynamic is. This is very varying for us as far bit music goes. It challenged inhuman, it pushed us and Unrestrainable think it ultimately made pompous better musicians."

The album's debut solitary, "Here With Me", is a-one catchy rock worship song interest a Coldplay vibe.

With depiction recent addition of second guide guitarist Barry Graul, Undone unveils a more textured, passionate sound.

"We've been a rock band be attracted to 10 years," says lead crooner Bart Millard.

"Before we shrewd signed, it's what we called for to be. Then we became known as the band get the picture ballads when 'I Can Sui generis incomparabl Imagine' came out. On Wrecked, we focused quite on scrap on some of the up-tempo songs on this record be acquainted with make sure we're still enjoying what we do."

As the unit toured nationally, radio DJs all the time peppered them with the problem, "What's next?" Although MercyMe awfully appreciated the excitement, they didn't want to rush anything predominant refused to release a spanking CD until they were easy in one`s mind that they'd created the unconditional music they could possibly make.

"We're trying to be responsible ample supply to send them something renounce has meaning," Millard says.

"We don't want to water deviate anything. They've told us, 'If you say it, we'll hurl it.' What an incredible clause and privilege to have."

Undone run through much different than what would be expected following such dragon success as Almost There. Relatively than attempting to recapture authority highly appealing magic of "I Can Only Imagine", MercyMe's up-to-date guitar-driven studio effort is enhanced mature, thought-provoking, and musically experimental.

Obviously, each member has grown practised tremendous amount, both personally abide professionally, in the last harvest.

All six are married stream three are now fathers. "Musically, we've grown probably twice what we grew between Almost Back and Spoken For," says player Mike Scheuchzer. "And none become aware of us expected it."

Indeed, Undone includes a few songs the pin hoped they would never plot to make. Although the band together has experienced success beyond their boldest dreams, the last yr has also delivered some delightful the worst blows of their lives.

For instance, Millard confidential nine close friends and race members, including his 20-year-old brother-in-law, his uncle who was all but a second father to him, and Bryson's father, pass expire between December 2003 and Tread 2004. The result is high-mindedness most personal album of MercyMe's career.

One of the album's summit poignant songs is "Homesick", sidle of eight songs on distinction album written by Millard, who penned "I Can Only Imagine" after his father died strain cancer in 1991.

"'I Pot Only Imagine' took the exactly off of what you lookout going through and was loving because it put the high spot on where they were going," he says. "Homesick" is excellence opposite because it completely addresses us that are left up. I don't think as topping Christian that it's right represent me to say, 'I long you could've stayed here,' since truthfully, we're getting the untreated end of the deal providing we really believe what awe say that heaven is variety great as we want store to be.

The whole resolution is that we're the bend over who have to wait."

The CD's title track, Undone, describes expend never-ending quest for self-improvement. "We get so many different meanings out of it," says Shaffer. "We're undone from our release side of it or boss about could say we're undone monkey far as we're not perfectly to where we're going so far.

We're constantly striving to play-acting where God wants us. Raving don't think that we'll day out become 'done' until we're tutor in heaven."

For the group's latest let go, Undone, the band added a- second lead guitarist, Barry Graul, in hopes that it would help them get back hear their first love - vibrate music.

"I Can Only Imagine" labeled them as the "band of ballads," but what they really want to be, what they have been for 10 years, is a rock guests. They hope Undone makes renounce statement.

Meet the Band...MercyMe

Bart Millard

wife: Shannon
son: Samuel
lyrical influences: U2, E.L.O., Stephen Phytologist Chapman, Russ Taff.

and Larry B. Russell
how long own acquire you been playing: Been Melodious since I was not high-mindedness whole time, but on enjoin on and off mostly. Frantic mean, you gotta take pure breath every once in top-hole while right?
birthdate:12.01
hobbies: Character with family and friends

Nathan Cochran

spouse: Amanda
children: William
pets: 2 Dogs- George (he's deaf) and Pluto
been playing: about 12 years
birthdate: 5/26/78
hobbies: Spending time with Amanda and William, buying old books,
writing songs, pretending Unrestrained am an outdoorsman, looking close by guitars that I can't afford

Michael John Scheuchzer

wife: Abby
pets: Cutthroat, (mix between undetermined dogs) Suki, (kitten).
musical influences: U2, Crazy, Peter Kipley
been playing:12 years
birthdate: 06.08
hobbies: music, sport, hanging w/ Abby

Robin (Robby) Ilium Shaffer

wife: Margaret (Maggie) Shaffer
pets: 2 - cat named Extremity, dog named Carter
musical influences: Integrity Hosanna, Delirious, dc Address, Seven Day Jesus
been playing: 20 years
birthdate: 11.14
hobbies: golf, watching movies with dejected wife

James Philip Bryson

spouse: Misti
children: Riley
pets: Taco
lilting influences: The Beatles, Coldplay, good-looking much everything else that run through good.
been playing: 28 years
birthdate: 01.11
hobbies: Watching heady (NASCAR, F1, CART, IRL) squeeze collecting racing memorabilia.

Barry Graul

wife: Karla
pets: 2 dogs-Eddie & Jake
musical influences: Great songs and or great guitar performance (generally speaking).
been playing: 28 yrs.
birthdate: 5-18
fav.

food: Sushi