CAIN’s anticipated project Honest Offering, their six-song live worship EP, drops today (Feb 24) via Sony Music/Provident Entertainment.
Honest Offering features the writing of award-winning songwriters and artists including Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Ethan Hulse, Micah Kuiper, Nick Schwarz, Jonathan Smith, and Mitch Wong.
Wong also shares his vocals on “Shine On Us” while David Leonard appears on “Blessed Assurance.” Touted as their most personal collection of songs yet, the album was produced by Jonathan Smith, Brad King, and David Leonard and was recorded live at Nashville’s legendary Ocean Way Studio.
Honest Offering is also a project CAIN has been wanting to make since their childhood, especially as teens when the Cain family would host high school Bible studies. “We’d pack so many in our family room and just sing to Jesus,” Madison Cain Johnson shares.
Now singing as their careers, the siblings knew it was time to record some of their favorite worship songs along with sharing a few new ones. “Our hearts need this,” Madison says. “It’s something that has been on our hearts to do and I can’t believe we actually got to do it!” Taylor Cain Matz adds, “Everybody’s heart for this is just right. We’re ready!” Logan Cain includes, “This feels different to me than anything we’ve done before. It’s so personal.”
We hope that this is a time that people can get lost in the songs and really connect with God,” Madison concludes. “That is more than we can hope for, more than people just liking the songs or enjoying themselves. We really hope that people get to encounter the living God.”
The members of CAIN are also ready to embark on their first-ever headlining tour this spring. Joined by Katy Nichole and David Leonard, the “Live And In Color Tour” will kick off in March. Click HERE for more information to find a city, and the assigned tour color, near you!
One of the most successful breakout artists of 2022, Nichole’s music is connecting with a worldwide audience. Her prayer-song, “In Jesus Name (God of Possible),” became the biggest single this decade on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart, holding 20-weeks at No. 1 followed by three more weeks on top with her second single, “God Is In This Story.” Along with being No. 1 on this chart for 44 percent of 2022, she also topped six Billboard Year in Music, the No. 1s issue radio and sales categories. She further garnered nominations for an American Music Award and a Dove Award (co-hosting and performing on the GMA Dove Awards Pre-Telecast) plus received a K-LOVE Fan Award and made her Grand Ole Opry debut.
Launching into 2023 with this momentum, Nichole wrote the title track of Jesus Changed My Life with GRAMMY Award-winning Jonathan Smith and Dove Award-winning Benji Cowart.
“Jesus is constantly refining my heart,” shares Nichole. “Like a lot of the cries that are in the Psalms, when I find myself in a place of struggle, I turn back to Him. If Jesus could change my life then, He can change my life now.”
Taking the new music on tour, Nichole begins a 30-city tour with Cain March 2, which follows her K-LOVE Christmas Tour 2022 and successful tours with Jeremy Camp, Matthew West and more.
Three-time GMA Dove Award-winning worship leader, singer-songwriter, author and podcaster Christy Nockels releases her first full-length studio album in over five years, This Is The Hour, today (Feb. 24) on Keeper’s Branch Records with global distribution via The Fuel Music.
Available now at digital and streaming outlets worldwide via https://christynockels.lnk.to/thisisthehourPR, the recording features all the acclaimed music on the recently released Valor EP plus 10 more intimate worship tracks all meant to lead listeners deeper into the heart of God.
As a worship leader for over 25 years, Christy’s heart is to simply lead others to connect and communicate with the living God. Her new album carries a storyline that God has already used in a deep and personal way in her and her producer-husband Nathan’s lives. They have experienced these songs spiritually and even emotionally, and they have already been a healing balm to their own hearts.
“We’re living in an hour where you and I are having to pioneer through some of the most challenging cultural and spiritual landscapes we’ve ever encountered,” says Christy. “Yes, there are those who have gone before us, but this moment is new to us and it matters what we do with it.My prayer is that these songs foster a deep reconnection of our hearts to God in this hour in a way that helps us cultivate His presence in our daily lives in a real and fresh way.”
Produced by Nathan Nockels (Passion, Matt Redman, Laura Story), the themes and prayers that have bubbled up in these songs encompass: a returning home to the Father’s heart—including prodigals running home—salvation, renewal, resilience of the human heart and revival.
Following the opening, title track, which features an extended instrumental section by Nathan that reprises later in the album, is the song “As For Me (Psalm 2).” “This song is named after and inspired by Psalm 2, which opens with talk of the nations raging in anger and people plotting in vain against the Lord and all that He has set in place. These words feel oddly familiar in this volatile hour we’re living in!” exclaims Christy. “But I love how it flows right into God’s response: He laughs in the face of all the bickering and plotting and says, ‘As for me, I’ve set my King on Zion!’
“This is a beautiful reminder that God isn’t anxious or fretful about the hour we are living in or the days ahead,” continues Christy. “Even when evil rises to threaten us, we can sit in the same confidence that God sits in today. He already made provisions for us and has a plan and that Provision and Plan is a Person. Jesus. The bridge of this song opens up in celebration of Jesus, this King that God has set in place for the world. And just like the end of Psalm 2, there’s an invitation, ‘Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Your name, they belong to You Jesus!’”
This Is The Hour – Christy Nockels
About Christy Nockels: With a heart to lead others to authentically connect and communicate with God, Christy Nockels and her husband, Nathan, toured nationwide as the duo Watermark, recording five albums and seven No. 1 radio hits together.
A founding member of Passion City Church, where she served on the worship team with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and Kristian Stanfill, Christy released her first solo album on sixstepsrecords, Life Light Up (2009), followed by Into The Glorious (2012) and the live worship album, Let It Be Jesus (2015). Launching Keepers Branch Records with Nathan, Christy unveiled her first Christmas project on the new label, The Thrill Of Hope (2016), and released her Dove-nominated Be Held -Lullabies For The Beloved (2017).
Christy and Nathan live in Franklin, TN where they love to gather around the farm table and even make music with their three children, Noah, Elliana and Annie Rose. They also love to spend time making their home, affectionally called Keeper’s Branch, a place of rest for all who gather there.
About The Fuel Music:
Established in 2008, The Fuel Music & Management, LLC, is a leading artist management and artist solutions company that independently distributes music internationally. Based in Nashville, TN, the Fuel team brings nearly 70 years of combined music industry experience in record label operations, major label distribution and marketing, and artist management for artists ranging from upstart bands to GRAMMY Award-winning, multi-platinum artists. More information on the company can be found at www.thefuelmusic.com.
GRAMMY and Stellar Award winner Jonathan McReynolds releases new music with My Truth. McReynolds has a tour of the same name kicking off in April in Orlando, FL. Tickets are available now.
‘Lamb of God’ was recorded live at The Mission in San Juan Capistrano, a settlement founded in 1776 and recognized as the birthplace of Orange County. Matt Redman’s new album reflects on the age-old centrality and wonder of the cross.
The contrast of these brand-new songs in the context of a historical place of worship is a significant marker of Redman’s heart to keep the people of God singing to Him. The album’s title track encapsulates its concept, reminding the Church that among so many amazing sights in this world, the greatest wonder will always remain the Lamb of God on Calvary.
“The best songs help us breathe in truth, and breathe out a grateful, reverent and passionate reply,” Redman says, “I really hope the songs on this album will do that.”
The cruciform focus as well as the ancient and modern styles of worship represented in the 14 tracks make this album one that resonates with the young and old alike. Recording ‘Lamb of God’ in live settings also beautifully captured the devotion of people singing to their God; among the strings and keys textures, the artist intentionally left a lot of sonic room for people’s voices to shine.
Commenting on the songwriting process, Redman mentions the importance of “aiming for something meaningful and fresh,” which he achieved through co-writes with many of today’s worship landscapers.
‘Lamb of God’ features contributions from Jason Ingram, Matt Maher, Cody Carnes, Mitch Wong, Benjamin Hastings, and Jon Guerra, as well as people Redman hadn’t written with before, such as David Funk, Aaron Moses, and Taya Gaukrodger.
The theological, musical, and communal heartbeat of ‘Lamb of God’ is topped off by its artwork. The photo depicts an art-piece by artist David JP Hooker from Wheaton College, IL, which Redman’s daughter, Maisey, captured. Hooker took an old corpus statue of Christ which he covered in debris from vacuum cleaner bags – with the thought that in those bags would be people’s skin cells and hair.
The metaphor for our sins placed on Christ resonated deeply with Redman and the essence of his new record. From the brand-new songs to a re-imagining of ‘Heart of Worship’ – Redman’s early classic – ‘Lamb of God’ invites us once again to stand amazed at the greatness and grace of our God. Singing of both the cross and the crown, Matt Redman offers the Church this new collection of profoundly worshipful songs.
Five-time Grammy nominated artist Matthew West releases his double album, MY STORY YOUR GLORY.
The first part of the album, MY STORY, embodies the countless stories fans have shared with the songwriter over the years as well as personal experiences and the second part, YOUR GLORY, marks West’s first official worship album.
17x platinum, GRAMMY-nominated rock band SKILLET releases their DOMINION:DAY OF DESTINY (DELUXE EDITION) today (Feb 17). With five new tracks, including upcoming Active Rock single “Psycho In My Head” (full track listing below), the project is the companion to DOMINION, one of the highest charting rock and metal albums of 2022.
SKILLET and THEORY OF A DEADMAN will co-headline Rock Resurrection Tour, with support from Saint Asonia, which kicks off tonight in Gary, Indiana, running through March 26th in Los Angeles. The 25-date trek includes stops in Milwaukee, Detroit, Boston, Cleveland, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, and more. Tickets are on sale now at www.skillet.com.
SKILLET is one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century. The two-time GRAMMY Award-nominated, Pandora Billionaires Club members, and multi-platinum rockers have an undying spirit that has humbly asserted and affirmed them as one of this generation’s most successful rock acts. However, as all classic underdog stories do, it happened quietly under the radar.
By 2019, they not only garnered a pair of GRAMMY Award nods and sold over 17 million albums worldwide, but they also took home a Billboard Music Award for the double-platinum Awake. Its breakout single “Monster” is 5x platinum and remains “one of the most-streamed rock songs of all-time.” 2016’s Unleashed bowed at #3 on the Billboard Top 200.
Hitting #1 on Rock Radio, the lead single “Feel Invincible” cracked 643 million global audio streams and went platinum. Meanwhile, the gold-certified Unleashed became their fourth consecutive album to receive either a gold, platinum, or double-platinum status. Their 2019 release Victorious included the top ten rock radio hit “Legendary,” which lived up to its name with over 108 million streams. To date, nine original tunes earned RIAA recognition in tandem with high-profile syncs by everyone from WWE and Marvel to ESPN and NFL.
Between selling out arenas in 26 countries and four continents, the group performed on CONAN and graced the pages of USA Today and The New York Times, Skillet debuted their first graphic novel, EDEN: A Skillet Graphic Novel with Z2 Comics, which became the publisher’s best-selling book of all time, followed by EDEN II: The Aftermath. Skillet’s latest project, DOMINION, is one of the highest charting rock and metal albums of 2022 and available now.
Benjamin William Hastings releases new music with an EP full of new versions of his track “That’s The Thing About Praise.” The track was originally featured on his debut self-titled album.
Benjamin William Hastings is a world-traveling worship leader and member of Hillsong UNITED. His writing and vocals are featured on Hillsong UNITED’s RIAA Certified Gold single “So Will I (100 Billion X)” and Hillsong Worship’s widely acclaimed “Seasons,” and he penned Cory Asbury’s No. 1 single “The Father’s House,” UNITED’s “Captain,” the church anthem “O Praise The Name (Anástasis),” and Brandon Lake’s “Gratitude,” among many others. To date, his songs have been streamed globally more than 700 million times.
He will share many of his songs live when he joins Cody Carnes’ “God Is Good! Tour” throughout February followed by joining Brandon Lake’s Miracle Nights Tour in March and April. Additional tour plans will soon be announced so be sure to keep the most up-to-date HERE.
Having released her rousing gospel ballad, Oxygen, in December, Imani Shola will release her debut EP, Mapmaking, vol. i, on 17 February 2023.
Endearingly dubbed ‘the healing EP’, and with song titles alone referencing therapeutic concepts like ‘Inner-child Healing’, Mapmaking, vol. i aims to lovingly introduce listeners to several core psychotherapy principles to encourage them to do the inner-work that many people don’t; the work that sets us free from autopilot patterns, heals low self-esteem, and breaks generational cycles. With styles across the EP ranging from dance-worthy sambas (‘On You’), to rousing ballads (‘So Long’), to moving a’capellas (‘What Do’), Mapmaking, vol. ioffers both compassion and conviction; care and challenge; empathy and edification.
“Healing and wellness have been close to my heart since childhood, and the themes of all of my books, so Mapmaking, vol. iis my musical offering on this theme,” says the artist.
Therapeutic themes touched on range from Father-Wound healing (‘So Long’), to healing from abuse (‘What Do’), to Wounded Inner Child healing (‘Name’). Imani’s characteristic harmonies and prominent backing vocals feature throughout as always; her signature style and means of bringing comfort.
The EP was produced by Jacob F. Essel, mixed and mastered by Július Korbela, and features bass guitarist Eric J. Aliss, all talented musicians.
Hailing from North London, the daughter of a gifted jazz-saxophonist father, Imani Shola has been aligned with the best in Jazz, Soul and Gospel for as long as she can remember. She was raised on the melodies of greats such as Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Mary Mary; Miles Davis and Erykah Badu; Eva Cassidy and Norah Jones. More recent influences include the detailed harmonies of Alex Isley, the feminine flair or Nao, and the soothing vocals of Snoh Aalegra and a Cleo Sol. Like these artists, undertones of jazz and soul colour her works. Imani Shola characterises herself with distinctive harmonies and authentic lyricism that set her apart.
So far she has worked alongside producers Duane Caleb, Jay Picasso and Jacob F. Essel, who have seen her gift, captured her vision and helped her burst into the industry with a distinctive sound. She’s already built up a buzz since her 2020 debut, with tracks ‘Author of My Life’ (11K streams), Gold (10K streams and featured on Gospel Hydration), and Oxygen, featured in We Write About Music and Color; all strong tracks that have racked up her numbers on music platforms considerably. She’s bold, talented, charismatic and we can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for Imani Shola, including a surprise single very soon!
GRAMMY-award-winning songwriter, producer, and worship leader Brooke Ligertwood releases a multi-track EP for her song, “A Thousand Hallelujahs.” The release features multiple versions of the powerful anthem including a new radio version (which is impacting radio today), a live performance, a Passion 2022 live recording, and an acoustic rendition of “A Thousand Hallelujahs.” Click here to listen to these special recordings of the song.
Brooke Ligertwood shares, “As Darrell Johnson says, ‘when we come to worship on a Sunday, we join a worship service that has been happening long before we were around and will continue long after our earthly time ceases.’ This song finds context in not only the generation’s worship of Christ’s Church on the earth but the eternal reality of worship in heaven. When we worship, we join both.”
Ligertwood’s critically acclaimed 2022 album, SEVEN (Live), has garnered more than 120 million global streams since its release. The lead single, “A Thousand Hallelujahs,” from that album has amassed more than 30 million global streams and made four international Top 50 viral charts.
As a prolific songwriter, Ligertwood’s songs have more than 1.5 billion global streams and have been translated into over 15 languages. Her songs have topped the CCLI chart with two No. 1 songs and several Top 25 worship songs that have been sung around the world like “What A Beautiful Name,” “Who You Say I am,” “King of Kings,” “Hosanna” and more. With her songwriting she has been honored with a GRAMMY Award, one RIAA Platinum certified single, and two RIAA Gold certified singles.
Next month, she will also be embarking on the SEVEN Tour including a performance at the historical Ryman Auditorium on March 19th. Click here for the complete tour schedule.
![[Album] My Truth - Jonathan McReynolds](https://coghive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/jonmcreynolds-20230217-00025590811497946168196.jpg)
