Coordinates

6°8′0″N102°15′0″N

{{infobox musical artist | name

TobyMac | image Toby Mac.jpg | caption tobyMac | background solo_singer | birth_name Kevin Michael McKeehan | Born October 22, 1964Fairfax, Virginia | Country U.S. | Nicknames tobyMac | genre Christian hip hop, Christian rock, Christian pop, rapcore | occupation Singer-songwriter, music producer, author, rapper | years_active 1987–present | label ForeFront RecordsEMI CMG | website tobyMac.com | associated_acts DC Talk, Kevin Max, Michael Tait, The Gotee Brothers, GRITS, DJ Maj }}

Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac), is a Christian recording artist, music producer, rapper, singer-songwriter, and author.

TobyMac was one of the first Christian rappers. He was first known for being a member of the Christian singing trio DC Talk, staying with them from 1987 until their announced hiatus in 2000. He has since continued a successful solo career with the release of four studio albums: ''Momentum'' (2001), ''Welcome to Diverse City'' (2004), ''Portable Sounds'' (2007), and ''Tonight'' (2010), as well as two remixed albums of the first two albums titled ''Re:Mix Momentum'' and ''Renovating Diverse City'', respectively.

Between DC talk and his own solo career, he has sold more than 10 million albums. TobyMac has had six #1 hit CHR singles including "Gone", "Made to Love" and "Lose My Soul." His live concert CD+DVD combo album, ''Alive and Transported'', was released in 2008 and received the Grammy Award for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009. His fourth studio album, ''Tonight'', was released on February 9, 2010.

Musical career

DC Talk (1988–2001)

Toby formed DC Talk with Michael Tait in 1987, at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. He and Tait released ''Christian Rhymes to a Rhythm'' in 1988, while they recruited classmate, Kevin Max Smith. The three set out on tour after they released their first album in 1989, ''DC Talk''. In 1990 They released their first gold album, ''Nu Thang''. After the Nu Thang tour they recorded their first platinum album, ''Free at Last''. The Free at Last Tour was a success. They were invited to play on The Jay Leno Show and The Arsenio Hall Show, getting mainstream attention. They released their first single for their next album which immediately became a hit single. The album went multi-platinum and the best Christian album in the face of CCM music, ''Jesus Freak'', which they released in 1995. The album led to the extremely popular Jesus Freak World Tour. They eventually released the tour CD, ''Welcome to the Freakshow''. The tour ended in success in time for ''Supernatural'', which would be their last album. The album would sell platinum. They then went solo in 2001.

The band has not toured together since 2001 (except for one show in Redmond, Washington in 2005, and when TobyMac made surprise guest appearances at Winter Jam in 2010 in Nashville and in 2011 in Greensboro, NC and sang "Jesus Freak" with Michael Tait). However, dc Talk has recorded several songs together since their hiatus: "Let's Roll" (a song about the September 11 attacks) in 2002, "Atmosphere (Remix)" on TobyMac's 2004 album ''Welcome to Diverse City'', and "The Cross", a track on Kevin Max's 2007 album ''The Blood''.

Solo career

''Momentum'' (2001–2003)

In 2001, TobyMac released his first solo album titled ''Momentum''. McKeehan composed and recorded the song "Extreme Days" for the 2001 Truth Builder Productions film ''Extreme Days'', which was featured on the Momentum album. The song Extreme Days was also used in the movie, ''Hangman's Curse'', based on the popular book by Frank Peretti. His song "Get This Party Started" was featured on an episode of the TV show Roswell. His song "Yours" made it to the Top 5 on ChristianRock.net. His songs "Yours", "Extreme Days", "Get This Party Started", and "Momentum" were all recently featured in the Xbox 360 video game Crackdown. Momentum gained five Dove Awards and a Grammy nomination. In 2002 he released his only Christmas album to date, ''This Christmas'' with only two tracks: "This Christmas" and "O Come All Ye Faithful". In 2003 he remixed the ''Momentum'' album. This album was titled ''Re:Mix Momentum''.His song "Yours" was used in TNA (Total Nonstop Action Wrestling) as "Sting's" Theme song.

''Welcome to Diverse City'' (2004–2006)

''Welcome to Diverse City'' was released in October 2004. The album debuted and peaked on the Billboard 200 at number 54, selling 21,000 copies that week. The album's song "The Slam" was featured in the film ''Never Back Down'', advertisements for the films ''Transporter 2'', ''Aeon Flux'', and ''The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'', as well as advertisements for the television show ''Prison Break''. The song was also featured in car commercials, men's NCAA clips, NBA Finals (Miami Heat, 2006), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programming, NFL Football commercials, and "The Ultimate Highlight" on ''Sportscenter''. Ohio Valley Wrestling performer Matt Cappotelli (who currently is unable to perform due to a brain tumor) uses "The Slam" as his entrance theme. In the movie ''Never Back Down'' Toby's song "The Slam" is featured in the main fight scene. "Diverse City" was featured in the Veronica Mars episode, The Wrath of Con. "Atmosphere" was used in a Volvo car commercial, "Burn For You" was used for cinnamon gum commercials (as well as on a Dr. Phil advertisement). The album gave TobyMac another Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year. A remix version of the album, ''Renovating->Diverse City'', was released in 2005.

''Portable Sounds'' (2007–2008)

McKeehan's next album, titled ''Portable Sounds'', was released in 2007 and sold 50,645 copies in its first week, debuting at #10 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and at #1 on the SoundScan Contemporary Christian Overall chart. The album also received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. The songs "Made to Love" and "I'm For You" both hit #1 and were the second and third most played songs on Christian Hit Radio stations in 2007. "Ignition" is being used by ABC/ESPN to promote its coverage of NASCAR, and "Boomin'" has also been used to promote a new crime-drama, ''The Women's Murder Club'', on ABC, as well as others. In September 2007, his song "Feelin' So Fly" appeared in the film ''The Game Plan'' starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Recently, "Ignition" received worldwide exposure when it was used as the Arizona Cardinals entrance music during the pre-game of Super Bowl XLIII. Then in March 2011, it was played during NCAA tournament promo during Arizona vs UConn game. TobyMac was awarded two Dove Awards for his work on this album, including Artist of the Year. His music video featuring the song "Boomin" was awarded a Dove Award for Short Form Music Video of the Year. Around this time also, he wrote his song, "New World" for the "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and recorded the song "What We Gonna Do?" for the VeggieTales movie, ''The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie''.

''Alive and Transported'' (2008)

TobyMac released his first live album as a solo artist in 2008. ''Alive and Transported'' was a live recording of the Portable Sounds Tour in Houston, TX. It included covers of popular DC Talk songs "Jesus Freak" and "In the Light". The album included a DVD of the concert and gained him a GMA Dove and a Grammy Award.

''Tonight'' (2010)

TobyMac's fourth studio release, ''Tonight'', was released on February 9, 2010. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200, selling 79,000 units in its first week. The album's first single, "City on Our Knees", was released on August 14, 2009. The song reached #1 on ''Billboard'''s Hot Christian Songs and #1 on both Christian AC and CHR. Christopher Stevens and Dave Wyatt joined McKeehan in producing the album, as with the production of his 2007 release, ''Portable Sounds''. Truett, aka TruDog, Toby's oldest son, was once again featured on a song as in the previous albums. The album is a mix of pop, rock, hip-hop, Latin, and funk, similar to his album ''Portable Sounds''. The album charted #6 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Billboard Christian albums chart; selling 79,000 units in its first week. He recently finished touring with Skillet and House of Heroes on the successful "Awake Tonight Tour".The title track of the new album is featured in the intro of MLB Network's TV show 30 Clubs 30 Days. In March, he announced the "Hello Tonight" summer 2010 tour with Chris Tomlin. The song "City on Our Knees" earned TobyMac a Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year. The song "Showstopper" was used to promote World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) June 2010 Pay Per View, "Fatal 4-Way", and was used at least once in NCAA Basketball. It was also used as an introduction to Thursday Night Football in 2009-2010. The song was also promoted for ESPYS' Best U.S Male Olympian. Tobymac's "Tonight" was listed best Christian album of 2010 on iTunes and his Christmas single titled "Christmas This Year" (featuring Leigh Nash) was awarded the holiday song of the week on iTunes. He won the "Artist of the Year" at the 2011 Dove Awards. Additionally, the songs "Get Back Up" and "City On Our Knees" were recognized for being two of the Top 25 most performed songs on Christian radio over the past year.

TobyMac just ended a tour with Third Day, Michael W. Smith, Jason Gray and Max Lucado on the World Vision-sponsored "Make a Difference Tour 2010".

''Tonight'' was nominated for a Grammy in the category "Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album" for the 53rd Annual Grammy awards.

Tobymac's first official Christmas album titled, "Christmas in Diverse City" will be released October 4, 2011. It is expected to contain songs from each of the Diverse City members as well as Tobymac.

He is featured on Kirk Franklin's "Throw Yo Hands Up" on Kirk's 2002 album The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin.

Other work

TobyMac has written two books with Michael Tait and Kevin Max entitled, ''Jesus Freaks: DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs – Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, the Ultimate Jesus Freaks'', and, ''Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries: Stories of Revolutionaries Who Changed Their World: Fearing God, Not Man''. These books are mainly focused on Christian martyrs. Toby Mac has also written two more books with Michael Tait, one titled, ''Under God'', containing stories of America's spiritual battles, and another book called, ''Living Under God: Discovering Your Part In God's Plan''.

TobyMac has written a fifth book called, ''City On Our Knees''. The book is about how Christians past and present have set aside differences, come together in unity, and stepped forward in action and prayer.

TobyMac is the president of the record label Gotee Records. He created the label with Todd Collins and Joey Elwood in order to produce Out of Eden's ''Lovin' the Day'' after efforts to sign the group to an established label proved unsuccessful. "We all collectively said, 'Let's just give this a shot'", Elwood recalls; "Three naïve guys, a willing band, and some really good songs." Gotee features artists such as DJ Maj, Relient K, House of Heroes, John Reuben and B. Reith. However, as a recording artist, TobyMac is under contract with ForeFront Records.

Toby also performs in "Rock the Universe" in Universal Studios and "Night of Joy" in Walt Disney World annually each September. Toby usually alternates between Rock the Universe and Night of Joy.

Toby has also helped establish a camp, called Camp Electric, located near Nashville, Tennessee, for young musicians who want to have pop and rock skills.

Toby released a DVD, ''TobyMac: Moving Pictures Featuring His Entire Work of Music Videos'', on November 10, 2010.

Toby will also be in the movie ''I'm In Love With a Church Girl'' scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2011.

Toby made a headline appearance at the quadrennial event NYC (a conference of the youth of the Church of the Nazarene) at its most recent North American gathering in Louisville, Kentucky.

Personal life

McKeehan and his wife Amanda (Mandy) were married in 1994. Amanda, who comes from Jamaica, is the daughter of Judy and Robert Levy (of Jamaica Broilers fame). Being married to a Jamaican, and with regular visits to the island, TobyMac is well immersed in Jamaican music, language and other aspects of local culture. Toby and Mandy live in Franklin, Tennessee.

They have five children: Truett, born September 4, 1998; twins Moses and Marlee, adopted in 2002; Leo, born on November 2, 2004; and Judah, born March 24, 2006.

Truett has appeared on the albums ''Momentum'', ''Re:Mix Momentum'', ''This Christmas'', ''Welcome to Diverse City'', ''Renovating Diverse City'', ''Portable Sounds'' and ''Tonight'' as the artist "TruDog". Judah McKeehan has appeared on the album ''Tonight'' on the track "Loud'N'Clear" with Truett.

Discography

;Studio albums

2001: ''Momentum''

2004: ''Welcome to Diverse City''

2007: ''Portable Sounds''

2010: ''Tonight''

2011: ''Christmas In Diverse City

;Remix albums

2002: ''Re:Mix Momentum''

2005: ''Renovating Diverse City''

;Live albums

2008: ''Alive and Transported''

;Other releases

2010: "Hold On" – Radio Version

2010: "Hold On" – Acoustic Version (Freedom CD)

2010: "Christmas This Year"

Awards

;Grammy Award nominations

2003: Best Rock Gospel Album – ''Momentum''

2005: Best Rock Gospel Album – ''Welcome to Diverse City''

2008: Best Gospel Song – "Made to Love"

2008: Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album – ''Portable Sounds''

2009: Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album (''Alive and Transported'') – won

2010: Best Gospel Song (City on Our Knees)

2011: Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album

;GMA Dove Award awards

2002: Rap/Hip Hop Album (''Momentum'')

2002: Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song ("Somebody's Watching Me")

2003: Short Form Music Video ("Irene")

2005: Rap/Hip Hop Album (''Welcome to Diverse City'')

2006: Rock Recorded Song ("The Slam")

2006: Special Event Album of the Year (''Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'')

2008: Artist of the Year

2008: Short Form Music Video of the Year ("Boomin'")

2008: Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year ("Portable Sounds")

2009: Long Form Music Video of the Year (''Alive and Transported'')

2010: Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year ("City on Our Knees")

;Video awards

2007: Rock Video ("Boomin")

2007: Video of the Year ("Boomin")

2009: Pop Video of the Year ("Lose My Soul")

2009: Video of the Year ("Lose My Soul")

References

External links

Official site

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:American rappers Category:American Christians Category:Performers of Christian hip hop music Category:American performers of Christian music Category:DC Talk members Category:Liberty University alumni

cs:TobyMac de:Toby McKeehan el:TobyMac es:TobyMac fr:TobyMac it:TobyMac nl:Toby Mac ja:トビーマック no:TobyMac pl:TobyMac pt:Toby McKeehan simple:TobyMac sv:TobyMac

Coordinates	6°8′0″N102°15′0″N
name	Jamie-Grace
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jamie Grace Harper
birth date	November 25, 1991
origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, ukulele, drums
genre	Christian pop, acoustic, folk, Christian hip hop, reggae
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress
years active	2009–present
label	Gotee
associated acts	TobyMac, Mission Six, Britt Nicole, Group 1 Crew, Hawk Nelson
notable instruments	}}

Jamie Grace Harper (born November 25, 1991) is an American Christian singer,songwriter, and actress from Atlanta, Georgia. She is the newest addition to the TobyMac-founded label, Gotee Records.

Beginning to Hold Me (2009-2010)

Jamie Grace was recently signed to Gotee Records, a diverse record label founded by TobyMac. Her debut EP, ''Hold Me'' was released by the label on February 22, 2011. Jamie Grace released the title track to the album at the same time and it was one of the most added singles to Christian Hit Radio stations. Her debut album, One Song At a Time, will be in stores September 20, 2011.

Musical style

In a somewhat unique style, Jamie Grace combines elements of hip hop, folk, and pop into one distinct sound. In addition, she occasionally uses elements of guest vocalists, such as TobyMac in "Hold Me" and GabeReal from DiverseCity in "One Song at a Time."

Media recognition

Jamie Grace is featured as a main artist and speaker in the Revolve Tour by Women of Faith alongside artists such as Britt Nicole, Group 1 Crew, and Hawk Nelson. Jamie Grace is also regularly featured on IShine KNECT and IShine LIVE on Trinity Broadcasting Network. Jamie Grace is in regular rotation on KTIS-FM, a member of the Northwestern Media network. On May 4, 2011, Jesus Freak Hideout announced that "Hold Me," her first single, had attained the No. 1 spot at CHR.

Personal life

In addition to performing music, Jamie Grace is also a college student. When she is not on tour, she studies children's ministry at Point University.

Struggle with Tourette Syndrome

Jamie Grace was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in 2003 when she was 11. She has spoken of this illness in various American states through her music and speaking.

Discography

Studio albums

! Released	! Title	Record label>Label(s)
September 20, 2011	''One Song at a Time''	Gotee Records

Studio EPs

! Released	! Title	Record label>Label(s)
February 22, 2011		Gotee Records

Singles

! Released	! Title	Record label>Label(s)
2011	"Hold Me"	Gotee Records

References

External links

Jamie Grace

Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:American child singers Category:American Christians Category:Performers of Christian hip hop music Category:American performers of Christian music

Coordinates	6°8′0″N102°15′0″N
name	Owl City
landscape	Yes
background	group_or_band
alias	Adam Young
genre	Electronica, Synthpop
origin	Owatonna, Minnesota, United States
years active	2007–present
label	Universal Republic
associated acts	Sky Sailing, Swimming With Dolphins, Matt Thiessen, Lights, Breanne Düren
website
current members	Adam Young }}

Owl City is an American electronica musical project by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young formed in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. Young created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement. Like many musicians who achieved success in the late 2000s, Owl City developed a following on the social networking site Myspace before signing with Universal Republic in 2008.

After two independent releases, Owl City gained mainstream popularity with the 2009 major label debut album ''Ocean Eyes'', which spawned the quadruple-platinum hit single "Fireflies". The album was certified Platinum in the United States in April 2010.

In 2011, Owl City released his third studio album, ''All Things Bright and Beautiful''.

Early years (2007–2009)

Suffering from insomnia while working loading Coca-Cola trucks in his hometown Owatonna, Minnesota, Young turned to composing music. He began uploading songs recorded in his parents' basement to Myspace. He started to receive favorable attention for his music and then helped cultivate this nascent fanbase by being an open and accessible web presence, responding to any messages he received and constantly posting blogs. His manager Steve Burksy later highlighted the significance of Young's engaging online manner in building his following saying: "People feel like they know him, like they've got a direct connection to him because of how he approaches his connection with them online." Through a deal with the digital aggregator CD Baby, he then started making the songs available for sale through iTunes. In 2007, Owl City released an EP titled ''Of June'', followed by the 2008 release of the album ''Maybe I'm Dreaming''. ''Of June'' reached No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' Electronic Albums chart, and ''Maybe I'm Dreaming'' peaked on the same chart at No. 13.

The viral phenomenon that was building through Myspace caught the attention of Universal Republic presidents Avery and Monte Lipman who approached Young with a view to signing the artist. Republic recommended Young partner up with 27-year-old manager Steve Bursky of Foundations Artist Management and the two began working together in late 2008. When later asked by HitQuarters why the label chose him for a major label act given his relative inexperience, Burksy said:

"I think they saw Owl City as representing the future of our business. This idea of a kid in a tiny town in rural U.S. being able to make songs in his basement that sound like Top 40 radio could never have happened ten years ago. By hiring a young management company who understands the business circa 2011 over a seasoned industry vet, who might not understand the online spaces well, showed a lot of understanding of where this kid was going to end up having success."

Owl City's label deal with Universal Republic was finally confirmed in February 2009. According to Bursky there was initially some disagreement about the direction Owl City should follow, telling HitQuarters: "They were ready to send him into the studio with big producers and polish him up to try to become this thing that he wasn't. But we put our foot down and said, 'Look, the reason you signed this kid is because it’s working. Whatever it is about him - his music, his interaction with his fans, his brilliance in the online space - these things are connecting with people, and as soon as you change that you lose what’s special about this artist.' To their credit, they really listened and they got it."

''Ocean Eyes'' (2009–2010)

''Ocean Eyes'', Owl City's third full-length album and major label debut, was released on iTunes on July 14, 2009, with the physical release following on July 28, 2009. The album debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200. Owl City has released three official singles from this album: "Umbrella Beach", "Vanilla Twilight" and "Fireflies". "Fireflies" topped the US and Canadian charts. ''Ocean Eyes'' reached the top ten on the US album charts, topped the US electronic charts, and also reached Amazon MP3's top 10 most downloaded album list. By April 2010, it was certified Platinum in the United States. On January 24, 2010, Owl City reached the No. 1 spot in the UK Top 40 Singles chart with "Fireflies". The song "Tidal Wave" also received significant airplay on Christian music radio stations. On January 2, 2011, it was revealed "Fireflies" was the 20th most downloaded song of all time in the UK.

Young is joined by Breanne Düren on several tracks; the most noted being "The Saltwater Room". Owl City's live band consists of Breanne Düren (background vocals/keyboards), Casey Brown (drums), Laura Musten (violin), Hannah Schroeder (cello), and Daniel Jorgensen (vibes).

Relient K vocalist Matt Thiessen has toured and collaborated with Owl City on several tracks, including "Fireflies", where Matt can be heard providing the backup vocals. Young also produced Relient K's song "Terminals".

"Fireflies" was released as a free download on the game ''Tap Tap Revenge 3'' by Tapulous. Prior to the July 14, 2009 internet release of ''Ocean Eyes'', and the "Fireflies" single, Steve Hoover was hired as a director for a music video for "Fireflies". The video was to have had an exclusive premiere on MySpace, but had been leaked onto YouTube and Dailymotion hours earlier. "Fireflies" became a big sleeper hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States for the week ending November 7, 2009.

Owl City is featured on ''Soundtrack 90210'' with a song titled "Sunburn", which was released on October 13, 2009. Owl City has toured with The Scene Aesthetic, Lights, John Mayer, Maroon 5 and Brooke Waggoner. He was also guest featured in the soundtrack to Tim Burton's ''Alice in Wonderland'' with a song entitled "The Technicolor Phase" that had already been featured in his debut album.

In 2010, Young revealed a new musical project known as Sky Sailing, which moved away from his usual electronica genre of music and introduced acoustic guitar and piano accompaniments into his work. The unrefined tracks were recorded in the summer of 2007 before he began making music as Owl City. His first album under this new project is entitled ''An Airplane Carried Me to Bed'', and was released July 13, 2010 via iTunes.

In May 2010, Adam Young collaborated with high-profile British electronic composer, producer, musician, and songwriter Nick Bracegirdle. Under his Chicane alias, Bracegirdle released the single "Middledistancerunner" on August 1, 2010 featuring Adam Young on vocals. This is the first single from the fourth Chicane album ''Giants''. He also worked with famed Dutch producer Armin van Buuren, appearing on a track called 'Youtopia' from the van Buuren album ''Mirage'' on September 10, 2010.

On September 21, 2010 "To the Sky" was officially released via iTunes on the soundtrack for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole.

On October 25, 2010, Young released a cover version of the praise and worship song "In Christ Alone" as a streaming mp3 on his website,

On November 13, 2010, a new album was also released for one of his other musical projects, "Windsor Airlift", called "Flight" on iTunes.

On November 23, 2010, a new Christmas single called "Peppermint Winter" was released. A preview had been released the previous week on Facebook.

''All Things Bright and Beautiful'' (2010–2011)

Production on Young's third studio album began around mid-2010, with Young being announced as the executive producer of the album.

On October 18, 2010 Young wrote an entry on his blog regarding his third studio album, saying that the album was nearing completion.

In February 2011, the title of the album was announced to be ''All Things Bright and Beautiful'' and that the album would be released on May 17. However, on April 6, Young released a statement on his website, along with lengthy previews of four of his songs (Dreams Don't Turn to Dust, Alligator Sky Featuring Shawn Chrystopher, Galaxies, and Deer in the Headlights), that the release date for ''All Things Bright and Beautiful'' would be pushed back to June 14.

On March 22, Alligator Sky was released as the lead single from the album on ''iTunes''.

In Late March and Early April, tickets went on sale for The All Things Bright and Beautiful World Tour, and All Things Bright and Beautiful became available for preorder.

On April 19, Galaxies was released as the second single from the album.

On May 6, the music video for Alligator Sky was released. Young discussed the concept in a making-of video posted on Owl City's VEVO account, "The concept is basically about these two guys who are leaving Earth. Rather than it being this very dark post-apocalyptic vibe, it's very optimistic, and so it's like people are excited to leave earth."

On May 23, Deer in the Headlights, the third single from the album, was released on iTunes.

On June 14, All Things Bright and Beautiful was released on iTunes. Although only a few days prior on May 20, almost all of the album leaked onto the internet.

On June 30, the music video for 'Deer in the Headlights' was released. It features Young driving through the night in the DMC DeLorean featured in the Back to the Future trilogy and Canadian musician Lights makes a cameo appearance in the video.

On July 19, "Lonely Lullaby" was released as a single on iTunes, which was previously available only to Owl City Galaxy members.

Young was interviewed in the August issue of Cliché Magazine. He also appeared on the cover of the magazine and the issue also featured some of Young's very own art work.

On July 21, at the Club Nokia concert in Los Angeles, Young announced that the concert was being filming for a Live DVD to be released by the holiday season.

On November 28, the music video for "Youtopia", by Armin van Buuren Featuring Adam Young, was released on YouTube.

Fourth Studio Album (2011-Present)

In Young's final tour dates of 2011, he said that he had begun the recording process of his fourth studio album. He also performed a new song entitled "I Hope You Think of Me".

On January 2, 2012, Young wrote an entry on his blog regarding his fourth studio album. Young said that he would be collaborating with more producers and songwriters, also saying that his new record "Marks a flying leap in this direction". Young expects the album to be released around late Summer to Fall 2012.

Musical styles and influences

Owl City's music is described as indietronica and synthpop and is often described as belonging under the broad "alternative music" label. Young has stated that he is inspired by disco and European electronic music, as well as instrumental genres such as drone, ambient, and post-rock. He cites his biggest influences as Johnathon Ford of Unwed Sailor and Thomas Newman. Young also incorporates a large amount of his Christian faith into his music, since he is a vocal Christian. Young's faith is evident on the new album, "All Things Bright and Beautiful", especially in "Galaxies". Explaining why the faith-filled song was added to the mix, he said, "I feel like if I were ever to hide the fact that that’s what’s so important to me, it would be a crime, that I should probably be put in jail for that."

Owl City also has been compared to The Postal Service, often critically, for his combination of fuzzy synths, ironic lyrics and use of female guest singers. Pitchfork.com goes far enough to say that "The surprise No. 1 single in the country, Owl City's 'Fireflies,' jacks the Postal Service in such a bald-faced, obvious manner that getting into specifics feels redundant at best and tacky at worst." In response to the suggestion that his work is derivative, Adam Young suggested in a 2009 interview with The New York Times that ''Ocean Eyes'' is perhaps the "next chapter" after American band The Postal Service: "The Postal Service released a record in 2003, and that was it. There was really nothing to compare it to until some one else came along and wrote the next chapter. Maybe that's this record. Maybe that's this band."

Other projects

Young also produces music under a wide variety of other projects, which include Port Blue, Dolphin Park, Windsor Airlift, Insect Airport, Seagull Orchestra, Novel, Aquarium, Sky Sailing, and Swimming with Dolphins. Most of these projects were started before Owl City propelled Young to fame. Many of these projects were formed alongside some friends, including Austin Tofte of Swimming with Dolphins.

Young was featured on the track "All About Us" by He Is We released on August 29, 2011, on iTunes. He was also featured on the track "First Noel" on TobyMac's album ''Christmas in Diverse City'' released October 4, 2011.

Band members

;Current members

Adam Young – lead vocals, programming, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitars, bass guitar, drums, percussion, vibraphone, accordion

;Current touring members While Young writes, composes, records, and produces all of Owl City's music, during live performances he is accompanied by a group of supporting musicians:

Breanne Düren – keyboards, backing vocals

Daniel Jorgensen – guitar, vibraphone

Laura Musten – violin

Hannah Schroeder – cello

Casey Brown – drums

Concert tours

Discography

;Extended Plays

''Of June'' (2007)

;Studio albums

''Maybe I'm Dreaming'' (2008)

''Ocean Eyes'' (2009)

''All Things Bright and Beautiful'' (2011)

''Untitled Fourth Studio Album'' (2012)

References

External links

Owl City Official Website

Category:Musical groups from Minnesota Category:American indie rock groups Category:American New Wave musical groups Category:Electronic music groups from Minnesota

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Coordinates	6°8′0″N102°15′0″N
name	Leigh Nash
background	solo_singer
birth name	Leigh Bingham
birth date	June 27, 1976
birth place	New Braunfels, Texas, USA
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop, Indie, Pop Rock, Soft rock, Adult Alternative
occupation	Singer-songwriter, Musician
years active	1993–present
label	One Son(2006-)Nettwerk(2006-)
associated acts	Sixpence None the RicherFauxliageDelerium
current members of	Sixpence None the Richer, Fauxliage }}

Leigh Bingham Nash (born June 27, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist for the pop band Sixpence None the Richer and is also a member of Fauxliage and Movement Nashville.

Her debut solo album, ''Blue on Blue'', was released on August 15, 2006 by One Son/ Nettwerk record labels.

Biography

Early life

Nash was born Leigh Anne Bingham in New Braunfels, Texas. She started singing country music and learning old country songs on the guitar at the age of 12. She had several years' experience singing in local cafes with a middle-aged band and performed regularly at a Texan country & western dance hall. She met guitarist and songwriter Matt Slocum at a church retreat in the early 1990s.

Career

The two formed Sixpence None the Richer, named for a line from the book ''Mere Christianity'' by the author C.S. Lewis, soon after and went on to record four full-length albums with the band. Their first album, released when she was just 16, was ''The Fatherless & the Widow''. The album garnered critical acclaim and Slocum and Nash searched for new band members.

Joined by Tess Wiley, Dale Baker, and J.J. Plascencio, the new band recorded ''This Beautiful Mess'', which won a Dove Award for Best Album. Wiley quit the band after their US tour and the band released the ''Tickets for a Prayer Wheel'' EP and then signed to the Squint Records label following the demise of REX.

The band's eponymous album was released in 1997 and the single "Kiss Me" in 1999. In 1999 they received numerous Dove Awards, including Best Artist of the Year. The band was also nominated for a Grammy Award. A second single "There She Goes", which hit ''Billboard'', followed by a third single "I Can't Catch You".

In 2000, Nash sang the song "Need to Be Next to You" for the movie ''Bounce'' in order to thank Miramax that had used "Kiss Me" in the movie ''She's All That'' and brought them into the spotlight. Written by Diane Warren, it became Nash's first solo single.

After problems with their record labels, Sixpence None the Richer came back in 2001 with the album ''Divine Discontent'' after losing both Dale Baker and J.J. Plascencio. Two singles from that album, "Breathe Your Name" and "Don't Dream It's Over", went onto the charts. However, Sixpence None the Richer announced their break-up on 26 February 2004, when Slocum sent a letter to ''CCM Magazine''. After that, the band released ''The Best of Sixpence None the Richer''.

In spite of the colossal success the band enjoyed with ubiquitous pop singles like "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes", the group was continually plagued by the business woes of the trade and finally decided to split ways amicably. Disoriented by this major change, Nash and her husband left their Nashville home of 10 years and moved to Los Angeles.

While in L.A., Nash penned a batch of songs that would eventually comprise her first solo record, ''Blue on Blue'', which was released in August 2006 on One Son Records, Nash's own imprint label through Nettwerk Productions. During the record time of making ''Blue on Blue'', Nash flew to Canada several times. The first single, "My Idea of Heaven", was released to USA radio the week of 14 July 2006, and the song "Ocean Size Love" was to be the second single, but it was a promo release only. She has also recorded a song "Mirrors and Smoke" with the band Jars of Clay on their album ''Good Monsters'' the same year.

In the meantime, Nash moved back to Nashville, Tennessee and into a new community of musicians – a recently formed rock collective called Movement Nashville.

In 2007, Nash began a new band, Fauxliage, with Canadian band Delerium, which released a self-titled album on August 14, 2007. Nash, Megan Thompson and Kate York also started a Christian band called Thompson, York & Nash. They worked on a few songs that have been put on MySpace. However, none of the songs posted on their MySpace page have been formally released.

In late 2007, Nash and Slocum met over coffee and positively discussed the reuniting of Sixpence None the Richer. In January 2008 Nash traveled to New Zealand to perform at the annual Parachute Music Festival. Performing on the main stage twice, she attracted crowds of over 30,000 who enjoyed her acoustic covers of Sixpence None the Richer hits "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes". In the fall of 2008, Leigh toured with Delerium.

Leigh has since rejoined Sixpence and worked on a new EP ''My Dear Machine EP'', and the Christmas album ''The Dawn of Grace'' with tour dates planned throughout 2008 in the States and Europe. Tess Wiley is also back to support Sixpence's European tour.

Leigh will join Open Wings-Broken Strings tour in 2009 fall, along with Eddie Kowalczyk of Live, Art Alexakis of Everclear. After that Leigh will back to Sixpence to jump into the studio to record a new album.

Inspiration

Nash has two distinct poles of inspiration: her work with Sixpence in the Christian music sphere and her childhood fascination with older female country artists like Tanya Tucker, Loretta Lynn, and Patsy Cline.

"I started singing country music and learning old country songs on the guitar when I was 12. I was really, really shy but just had this desire to get on stage and started calling clubs myself to ask if I could come down and sing", says Nash, who grew up in the southern Texas town of New Braunfels.

Before long, the adolescent Nash was singing Loretta Lynn and Tanya Tucker songs like "You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man" and "Texas When I Die" on alcohol-free, open mic Sunday nights, backed by a middle-aged band of town locals. In spite of her country allure, Nash never developed an accent, and later in life her interest in pop acts like The Sundays, Innocence Mission, and The Cranberries provided more formative material for her songwriting and singing.

Personal life

Leigh is the younger of two sisters. She married PFR drummer Mark Nash in May 1996, who she met while both bands were performing at the Cornerstone Festival in Illinois. They had one child together in 2004. The couple divorced in 2007. Leigh married musician Stephen Wilson in 2011.

Discography

Albums

! Year	! Album	! Singles
2006	''Blue on Blue''	*Release Date: August 15, 2006	*Label: One Son Records		*"My Idea Of Heaven"	*"Ocean Size Love" (promo release only)	*"Blue Sky" (Japan promo only)
2006	''Wishing For This''	*Release Date: November 14, 2006	*Label: One Son Records
2007	''Fauxliage'' (with Delerium)	*Release Date: August 14, 2007	*Label: Nettwerk Records		*"Let It Go"	*"All the World"

Compilation appearances

"I Sought The Lord" - Bifrost Arts' ''Come O Spirit'' (Sounds Familyre 2009)

References

External links

Leigh Nash (MySpace)

Fauxliage (MySpace)

Category:1976 births Category:American Christians Category:American female singers Category:American pop singers Category:Female rock singers Category:Living people Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:Musicians from Texas

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