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Born in Sydney, Australia, but raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Joel and Luke’s father was a music promoter and strongly influenced the brothers’ musical participation. During high school the pair would contribute backing vocals to recordings of their sister Rebecca St. James, however by 2007 began performing on their own. Originally playing under the moniker Joel & Luke, this changed in 2008 with the release of their debut EP “A Tale of Two Towns”. Featuring many songs which would feature on later albums, the success of the EP led the band to sign with Warner Music Group. Whilst working with producer Ben Glover in the studio, he suggested the moniker For King and Country, which the brothers were taken by and decided to adopt.
Following a few years of honing their skills, For King and Country released the EP “For King & Country: The EP” in 2011. The record was led by the single “Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)” which charted at No. 3 on the Billboard’s Christian Songs Chart. The EP grew the anticipation for their feature full-length, which later arrived in February 2012. Entitled “Crave”, For King and Country’s debut full-length was extolled by music critics and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart. In support of the release the band toured on the 2012 Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, performed on the Mike Huckabee show on Fox News, and toured alongside Jason Castro and Dara Maclean.
Towards the tail-end of 2012 For King and Country released the Christmas song “Baby Boy”, which charted at No. 20 on the Billboard Top 100. The live album “Hope Is What We Crave: Live” followed in August 2013, led by the single of the same name. Following the release of the EP “Into the Silent Night: The EP” the band were awarded the GMA Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in 2013. In 2014 For King and Country issued their sophomore album “Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong”. Like its predecessor the record earned a host of rave reviews, however far outperformed the band’s debut in the charts. Peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart, the record's success was aided by returning producer Ben Glover. The album spawned the singles “Fix My Eyes” and “Shoulders” and later won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. The band also won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for their contribution to the Lacrae track “Messengers” taken from his album “Anomaly”.
There’s something so unique about seeing For King & Country perform live. Whether it’s the ease between brothers Joel and Luke, or the pairs’ perfectly entwined lyrics and melodies which dance double-helix-like, seeing For King & Country live on stage is like coming home after a long and tiring day. The vibe at their concerts is energising yet soothing, fresh yet familiar. As soon as the duo start to perform you know that you’re not meant to be anywhere else. Brothers to Christian music singer Rebecca St. James and sons to a music-promoting father, Joel and Luke were destined to find themselves in the thick of the music industry at some point. Just as their chosen name is reflective of their belief in something wider than themselves, their alt-rock music reflects an interest in something wider than traditional Christian pop music. Their lyrics are upbeat and fresh, yet emotionally deep. The boy’s Australian-American upbringing is perfectly reflected in their trans-Pacific sound. Seeing the brothers perform hits such as ‘Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)’ and ‘The Proof of Your Love’ is just amazing. Being a part of the crowd singing along in unison to ‘Middle of Your Heart’ when the boys performed in Nashville is something I will never ever forget. The energy they give off is insane. Seeing them live is a must, trust me!