BIG DADDY WEAVE is BACK with a NEW SINGLE!

(From CMSpin)  Big Daddy Weave, one of the top 10 most played artists at Christian radio over the past decade, released their third single, “The Only Name,” from their album Love Come to Life to radio today. The album’s second single, “Redeemed,” is the most successful track of their career spending 12 weeks at No. 1 on Christian radio charts, selling over 250,000 units and receiving numerous prestigious nominations for Christian music’s “Song of the Year.”

This Sunday, Big Daddy Weave’s “Redeemed” is nominated for “Christian Song of the Year” at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. On June 1, the single is up for “Song of the Year” at the K-LOVE Fan Awards which are scheduled to take place at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Fans can vote here for the K-LOVE Fan Awards.

The Dove Award-winning band also just wrapped the spring leg of “The Redeemed Tour” which included numerous sold out shows throughout its 49 dates in 27 states and featured artists Chris August, Mikeschair and Citizen Way. World Vision sponsored the tour which produced nearly 2,000 new child sponsorships. Stay tuned tohttp://www.bigdaddyweave.com for additional summer tour dates and the upcoming “The Only Name Tour” in the fall.

About Big Daddy Weave:
Big Daddy Weave formed when its members got together at the University of Mobile. They stepped into the spotlight in 2002 with the release of their second album One and Only, which debuted in SoundScan’s Christian Top 5 and saw the group nominated as Dove Awards New Artist of the Year. Their 2010 album Christ Has Come won a Dove for Christmas Album of the Year, and they recently released their first greatest hits compilation, The Ultimate Collection. They have been honored at ASCAP's Christian Music Awards, were chosen for the WOW Hits compilations in five of the last six years, and are one of the 10 most played artists at Christian radio over the past decade.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bigdaddyweave
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bdwmusic
YouTube: www.youtube.com/bdwmusic

About Word Entertainment
A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word Worship and Fervent Records.

John Elefante...is BACK with new album!

(From CMSpin)  John Elefante is back with a new solo album, titled “On My Way to the Sun.” Produced by Elefante, the 10-track album is due May 7th from Kingheir Music, Elevate Entertainment and Syntax Distribution.

The 4X GRAMMY Award winner and 5X Dove Award winner is best known for his time as the lead vocalist for the multi-platinum rock outfit Kansas. And fans will be delighted to find that the opening track, “This Is How The Story Goes,” reunites Elefante with former Kansas bandmates Rich Williams and David Ragsdale.

“Lyrically, I have more inside me that I need to say, more I need to express and convey than ever before,” says Elefante of what just may be the most personal project of his career. One of the album’s highlights is the song, “This Time,” which tells the story of a young teen’s divine encounter at an abortion clinic that ultimately leads her to save her baby. The somewhat autobiographical song touches close to home for Elefante, whose adopted daughter was rescued from abortion.

“This is one the easiest songs I have ever written,” says Elefante. “I was able to put myself in the place and time where my daughter was so close to being aborted. It was so divinely vivid to me because this story was meant to be told. I don't know all of the fine details but I do know that on that day God said, ‘No! You’re not taking this one – This Time.’”

A music video is planned for the song and a major media push is under way, with early previewers calling this project the best of Elefante’e career. In advance of the album’s release, Elefante is doing a series of media interviews, including an hour-long interview on April 26th on the top-rated talk radio show, Jay Sekulow Live, which airs on more than 800 stations nationwide as well as Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.

In addition to Kansas and his solo work, Elefante’s extensive resume includes writing and performance contributions on more than 100 albums that shaped popular American music. In 1993, Elefante and his brother Dino founded The Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee, which quickly became the largest recording studio in the southeast and an instant draw for such top acts as Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Natalie Grant, Amy Grant, Keith Urban, Third Day, Jewel, Jimmy Buffett, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley and many more.

For more information, visit www.johnelefante.com.

TRACK LISTING
01 This Is How The Story Goes (featuring Rich Williams & David Ragsdale of Kansas)
02 Where Have The Old Days Gone
03 On My Way To The Sun
04 All I Have To Do
05 The Awakening
06 Half The Way Home
07 We All Fall Short
08 Don't Hide Away
09 This Time
10 Confess

Mercy Me's "The Hurt & The Healer"

From CMSpin-Proving their unparalleled ability to connect with listeners, Grammy-nominated, American Music Award and multiple GMA Dove Award winners MercyMe have been standing tall in the top spot on the Christian AC chart for a solid month now, with their multi-week No. 1 smash "The Hurt & The Healer."

As the lead single from the studio album of the same name--the band's seventh project--the song has also snagged the No. 1 position for multiple weeks on other charts including AC Indicator, National Christian Audience and the Soft/AC Inspo chart. In addition, MercyMe have released a live performance video of the track, filmed during a recent tour stop.

This success at radio caps off the month following the release of their newest album via Fair Trade Services, which was met with overwhelming critical praise, including the following:

"With all of their success, MercyMe might have thought getting ‘comfortable’ would be the easy route. But this latest album shows that the band continues to push itself to greatness. They tackle difficult subjects and stretch themselves musically…this is their best project to date." - CCM Magazine

"All the way around, Healer is sure to please, with enough diversity and pathos to continue to provide encouragement and inspiration to the fans who have made MercyMe one of the most beloved acts in Christian music." - Crosswalk

"Full of heart, melody, and sure to find a massive radio time, The Hurt and the Healer stays the course. The strength of one of the most eminent bands in Christian music has always been their ability to have fun. MercyMe don’t take themselves too seriously, leaving them able to provide musical insight for full radio-friendly impact." - Worship Leader

As the band celebrates their new album, MercyMe will visit markets across the country throughout the summer. More information about tour dates can be found on MercyMe’s official site.

For more information on MercyMe and The Hurt & The Healer, please go to www.mercyme.org

10 Avenue North Tour

(FROM CMSpin)     

Debut Single From The Struggle, “Losing,” Receives 73 Adds Its Debut Week

Acclaimed band Tenth Avenue North announces “The Struggle” fall tour, its biggest headlining tour to date, visiting more than 35 cities from mid-September though late November. The tour, featuring guest artists Audrey Assad and Rend Collective Experiment, will support Tenth Avenue North’s Aug. 21 studio release, The Struggle, whose lead single “Losing” debuted with an incredible 73 adds out-of-the-box that included the KLove, WAY-FM and Air1 networks.

Kicking off Sept. 13 in Sewell, New Jersey (Philadelphia area), “The Struggle” fall tour will hit major markets including New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Houston, among others. Singer-songwriter Audrey Assad and Kingsway artist Rend Collective Experiment will join Tenth Avenue North, who will perform new music from its latest project as well as fan favorites.

The tour is named for Tenth Avenue North’s third label project, The Struggle, available for
pre-order now, with a street date of Aug. 21. Produced by six-time SESAC Christian Songwriter of the Year, and two-time GRAMMY nominee, Jason Ingram (Chris Tomlin, Sanctus Real), The Struggle is a bold, creative leap forward for the band, reflecting influences ranging from fan insight to the addition of two band members to a new recording process.

Travis Culver, music director and afternoon personality at KTSY-FM in Caldwell, Idaho, an early supporter of the single, comments, “From the very first listen to ‘Losing’ I remember thinking to myself ‘who is this? What a cool song!’ But it’s more than just a great song, it’s a great song with a deep and important message – to be shown grace means we must also show others grace, even if it means we feel like we’re losing.”

Keith Stevens, program director at KTIS-FM in St. Paul, Minn., agrees, “‘Losing’ is a winner with KTIS! A terrific summer vibe for the Twin Cities with a refreshing message about forgiveness that we all need to hear.”

The band has always done something special for its fans during each tour and this run isn’t any different. Tenth Avenue North fans were given the opportunity to buy a limited number of “Fan Presale Tickets” the week prior to the national on-sale date through a special first-come-first-served, online offer. In a majority of the markets, those tickets sold out within the first
few days, creating a wave of excitement for the tour.

A complete tour itinerary follows this release. For more information on “The Struggle” fall tour and CD, visit: www.TenthAvenueNorth.com / www.thestruggletour.com / http://is.gd/gWeGRt

“The Struggle” 2012 Fall Tour Dates
*Dates and cities subject to change without notice

9/13 – Sewell, N.J.
9/14 – Middletown, N.J.
9/15 – Marriottsville, Md.
9/16 – Woodbridge, Va.
9/21 – Burlington, N.C.
9/22 – Gaffney, S.C.
9/23 – Cordele, Ga.
9/27 – Beaver Falls, PA
9/28 – Middleburg Heights, Ohio
9/29 – Whitestown, Ind.
9/30 – Cincinnati, Ohio
10/4 – Plymouth, Mich.
10/5 – Holland, Mich.
10/6 – Palos Height, Ill.
10/7 – Maple Grove, Minn.
10/17 – Wheat Ridge, Colo.
10/18 – Layton, Utah
10/19 – Nampa, Idaho
10/20 – Redmond, Wash.
10/21 – Tualatin, Oreg.
10/23 – Santa Rosa, Calif.
10/24 – Sacramento, Calif.
10/25 – Santa Ana, Calif.
10/26 – Redlands, Calif.
10/27 – Phoenix, Ariz.
10/28 – Albuquerque, N.M.
11/1 – San Antonio, Texas
11/2 – Houston, Texas
11/4 – Abilene, Texas
11/8 – Lenexa, Kan.
11/9 – Bellevue, Neb.
11/10 – Davenport, Iowa
11/15 – Jacksonville, Fla.
11/16 – Boca Raton, Fla.
11/18 – Pace, Fla.