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08/13/2008
SARA GROVES TEAMS WITH ACCLAIMED ARTISTS FOR ART*MUSIC*JUSTICE TOUR

Fall Tour to Feature Brandon Heath, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, and Charlie Peacock

Benefiting the International Justice Mission and Food For the Hungry, tour Aims to “Add to the Beauty, Seek Justice and Give God Praise”

NASHVILLE, TN….8/13/08…. Critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Sara Groves has gathered a group of fellow-acclaimed artists and friends Brandon Heath, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken and author/artist Charlie Peacock, for her ART*MUSIC*JUSTICE tour this fall, which will benefit both the International Justice Mission and Food For the Hungry. The International Justice Mission (www.IJM.org) is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. Food for the Hungry (www.FH.org) works in more than 26 developing countries providing disaster and emergency relief, and implementing sustainable development programs to transform communities physically and spiritually.

With dates running from Sept 19th through October 26th (concert listing below), the tour is a unique concert opportunity to “add to the beauty, seek justice and give God praise,” desiring to further educate the church on God’s heart for justice, gain advocates for the oppressed, and show evidence of a God at work in this world. Each evening will bring inspired music and stories of God’s people in action and their heroic experiences across the globe. Incredible stories of rescue from the International Justice Mission will be told, while giving audience members the opportunity to be involved in Groves ‘adopted’ village in Rwanda thru Food for the Hungry.

“God is mighty to save and is actively rescuing the oppressed through His people,” comments Groves. “ Scripture references to the ’slave, the poor, the oppressed’ are not figurative. There are 27 million people enslaved today, after more than in 400 years of trans-atlantic slavery. God is calling us to respond. All of us on this tour want to convey, it is not a burden to help, it is an adventure. We’re excited to get out there and share what God is doing!” To listen to audio of Sara sharing about the tour, and for more tour information, please go to: www.myspace.com/artmusicjustice.

In addition, all of the artists on the tour are offering songs on NoiseTrade.com for the price of telling three friends about them or paying any amount they choose in exchange for an immediate download. Webb co-created NoiseTrade.com after the success of giving away over 80,000 full downloads of his project “Mockingbird,” Through NOISETRADE, any artist can freely distribute their music online via NoiseTrade’s embeddable widget. For the Art*Music*Justice Tour widget, go to www.myspace.com/artmusicjustice

08/13/2008
PHIL WICKHAM’S LIVE WORSHIP ALBUM SINGALONG RECEIVES OVER 8,000 DOWNLOADS IN THE FIRST WEEK CANNONS HITS TOP 10 ON ITUNES® AND TOP 21 ON MOZES

Phil Wickham recently invited listeners to sing along with him and other fans in his first-ever recording of a LIVE worship album, aptly titled SINGALONG. Available only as a free download from his website www.philwickham.com, the album has received more than 8,000 downloads within the first week of release (8/8/08).

SINGALONG was recorded at Solid Rock Church in Portland, OR where 3,000 fans gathered together to see the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter perform 15 songs from his self-titled debut album and sophomore record Cannons.

Three days after Wickham released the live worship album, his debut CD climbed the iTunes ® Top Christian Albums chart to No. 25 after being released over two years ago. Wickham’s most recent release Cannons peaked at No. 10 on iTUNES ® Top Christian chart and No. 11 on national mobile platform Mozes, surpassing artists such as Nelly and Jewel. The chart numbers for Mozes are based on artists’ mobile fanbase activity and fan texting interactions with their favorite artist.

08/04/2008
HIT TV SHOWS ARMY WIVES, RACHAEL RAY AND DR. PHIL CHOOSE SONGS FROM THE AFTERS’ LATEST RECORD “NEVER GOING BACK TO OK”
HIT TV SHOWS ARMY WIVES, RACHAEL RAY AND DR. PHIL CHOOSE SONGS FROM THE AFTERS’ LATEST RECORD “NEVER GOING BACK TO OK” The Band Finishes Mainstream Radio Promo Tour in Support of “Never Going Back to Ok”

Nashville, Tenn…. July 31, 2008… INO/Columbia Record’s The Afters continue to be heard on the small screen with songs from their sophomore project “Never Going Back to Ok” being used in episodes of Army Wives and Rachael Ray as well as in promotion for Dr. Phil. The Texas based band also recently finished a mainstream radio promo tour with a final stop in Los Angeles speaking with Premiere Radio Networks and the TV Guide Channel.

“Ocean Wide” can be heard this Sunday Aug. 3 on Lifetime’s hit series Army Wives. Now in its second season, the series is the highest-rated show in the channel’s 24-year history. The episode will air at 10pm EST with encore presentations on Monday Aug. 4 at 8pm EST and Saturday Aug. 9 at 11pm EST.

Rachael Ray’s daytime television show used The After’s “Tonight” in May of this year as well. Winner of the 2008 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show-Entertainment, Rachael Ray is a daily one-hour syndicated talk show in its third season and is watched by millions of viewers.

“One Moment Away” from the band’s sophomore record will be used to promote the new season of Dr. Phil. Now preparing for its seventh season since the show’s launch in 2002, the show’s advertisement can be seen starting next week.

The Afters visited key mainstream radio markets in June such as Chicago, Denver, Albuquerque and Charlotte on a promo tour in support of their Hot AC single “Never Going Back to Ok.” The band’s final stop in Los Angeles included an interview on the nationally syndicated Premiere Radio Network’s Daily Music News and an interview with the TV Guide Channel. To view The Afters’ segment on TV Guide’s broadband channel visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoiBbe-Bx1E

“Never Going Back To Ok” is presently being promoted to the Hot AC format. Stations currently playing the track include KVLY/McAllen, TX, KSII/El Paso, TX, KLCA/Reno, NV, KLTG/Corpus Christi, TX and WAYV/Atlantic City, NJ.

The band was also on the July 30 edition of the nationally syndicated morning radio program The Bob and Sheri Show. Though based in Charlotte, NC, the program runs live on over 60 stations nationwide. To listen to The Afters’ segment on the show, you can visit: http://bobandsheri.1079thelink.com/archive/audio.cfm;jsessionid=a630cb9dce69764b14f45d612a6952c76284?ID=1051

“Never Going Back to Ok” entered the Billboard Top 200 at #41 and the Contemporary Christian SoundScan charts at #1 selling 15,856 units. In digital sales, the project entered at #1 for Christian SoundScan album and track sales plus hit as high as #14 on the iTunes® overall digital chart and #4 on their digital Rock chart. “We Are The Sound” from the new record was also used in promotion for last season’s American Idol with the viral video for “MySpace Girl” being featured on E! News, Seventeen.com and TV Guide Channel’s website.

Releasing their debut project “I Wish We All Could Win” in 2005, The Afters received top attention from their fans and media outlets. The Afters’ music has appeared on the networks of MTV, mtvU, ABC Family and E! News as well as on HOT AC and VH-1 radio along with outlets such as Billboard, BOP and Popstar. The MTV college network and mtvU have been strong supporters of the band as their music video for “Beautiful Love” was awarded with an mtvU Award for Best Streaming Video in 2005. The Afters were awarded the Dove Award for “New Artist of the Year” (2006), and has had over 250,000 downloads to date. The foursome composed of Josh Havens, Matt Fuqua, Brad Wigg and Marc Dodd, met while working at a Starbucks in Mesquite, Texas.

www.theafters.com myspace.com/theafters