Needtobreathe Explained

Needtobreathe
Landscape:yes
Background:group_or_band
Origin:Seneca, South Carolina, U.S.
Years Active:2001–present
Current Members:
Past Members:
  • Joe Stillwell
  • Bo Rinehart

Needtobreathe (stylized as NEEDTOBREATHE) is an American rock band from Seneca, South Carolina. The group first gained fame for their Christian themes, eventually reaching crossover success.[1] The band is composed of Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Seth Bolt (backing vocals, bass), Josh Lovelace (backing vocals, keys), Randall Harris (drums, percussion) and Tyler Burkum (guitar).[2] To date, the band has released ten studio albums: The Feature[3] (2001), Daylight (2006), The Heat (2007), The Outsiders (2009), The Reckoning (2011), Rivers in the Wasteland (2014), HARD LOVE (2016),[4] Out of Body (2020), Into the Mystery (2021), and Caves (2023); six of those albums have reached No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart.[5] The band has also charted with a number of singles, including "Washed by the Water" (2007), which reached No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart;[6] the Grammy-nominated "Multiplied" (2014);[7] [6] "Brother" (2015), which charted on the Top 100 and reached No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart;[8] and "Who Am I" (2020), which reached No. 14 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart.[9]

History

Beginnings (1998–2006)

Brothers William Stanley "Bear" Rinehart III and Nathaniel Bryant "Bo" Rinehart were raised in Possum Kingdom, South Carolina. The brothers started performing in Seneca after moving there.[10] The Rinehart brothers grew up attending a church camp that their father, who was a pastor, ran.[11] The brothers first performed in front of coffee house audiences at Furman University, where Bear, who was named after University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant, was a wide receiver for the Furman Paladins football team, winning the 2002 Banks McFadden trophy for South Carolina football player of the year.[12] After graduation, Bear, Bo and Joe Stillwell joined with Seth Bolt, producing independent releases that were recorded in Bolt's Plantation Studios.[13]

NEEDTOBREATHE was formed in 1998.[14] The name of the band is based on a Greek demonstrative parable of Socrates about seeking direction in life, and Bear Rinehart indicated that it was better than other names that the band had at the time.[15]

In 2001, the band independently released their first album, The Feature. In 2003, they released a three-song EP: Soulrock Review.[16] In 2004, they followed with two four-song EPs: Fire and Turnaround.[17] These brought the band to the attention of Lava Records, owned by Universal Music Group, who signed the band in 2005.

After signing with both Atlantic Records and Sparrow Records, the band went to the UK to record their second studio album, Daylight, with producer Andy Green.[18] Its first radio single "You Are Here", previously released on the Fire EP in 2004, was released early in 2006. Just prior to their debut release, the band was featured on the cover of CCM Magazine—an unprecedented new artist endorsement by the national publication.[19] Daylight was released on April 4, 2006.[20]

The Heat (2006–2008)

Needtobreathe started pre-production for their second studio album The Heat in late 2006.[21] In 2007, the band started a six-month recording period at Rick Beato's Black Dog Studio and at Paul Diaz's Tree Sounds in Atlanta.[22] The Heat was released on August 28, 2007, through Atlantic Records and Word Entertainment.[23]

In 2008, the band was nominated for two Dove Awards at the 39th GMA Dove Awards. Their song "Signature of Divine (Yahweh)" received a nomination for "Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year", and The Heat was nominated for "Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year".[24] In 2009, their song "Washed by the Water" was nominated and won the Dove Award for "Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year". Marisa Brown, writing at AllMusic and Billboard, has referenced this album in helping to "establish the band as one of Christian rock's most successful newcomers."[25] [26]

The Outsiders and The Reckoning (2009–2013)

The band's third album, The Outsiders was released on August 25, 2009,[27] peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Hot Christian Albums. The first single for the album, "Lay 'Em Down", peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. The single "Something Beautiful" peaked at No. 12 on the Triple A chart and No. 6 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. "Hurricane" peaked at No. 29 on the Alternative chart, their first success at Alternative radio. The title song of the album, "The Outsiders", peaked at No. 11 on the Triple A chart.

The album The Reckoning was released on September 20, 2011, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.[28] "Slumber" was the album's first single and peaked at No. 26 on the Christian rock charts while "Drive All Night" is the album's second single. The band went on tour with Taylor Swift as a featuring opening act on her Speak Now World Tour in 2011.[29]

On December 17, 2013, Eric Ryan Anderson released his film Prove the Poets Wrong, chronicling the band's 2013 tours and revisiting their origins, on YouTube.[30]

Rivers in the Wasteland (2014–2015)

Rivers in the Wasteland was released on April 15, 2014,[31] debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart, No. 1 Rock Album,[32] and No. 6 on the Canadian Albums Chart,[33] and selling 49,000 copies in its first week. Originally set to be titled "Wasteland",[34] the album takes its name from 43:19 NIV.[35] It is the first album since drum player Joe Stillwell left the band and the first album with Randall Harris as the drum player.

In 2014, longstanding conflict between Bear and Bo Rinehart escalated into a fistfight that sent one of the brothers to the hospital. Following this altercation, the brothers apologized to each other and reaffirmed that their relationship was more important than music.[36] [37]

In 2015, the band toured Australia with Third Day,[38] before headlining their first North American tour across 40+ cities,[39] touring with Ben Rector (leg 1), Switchfoot (leg 2), Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, and Colony House.[40]

HARD LOVE (2016–2019)

On April 1, 2016, the band announced their sixth studio album, HARD LOVE, and its release date of July 15, 2016. Additionally, dates for the band's 2016 tour, Tour De Compadres, were announced and the album's lead single, "Happiness", was released along with another single, "Money & Fame". HARD LOVE debuted at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart and at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 50,000 units sold, of which 46,000 were in traditional album sales, becoming the band's highest-charting album.[41]

In January 2017, they opened the NEEDTOBREATHE OneWorld Health Center in Tola, Nicaragua. The Center is located in an impoverished region. According to Forbes, the Center is completely funded by the band's "touring donations supported by ticket sales, their annual golf tournament and auction", and donations from fans.[36]

Through April 20–22, 2017, they were the opening act for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw on their Soul2Soul The World Tour 2017.[42] On August 11, the band released a deluxe edition of Hard Love featuring unreleased recordings of "Cages", "Count on Me", and "Waiting".[43]

Out of Body and Into the Mystery (2020–2022)

It was announced, on April 21, 2020, that Bo Rinehart was leaving the band.[44]

The band formally introduced their seventh studio album, Out of Body, on June 11, 2020. Released on August 28, 2020, Out of Body is the first album without influential cofounding member Bo Rinehart, the first album with Tyler Burkum replacing Bo, and also the band's first release under Elektra Records. Prior to the release of the album, the band released five singles: "Seasons", "Hang On", "Survival" (featuring Drew & Ellie Holcomb), "Who Am I", and "Banks". Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the band pushed the tentative "Out of Body Experience Tour 2020" to 2021. As an alternative to the live tour, the band hosted "Celebrating Out of Body", a ticketed livestream concert on the day of the album's release.[45] Another version of "Who Am I" was released on October 14, 2020, featuring singer-songwriter Elle King.[46]

Following a series of cryptic hints posted to social media, the band revealed on April 26, 2021, that while they would normally have been touring Out of Body, the band had lived together and recorded studio album Into the Mystery over a period of 21 days. The band released their eighth studio album, Into the Mystery on July 30, 2021.[47] Artists featured on the album include Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Natalie Hemby, and country music superstar Carrie Underwood. Into the Mystery reached No. 1 on Billboards Top Christian Albums chart, marking the band's fifth No. 1 album on this chart.[48] A film chronicling the album's recording process was released on November 3, 2021, for a one-night-only event in US theaters.[49]

Caves (2023)

In May 2023, the band announced their upcoming tenth studio album, Caves. It was released on September 15, 2023.[50] Caves features collaborations with artists such as Carly Pearce, Judah & the Lion, Old Dominion, and Foy Vance. On October 12, 2023, the band released an acoustic version of "Dreams", as well as a remix of the same song with Madism.[51] On November 16, 2023, the band released a second version of "Fall On Me" featuring Maverick City Music.[52] The following month, a new version of "Hideaway" debuted in which the band collaborated with Mokita.

On December 31, 2023, NEEDTOBREATHE released the non-album single "I Don’t Wanna Worry".

Categorization

NEEDTOBREATHE self-identifies as a rock band, but is often categorized as a Christian rock band as well. The band has been signed to mainstream labels, formerly to Atlantic Records, and releasing their latest record under the Elektra Records label. The band experiences success on contemporary hit radio stations, Christian adult contemporary stations, and at the Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, despite releasing a number of songs with no direct mention of their Christian faith.[53] [54] The band has also toured with artists outside of the Christian rock genre, including Train, Taylor Swift, and Tim McGraw.[5]

The band has resisted labels as specific as such in the past, explaining to Rolling Stone in 2016 in the following statement, "any label is limiting. That one in particular is especially limiting. To me, I think people pass over the band all the time because they read that....I hate the idea that they somehow feel like I didn't make the music for them, that we didn't play music for everyone. Christian record deals came and we said no to all of them. Waited a couple years until the right record deal came, which was Atlantic, which we've been on ever since. But we just said to them in passing when we first started, we want the records to be available to everyone."

Band members

Former members

Former touring musicians

Timeline

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Colors = id:lvocals value:red legend:Lead_Vocals id:guitar value:teal legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:piano value:purple legend:Piano id:banjo value:yellow legend:Banjo id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_Vocals id:bars value:gray(0.93) id:studio value:black legend:Studio_albums

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4BackgroundColors = bars:barsScaleMajor = increment:3 start:2001ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:2001

LineData = color:studio at:04/04/2006 #Daylight at:08/28/2007 #The Heat at:08/15/2009 #The Outsiders at:09/20/2011 #The Reckoning at:04/15/2014 #Rivers in the Wasteland at:07/15/2016 #Hard Love at:08/28/2020 #Out of Body at:07/30/2021 #Into the Mystery at:09/15/2023 #Caves

BarData = bar:Bear text:"William Rinehart III" bar:Seth text:"Seth M. Bolt" bar:Bo text:"Nathaniel Rinehart" bar:Joe text:"Joe Stillwell" bar:Josh text:"Josh Lovelace" bar:Randall text:"Randall Harris" bar:Tyler text:"Tyler Burkum"

PlotData= width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Bear from:01/01/2001 till:end color:lvocals bar:Bear from:01/01/2001 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Bear from:01/01/2001 till:end color:piano width:7 bar:Seth from:01/01/2001 till:end color:bass bar:Seth from:01/01/2001 till:end color:drums width:3 bar:Seth from:01/01/2001 till:end color:bvocals width:7 bar:Joe from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2012 color:drums bar:Bo from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2020 color:guitar bar:Bo from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2020 color:banjo width:3 bar:Bo from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2020 color:bvocals width:7 bar:Josh from:01/01/2011 till:end color:piano bar:Josh from:01/01/2011 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Randall from:01/01/2012 till:end color:drums bar:Tyler from:01/01/2020 till:end color:guitar bar:Tyler from:01/01/2020 till:end color:banjo width:3 bar:Tyler from:01/01/2020 till:end color:bvocals width:7

Discography

See main article: Needtobreathe discography.

Awards and nominations

GMA Dove Awards

YearAwardTitleResult
2008Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year"Signature of Divine (Yahweh)"
Rock/Contemporary Album of the YearThe Heat
2009Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year"Washed by the Water"
2010Group of the Year
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year"Lay 'Em Down"
Rock/Contemporary Album of the YearThe Outsiders
2011Group of the Year
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year"Something Beautiful"
2012Group of the Year
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year"Slumber"
Rock/Contemporary Album of the YearThe Reckoning
2013Short Form Video"Keep Your Eyes Open"
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year"Keep Your Eyes Open"
Song of the Year "Brother"
Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year "Hard Love"
Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year Hard Love
Recorded Music Packaging of the Year Hard Love
Artist of the Year
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year "Walking on Water"
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year "Forever On Your Side"
Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year Acoustic Live, Vol. 1
2021Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year"Who Am I"
Rock/Contemporary Album of the YearOut of Body

Billboard Music Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Why NEEDTOBREATHE Called Shooting Their New Music Video with Andra Day the 'Most Fun' They've Ever Had on Set . Tracy . Brianne . April 7, 2017 . People.
  2. NEEDTOBREATHE Announce Brand New Album and Single, 'Into the Mystery'. May 8, 2021. Elektra Records. Elektra Records . jesusfreakhideout.com.
  3. Web site: 2023-06-04 . The Feature — NEEDTOBREATHE . 2023-12-04 . Last.fm . en.
  4. NEEDTOBREATHE Announces Sixth Studio Album & U.S. Tour Dates: Exclusive . Polanco . Luis . April 1, 2016 . . April 1, 2016.
  5. Web site: Needtobreathe Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic.
  6. Needtobreathe. Billboard.
  7. Web site: Brothers resurrect NEEDTOBREATHE after feud nearly destroyed the band. November 8, 2016.
  8. Needtobreathe. Billboard.
  9. Needtobreathe. Billboard.
  10. Web site: CBS College Sports . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200702/http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/072006aam.html . dead . October 29, 2013 . July 20, 2006.
  11. Web site: Needtobreathe - Biography & History . AllMusic . February 16, 2018.
  12. Web site: FURMAN'S BEAR RINEHART NAMED SOUTH CAROLINA PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR BY GREENVILLE TOUCHDOWN CLUB . Eweb.furman.edu. March 13, 2003.
  13. Web site: Sparrow and Atlantic Launch Needtobreathe . January 17, 2006 . Prodigal Son Magazine . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080827161338/http://www.prodigalsonmagazine.com/life/2006/01/sparrow_and_atlantic_launch_ne.php . August 27, 2008 . July 25, 2008.
  14. Web site: NEEDTOBREATHE – The Vogue . 2023-12-04 . en.
  15. Web site: Reuter . Annie . 2023-10-10 . The Socratic Meaning Behind the Band Name NEEDTOBREATHE . 2023-12-04 . American Songwriter . en-US.
  16. Web site: Soulrock Review - EP by Needtobreathe. January 13, 2021. invubu.com. en.
  17. Web site: 2023-06-04 . The Feature — NEEDTOBREATHE . 2023-12-04 . Last.fm . en.
  18. Web site: Gasp! Debut Act NEEDTOBREATHE Lands CCM Cover Story . April 3, 2006 . Top40-Charts.com . September 5, 2008.
  19. Thompson, John J. (April 2006). This Year's Model. CCM Magazine Archives. Retrieved 2012-8-4, from SalemWeb.net
  20. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=needtobreathe|chart=all}} Needtobreathe – Daylight ]. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140517013654/http://www.billboard.com:80/artist/312088/needtobreathe/chart . May 17, 2014 . August 7, 2008.
  21. Web site: Word Records – Needtobreathe . . August 6, 2008 . May 9, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080509161112/http://www.wordrecords.com/needtobreathe/ . dead .
  22. Web site: Needtobreathe Brings 'The Heat' . Your Music Zone . https://web.archive.org/web/20080328105858/http://www.yourmusiczone.com/go/ymz/news_more/needtobreathe_brings_the_heat/ . March 28, 2008 . August 6, 2008.
  23. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=needtobreathe|chart=all}} Needtobreathe – The Heat ]. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140517013654/http://www.billboard.com:80/artist/312088/needtobreathe/chart . May 17, 2014 . August 6, 2008.
  24. http://www.doveawards.com/categories/ 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards – Nominees
  25. Web site: Needtobreathe | Biography . Brown . Marisa . AllMusic . February 27, 2014.
  26. Needtobreathe – Biography . Billboard . February 27, 2014.
  27. Web site: Needtobreathe Discography . Jesus Freak Hideout . April 20, 2009.
  28. Web site: Tony Bennett Scores First #1 On Billboard 200 – Music, Celebrity, Artist News . https://web.archive.org/web/20110930122747/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1671676/tony-bennett-duets-billboard-sales.jhtml . dead . September 30, 2011 . Kaufman . Gil . September 28, 2011 . MTV . January 4, 2014.
  29. Web site: Taylor Swift Adds NeedtoBreathe to Her Speak Now Tour . Duvall . Erin . The Boot . December 2010 . September 14, 2016.
  30. Web site: Prove The Poets Wrong . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/AS8tlmfpjEY . December 15, 2021 . live. December 17, 2013 . YouTube.
  31. Web site: Rivers in The Wasteland Available 04.15.14 . PuregrainAudio.com . January 14, 2014 . January 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140122130623/http://puregrainaudio.com/news/needtobreathe-to-release-new-album-rivers-in-the-wasteland-on-april-15th . dead .
  32. 'Frozen's 11th Week at No. 1 with Biggest Sales Yet . Caulfield . Keith . April 23, 2014 . . April 24, 2014.
  33. Canadian Albums : May 3, 2014 . May 3, 2014 . Billboard . April 24, 2014.
  34. Web site: NEEDTOBREATHE Find 'Rivers in the Wasteland' [Interview] ]. April 11, 2014.
  35. Web site: Ugly Fist Fight Nearly Breaks Up Needtobreathe . Yahoo! . April 19, 2017.
  36. Web site: Hard Love: What America's Most Popular Band You've Never Heard Of Wants To Teach Every Entrepreneur. Peter Lane. Taylor. Forbes.
  37. Web site: Needtobreathe ends family feud. July 8, 2015. The San Francisco Examiner.
  38. Web site: Bear Rinehart, 'We're having more fun than we've ever had before' . February 13, 2015 . FDRMX . February 15, 2015.
  39. Web site: Needtobreathe announce details for 'Tour De Compadres' . Law . Jeannie . February 3, 2015 . Breathecast radio.
  40. Web site: Tour Dates . January 22, 2014 . Needtobreathe.com . July 29, 2015.
  41. Drake's 'Views' No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart for 11th Week, NeedToBreathe Debuts at No. 2 . . August 4, 2016.
  42. Web site: Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Reveal 2017 Soul2Soul Tour Opening Acts . Stefano . Angela . January 31, 2017 . The Boot . Taste of Country Network . April 7, 2017.
  43. Web site: H A R D L O V E (Deluxe Edition) Collectors Edition Vinyl out August 11th - NEEDTOBREATHE Latest News . NEEDTOBREATHE Official Website . February 16, 2018.
  44. Web site: Bo Rinehart Exits NEEDTOBREATHE . April 21, 2020 . www.thechristianbeat.org. August 25, 2020.
  45. Web site: GMA. August 6, 2020. NEEDTOBREATHE Announce "Celebrating Out of Body". October 24, 2020. The Gospel Music Association. en-US.
  46. Web site: Clarks. Jessie. NEEDTOBREATHE Unveils "Who Am I" Featuring Elle King. October 24, 2020. TheChristianBeat.org. October 14, 2020 .
  47. Web site: July 30, 2021. NEEDTOBREATHE Details Inspiration Behind Each Song on 'Into the Mystery'. October 19, 2021. American Songwriter. en-US.
  48. NEEDTOBREATHE Adds Fifth Top Christian Albums No. 1 With 'Into the Mystery'. October 19, 2021. Billboard. en.
  49. Web site: September 22, 2021. Needtobreathe Announces New 'Into The Mystery' Documentary. October 19, 2021. MusicRow.com. en-US.
  50. Web site: Patton. Alli. Exclusive: Needtobreathe Announces New Album 'Caves': "It Feels Like a 'Joshua Tree' for Us". May 22, 2023. American Songwriter. May 22, 2023.
  51. Web site: News . C. C. M. . 2023-10-12 . NEEDTOBREATHE Releases New Multi-Track Single 'Dreams Reimagined' . 2023-12-04 . CCM Magazine . en-US.
  52. Web site: Longs . Herb . 2023-11-16 . NEEDTOBREATHE Reimagines "Fall On Me" With Maverick City Music . 2023-12-04 . TCB . en-US.
  53. Jon Freeman, "Needtobreathe Talk Christian-Band Stigma, Experimental New LP", Rolling Stone, August 23, 2016.
  54. Taylor Weatherby, "NEEDTOBREATHE Announce Deluxe Vinyl Edition of 'HARDLOVE' & New EP: Listen to Two Tracks", Billboard, July 14, 2017.
  55. Web site: 2000 Furman Player Profiles . 2000 . Furman University . April 16, 2014.
  56. Web site: Information about William S Rinehart, Jr. . FamilyTreeMaker.Genealogy.com . April 16, 2014.
  57. Web site: Cornerstone Assembly of God welcomes new pastor . August 20, 2010 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140416210245/http://www.independentmail.com/news/2010/aug/20/cornerstone-assembly-god-welcomes-new-pastor/ . April 16, 2014 . April 16, 2014 .
  58. Bolt . Seth . DrSethBolt . 679473899457871872 . December 22, 2015 . Look who visited the treehouse today for my birthday!! Bro-time with Chandler Bolt at the farm is… https://t.co/1a3zGpgzZ4 . en . May 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170601065533/https://twitter.com/DrSethBolt/status/679473899457871872 . June 1, 2017 . live.
  59. Web site: Brotherly feud put strain on Needtobreathe . Sculley . Alan . Detroit Free Press . July 10, 2017.
  60. NEEDTOBREATHE Announce Brand New Album and Single, 'Into the Mystery'. May 8, 2021. Elektra Records. jesusfreakhideout.com.
  61. Web site: NEEDTOBREATHE.NET/Blog - From Joe . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120816023918/http://needtobreathe.net/blog/from-joe/ . August 16, 2012.
  62. NEEDTOBREATHE . NEEDTOBREATHE . NEEDTOBREATHE . 418073611812241409 . December 31, 2013 . How big is your birthday cake @little_BOTWEETS? http://t.co/kL7KBOU9mr . en . May 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160325130332/https://twitter.com/needtobreathe/status/418073611812241409 . March 25, 2016 . live.
  63. Web site: #349 - "Wake Up" by All Sons & Daughters . Davis . Kevin . newreleasetoday.com . July 10, 2017.