The Afters Explained

The Afters
Alias:Blisse
Background:group_or_band
Origin:Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Years Active:1999–present
Current Members:
  • Josh Havens
  • Matt Fuqua
  • Dan Ostebo
Past Members:

The Afters is an American Christian rock band founded by Josh Havens and Matt Fuqua. Havens and Fuqua first worked together in a Starbucks coffee shop in Mesquite, Texas, where they performed songs for customers before deciding to form a band. They were initially joined by Brad Wigg from the same Starbucks and drummer Michael Burden and performed with the name Blisse. When Burden left the band, Marc Dodd, who also worked at the Mesquite Starbucks stepped in. Their song "Never Going Back to OK" was the most-played song on R&R magazine's Christian CHR chart for 2008.[1]

History

As a precursor to Blisse, Josh performed several shows around Dallas with his band The Screaming Mimes which included Charlton Parker, who later formed Deaf Pedestrians, and Hans Grumbein. While Brad was a founding member of Blisse, he took time away from the band to perform with his own blues project, playing lead guitar. Shows at the Door in Deep Ellum, part of Dallas, were filled in by Dallas bassist Eric Kitchens and bassist/filmmaker Niko Red Star.

Under the name Blisse, the band recorded a six-song EP in 2000. From the recording they made enough money to cut their first album, When the World Is Wonderful, which was released independently in 2001. This album contains songs also released on their major label debut album I Wish We All Could Win. In 2002 they released a live concert DVD filmed at a local Dallas club called The Door.

The band changed its name after discovering that another "Blisse" already existed. Settling on "The Afters", they continued to play local clubs in the Dallas area. Eventually they were discovered by INO Records and signed to a four-record deal. Word of the band later got to Epic Records, who signed the band to a deal for mainstream promotion and distribution. Their first major label album, I Wish We All Could Win, was released on February 22, 2005. The first single from the album was "Beautiful Love", written by Josh Havens about a time when his wife was abroad doing humanitarian aid. The single's music video won The Afters a 2005 MTVu "Streaming Woodie" award. In addition, "Beautiful Love" became the theme song for the MTV show, 8th and Ocean about the careers of female and male fashion models living in Miami. The song was also featured in the 2006 film, Just My Luck. The song "Until the World" was the theme song for the American drama television series that aired on the ABC Family Network Beautiful People.

In an update posted on their official website, the band went into the studio in August 2006 to begin recording their second album, Never Going Back to OK. It was originally scheduled to be released on December 26, 2007, as per a post on their MySpace blog, but was ultimately delayed and released on February 26, 2008.[2]

The first single from the album, the title track "Never Going Back to OK" was premiered on October 16, 2007, on Total Axxess. It was released as a streaming file on The Afters' MySpace page on November 10, 2007.[3] The song was on the R&R magazine charts in December 2007. It reached No. 1 on the R&R CHR chart in March 2008;[4] R&R magazine ranked it as the most played song on U.S. Christian CHR radio in 2008. In the spring of 2008, the band began their own headlining tour along with Falling Up, Ruth, and Everyday Sunday.[5]

The Afters said in their Twitter account that they started recording their next album on October 27, 2009.[6] The album, called Light Up the Sky, was released on September 14, 2010.[7] The album's first single, the title track reached No. 1 on Billboard's Christian CHR radio and also appeared on MTV's The Hills.[8]

In January 2011 The Afters joined the Rock And Worship Roadshow national tour headlined by MercyMe.[9] Light Up the Sky was produced by Dan Muckala.[10] They announced a new album to be released on April 17, 2012. A month later, they released a new single entitled "Life is Beautiful" on iTunes; the song was part of the soundtrack for the movie October Baby. On February 19, 2013, a new single, "Every Good Thing", became available on iTunes. The new album's title was Life is Beautiful.

On August 28, 2015, the band released "Live on Forever", the lead single[11] [12] from Live on Forever, their fifth studio album set for release in late 2016 on Fair Trade Records.

In 2018, "Well Done" appeared on the Billboard 100, followed by "I Will Fear No More" on October 19, 2018. Both songs were advance releases for The Beginning & Everything After, their greatest hits album released on November 2, 2018, and for Fear No More, their sixth studio album released on May 31, 2019. On December 3, 2021, the band released their first live album, Where Heaven Touches Earth: Live at The Grove which was recorded in Arizona.

Band members

Current members[13]

Joshua Havens - lead vocals, keys and guitars

Matthew Fuqua - vocals and guitars

Daniel Ostebo - bass guitar

Former members

Brad Wigg - guitars, bass guitar and vocals

Michael Burden - drums

Marc Dodd - drums

Niko Red Star - bass guitar

Jordan Mohilowski - drums

Touring members

Evan Yuen - guitar

Austin Gavin - drums

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
[14]
US
Alt.
[15]
US
Christ.

[16]
US
Heat.

[17]
US
Rock
[18]
I Wish We All Could Win
  • Released: February 22, 2005
  • Label: Epic
2440
Never Going Back to OK
  • Released: February 26, 2008
  • Label: Columbia
419110
Light Up the Sky
  • Released: September 14, 2010
  • Label: Columbia/INO
10
Life Is Beautiful
  • Released: April 16, 2013
  • Label: Columbia/INO
1337
Live on Forever[19] 733
Fear No More[20]
  • Released: May 31, 2019
  • Label: Fair Trade Services
14
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Independent albums

Live albums and DVDs

EPs

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
[23]
US Adult
[24]
US
Christ.

[25]
Christ Airplay
[26]
US
Heat.

[27]
US
Rock
"Beautiful Love"2005552937 I Wish We All Could Win
"You"4
"All That I Am"200613
"Someday"25
"Never Going Back to OK"200816Never Going Back to OK
"Keeping Me Alive"
"MySpace Girl"
"We Are the Sound"
"Ocean Wide"200923
"Light Up the Sky"2010117Light Up the Sky
"Lift Me Up"20113
"We Won't Give Up"32
"Life Is Beautiful"2012Life Is Beautiful
"Every Good Thing"20132
"Broken Hallelujah"20141115
"Live on Forever"2015119Live on Forever
"Battles"[29] 2016191545
"Shadows"[30] 2017??????
"Well Done"20181411The Beginning & Everything After----Fear No More
"I Will Fear No More"20191839
"Lightning"47Fear No More
"Joy Unto the World"non-album single
"Say Goodbye (Say Hello)"20222216
"God is With Us"2023

Awards and nominations

GMA Dove Awards

YearAwardResult
2006New Artist of the Year
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Beautiful Love")
Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year (I Wish We All Could Win)
2009Song of the Year ("Never Going Back to OK")
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Never Going Back to OK")
Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year (Never Going Back to OK)
2016Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Live on Forever")
Short Form Video of the Year (Live on Forever)

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.radioandrecords.com/Formats/Charts/YearEnd/08/Christian_CHR_songs.asp 2008 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs
  2. http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/albumdetail.php?album_id=2047 Never Going Back To OK by The Afters
  3. Web site: US . The Afters . MySpace.com . April 16, 2013.
  4. http://www.weekend22.com/ March 8, 2008 R&R chart
  5. Web site: The Afters: The Dallas pop rockers who are Never Going Back To OK . CrossRhythms.co.uk . Tony Cummings . March 16, 2008 . June 8, 2008.
  6. https://twitter.com/theafters We officially started recording our new album today! by The Afters
  7. http://www.christiansonic.net/2010/06/the-afters-light-up-the-sky-single-2010.html Christian Sonic » The Afters – Light Up the Sky [Single] (2010)
  8. Web site: Music News, September 2010: The Afters Land No. 1 Spot on iTunesŽ and CHR Radio As Band Prepares to Embark on the "Hungry For Love Tour" Sponsored by Food for the Hungry . Jesus Freak Hideout . September 22, 2010 . April 16, 2013.
  9. News: MercyMe, Jars of Clay part of The Rock and Worship Road Show in Sioux City. January 30, 2011. Argus Leader. February 5, 2011.
  10. Web site: Dan Muckala - Credits. Dan Muckala. February 2, 2008. AllMusic. April 16, 2013.
  11. Web site: The Afters Release New Single "Live on Forever". CCM Magazine. April 24, 2016. September 4, 2015.
  12. Web site: The Afters - Who's coming to one of our shows on the "Time... . Facebook. https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/19721602744/10153858437792745 . 2022-02-26 . limited. April 24, 2016.
  13. Web site: Members. The Afters. January 29, 2017.
  14. The Afters - Chart history: Billboard 200 . . October 15, 2013.
  15. The Afters - Chart history: Alternative Albums . . October 15, 2013.
  16. The Afters - Chart history: Top Christian Albums . https://web.archive.org/web/20190629141759/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-afters/chart-history/christian-albums . dead . June 29, 2019 . . October 15, 2013.
  17. The Afters - Chart history: Heatseekers Albums . . October 15, 2013.
  18. The Afters - Chart history: Top Rock Albums . Billboard . October 15, 2013.
  19. Web site: The Afters - Timeline . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/19721602744/10154036318702745 . 2022-02-26 . limited. Facebook . August 27, 2016.
  20. Web site: The Afters New Album 'Fear No More' Drops May 31. Ross. Cluver. April 4, 2019. CCM Magazine.
  21. The Afters - Chart history: Top Christian Albums . https://web.archive.org/web/20190629141759/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-afters/chart-history/christian-albums . dead . June 29, 2019 . . May 15, 2019.
  22. Web site: The Afters Celebrate and Give Glimpse of Future with the Beginning and Everything After. November 3, 2018.
  23. The Afters - Chart history: The Hot 100 . . October 15, 2013.
  24. The Afters - Chart history: Adult Pop Songs . Billboard . October 15, 2013.
  25. [{{BillboardURLbyName |artist=the afters|chart=Christian Songs}} The Afters - Chart history: Christian Songs ]. Billboard . October 15, 2013.
  26. The Afters - Christian Airplay. https://web.archive.org/web/20190131073655/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-afters/chart-history/christian-airplay. dead. January 31, 2019. Billboard.
  27. The Afters - Chart history: Heatseekers Songs . . October 15, 2013.
  28. United States. The Afters. October 12, 2018.
  29. Web site: JFH News: The Afters' Fifth Studio Album "Live On Forever" Set To Debut September 9, Available For Preorder Now . Jesusfreakhideout.com . July 26, 2016 . August 27, 2016.
  30. Web site: The Afters Score No. 1 At Radio With "Shadows" . gospelmusic.org . June 8, 2017 . Gospel Music Association . 24 May 2022.