Abandon (band)
Encyclopedia
Abandon is an American Christian rock
band from San Antonio, Texas
. The group has five members: brothers Josh (lead vocal
s) and Justin Engler (guitar
), cousins Stevan (guitar
) and Dave Vela (drums
), and Bryan Fowler (bass
). They signed onto ForeFront Records
in late 2007 and released the Abandon EP in July 2008. Their first single "Providence" was released to radios in August and has reached #7 on R&R
's Christian rock
charts.
The group's name was inspired by the Bible
verse of Joshua 22:3, which reads "God has directed us not to abandon any brothers".
They signed a deal with ForeFront Records
in the fall of 2007. The record label's A&R
manager Chris York discovered the band by hearing them play at a club next door to where York was at a restaurant with his wife. He says, "I was having dinner at a Mexican restaurant with my wife, and she started to get frustrated with me because she could tell I wasn’t paying full attention to our conversation. This was because I could hear a band playing live at the club next door, and it sounded really, really good. I got in touch with the band later, and after we got to know each other, we knew it was a fit and started working together!"
Abandon's initial ForeFront release, the Abandon EP (produced by Chris Stevens), was released on July 22, 2008 and contains five tracks that will be released on their forthcoming studio album. Alternative rock song "Providence" and "All Because of You", which has a more contemporary
style, were both released as radio singles on August 1, 2008. "Providence" has reached number-seven on R&R
's Christian rock chart as of October 24.
Abandon released its sophmore album Control on April 19, 2011.
The band's single "Live it Out" is currently featured on The Food Network for their promotion of the show Food Network Challenge
and was used on the 2011 ESPY Awards Show on ESPN
.
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band from San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. The group has five members: brothers Josh (lead vocal
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
s) and Justin Engler (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), cousins Stevan (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) and Dave Vela (drums
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
), and Bryan Fowler (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
). They signed onto ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
in late 2007 and released the Abandon EP in July 2008. Their first single "Providence" was released to radios in August and has reached #7 on R&R
R&R (magazine)
R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
's Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
charts.
The group's name was inspired by the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
verse of Joshua 22:3, which reads "God has directed us not to abandon any brothers".
History
The group of two brothers, two cousins, and friend (and former bassist) Ryan Reavis, formed as an independent band in the 2002, playing worship music at their church. In 2005 they began to play local concerts and released their first album Ambush, which was produced by the band and Tavis Wilson. Soon after the release of their second album, Who You Are (produced by Kevin Bruchert), Reavis chose to leave the band. Not long afterwards, Bruchert introduced the band to Bryan Fowler after they played at his church. Soon after, Fowler joined the band.They signed a deal with ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
in the fall of 2007. The record label's A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
manager Chris York discovered the band by hearing them play at a club next door to where York was at a restaurant with his wife. He says, "I was having dinner at a Mexican restaurant with my wife, and she started to get frustrated with me because she could tell I wasn’t paying full attention to our conversation. This was because I could hear a band playing live at the club next door, and it sounded really, really good. I got in touch with the band later, and after we got to know each other, we knew it was a fit and started working together!"
Abandon's initial ForeFront release, the Abandon EP (produced by Chris Stevens), was released on July 22, 2008 and contains five tracks that will be released on their forthcoming studio album. Alternative rock song "Providence" and "All Because of You", which has a more contemporary
Christian CHR
Christian CHR is a radio format that is common in the United States and Australia focusing on playing current and recent music as determined by the Christian Top 40....
style, were both released as radio singles on August 1, 2008. "Providence" has reached number-seven on R&R
R&R (magazine)
R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
's Christian rock chart as of October 24.
Abandon released its sophmore album Control on April 19, 2011.
The band's single "Live it Out" is currently featured on The Food Network for their promotion of the show Food Network Challenge
Food Network Challenge
Food Network Challenge is a competitive cooking television series that currently airs on the Food Network. Each episode, professional chefs compete in a timed competition in their professional specialty. The winner receives a check for $10,000 and a gold medal.-Format:The competitions are judged...
and was used on the 2011 ESPY Awards Show on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Musical style
Abandon's music and lead singer's voice have often been compared to The Killers.Band members
- Josh Engler – lead vocals/guitar
- Justin Engler – rhythm guitar
- Stevan Vela – lead guitar
- Bryan Fowler - bass guitar
- Dave Vela – drums
Discography
- 2005: Ambush (independent)
- 2006: Who You Are (independent)
- 2008: Abandon EP (ForeFront RecordsForeFront RecordsForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
) - 2009: Abandon II EP (ForeFront RecordsForeFront RecordsForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
) - 2009: SearchlightsSearchlights (Abandon album)-Track listing :-Awards:In 2010, the album was nominated for a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year at the 41st GMA Dove Awards.-Personnel:* Josh Engler- lead vocals* Justin Engler- rhythm guitar* Stevan Vela- lead guitar* Bryan Fowler- bass...
(ForeFront RecordsForeFront RecordsForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
) - 2011: Control (ForeFront RecordsForeFront RecordsForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
)