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Audio Adrenaline has achieved a longevity that only a handful of artists experience in today's fast-paced, ever-changing music industry. With a music career that stretches more than 10 years. "We started the band ten years ago thinking it would be a cool summer ministry," says bass player Will McGinniss, "and we've been amazed at how things have fallen into place since then. Before we knew what was happening we found ourselves touring with acts like dc Talk and Steven Curtis Chapman. All along we've been thrown into things unexpectedly. We feel like we've been playing 'catch up' as we go."
Experiencing a new level of hands-on ministry over the past few months, Audio A have found themselves onstage participating in a Billy Graham crusade, a Franklin Graham crusade, and multiple Harvest crusades. "When our music careers are over and we look back on them," Mark muses, "these crusades will probably be the best things we ever did. I've been standing on a stage and have watched 20,000 people come forward. To see kids streaming down from all over this huge stadium just weeping and giving their lives to God was the peak of our career. You feel so humble and out of place to even be on stage when God does something like that."
Audio Adrenaline is approaching sales of more than 3 million units and has garnered 4 Grammy Award nominations and multiple Dove Awards.
With over 20 nominations, and 4 actual wins the guys in Audio Adrenaline are no strangers to the Dove Awards.
In 2004, the band proves that they still have what it takes, scoring 3 nominations, including Rock Recorded Song of the Year (Dirty), Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year (Worldwide), and Long Form Video of the Year (Alive).
Underdog, Audio Adrenaline's fifth studio album for ForeFront Records, is arguably their most hit-saturated and accessible effort to date. Their continuing penchant for creating musical blends of hope, joy and gut-wrenching honesty has long since established them as the youth ministry band of choice.
"In the song 'Underdog,' we used a line from the book The Jesus I Never Knew," Mark offers in summation. "It says, 'Although the world is tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog.' That's a great message for kids. It gives them something to hope for in the fact that, though they might not be the best looking or the richest kid in school, or even a leader in their youth group, they are great in God's eyes and God can still use them in a powerful way."
The concept of making a global impact for Christ is not a new one for Audio Adrenaline members Mark Stuart, Will McGinniss, Ben Cissell and Tyler Burkum. While the band's focus has always touched on themes of missions and outreach, Audio Adrenaline has never been more aggressive in communicating that message than they are now, with the release of their new album, Worldwide.
"We wanted to really do something we're passionate about - something different and new," says vocalist Mark Stuart. "This is our seventh album and we've been singing about this idea throughout our career. So we decided to go for it and make this whole record about standing up and saying, "Hey, I want to get serious about my faith. I want to be a missionary. I want to do what I can do in my community." It's basically a call to action."
Stuart explains. "I think that song motivated a generation to do something, and we want to continue to motivate people in that direction. It's all about getting out there and doing something incredible for God. You don't have to go overseas to be a missionary. Just get out there in the world-even if it's just to your next door neighbor's or in your high school-and take God there."
The idea behind Worldwide came from the response the band received to its powerful hit single "Hands and Feet,"
Hands & Feet is a Project for the Children of Haiti. Co-founders, Audio Adrenaline and Flicker Records had an idea to raise money to help fund their Hands and Feet Project Children's Village to build a campus of homes for orphans in Haiti ? they would auction a concert and band gear on eBay! It was a resounding success, raising $34,552.43 in just 10 days. The auction was promoted on the road at AA concerts, at Youth Specialties, and through media partners like TBN, ZJAM, and local radio stations across the country.
"The success of this auction is awesome," says Mark Stuart, AA frontman. "We didn't have any idea how much would be raised, but God had it under control. The money will help pay for the land and houses that make up the campus." Already, land has been acquired and floor plans and elevations drawn for the administration building and residential homes to accommodate a family and six to eight kids.
For Bob Herdman, this is God's unique way of answering prayer. "When the AA guys and I started this dream and formed the Hands & Feet Project, we realized it would take more than our personal resources to fund such a vision, so we gave it to God and asked for His creativity. It is really a blessing to see people join with us as partners through this eBay auction to raise such a significant amount of money. That and the Habitat for Humanity partnership are key elements in seeing this vision take life."
"This really is a good cause " it will help children in Haiti to have a home. But we're Audio Adrenaline Junkies, and it was nice that we got something out of it as well."We saw this as a great way to support building the orphanage in Haiti for the children, while at the same time, it is an opportunity to bring great Christian music from AA to Connecticut. We hope this helps lead to a Christian radio station in the area some day." -- Anonymous partner who won the bid for the AA concert.
With "Worldwide One" setting the stage by daring listeners to "come along for a ride," and "Church Punks'" 90 seconds of rock and roll rebellion, this album starts off at a blistering pace.
In an effort to encourage kids toward action, Audio Adrenaline and MercyMe have partnered to form a foundation called The Go Foundation.
The Go Foundation will highlight 10 to 15 "under-the-radar" missions' organizations the bands want to help bring exposure to. The Go Foundation will act as a conduit to help plug kids directly into an organization that matches their strengths.
Audio Adrenaline has continued to build an ever-widening fan base over the years, and that exposure was magnified in 2001 through the band's high-profile stint on the innovative Festival Con Dios Tour, the traveling outdoor festival Audio Adrenaline co-headlined with the Newsboys and the O.C. Supertones. The much-publicized tour was highlighted in media outlets across the country, and was featured in a Newsweek magazine cover story. In 2002, the band was asked once again to co-headline the equally successful second outing of the Festival Con Dios with labelmate tobyMac, MercyMe, and Out Of Eden.
The critically-acclaimed project, Lift, generated three No. 1 singles, including the radio hit, "Ocean Floor," which crossed multiple formats and topped both the AC and CHR charts, a first-time for Audio Adrenaline.
Audio Adrenaline's first win came in '96 for Long Form Music Video of the Year (Big House).
"Big House," which was named the CCM No. 1 Song of the Decade for the 1990s.
Then it was no surprise when Get Down took Rock Recorded Song of the Year Their 4th Dove Award came in 2003, for their work on the critically acclaimed "Lift" album.
Audio Adrenaline hit gold with the gold-selling album, BloOm.
The guys hit the studio this week with producer Jay Joyce. They will be recording songs for their new album "Until My Heart Caves In"
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