Anberlin

Anberlin, an alternative rock band, was formed in Winter Haven, Florida, in 2002. The band’s core lineup has included lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young since early 2007. Prior to Anberlin, several members were part of SaGoh 24/7, a punk band that released two studio albums. A shift in musical direction led to the formation of Anberlin. Within a year of their formation, Anberlin signed with Tooth & Nail Records and released their debut album, “Blueprints for the Black Market” (2003). The album sold over 60,000 units. Their second album, “Never Take Friendship Personal” (2005), charted at No. 144 on the Billboard 200 and contained the track “Paperthin Hymn,” which peaked at No. 38 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band frequently toured with other label artists.

Anberlin pursued further success with their third album, “Cities” (2007), which debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard 200, selling 34,000 copies in its first week. This marked a significant milestone for the band as their first album to reach the top 20. In 2007, Anberlin signed with Universal Republic, a major label, leading to the release of “New Surrender” in 2008. This album peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, and its single “Feel Good Drag” achieved No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart after 29 weeks. By 2010, before the release of their fifth studio album, “Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place,” Anberlin had sold over 1,000,000 albums. Their sixth studio album, “Vital” (2012), was later rereleased as “Devotion” (2013) on Big3 Records.

In 2014, Anberlin announced their disbandment after recording their seventh album, “Lowborn,” with Tooth & Nail Records, followed by a final tour. The band reunited for performances in late 2018 and has continued to tour since 2019. In 2020, Stephen Christian confirmed new material was in production. The EP “Silverline” was released in July 2022 via Equal Vision Records, followed by the EP “Convinced” in June 2023. In October 2023, Stephen Christian took an indefinite hiatus from touring, and Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire became the live lead vocalist. In 2024, the band released “Vega,” an album combining their 2022 and 2023 EPs with additional tracks featuring Mullins. Looking ahead, “Nevertake,” a re-recorded version of “Never Take Friendship Personal” with Mullins on lead vocals, is set for release in March 2025.