Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News, September 2011: LEELAND IMPACTS AUDIENCES NATIONWIDE WITH THE GREAT AWAKENING

LEELAND IMPACTS AUDIENCES NATIONWIDE WITH THE GREAT AWAKENING

Album Sees Impressive First Week Sales, Continues to Receive High Marks From Critics
“Sounds of Hope” Tour Heads Into Full Month of Dates

NEWS SOURCE: Provident Music Group
September 28, 2011

(Nashville, Tenn.) Sept. 28, 2011 -- Essential Records' award-winning progressive worship band Leeland continues to garner enthusiasm for its latest project, The Great Awakening. Released Sept. 20, the album made a strong debut on multiple sales charts, while generating additional media acclaim, as Leeland leads out on its first full month of “Sounds of Hope” tour dates.

First week sales numbers indicate a strong start for The Great Awakening, debuting at No. 11 on the Nielsen SoundScan Top Contemporary Christian sales chart having sold more than 3,000 units.

Recent critical acclaim supports early sales momentum, with positive reviews continuing to pour in. The latest issue of Worship Musician! Magazine (Sept. /Oct.) praises the album for “its natural quality and the band’s ability to invite us to the supernatural,” while a reviewer at NewReleaseTuesday.com calls it “the most spine-tingling worship project I've ever experienced.”

Leeland will promote The Great Awakening this fall with live performances on the “Sounds of Hope” tour additionally featuring labelmates Building 429 and Royal Tailor. Sponsored by Food For The Hungry, the tour kicked off last week and will travel across the eastern and mid-American states before wrapping in November.

Visit www.soundsofhopetour.com for a complete list of tour dates.

The Great Awakening, Leeland’s fourth release, is reminiscent of the group’s debut while delving deeper into its spiritual roots. The band describes its new project, produced by Paul Moak (Third Day, Matt Maher), as an 11-track “worship revival experience.” Each of the songs is skillfully inspired by historical “fathers of the faith,” including theologian Jonathan Edwards and Salvation Army founder William Booth, whose depths of belief and passion for God started stirred revival wherever they went.

Recording every song live-to-tape, the album captures Leeland’s signature energy found in its live performance. Sonically, The Great Awakening showcases the Mooring siblings unmatched three-part harmonies set to ambient guitars and rock-steady drums. All in all, the record is Leeland’s most impressive artistic and spiritual expression to date.

Hailing from Houston, GRAMMY-nominated progressive rock act Leeland comprises Leeland Mooring (lead vocals, guitar); Jack Mooring (keyboard, background vocals); Shelly Mooring (bass); and Mike Smith (drums). The group has been known to deliver songwriting beyond its years and worshipful rock so genuine it disarms the honest cynic. Often quoted as one of Christian music’s most gripping live bands, Leeland’s 2006 debut Sound of Melodies as well as follow up projects Opposite Way (2008) and Love Is On The Move (2010) have established Leeland as a leader in the worship community and beyond. All three albums were GRAMMY nominated and drew a combined eight GMA Dove Award nominations.

In February, Leeland and Jack Mooring were selected by the White House to participate in the Compassion in Action Roundtable spotlighting the innovative leadership of an emerging generation of social entrepreneurs in America. On top of non-stop touring across the U.S. and Japan, the band also partners with Christian relief organization Food for the Hungry. Leeland has recently taken outreach trips to Africa, Asia, and attended Hillsong Church’s 2008 Conference in Australia.

For more information on Leeland and The Great Awakening, please visit: www.leelandonline.com, www.facebook.com/leeland or www.providentpress.com.

For more info on Leeland visit the JFH Artists Database.