Leeland

Recently a friend told me about this new band, Leeland, that I HAD to check out. I did. I think they rock. Sounds like a very cool new Christian band. They don't have a CD out yet, but you can hear their tracks on their myspace.com page. I think their debut full length record is due out this summer sometime. They are making the rounds on this summer's Christian festival scene so check out their schedule to see if they are coming near you. Here is a brief bio:

At the age of 11, lead singer Leeland Mooring wrote his first song, Shine, and so the story of the band Leeland began to evolve. A fervent young singer/songwriter/worship leader, Leeland experienced the calling for his life when he was just a kid living in Baytown, TX, traveling with his very musical family in full time ministry. Leading praise and worship with his siblings on a regular basis was the foundation that helped to prepare him with a radical heart for keeping worship original, dynamic, and most importantly, genuine.

In 2000, his family stopped traveling full time and moved back to Baytown, TX. to pastor a church. Around this time they entered Leeland in a talent search offered by Embassy Music in Nashville, where he was a finalist in both the songwriting and artist division. Leelands promising songwriting ability led Embassy to bring him back to Nashville for a workshop where he met with EMI/CMP representative, Kent Coley. Since that time, EMI/CMP has represented him as a songwriter and Kent Coley came on board as manager.

As a natural extension of his songwriting and family collaboration, the band Leeland began to form, made up of his brother Jack Mooring (keyboards/vox), cousin Jake Holtz (bass), and friends Jeremiah Wood (lead guitar) and Mike Smith (drums). After the formation of one cohesive unit, the band began to write new songs, attracting labels in Nashville and eventually materializing into a full recording contract with Provident/Song BMG. Provident/Sony BMG is home to artists such as Jars of Clay, Third Day, Bebo Norman, Michael W. Smith and many more.

As they embark in this beginning stage of their career, the band Leeland is honored and humbled to step up to be a light to their peers and lead them into a worship experience that is not only new and refreshing but that will edify and uplift them. The sounds of European-rock bands such as Coldplay, Delirious, Elbow and U2 are favorites of the band because of the emotional layers involved in their music. Leelands music exemplifies the exciting elements of alternative rock as they seek to dive in and match heart changing lyrics with soaring anthems of majestic melodies. They are currently in the studio recording their debut full-length album which is scheduled to be released in summer of 2006. Please sign-up for our e-mail newsletter to stay updated on album and tour news.