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Celebrate Christmas with albumsfrom The Kingsmen, The Lore Family

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SPECIAL CROSSROADS RECORDS

Arden, North Carolina (September 13, 2022) — Horizon Records artists The Kingsmen and The Lore Family are sharing their love for the meaning of Christmas with new albums now available for pre-order, add and save ahead of their October 14 release.

On their new Christmas EP, The Kingsmen waste no time in getting to the point. The title track and very first tune on ‘Tis The Reason is direct, with clarion horns punctuating lead singer Chris Bryant’s sympathetic reminder: “‘Tis the season to be frantic / The crazy time of year we panic / Countless greeting cards to send / Christmas parties to attend / But it’s not the time to fret / Over what we may forget / On the list to do, or make or bake or spend / ‘Cause in the end — it’s about Him” 

The song rises to a crescendo as Chris Jenkins, Alan Kendall and the group’s patriarch, Ray Reese, join in: “‘Tis the Reason to let our praises ring / ‘Tis the Reason to lift our voice and sing / To open up our hearts — and keep on believin’ / ‘Tis the Reason”

The collection seamlessly weaves together old favorites — the majestic “O Holy Night” and the warmly nostalgic “The Christmas Song” — and new songs that range from the upbeat “Here We Come A Caroling” to the thoughtful meditation on the infinite mercy of “The God Who Gives Himself Away” and the closing reminder of “There Is Peace,” with its timely message: “When we love and hold on to each other / When we give just like it’s still December / Every day the Christmas season stays with you and me / There is joy, there is hope, there is peace”

From start to finish, ‘Tis The Reason affirms that the spirit that has animated The Kingsmen’s legendary career is as strong as ever. “The last time the Kingsmen released a Christmas album was in 1994,” notes Alan Kendall. “With the tremendous response from the Christmas single “Tell It On the Mountain” in 2020, our fans and friends made it clear to us that they were way past ready for another collection of seasonal songs celebrating the birth of Jesus. Our producer Jeff Collins and the folks at Crossroads Music agreed with us, and we began preparing it over a year ago. 

“We’re excited about four brand new songs that not only sing us into our favorite time of year, but celebrate the very reason for the season. And with timeless classics like ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘The Christmas Song’ added to the mix, we feel like we have something for everybody. We are certainly proud and honored to present this recording, and we pray that it will be a cherished and spirit-filled part of everyone’s holiday listening for many years to come.”

“I love Christmastime,” says Darren Lore. “It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year.” That love for the holiday — and for the Savior whose birth is celebrated — made the creation of a Christmas collection a natural choice for The Lore Family and the result is sure to find its place among the most treasured of holiday albums.  

The cheery opener, “Sing A Happy Song At Christmas,” with its clever musical references to seasonal classics, sets the pace for the eight-song set, as Fayth Lore Whisnant leads the family through an expansive, sophisticated arrangement. Yet, as the following take on the venerable “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” shows, The Lore Family keeps the miracle of Christ’s birth at the center of its celebration, and indeed, the next song after that, “Make Room,” gets right to the heart of their message, as Sandy Lore offers its heartfelt chorus: “Make room this Christmas / Make room for Jesus / Make room in your heart for His love / There’s already a place in His heart for you / Make room this Christmas…for Jesus”

As the Roger Talley-produced collection moves on, through the majestic “Let The Faithful Come,” the bright swing of “Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus,” which features spirited leads from Fayth and brother Samuel Lore, the moving narration by Sandy of the Christmas miracle set to a medley of traditional carols and more, the depth of The Lore Family’s devotion — and talent — makes an unforgettable impression.  

“There seems to be a renewal of relationships around the holidays,” notes Darren. “Families and friends take time to get together. Society seems to be more considerate, generous and kind. Laughter can be heard. Love can be felt. And, if you listen, you’ll always hear music. People love to sing loud when they celebrate. And since Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus, we have a reason to lift our voices and sing!

“Our family feels very honored to share The Lore Family Christmas with you — our first Christmas album. We thoughtfully and prayerfully selected the songs for this album. Our family, the writers, the musicians, our producer and staff at Crossroads worked hard to present this collection. We pray that you will fall in love with each song. We hope that our music becomes a part of your Christmas celebration. Learn every line to each song and join us as we sing.

“Most of all, we encourage you to ‘Make Room’ for Jesus in your heart. Keep Christ the center of it all. Until you know Jesus personally, you’ll never fully understand the meaning of this season. For those who know Him, share His love, peace and joy with the world. ‘His Name Is Jesus!’ My family wishes you a very, Merry Christmas.”

Avenue Trio Releases Crucified. Magnified. Glorified.

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SPECIAL: CONDUIT MEDIA

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 31, 2022) – Avenue Trio – comprised of husband and wife, Kasey & Haley Kemp and Jonathan Mattingly – have released their latest project, Crucified. Magnified. Glorified.

This collection contains brand new recordings of songs that have found their way into churches across America and around the world – both beloved hymns alongside new worship songs. 

From songs like “Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed,” to “Jesus Cares for Me,” and “It Takes Jesus,” and so much more, the music exists to bring the listener into a time of worship.

Group member Kasey Kemp says: “It’s not your everyday hymns project, that’s for sure. This is a true worship record. We invite the listener to join us as we sing songs of praise to the Father, not just songs about Him. With familiar hymns and new worship songs alike, this record has been carefully designed to bring a spirit of worship to your personal time with God.”

Whether new or old, each song contains lyrics that are rich in scripture, expertly delivered with stunning and exquisite harmonies.

The project is available now on all streaming platforms or via the groups website at http://www.avenuemusic.net.

The group continues their heavy schedule in support of the new project with upcoming appearances including Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, Michigan, Ohio and more.

The Kramers Release Sophomore StowTown Records Project Sing Me There

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SPECIAL STOWTOWN RECORDS

Rachel and Karia joned David on the morning show Thursday

Nashville, TN (August 19, 2022) – As a follow-up to their debut release, The Hope Of All Tomorrows, The Kramers have teamed once again with multi-award winning producer and StowTown Records co-founder, Wayne Haun, to deliver their sophomore release for the label. Sing Me There is now available worldwide at all digital music outlets here, as well as at all retail outlets, and is exclusively distributed by Provident/Sony.

Sing Me There promises even more success for the popular Singing News Fan Award Favorite New Artist nominee, as it offers musical worship from beginning to end. The recording features 12 songs, written by prolific writers, including Jason Cox, Kenna Turner West, Jeff Bumgardner, Joel Lindsey, Rachel McCutcheon and Wayne Haun. Each song ushers the listener into a state of true reverence and adoration, providing a musical connection to the throne room of heaven.

Much like previous recordings by The Kramers, Sing Me There provides powerful songs of worship, hope, redemption, salvation, love and praise, each complemented by lush arrangements and inspiring orchestrations, which allow the message to shine through and penetrate hearts. “Our new project is filled with incredible messages,” group member, Maria Wolfe states. “We carefully prayed over every song we chose, and we feel that this collection is the most special we’ve ever had! To say we are excited about this release is an understatement. We feel so incredibly blessed to be produced by Wayne Haun and work with some of the greatest writers and musicians of all time.”

Just as The Kramers were thrilled to have the opportunity to have Haun produce this latest effort, Haun was grateful to work with The Kramers once again. “Each member of The Kramers could easily have their own successful music career,” Haun shares. “All four, Scott, Rachel, Maria and Ben, are extremely talented and bring something completely original to the table. The way they pull off the variety of styles on this album is beautiful. The Kramers’ genuine commitment to the Lord is what impresses me the most.”

For more than two decades, The Kramers have led audiences into an attitude of worship that has been embraced by listeners of all ages. Sing Me There continues that tradition, recognizing the true power in a song, blending melodies and harmonies with lyrics of praise that rapture the listener to heaven’s throne.

Sing Me There Track List:
Sing Me There
Because We Believe
God Will Meet You There
All Day, Every Day
Take Heed, My Son
What The Soldiers Didn’t See
You At 33
His Best Work
If There Was One Song
Let Me Be The Well
I Know There’s A Heaven
He Is Jesus

The Chitans’ glistening, heartfelt vocals shine on Shoulder to Shoulder

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SPECIAL: CROSSROADS RECORDS

Arden, North Carolina (August 16, 2022) — Reminding us once again that the sounds of Southern Gospel and the timeless message of salvation they convey know no boundaries, The Chitans return with Shoulder To Shoulder, their second full-length album for Horizon Records. It’s now available for pre-order, add or save ahead of its September 30 release.

The title and opening track lays out the story almost as if it were written to order:

“We are brothers and sisters, we’re part of the family of God
We’ve faced many battles together, God brought us thru every one
Now we don’t always agree, we don’t always see eye to eye
But all of these things will not stop us, for we have made up our mind

Shoulder to shoulder, we will go forward, united together as one
We’ll not be divided, we’ll not be defeated, as a family we’ll keep standing strong
Shoulder to shoulder, we are helping each other make it home”

Set to a soulful, gently swaying rhythm, the song lifts up the entire group — sisters Kaiziah, Kayandra and Karlainah, along with brothers Jesse and Jayden — and sets the tone for the album, which reflects a joyously embrace of the Gospel spirit and the power of God’s love. And while there is room for expansive orchestral arrangements that underline the majesty and power of their message, most of the songs on Shoulder To Shoulder favor more organic sounds to match the simplicity of youthful belief, giving the album a warm, intimate family atmosphere.  

Similarly, while there are a few touchstone songs that listeners may recognize, including “Goodness Of God,” the group’s reworking of Charity Gayle’s take on “New Name Written Down In Glory,” and a nod to the family’s Caribbean origins in “Hush (Don’t Cry),” first recorded by the group Acapella, the bulk of the songs are fresh and new, carefully chosen by the group and their producer, Roger Talley. And though the glistening, heartfelt vocals of Kaiziah and Kayandra are most prominently featured — that’s Kayandra taking the lead on the first single, “God Like That” — there’s plenty of room for all of The Chitans to shine, emphasizing the close-knit feeling of the family as they stand shoulder to shoulder.

“We are so excited to announce the release of our brand new album,” offer The Chitans. “God is so good, and we are so grateful to be able to sing about Him. It was such a fun and enjoyable time working with our producer, Roger Talley, and the folks at Crossroads Studios. There are some awesome songs on this album, songs of encouragement, hope and peace — some songs you may know that you can sing along to, and some brand new ones that will have you singing along in no time. We are so thrilled to be able to share this with you all!”Pre-order, add or save Shoulder to Shoulder HERE.

About The Chitans
Kaiziah, Kayandra, Jesse, Jayden and Karlainah Chitan and their parents, Layne and Karen, travel the world singing wherever they are called upon to do so, to share Jesus’s love with all people, especially the children of the world. 

The family travels the world, serving the communities they stop in through ministering in churches, hospitals, nursing homes, senior homes, community centers, prisons, slums and on the streets (feeding the homeless). The family has sung at religious, cultural, human rights and civic gatherings throughout Canada, the United States — including at The White House and on Capitol Hill —  Kenya (Africa), the United Kingdom, the Caribbean including Bermuda and to heads of state in Jamaica, Grenada, Bermuda and Canada.

In July of 2012, the family received a Congressional Award from the United States of America, for volunteer work done on the streets of Brooklyn, New York.

The Chitans have ministered with Lynda Randle, Woody Wright, The Nelons, The Collingsworth Family, The Talleys, Mark Bishop, Gordon Mote, Guy Penrod, Bobby Jones on Bobby Jones Presents, RussTaff, Wintley Phipps, Bill Gaither and his Homecoming Friends, and have sung at Singing in the Sun, Gatlinburg Gathering, National Quartet Convention and Gaither’s Fall Fest.