The Afters - Live
on Forever Bio:
It’s easy to assume stories of trial and triumph are just
for the Bible or the history books. But miracles still happen, even when
adversity hits hardest. Just ask Josh Havens, guitarist and lead vocalist of
The Afters. He relates how the band’s latest effort, Live on Forever, began during a season of tragedy.
Just as the band regrouped to record, Havens witnessed the
wife of a close friend contract cancer. Drummer Jordan Mohilowski (who produced
the new album) had a brief health scare, and a close companion in his
church—part of the worship team—was hit and killed by an impaired driver. She
was a young woman, Havens says, who had unlimited potential.
But Live on Forever–the
band’s fifth with the Fair Trade label-still took shape as a celebration of
faithfulness, protection and promise—one that shimmers with strong rhythms,
undeniable energy and compelling pop hooks. The album finds Havens in strong,
soaring voice as he invites listeners to find shelter and strength in God. “If
any theme has emerged, it would be ‘inspiration and motivation,’” Havens says.
Havens himself felt a deep need to hold on after another
loss struck: The band’s longtime soundman, Anthony Martinez, saw his newborn
daughter die in infancy.
Ask Havens to pick out a song that sums up the spirit of the
album, and he chooses “Battles.” “It was the last song we wrote and the fastest
we wrote,” he says. “We don’t typically write songs fast; we’ll change lyrics
and melodies and craft our songs carefully. But ‘Battles’ poured out, the music
and lyrics, in one day. It’s about standing up against fear and knowing God is
always with us,” Havens explains. “It’s one of the takeaways we hope people
get: ‘Don’t give up to fear.
Havens shares how, half a world away from his home in
Phoenix, he caught a small glimpse of heaven’s reassurance. The place: downtown
Amsterdam. The occasion: a dinner between shows with band members and
spouses—including soundman Martinez and his wife. For their baby daughter, the
Martinez couple had chosen an unusual moniker with an unusual spelling: Pieper.
Against all odds, it also happened to be exactly how the intimate restaurant
they dined at spelled its name. Still, no one was prepared for what happened at
the end of the meal. “We were talking about baby Pieper, and as we got up to
leave, we noticed that the only thing on the walls—the only thing—was a framed
document, an award for hospitality. And the date on the award—the only date in
the place—was Pieper’s birthday. Her mother just started bawling.” Havens sums
up the reassurance all took home that night: “We thought, ‘This is where God’s
angels fly: right in the middle of the loss.’ God gives us little glimpses to
show us he’s here.”
“We worked on this record for almost two years and over
those two years, it was a real season of loss,” Havens recalls. “But in the
end, Live on Forever is about moving
us to trust God, to stand up against fear. It’s an ‘ante up’ record, an anthem
for people’s lives: ‘God you are with me in all this. I’m not alone.’”
My Thoughts:
This Cd couldn't have came at a better time. It touched my heart in so many ways. I like what the songs stand for. At this time, I'm facing some hard things and the songs remind me not to give up and to always know that God is with me. It's something you think we would always remember, but the truth is, sometimes we forget. The songs remind me not to forget one of the most important things as I face my battles. My daughter also loved the Cd. She plays it everyday.
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Music Videos:
Battles (Official
Lyric Video)
Battles (Heart Of
The Song)
Live On Forever
(Heart Of The Song)
Live On Forever
(Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/OdS7EWMNrWc
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant
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