Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News, October 2011: CASTING CROWNS “PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM” DIGITAL SINGLE CERTIFIED GOLD BY RIAA

CASTING CROWNS “PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM”
DIGITAL SINGLE CERTIFIED GOLD BY RIAA

Current Single “Courageous” Climbs AC Radio
Chart Group Continues to Tour New Album Nationwide

NEWS SOURCE: Provident Music Group
October 6, 2011

(Nashville, Tenn.) Oct. 6, 2011 -- As the official release date of Casting Crowns’ latest studio project Come to the Well rapidly approaches, “Praise You In This Storm,” from Lifesong (2005), has been certified GOLD by the RIAA. Coincidentally, the group’s current single, “Courageous,” earns the most increased AC spins this week, making it No. 4 on the Billboard National Christian Audience Chart, while Casting Crowns continues to debut new music at maxed out venues nationwide.

Casting Crowns’ second GOLD certified single in two months, “Praise You In This Storm” is among an elite list of Christian tracks ever to secure such status. The song, selling more than 500,000 copies, is included among those by fellow Provident Label Group artists Brandon Heath and Bob Carlisle, as well as other top performers MercyMe, Skillet, Relient K, Switchfoot and Chris Tomlin.

“Courageous,” among other fan favorites and new music from the group’s forthcoming release, are featured on Casting Crowns’ current “Come to the Well” tour. The tour, which kicked off Sept. 22, has already sold out six of its first 10 tour dates, including El Paso, Texas; Phoenix; Corona, Calif.; Roseville, Calif.; Tualatin, Ore.; and Kennewick, Wash. To date, Casting Crowns had played to more than 3.7 million people over the course of its eight-year career. For an up-to-date tour itinerary, visit: www.castingcrowns.com/tour.

Produced by Mark Miller, Come to the Well, available Oct. 18, is Casting Crowns’ first new studio album in two years. As with previous records, this one draws inspiration from the band’s ministry efforts at its home church, Eagles Landing Baptist Church outside of Atlanta, where frontman Mark Hall serves as youth pastor. The project is filled with songs that both challenge and encourage believers in their walk. Hall collaborated on several of the tracks with top songwriters including Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West and award-winning country songwriter Tom Douglas.

All of Atlanta-based Casting Crowns’ projects are RIAA certified, with a tally of three RIAA Platinum Albums, two RIAA Platinum DVDs, two RIAA Gold Albums and two Gold DVDs, holding position as Billboard’s top-selling act in Christian music since 2007. Despite an unprecedented eight-year career with Casting Crowns, the seven band members remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta area and tour part-time around their local church duties. Serving his 18th year in youth ministry, lead singer/songwriter Mark Hall is the student pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. As a testament to the band’s impact, Casting Crowns performed for a second time in North Korea in April 2009, in partnership with Global Resource Services, as the band continues to forge invaluable relationships with the people in the D.P.R.K.

For more information on Casting Crowns and Come to the Well, visit: www.castingcrowns.com or follow Mark Hall’s Twitter at twitter.com/markhallCC.

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For more info on Casting Crowns visit the JFH Artists Database.