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Biography (courtesy of BEC Records)

The statistics on Kutless are impressive: Best selling new artist of 2002; a feat accomplished in just six months due to a mid-year record release. Three number one R&R Rock singles. One top 5 CHR single that unexpectedly became the longest charting song in the history of the R&R CHR chart. Total sales of 155,000 to date on their self-titled debut release. Kutless played 220 shows their first year to almost 200,000 people. All of this from an unknown rock band with no indie track record. In Christian music, that’s pretty hard to do.

For the members of Kutless; Jon Micah Sumrall, James Mead, Ryan Shrout, Kyle Mitchell, and Kyle Zeigler, the past was fun. What’s more important is the future. The band headed back to the studio with producer Aaron Sprinkle in August of 2003 determined to avoid a sophomore jinx. Kutless emerged in mid-December with Sea Of Faces, a follow-up record that reflects a major step in the maturing of Kutless as writers and musicians.

Says Jon Micah Sumrall, “We wanted to make a record that was more diverse. We wanted a lot more layers, more electronic loops. We wanted to write lyrics that reflected where Christ has us, just like the last record, but the lyrics had to be better written. We are really pleased with the final product.”

Songs like “Not What You See” about the struggle to resist the culture and serve others, or “Sea Of Faces” about the miracle of God’s love for each individual, or “Passion” which reflects on the crucifixion of Christ, shows giant leaps in the diversity of Kutless’ writing. Sea Of Faces is sure to please die hard Kutless fans and introduce a completely new demographic to the band’s sound.

More than anything, Kutless is defined by what they do on the road. Truly, the band’s grueling schedule is not for the faint of heart. Says Jon Micah, “Yeah, 220 shows last year. We’ve never been so tired, so hot, so cold, so excited, or so down at different times last year than at any point in our lives. But you know, we really feel like we have a vision for what we want to be. It’s critical for us to present a live show that is excellent.

We want to blow people away. At the same time, it’s just as important to partner with the local church and youth pastors. We make sure that the people that come to see a Kutless show know that Jesus loves them, cares for them, and desires to spend time with them. As a band, we have been so fortunate to have this platform to play our music. We are humbled to be able to communicate Christ’s love for people night after night.”

While looking back on where the band has been, and turning to face the future, it’s clear that the goals and methods of Kutless have remained consistent. Focus. Passion. Strong work ethic. Character. The desire to be better, write better, play better. As Jon Micah puts it, “We feel so blessed to be where we are, and we want to have a bigger and bigger impact. I guess it just feels like we were born to do this.” Indeed.