Hailing from a small town off the coast of Northern Ireland, Rend Collective (Gareth Gilkeson, Chris Llewellyn, Ali Gilkeson, Patrick Thompson and Stephen Mitchell) wants to be known as a celebration band. The group’s authentic and energetic style of worship has attracted an international audience, with songs like Build Your Kingdom Here, My Lighthouse, and Counting Every Blessing. Their most recent albums have hit the highest non-Christian charting any worship album has ever achieved in the U.K.
In 2018 Rend Collective sold out their hometown show at the SSE Arena in Belfast making it the largest attended Christian concert in the country. With good reason too, Rend Collective continually draw in fans across the world with their electric performances and a good dose of Northern Irish charm. From playing sold out gigs in Canada, mainland Europe, Scandinavia, Brazil, Hong Kong and the U.S. , to the fact that “Boldly I Approach” has become the most popular hymn in the German church: the band are undeniably a global force.
Despite all this, the band seem to be doing it differently than most other artists before them, living and working—singing and sharing the laundry duties—as a tight-knit family, even touring with their young children most of the time. The word “Collective” is not just in their name, but in their foundations forming the heart and strength of their ministry.
"Rend Collective came together as a few friends started to pray and seek God. We wanted an authentic outworking of our faith and felt that we would just step out into the unknown and see what happened," Gareth shares. "Before we knew it, people just started gathering around us and we had more than 100 people involved, musicians and artists, bank workers and teachers, and together we tried to figure out our faith."
Concerning the band itself Gareth comments, "We are a collective of people like a family and not just a band. We want our music to be what we call Organic worship, an honest and natural connection with God, something which is authentic and not artificial. We want to create an environment for people to have genuine encounters with Him and to find themselves singing to Him in ways that they find real"
I <3 Rend Collective| Posted February 04, 2015
Rend Collective has lots of great inspiring music. One of my personal favorites is "My Lighthouse". With a fun beat and inspiring words it's bound to have you dancing and singing to it!
LOVE this band!| Posted March 27, 2014
Last year I spent 3 months training with YWAM about an hour outside of Belfast, and this band reminds me so much of the culture and sound of the Irish music. We would go and hang out with loads of people who all brought instruments and sing with them and clap our hands and enjoy their company, and this is what sound came out of it. I really really enjoy this band because of that AND especially because they take that sound and make it into amazing worship music to our KING! (Rend Collective:) Thank you so much for taking so much joy and putting into a celebration of song with every song!!
Beautiful!!!| Posted March 21, 2014
I hadn't heard about Rend Collective until I downloaded their free mp3 "Create in Me" here on Wednesday and I must say they are amazing. I can't stop listening to them.
Wonderful!| Posted May 21, 2013
I have thoroughly enjoyed the music I have heard from Rend Collective. Watching their videos, I have also gained a lot of respect for their values. Their way of working for worship in community is inspiring.
Growing Up| Posted June 30, 2012
This sophomore effort by Rend is solid. They are using more of a Mumford and Sons stylistic approach that works for them. Praise Like Fireworks is fun and upbeat while You are My Vision and Build Your Kingdom Here showcase their abilities. I would love to see their 3rd album continue with this approach and totally move them into mainstream Christian music with the big boys.