Taking their name from a vision of their work as being 'useless materials', only made a blessing to others by Christ, Sioux City-based Bread of Stone are that rare band that truly puts service and ministry before dreams of pop stardom.
The band: Ben Kristijanto, Bill Kristijanto and Tim Barnes, founded 'The Light Project' - their ministry in Indonesia - and travels to that country annually to perform and fellowship with 'scavenger' communities, for whom scouring trash for recyclables that can be sold for cash is a fact of daily existence.
The development of Bread of Stone as artist's began simply - first with a calling received by the Kristijanto brothers' father (a minister) that the brothers should be involved in a music ministry.
The brothers duly began taking music lessons and gradually worked in to performing in local churches.
Today, having toured with a veritable 'Who's Who' of major CCM artists, including: Newsboys, Seventh Day Slumber, Superchick, Petra, Building 429 and others - all while maintaining their profile as an indie band solely at God's direction - Bread Of Stone has matured in their music and message, and returns with their new album 'The Real Life'.
Wishing to release an album that truly captured their artistic vision, the band readily admits to being meticulous and demanding of themselves in the recording process.
The end result of that dedication to independence as artists - and the refining of their craft - is the band's new release 'The Real Life'.
A loosely conceptual album based on the band's belief that the world is caught up in a vicious cycle of trends, distractions and lies, 'The Real Life' is a response from Bread Of Stone that unashamedly declares that the 'real life' is as God intended for us - to be one with Him.
Deftly incorporating rock, pop and praise, the album is the most definitive musical snapshot yet of Bread of Stone and their ministry.
'We have never set out to make a statement of ourselves as artists,' says Bread of Stone co-founder and vocalist Ben Kristijanto. 'We are able to do so only through God's Grace - we're Bread of Stone.'
Bread Of Stone| Posted September 18, 2012
Saw these guys four or five years ago open for Newsboys. Glad to see they're back with a new album... I thought maybe they had called it quits.