1. If you're a coffee drinker and also a world traveler who frequently finds themselves in need of a good shot of espresso, Rend Collective has assembled a special list just for you. The Ireland-based group put together a list of their top ten coffee shops, with entries from both the US and the UK. The list includes gems such as Intelligentsia in Chicago and Crema in Nashville. Check their website for the full list!
2. While Building 429 had a few days off from WinterJam, lead singer Jason Roy took the time to keep writing for their new album. Jason shared a video of another potential new song on Building 429's facebook, including explaining the personal origins of the song. The track is tentatively titled "Emmanuel Be With Us Now," and is well worth a listen for anyone needing some encouragement
3. The three brothers of OBB always seem to be up to some new mischief, and their latest tour video blog gave fans a glimpse of that. The video features how hard they work-- or rather, how they hardly work-- to set up their shows. Highlights include lip syncing to Taylor Swift and surfing on road cases.
4. Remedy Drive's most recent album Commodity was truly a work of art, and like most musical masterpieces, it deserves to be heard on vinyl. This will be possible for Remedy Drive fans soon, as the band shared that a special vinyl pressing of the album is almost complete. Frontman David Zach got to test out the first one, as he shared on instagram.
5. What does a phone with four sets of headphones and a pair of well worn chopsticks mean? According to Big Daddy Weave, it means that they've got some new music on the way. The band met up with their management at a sushi place to review some of their recently penned tunes. As always, the band is requesting prayers for the process of creating a new album.
6. As Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline continue rolling across the country on the We Believe God's Not Dead Tour, the newest Audio A lineup is sharing their perspective on the powerful tour through a series of videos. The most recent installment features some fun full circle moments as the band members sharing the ways the original Audio Adrenaline impacted them in their formative years as musicians.
7. for KING & COUNTRY has requested prayers for their lighting technician Zach Bright. Zach spent Wednesday in a four hour long surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. The recovery road is never easy, so for KING & COUNTRY invited fans to join the band in prayer and encouragement, adding "we're standing with you mate!"
8. While awake aboard the tour bus late one night, Adam from About A Mile took the time to write up a facebook post directed at fans who are in dark places. He shared a heartbreaking story he'd heard from a young fan and then encouraged fans to remember "God thinks about you and they're thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. That means He expects your life to end NO sooner than He planned it would before you were ever even born!" The powerful post received an outpouring of gratitude and shares from fans.
Quotes (3)
1. "When you give up on a dream, and you lay it down, someone is right behind you to pick it up and make it theirs. Don't stop. Don't give up." - Carlos Whittaker
2. "You are scared to death to the degree that you put your glory in something that can die" - Tim Keller via David Zach of Remedy Drive
3. "I don't want to live small and safe and practical and fearful and shame-driven and worried I might be in the way." - Jenny Simmons
