The Afters - Live on Forever Bio:
It’s easy to assume stories of trial and triumph are just for the Bible or the history books. But
miracles still happen, even when adversity hits hardest. Just ask Josh Havens, guitarist and lead
vocalist of The Afters. He relates how the band’s latest effort, Live on Forever, began during a
season of tragedy.
Just as the band regrouped to record, Havens witnessed the wife of a close friend contract
cancer. Drummer Jordan Mohilowski (who produced the new album) had a brief health scare,
and a close companion in his church—part of the worship team—was hit and killed by an
impaired driver. She was a young woman, Havens says, who had unlimited potential.
But Live on Forever–the band’s fifth with the Fair Trade label-still took shape as a celebration of
faithfulness, protection and promise—one that shimmers with strong rhythms, undeniable
energy and compelling pop hooks. The album finds Havens in strong, soaring voice as he invites
listeners to find shelter and strength in God. “If any theme has emerged, it would be
‘inspiration and motivation,’” Havens says.
Havens himself felt a deep need to hold on after another loss struck: The band’s longtime
soundman, Anthony Martinez, saw his newborn daughter die in infancy.
Ask Havens to pick out a song that sums up the spirit of the album, and he chooses “Battles.” “It
was the last song we wrote and the fastest we wrote,” he says. “We don’t typically write songs
fast; we’ll change lyrics and melodies and craft our songs carefully. But ‘Battles’ poured out, the
music and lyrics, in one day. It’s about standing up against fear and knowing God is always with
us,” Havens explains. “It’s one of the takeaways we hope people get: ‘Don’t give up to fear.
Havens shares how, half a world away from his home in Phoenix, he caught a small glimpse of
heaven’s reassurance. The place: downtown Amsterdam. The occasion: a dinner between
shows with band members and spouses—including soundman Martinez and his wife. For their
baby daughter, the Martinez couple had chosen an unusual moniker with an unusual spelling:
Pieper. Against all odds, it also happened to be exactly how the intimate restaurant they dined
at spelled its name. Still, no one was prepared for what happened at the end of the meal. “We
were talking about baby Pieper, and as we got up to leave, we noticed that the only thing on
the walls—the only thing—was a framed document, an award for hospitality. And the date on
the award—the only date in the place—was Pieper’s birthday. Her mother just started
bawling.” Havens sums up the reassurance all took home that night: “We thought, ‘This is
where God’s angels fly: right in the middle of the loss.’ God gives us little glimpses to show us
he’s here.”
“We worked on this record for almost two years and over those two years, it was a real season
of loss,” Havens recalls. “But in the end, Live on Forever is about moving us to trust God, to
stand up against fear. It’s an ‘ante up’ record, an anthem for people’s lives: ‘God you are with
me in all this. I’m not alone.’”
Buy-links:
Google Play: http://www.smarturl.it/LOFAlbum-GPlay
Get Connected with The Afters:
Official website: www.theafters.com
Music Videos:
Battles (Official Lyric Video)
Battles (Heart Of The Song)
Live On Forever (Heart Of The Song)
Live On Forever (Official Music Video)
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Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per
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