Stephen Christian
Encyclopedia
Stephen Christian is the lead vocalist of the alternative rock
band Anberlin
and his side-project Anchor & Braille
. He and his bandmates started Anberlin in 2002, after the demise of their previous group, known as SaGoh 24/7. He is also one of the main songwriters of the band, along with Joseph Milligan
.
Anberlin has released five albums, Blueprints for the Black Market
, Never Take Friendship Personal
, Cities
, and New Surrender
. Their fifth studio album, Dark is the Way, Light is a Place
was released on September 7, 2010. Anberlin has also released a compilation album, Lost Songs
, and Christian also has an acoustic solo project under the name of Anchor & Braille
, whose debut album Felt
produced by Aaron Marsh
of Copeland
released on August 4, 2009 after being completed in 2008. He is also the founder of Wood Water Records
which is also the home of Anchor & Braille. Christian wrote a book, The Orphaned Anything's
, which was released online in spring of 2008.
. Christian attended Winter Haven High School along with fellow bandmates Deon Rexroat
and Joseph Milligan. Following the completion of high school, the three formed the band SaGoh 24/7, which eventually transformed into Anberlin. Christian's younger brother Paul was an influence on some of the band's music. He is a graduate from University of Central Florida
, with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. Christian currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee
.
Christian co-founded Faceless International along with his two friends, Seth Cain and Sarah Freeman. Faceless, a non-profit organization
focused on fighting human trafficking and modern day slavery, "aims to defend the plight of exploited people worldwide who have gone faceless and unknown for far too long". The group organizes and undertakes humanitarian trips to areas in need, both internationally and domestically.
Christian's father worked with a non-profit organization called American Medical Relief that supplied medical equipment to third world countries, so he was exposed to humanitarianism
at a young age. In an interview with myMag, Christian recalls going to Mexico with his father and seeing people living in garbage dumps and sifting through to find pieces of metal to scrap for food. Christian's father had plans to set up a hospital in the dump, and that is where Christian said the first seed was planted. Christian's involvement with American Medical Relief and other non-profit organizations made him want to take action. He attended college for it with plans to work for Habitat for Humanity or UNICEF, but Anberlin was signed a month after he graduated. Christian's experiences with humanitarian efforts were inspiration for several of the bands' songs.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Anberlin
Anberlin
Anberlin is an American rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.Members of Anberlin originally formed...
and his side-project Anchor & Braille
Anchor & Braille
Anchor & Braille is the acoustic side project of Anberlin's lead singer Stephen Christian with collaboration from Aaron Marsh of Copeland.-History:...
. He and his bandmates started Anberlin in 2002, after the demise of their previous group, known as SaGoh 24/7. He is also one of the main songwriters of the band, along with Joseph Milligan
Joseph milligan
Joseph Milligan is a member of the American rock band Anberlin. He is the group's lead guitarist, one of the lead songwriters and one its founding members. Milligan wrote most of the music and recorded all of the guitar tracks for Anberlin's first three albums until Christian McAlhaney joined the...
.
Anberlin has released five albums, Blueprints for the Black Market
Blueprints for the Black Market
Blueprints for the Black Market is the first album released by the band Anberlin. It was released barely a year after the band formed, and was the only album that was released with guitarist Joey Bruce in the band line-up. Blueprints had two singles, "Readyfuels", for which a music video was...
, Never Take Friendship Personal
Never Take Friendship Personal
-Personnel:*Stephen Christian – vocals, guitar*Deon Rexroat – bass*Joseph Milligan – lead guitar*Nathan Strayer – guitar*Nathan Young – drums*Aaron Sprinkle – production, engineering*JR McNeely – mixing*Troy Glessner – mastering...
, Cities
Cities (Anberlin album)
- Special-edition bonus tracks :These tracks are also included in the compilation album "Lost Songs"* Special Edition version includes a DVD behind the scenes of the making of Cities.The album released in Japan had an extra track titled "The Haunting."...
, and New Surrender
New Surrender
The actual recording and production took place at multiple studios in Hollywood, California, under Avron throughout March and early April 2008. The first recording took place at Swing House Recordings in West Hollywood, followed by NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, where they completed at...
. Their fifth studio album, Dark is the Way, Light is a Place
Dark is the Way, Light is a Place
-Personnel:*Stephen Christian – Vocals,*Joseph Milligan – Guitar, keyboards, programming*Nathan Young – Drums*Christian McAlhaney – Guitar, keyboards, programming*Deon Rexroat – Bass...
was released on September 7, 2010. Anberlin has also released a compilation album, Lost Songs
Lost Songs (Anberlin album)
Lost Songs is a compilation album from the alternative rock band Anberlin, released on November 20, 2007. It is a collection of covers, unreleased songs from previous album sessions and acoustic versions...
, and Christian also has an acoustic solo project under the name of Anchor & Braille
Anchor & Braille
Anchor & Braille is the acoustic side project of Anberlin's lead singer Stephen Christian with collaboration from Aaron Marsh of Copeland.-History:...
, whose debut album Felt
Felt (album)
Felt is the debut studio album by Anchor & Braille, the side-project of Anberlin lead vocalist, Stephen Christian. The album was released through Christian's own label Wood Water Records and Federal Distribution on August 4, 2009 and was produced, engineered and mixed by Aaron Marsh from fellow...
produced by Aaron Marsh
Aaron Marsh
Aaron Marsh is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer from Florida. He first gained prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and pianist for the Florida-based indie rock band Copeland, who formed in 2000...
of Copeland
Copeland (band)
Copeland was an indie rock band, originally formed in 2001 by singer Aaron Marsh with his friend, bassist and backup singer James Likeness, in the city of Lakeland, Florida.-Inception:...
released on August 4, 2009 after being completed in 2008. He is also the founder of Wood Water Records
Wood Water Records
Wood Water Records is an independent record label, founded by Anberlin and Anchor & Braille vocalist, Stephen Christian. The record label is distributed through Universal Music Group, of which Anberlin is signed to. The label's first release, Felt, is also the debut for Christian's acoustic act...
which is also the home of Anchor & Braille. Christian wrote a book, The Orphaned Anything's
The Orphaned Anything's
The Orphaned Anything's is a 2008 memoir by American musician/writer Stephen Christian. It tells the story of a "lesser known" named Ayden Kosacov’s sudden realization that "There's more to living than being alive."-Synopsis:...
, which was released online in spring of 2008.
Personal life
Stephen Christian was born in Kalamazoo, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Christian attended Winter Haven High School along with fellow bandmates Deon Rexroat
Deon Rexroat
Deon Rexroat is the bassist for the alternative rock band Anberlin. Originally playing for the short-lived punk band SaGoh 24/7, the band dissolved, and most of its members went on to form Anberlin. He is one of the band's founding members...
and Joseph Milligan. Following the completion of high school, the three formed the band SaGoh 24/7, which eventually transformed into Anberlin. Christian's younger brother Paul was an influence on some of the band's music. He is a graduate from University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. Christian currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Christian co-founded Faceless International along with his two friends, Seth Cain and Sarah Freeman. Faceless, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
focused on fighting human trafficking and modern day slavery, "aims to defend the plight of exploited people worldwide who have gone faceless and unknown for far too long". The group organizes and undertakes humanitarian trips to areas in need, both internationally and domestically.
Christian's father worked with a non-profit organization called American Medical Relief that supplied medical equipment to third world countries, so he was exposed to humanitarianism
Humanitarianism
In its most general form, humanitarianism is an ethic of kindness, benevolence and sympathy extended universally and impartially to all human beings. Humanitarianism has been an evolving concept historically but universality is a common element in its evolution...
at a young age. In an interview with myMag, Christian recalls going to Mexico with his father and seeing people living in garbage dumps and sifting through to find pieces of metal to scrap for food. Christian's father had plans to set up a hospital in the dump, and that is where Christian said the first seed was planted. Christian's involvement with American Medical Relief and other non-profit organizations made him want to take action. He attended college for it with plans to work for Habitat for Humanity or UNICEF, but Anberlin was signed a month after he graduated. Christian's experiences with humanitarian efforts were inspiration for several of the bands' songs.
Discography
- SaGoh 24/7 - Servants After God's Own Heart (1999), lead vocals
- SaGoh 24/7 - Then I Corrupt Youth (2001), lead vocals
- AnberlinAnberlinAnberlin is an American rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.Members of Anberlin originally formed...
- Blueprints for the Black MarketBlueprints for the Black MarketBlueprints for the Black Market is the first album released by the band Anberlin. It was released barely a year after the band formed, and was the only album that was released with guitarist Joey Bruce in the band line-up. Blueprints had two singles, "Readyfuels", for which a music video was...
(2003), lead vocals - Anberlin - Never Take Friendship PersonalNever Take Friendship Personal-Personnel:*Stephen Christian – vocals, guitar*Deon Rexroat – bass*Joseph Milligan – lead guitar*Nathan Strayer – guitar*Nathan Young – drums*Aaron Sprinkle – production, engineering*JR McNeely – mixing*Troy Glessner – mastering...
(2005), lead vocals - Anberlin - CitiesCities (Anberlin album)- Special-edition bonus tracks :These tracks are also included in the compilation album "Lost Songs"* Special Edition version includes a DVD behind the scenes of the making of Cities.The album released in Japan had an extra track titled "The Haunting."...
(2007), lead vocals - Anberlin - Lost SongsLost Songs (Anberlin album)Lost Songs is a compilation album from the alternative rock band Anberlin, released on November 20, 2007. It is a collection of covers, unreleased songs from previous album sessions and acoustic versions...
(2007), lead vocals - Anberlin - New SurrenderNew SurrenderThe actual recording and production took place at multiple studios in Hollywood, California, under Avron throughout March and early April 2008. The first recording took place at Swing House Recordings in West Hollywood, followed by NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, where they completed at...
(2008), lead vocals - The Human Flight Committee - Oh, When The Animals Unionize (2008) guest vocalist on the song "Russian We're Barely Moving"
- Anchor & BrailleAnchor & BrailleAnchor & Braille is the acoustic side project of Anberlin's lead singer Stephen Christian with collaboration from Aaron Marsh of Copeland.-History:...
- FeltFelt (album)Felt is the debut studio album by Anchor & Braille, the side-project of Anberlin lead vocalist, Stephen Christian. The album was released through Christian's own label Wood Water Records and Federal Distribution on August 4, 2009 and was produced, engineered and mixed by Aaron Marsh from fellow...
(2009), all songs, vocals - Craig OwensCraig Owens (musician)Craigery Michael "Craig" Owens is an American musician from Davison, Michigan. He is best known as the former lead vocalist of Chiodos and has had an involvement in various side projects such as Cinematic Sunrise, and the supergroup Isles & Glaciers...
- With Love EP (2009) featured vocalist on the song "Products of Poverty" - Anberlin - Dark is the Way, Light is a PlaceDark is the Way, Light is a Place-Personnel:*Stephen Christian – Vocals,*Joseph Milligan – Guitar, keyboards, programming*Nathan Young – Drums*Christian McAlhaney – Guitar, keyboards, programming*Deon Rexroat – Bass...
(2010), Vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizer - Darling Parade - "Remember" (featuring Stephen Christian of Anberlin) (2011)