Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News, September 2011: MATT MAHER HEADLINES FALL “THE LOVE IN BETWEEN” TOUR

MATT MAHER HEADLINES FALL “THE LOVE IN BETWEEN” TOUR

Third National Studio Project Releases Sept. 20
Current Single “Turn Around” Rockets Up the Radio Charts

NEWS SOURCE: Provident Label Group
September 15, 2011

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) Sept. 15, 2011 - Eight-time GMA Dove Award nominee Matt Maher heads out on a coast-to-coast fall headlining tour, visiting more than 25 cities through late October. “The Love In Between” tour is named after Maher’s forthcoming Sept. 20 studio release, whose debut single, “Turn Around,” is currently impacting Christian radio.

Kicking off Sept. 15 in Longview, Texas, the first half of Maher’s tour will be sponsored by his own non-profit, Comm+Unity, and feature guest artists Essential Worship’s One Sonic Society as well as recent Integrity Music signing All Sons & Daughters. Compassion International will present the remaining tour dates, joined by award-winning singer/songwriter Laura Story and new Essential Records artist, labelmate Andy Cherry. Information about the tour can be found at http://mattmahermusic.com/tour/.

Among the tour’s key dates are a The Love In Between CD release show in Phoenix on Sept. 20 and a concert at The City National Grove of Anaheim (Anaheim, Calif.), host to several sell-out concerts including Ray Charles, Morrissey, Jill Scott, Cyndi Lauper, George Lopez, Merle Haggard, Jamie Foxx, Dropkick Murphys and Seal, among others, on Sept. 22.

Maher comments, “My hope for this tour is to bring together believers of all ages and denominations and provide a night where we can reconnect with God and each other; that we’d leave with a greater desire to see, in concrete ways, how connected we are meant to be.”

Interconnectedness is also a theme on Maher’s new album, along with the ideas of suffering, grace, redemption and hope. These concepts are neatly swaddled in a new folk-Americana “blue collar gospel’ sound, fusing rootsy, hook-laden tracks with compelling stories and undeniable truths. The project’s debut radio single “Turn Around,” is already connecting with listeners nationwide, climbing its way to No. 11 this week on the National Billboard Christian Audience chart and No. 10 on the Billboard AC Indicator chart. WONU-FM radio listener Jen comments, “The song is awesome. I think it has potential to reach non-Christians because it is realistic in its lyrics. Definitely play this one on the air.”

Greg Cassidy, JOY-FM music director and morning show host, also comments, “St. Louis is lovin’ the new Matt Maher tune! It’s hitting real people where they really are. From the 51-year-old woman in her seventh day of sobriety to the couple that have been pondering divorce...that simple reminder to 'turn around" has made its point! Home run for Matt!”

To sample an audio stream of “Turn Around” and for an up-to-date tour itinerary visit www.mattmahermusic.com. Also follow Matt on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mattmahermusic.

About Matt Maher
Matt Maher – worship leader, songwriter, singer and recording artist – has embraced his calling as a “musical missionary” to impact a global stage.

Maher is well known for writing moving worship anthems including “Your Grace Is Enough,” “As It Is In Heaven,” “I Will Rise,” “All To Us,” “Here For You,” “Hold Us Together” and “Christ Is Risen.” His songs have appeared among the top 10 ranked songs on the CCLI chart, marking their popularity in church services worldwide, while also being recorded by artists including Chris Tomlin, Audrey Assad, Matt Redman, and the Passion movement. Additionally “Alive Again” was selected by iTunes as the best Christian & Gospel song of 2009. Such popularity has prompted more than 350,000 career sales. National media exposure includes the covers of Breakaway and Christian Single, a live performance on “FOX & Friends,” and guest writer for Billboard magazine.

Maher sits on the board of directors for the Catholic youth organization, Life Teen, and is a staple writer with EMI CMG Publishing. Amid busy touring and writing schedules, he hosts WorshipTogether’s “New Song Café” and is an active, bylined contributor to The Washington Post's "On Faith" section ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith), an interactive conversation on religion.

Maher is from St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada and currently resides in Mesa, Ariz. with his wife Kristin and son Conor. For more information on Matt Maher, visit www.mattmahermusic.com.

About Comm+Unity
Comm+Unity is a new non-profit organization started by Matt Maher with the objective to fund local relief organizations who might not otherwise have the opportunity to be publicly recognized.

About Compassion International
Compassion International is the world’s largest Christian child development organization that permanently releases children from poverty. Founded in 1952, Compassion successfully tackles global poverty one child at a time, serving more than 1.2 million children in 26 of the world’s poorest countries. Recognizing that poverty is more than a lack of money, Compassion works through local churches to holistically address the individual physical, economic, educational and spiritual needs of children - enabling them to thrive, not just survive. Compassion has been awarded ten consecutive, four-star ratings by Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.

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For more info on Matt Maher, visit the JFH Artists Database.