Anberlin Biography

Rising up from the dull expanse of Central Florida, the men of ANBERLIN have put a lot of miles on the odometer in their quest for world domination. Joining forces with the likes of Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and, most recently, Hawthorne Heights, the quartet’s energy, determination and can-do attitude have taken them far in support of their electrifying sophomore long player, NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL.

Along the way, legions of devotees across the globe have pushed NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL past 100,000 in sales, largely by word of mouth. A diverse and cohesive rock & roll album, NTFP will not be denied. Be it the urgent, communicable and hit-worthy “Paperthin Hymn”--which is far more the guitar anthem than its name suggests--or the powerful, captivating proclamation “The Feel Good Drag,” to hear ANBERLIN is to know why its ascent is definite.

“This is our passion and our dream,” singer STEPHEN CHRISTIAN says of his band’s resolve. “And this album has a deeper meaning. I think we all felt that if we were going to continue as a band, we had to keep growing, changing and maturing as a band.”

For the follow up to 2003’s BLUEPRINGS FOR A BLACK MARKET, the goal was to capture the band’s onstage force in the studio. Bolstered by the invigorating riffs of guitarist JOSEPH MILLIGAN, the melodic onslaught of guitarist NATHAN STRAYER, the rhythmic achievements of bassist DEON REXROAT and drummer NATHAN YOUNG and the alluring pipes of CHRISTIAN, ANBERLIN’s singer says, “It’s the rawer, rugged sound we were looking for.”

Alive in the punchy charge of “Stationary Stationery,” the roaring exigency of “The Runaways,” the gorgeously-crafted ballad, “Symphony of Blasé,” and the winning pulse of “Time & Confusion,” one can’t help but wonder how ANBERLIN arrives at such sparking, sparkling songs? “Basically, JOEY writes the majority of the music and then he’ll bring it to me to write lyrics,” CHRISTIAN explains. “I try to make every song a true story and I think people can more-or-less relate to that. I’m not writing about trite topics. It’s not just girl-guy stuff but things that have actually happened to me.”

ANBERLIN’s story began a decade ago in Winter Haven, Florida, when STEPHEN, DEON and JOEY formed an early incarnation of the band out of sheer boredom. “Polk County is easily the redneck capital of Florida,” STEPHEN explains. “There’s literally nothing to do. And being so young, we couldn’t just drive to Orlando or Tampa to hang out. So we started forming a band. And up to that point there was no other scene in Central Florida. There were no other bands that we know of. So we had to teach ourselves everything.”

“So we forged ahead on our own,” the singer continues. Influenced by everyone from Sense Field to The Smiths to the Ramones to Metallica, ANBERLIN as we know it created its own club scene along with Copeland and Underoath, but really gelled with the addition of YOUNG, a protégé drummer and John Bonham devotee. By 2002, the gents assumed their moniker and got serious. “One day we decided this is what we want to do with our lives,” CHRISTIAN says succinctly.

A five-song studio demo landed the group in the company of Tooth & Nail -- the reputable Seattle indie that put MxPx and The Juliana Theory on the map. Their 2003 debut--produced by Aaron Sprinkle, who was also at the helm for NFTP--and the power of the internet helped build the following that resulted in thousands of records sold, plus the attention and support slots on tours with Story of the Year and the aforementioned Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance.

With additional guitarist NATHAN STRAYER joining up in early 2005 in time for the release of NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL, ANBERLIN’s star has only continued to rise. The group headlined a sold-out trek through Australia, recently lensed a video for “Paperthin Hymn” and, clearly, the future is ANBERLIN’s to hold, if its aspirations are any indication.

“I would want someone to go back and put our CD on in 40 years. And not only would it bring back a flood of memories, but it proves to be timeless,” says CHRISTIAN. “And that’s why I don’t want to be lumped in with all of these indie rock bands, because as soon as you put a tag on yourself inside the world of rock & roll, you have an expiration date. But when you go to the stores and you see Aerosmith or the Rolling Stones--those records will continue to be there. I’m not saying we’re there yet, but I want us to have that kind of longevity.”

With the sound of NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL, said goals are near guaranteed.

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