Citizens

A versatile Pacific Northwest Christian rock group led by vocalist/guitarist Zach Bolen, Citizens emerged in 2011 with a melody-driven and emotionally charged brand of faith-based alternative rock that incorporates elements of post-punk, praise & worship, and electronic indie rock. The band adopted the moniker Citizens & Saints ahead of the arrival of their sophomore LP, 2014's Join the Triumph, but reverted back to Citizens for the release of 2019's Fear. Founded in 2011 around the talents of Zach Bolen, Nathan Furtado, Adam Skatula, Brian Eichelberger, and Spencer Abbott, the band was initially affiliated with Mars Hill Church, where Bolen was a deacon at the time. They issued an EP, Already/Not Yet, in 2012, and an eponymous debut long-player in 2013 as a joint effort between Mars Hill and BEC Recordings. Both Bolen and the band broke from Mars Hill the following year, changing their name to Citizens & Saints and releasing their follow-up LP, Join the Triumph, this time solely through BEC. A Mirror Dimly, the band's third studio long-player, appeared in 2016, followed by the five-song In Part EP in 2017, the latter marking their debut for Gospel Song Records. Early 2019 saw the band issue the crowdfunded Fear, which was released via Humble Beast, with the EP Waking Up to Never Die arriving later that fall. In 2020, the band inked a deal with Integrity Records and released The Joy of Being, a cell phone-recorded collection of stripped-down songs with lyric, melody, and basic instrumentation that was intended for church use. ~ James Christopher Monger