Building 429 - History - Work With Word Records

Work With Word Records

In 2003, Building 429 continued to tour in and around North Carolina promoting their music and independent album. When Saul Johnson left the band mid-year, Michael Anderson was hired as drummer. Anderson had formerly played for Remember Jonah, a North Carolina based Christian rock band that had played with Building 429 earlier in the year. During the summer, Building 429 joined rock worship band Sonicflood on tour. This experience would garner the band national exposure, leading to a record deal with Warner Music Group label Word Records. Studio work immediately began on the band's major-label debut album.

"Glory Defined," Building 429's first nationally serviced radio single, rose to number 1 on eight combined Christian AC and CHR charts in early 2004, remaining number 1 on Christian Radio Weekly's (CRW) AC chart for ten consecutive weeks and claiming the spot faster than any single in the history of the publication. The song was the title track from the Glory Defined EP, released April 6, 2004. The EP featured three full-mix tracks (the title track, "Free," as well as "Show Me Love") and two "unplugged" songs, "The Space In Between Us" and "All You Ask Of Me." A second, AC mix version of "Glory Defined" was also on the EP. O n July 27, 2004, Building 429's national debut, Space In Between, was released. Produced by Jim Cooper, the album gave three more radio hits, including "Above It All," "The Space In Between Us," and "No One Else Knows." The release of the album was followed by major touring with artists such as Jeremy Camp, Tree63, and Sonicflood.

Building 429 received four Dove Award nominations and was honored as New Artist of the Year by the Gospel Music Association in 2005. Touring also continued alongside artists Todd Agnew, BarlowGirl, Casting Crowns and Paul Colman. An expanded edition of Space In Between was released in August 2005, which included the full original album plus two tracks from the Glory Defined EP ("All You Ask of Me" and "Free"), the AC mix of "Glory Defined," a radio mix of "No One Else Knows" and a cover of Chris Tomlin's "Famous One." Early in 2005, Jesse Garcia (formerly of Afterglo) was asked to fill in for guitarist Paul Bowden after Bowden suffered an elbow injury during an autograph session. When Bowden returned, the band decided to keep Garcia on as a third guitarist and keyboardist, allowing lead vocalist Jason Roy to concentrate more on singing during concerts. By the fall of 2005, the band was back in the studio to record their second album, Rise.

Produced by Monroe Jones, Rise (released March 14, 2006) featured a heavier sound more in line with the band's live performances. The first singles to be released from the record included "Searching For a Savior," "Fearless" and "I Belong to You." The album also included guest vocals from former dc Talk member Michael Tait and a cover of Blessid Union of Souls' hit "I Believe." In January 2006 it was announced that guitarist Paul Bowden would be leaving the band at the end of the month to pursue other areas of ministry. As of this writing, the band has not replaced Bowden or expressed any intention of doing so.

Following the release of Rise, Building 429 headlined their own tour with TAIT, the band fronted by former dc Talk member Michael Tait. Parts of the tour also featured Travel the Road missionaries Tim Scott and Will Decker. In September 2006, the band returned to the studio to begin recording the follow-up album to Rise. The end of 2006 saw Building 429 travel to Germany for their first overseas tour; shows were performed in Heidelberg, Hanau, Baumholder, and Denmark.

In January 2007, the band officially announced through its e-mail list, website and MySpace page that bassist and band founder Scotty Beshears had left the band to pursue "another chapter" in his life. Touring bassist Aaron Branch was then hired; however, the band officially remains a threesome according to its MySpace page and website. Recording continued throughout January for Building 429's third major studio release, entitled Iris to Iris. "Grace That is Greater," a track from the album, was made available as a digital single through the iTunes music service on March 6, 2007. During the spring of 2007, Building 429 joined another former dc Talk member, TobyMac, on the "Portable Sounds Tour," which also featured Thousand Foot Krutch and Family Force 5.

Iris to Iris, released May 1, 2007 and produced by Brown Bannister, took the band's album lineup in a different direction. According to the band's MySpace page, Jason Roy (principal songwriter) felt that initial songwriting sessions were not turning out material that was right for the band or the project. The band "sensed that God was calling them in a new direction." After praying about the circumstances and the music they were creating, the band made the decision to strictly focus the songs on God. After that, according to Roy, "the songs just started to flow. It was the easiest, most fulfilling, and most fun songwriting process we have ever experienced." The resulting 11-track Iris to Iris became a collection of original worship songs and two hymn reworkings ("Grace That is Greater" and "Search Me O God"), making for a mellower and more ethereal-sounding record than past recordings from the group. Building 429 also saw a change in writing, as band members Michael Anderson and Jesse Garcia joined Jason Roy in the songwriting process, along with veteran Christian songwriter Chris Eaton (Amy Grant, Point of Grace, and Jaci Velasquez).

In May 2007 the band embarked on a month-long schedule of tour dates with up-and-coming band Jackson Waters to promote Iris to Iris. After performing a few festivals in the summer, Building 429 continued with a second leg of their touring with Jackson Waters, adding Storyside:B and 2006 GMA New Artist of the Year The Afters to the performance lineup. Touring continued in 2008 with Pillar, Wavorly and Brooke Barrettsmith. on Pillar's "For the Love of the Game" tour (February 22-April 6), and with Remedy Drive and Bread of Stone on the Lifelight Communications' "Lifelight" tour (April 9–19).

On February 16, 2008, Building 429 announced a fan contest on its official Myspace page. A link was provided to a contest Web page which listed four requirements, of which fans with Myspace profiles were asked to complete two. These requirements included adding a Building 429 rotating web banner to the contestant's profile, adding the song “Singing Over Me” to the contestant's profile, putting Building 429 in the contestant's "Top 8 Friends" and changing the default profile picture to Building 429’s default profile picture. Each Monday beginning February 18, 2008, a contestant was chosen as the weekly winner and received a T-shirt, a copy of the Iris to Iris album, a signed poster and a drumstick. Winners were announced by name in blog posts on Building 429's Myspace page. On April 14, a grand prize winner was chosen to win an iPod Nano.

On July 3, 2008, the band released Glory Defined: The Best of Building 429, a greatest hits collection from the albums under the Word Records label. The CD contained all previously released tracks.