Kutless

Kutless formed in 1999 in Portland, Oregon, as a Christian alternative outfit devoted to melodic hard rock. James Mead on guitar, Nathan “Stu” Stuart on bass, Kyle Mitchell on drums, Ryan Shrout on guitar, and Jon Micah Sumrall on vocals made up the lineup. Stuart had relocated from North Dakota to attend college, where he first connected with Sumrall, Mitchell, and Shrout; all five later worshipped together at Athey Creek church and began performing music there. They soon abandoned their studies, pooled resources in a shared house, and staged early shows in the basement for local crowds. The band went on to headline the Extreme Days tour and appeared at numerous benefits supporting survivors of domestic violence as well as cancer patients. Their influences ranged from Christian rock acts such as the Supertones to mainstream modern-rock groups including Staind, Creed, and Incubus. Every release appeared on BEC Recordings: the self-titled debut in 2002, Sea of Faces in 2004, Strong Tower in 2005, Hearts of the Innocent in 2006, Live from Portland the same year, To Know That You’re Alive in 2008, It Is Well in 2009, and Believer in 2012. Glory, their eighth studio album, surfaced in 2014. The following year brought Surrender, produced by Aaron Sprinkle and spotlighting the single “Mirror”; it reached number thirteen on the Billboard Christian Albums chart and earned a Dove Award nomination for Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year. In 2017 the band issued its tenth studio effort, Alpha/Omega, which featured a new recording of “Strong Tower” alongside the single “King of My Heart.”