Leeland

Emerging as a notable force in alternative CCM toward the end of the 2000s, the ensemble Leeland drew its initial attention to the abilities of frontman, lead vocalist, and songwriter Leeland Mooring. Releases such as the 2008 album Opposite Way and The Great Awakening from 2011 earned Grammy nominations while displaying a rich, melodic style that fused soaring guitar-driven pop with uplifting faith-based themes. Later ties to the Bethel Music Collective facilitated the 2016 release of their album Invisible.

The band originated in 2005 in Baytown, Texas, with an early configuration that placed Leeland Mooring on vocals and guitar next to keyboard player and vocalist Jack Mooring, guitarist Austin Tirado, bass player Jake Holtz, and drummer Mike Smith. Their debut project, Sound of Melodies, came out on Essential Records in 2006 and brought the group its first round of Dove and Grammy Award nominations. Opposite Way reached the peak of the digital Christian album charts in 2008 thanks to the wistful title track and the driving "Count Me In," while Love Is on the Move from 2009 opened at number five on the Billboard Christian albums chart. Multiple lineup adjustments occurred ahead of the fourth LP, The Great Awakening in 2011, which brought lead guitarist Casey Moore into the group. Leeland had centered on the core partnership between Mooring and Moore, supported by additional touring and studio musicians, by the time the act signed with Bethel Music/Sony for the 2016 album Invisible. That same lineup issued the live album Better Word in 2019 on the Integrity label, which contained the hit title track.