Plumb

The brainchild of singer-songwriter Tiffany Arbuckle, Plumb originated as a Christian rock ensemble whose material frequently explored themes darker and more provocative than those typical of most CCM outfits before shifting into her individual outlet, which leaned more toward pop while remaining intensely personal. The project initially operated as a full band led by Arbuckle and incorporated strands of alternative rock, electronica, dance, and mainstream pop; its breakthrough arrived with the second album, 1999's candycoatedwaterdrops, a multiple Dove Award recipient that yielded the hit "God-Shaped Hole." The group nonetheless drew sharp criticism from segments of the Christian music world for its unflinching lyrics, prompting Arbuckle to contemplate retirement until correspondence from a fan persuaded her to persist. After dissolving the band, she adopted the name Plumb for subsequent solo releases and earned praise for the exploratory alternative pop/rock of 2003's Beautiful Lumps of Coal and 2006's Chaotic Resolve. Following a hiatus devoted to family, she resurfaced in 2013 with the commercially and critically successful Need You Now, then established her own imprint to issue 2018's Beautifully Broken.

Born in Indianapolis and raised in Atlanta, Arbuckle performed numerous backup singing engagements that led to touring work rather than the college path she had intended. After moving to Nashville she secured a recording contract on the strength of her session and backing vocals, then assembled Plumb alongside neighbor, songwriter, and producer Matt Bronleewe. The group delivered two studio albums, 1997's Plumb and 1999's candycoatedwaterdrops, cultivating an audience through its alternative rock approach. As tensions with Essential Records mounted, the band released a hits collection in 2000 and disbanded, with Arbuckle initially electing to focus on songwriting. A message from an inspired listener, however, spurred her to resume performing; she retained Plumb as her stage name, signed a solo agreement with Curb Records in 2003, and co-produced that year's debut Beautiful Lumps of Coal. Two tracks from the album, "Sink n' Swim" and "Boys Don't Cry," appeared on the soundtrack to the Gwyneth Paltrow film A View from the Top. Another anthology from the band period, Simply Plumb, surfaced in 2005, followed by Chaotic Resolve in February 2006.

After Chaotic Resolve, Arbuckle became pregnant with her second child and found touring impossible; at her husband's encouragement she stayed home and wrote Blink, a collection of lullaby-inspired songs issued in October 2007. In 2009 came Beautiful History, a retrospective compilation containing rarities and previously unreleased material; the new song "Hang On" reached the Dance Airplay and Dance Club Play charts. She concluded her maternity break with her sixth studio album, 2013's Need You Now, which peaked at number two on the Christian Albums chart. Arbuckle published the autobiography Need You Now: A Story of Hope in 2014. Following 2015's Exhale she parted ways with Curb Records and launched her own label, Plumb Music, beginning with the five-song EP God Help Me in July 2017 and continuing with the full-length Beautifully Broken in June 2018.