Emerging from a 2003 demo tape, the alternative-minded Christian rock band Sidewalk Prophets built a following with devotional material that eventually carried them into arenas. Their breakthrough into the CCM mainstream arrived in 2009 via the major-label debut These Simple Truths on Word Records. After receiving the Best New Artist honor at the 2010 Dove Awards, the group appeared alongside Audio Adrenaline, Jeremy Camp, and MercyME while issuing further high-charting albums, among them Live Like That (2012) and Something Different (2015).
Dave Frey and Ben McDonald launched the project in 2003 during their time at Anderson University. They submitted a roughly recorded demo to an on-campus contest that opened doors to record-label meetings and bigger stages. Frey handled lead vocals and McDonald played guitar; the lineup expanded to include bassist Cal Joslin, drummer Justin Nace, and guitarist Chris Jordan, the latter later succeeded by Shaun Tomczak. In 2003 the ensemble issued a self-titled, independently released album, followed in 2007 by the independently released EP You Love Me Anyway. These early independent efforts secured opening slots on tours with Audio Adrenaline and Jeremy Camp, leading to a Word Records contract that yielded 2009’s These Simple Truths and 2012’s Live Like That. Continuous touring and consistent chart success accompanied the 2010 Dove Award. By the arrival of the 2013 holiday-themed album Merry Christmas to You, Sidewalk Prophets regularly performed before arena audiences. The more energetic and rock-tinged Something Different appeared in 2015, while the more reflective The Things That Got Us Here reached listeners in 2020.
