Louder Than The Music

Ahead of the highly anticipated second album from Rend Collective Experiment, titled 'Homemade Worship By Handmade People' and due for release on 9th January 2012, the Northern Ireland worship band have released the first in a number of short promotional videos intended to remind us they are a family of musicians to be seen as one, not just a band.

The first 'Welcome To The Family' video (see below) comes after the band put out a call to fans via their website and twitter feed, saying "Send us a video of you saying 'I'm part of the collective. Welcome to the family' in your own home in your own language and we'll use it in our new promo DVD. Be creative guys!"

'Homemade Worship By Handmade People' was recorded and produced by the band in church halls and homes in their organic, collective style and fuses a depth of sung theology and fresh melodies that reflect themes of redemption, devotion and celebration with soundscapes that span from Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons to Fleet Foxes and Snow Patrol. The eleven track album includes songs like 'Build Your Kingdom Here', first radio single 'Second Chances', and the band's contemporary new recording of the famous hymn, 'Be Thou My Vision'.

"To them, being collective is an ethos, with people joining them from across the world to play as one and be part of the bigger collective - the body of Christ", says Kingsway. "The first new video underpins their view of worship which has always been big - throwing it wide open to all, embracing justice and community, tearing down some of the scaffolding that we have erected around church. Take a look and you'll see different members of the global family showing just how far and wide the collective goes. In various different languages, from multiple countries, these are the people who responded to a simple call from the band. The video is every bit as creative and captivating as the album it precedes."