Modern Christian band We the Kingdom makes their Twin Cities debut this weekend, bringing their distinctive model of “rock ‘n’ rock for the soul” to Grossinger Motors Enviornment as a part of the Church Music Tour with Tremont native Katy Nichole.
We the Kingdom’s stellar line-up of musicians consists of three males named Money: brothers Ed and Scott, plus Ed’s son, Martin. Kansas Metropolis native Andrew Bergthold is the outlier, however the concept for We the Kingdom got here to him lengthy earlier than he met anybody with the final title Money.
Across the time he went to varsity, Bergthold prayed for an indication.
“At that age, you’re really passionate about, ‘What’s my future? I’m going to follow the Lord,’” Bergthold stated. “He laid the name We the Kingdom on my heart and I got really excited about it.”
Bergthold secured social media handles and taught a good friend methods to play guitar.
“I was that ready to go,” he stated. “And it just fell flat on its face.”
Bergthold’s arrival in Nashville was even bumpier; he crashed a bike into barbed wire days earlier than exhibiting up for an internship at Ed Money’s studio.
“He straight up had duct tape and superglue in his arm,” stated Scott Money.
“You gotta hold yourself together somehow,” Bergthold stated. “I was like, ‘Here I am, Nashville, ready to go!’”
It might be seven extra years till Scott Money recruited his brother Ed, niece Franni Rae, nephew Martin and Bergthold to attend Younger Life Camp in Georgia — the spark that began We the Kingdom in earnest.
“There was no plan,” Scott Money stated. “We just went and played a bunch of cover worship songs.”
They wrote their first single, Dancing on the Waves, at Younger Life Camp, and in just some years We the Kingdom garnered a pair Grammy nominations, three Gospel Music Affiliation Dove Awards and a stadium-filling tour life past their wildest creativeness.
“It’s just a joy beyond words,” Ed Money stated. “It’s been an incredible journey.”
Adorned producer, songwriter and engineer Ed Money took a step again from performing practically three many years in the past to deal with elevating a household.
“I thought that dream of singing and being an artist was long, long gone,” he stated. “It’s just amazing how the Lord works. Knowing what the road takes now — where I was emotionally, spiritually— that would have destroyed me.”
Drummer Martin Money is at the same crossroads. After a 12 months of courting, he and Sarah Tucker married in 2021.
“I think what keeps each of us individually rooted is our passion for ministry and music,” he stated. “It 100% comes with its difficulties in home life. Each one of us is in a different scenario.”
Definitely worth the sacrifice
For Martin Money and Tucker, life on the street is all they’ve ever often known as a pair. For his uncle, it’s an entire new state of affairs. Scott Money finds it significantly troublesome to depart his 5 daughters and spouse behind when the band goes on tour.
“If this is not for Jesus, it is too hard,” he stated. “Yesterday morning I’m getting [ready] to get on a flight and my twin daughters are following me down our steps crying because I’m leaving again.”
However in a way, sustaining religion by way of wrestle is what We the Kingdom is all about. The band doesn’t draw back from the messiness of life of their songwriting, and even in how they maintain wholesome relationships with each other.
“It is a super fun life, but it’s not as glamorous as it may appear to the average consumer who sees the lights, and the confetti,” Martin Money stated.
Courtesy
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Spherical Desk Administration
“We are trying to show people the greatest news on Earth and to show people the one path to both living a full life on Earth, then living in eternity in glory,” Scott Money stated. “If that’s not it, it’s just not worth it.”
It’s onerous work, however not with out enjoyable. The band lets off steam earlier than exhibits with pickleball matches within the car parking zone and tries to maintain the larger image in thoughts.
“One of our friends told Ed a long time ago, if they find out how much fun we’re having they’re gonna arrest us all,” Scott Money stated. “It’s so exciting and we love it, but it is such a huge cost.”
A brand new period
Lead singer Franni Rae Money Cain is notably absent from this tour, after asserting an indefinite hiatus in late 2023. The change necessitated a slight shift of their sound — the most recent gospel-forward single, Church Music, options lead vocals by Ed Money with further vocals from Jamiah Hudson, Andriana Seay and Sheldon Thomas. Luke Sullivant joins the tour on bass. Hudson steps in on songs from the catalog requiring a feminine lead.
“It’s actually been a beautiful transition,” Bergthold stated. “We’ve been continuing to write a lot of new songs and we’re so pumped about that.”
One Day and Let Be Jesus are two songs on the set record for the reside present which haven’t been launched but.
“I feel like songs have a way to transcend changes or seasons that go on,” stated Bergthold. “I’m really thankful for the songs God has been giving us in this season.”
We the Kingdom’s Church Music Tour performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Might 11, at Grossinger Motors Enviornment, 101 S. Madison Avenue, Bloomington. Doorways open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25-$48 at grossingermotorsarena.com.
“Well bless their hearts.”
