***Smalltown Poets burst onto the Christian music scene with their Grammy-nominated self-titled debut on Ardent/Forefront (EMI) in 1997 and released two more albums with the Memphis based label. Three number one singles and a total of ten top ten radio hits helped garner two Best Rock Gospel Grammy nominations, seven Dove Award nominations (including best new artist) and a Billboard Music video award for the band. Their song Anything Genuine was featured on the platinum selling WOW 1999 compilation. In 2004 the band released It’s Later Than It’s Ever Been on BEC(EMI.) The band regrouped in the fall of 2010 to begin production on their 5th studio album, Smalltown Poets Christmas. The band co-produced the project with former Smalltown Poets drummer Matt Goldman (Underoath, Third Day, Casting Crowns, Copeland). The album will be released on the band’s own label, Friendly City Records, on Nov. 1st of 2011 and will be available via iTunes, CDBaby, and other online media outlets. The band will be doing Christmas concerts across the South and Midwest in December of 2011, joined on select dates by fellow bands Echoing Angels and Elishah.
