This award winning Christian band has been around since the early 1990s. While they have no permanent bassist or drummer, they find fill ins during tours. Jars of Clay have a very unique blend of acoustic rock, alternative and folk all added up with a heavy Christian lyrical base.

Jars Of Clay

“A lot of times a single moment of clarity breeds movement”

This award winning Christian band has been around since the early 1990s. While they have no permanent bassist or drummer, they find fill ins during tours. Jars of Clay have a very unique blend of acoustic rock, alternative and folk all added up with a heavy Christian lyrical base.

Just Playing Around

In the early 1990s, in Greenville Illinois at Greenville College, Steve Mason, Charlie Lowell, Dane Haseltine and Justin Gabriel founded Jars of Clay. Charlie Lowell and Dan Haseltine made friends after Charlie noticed Dan’s Toad the Wet Sprocket shirt. It was not long before they began to play music together. A music career was not something that either one of them were after. Most of the songs that they wrote and recorded were for their recording and music classes.

They became well known locally while playing at the nearby Christian coffee houses. They became well known for their rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer set to the tune of Nirvana’s hit single Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Becoming Real

In 1994, they submitted a demo tape to a talent competition. The Gospel Music Association accepted the demo and they came in as finalists. They then went to Nashville so that they could perform where they won the contest. Once this happened, they went back to Greenville and self released the very same demo on a limited run. They entitled it Frail, after one of the songs on the demo. They began to get offers from record labels. They quickly decided to leave school and go to Nashville to pursue a musical career. It was at this time they lost Matt Bronlewee, he stayed behind. Matt Odmark stepped in to become his replacement.

In 1995, they signed with Essential Records and began to record their first full length studio album. The self titled album, Jars of Clay brought them the single Flood. This single found its way to the mainstream radio and it was not long before the song became the largest mainstream hit by a Christian band ever. This single helped the album to become multi platinum.

Later that year, they released a Christmas EP called Drummer Boy.

Continued Success

In 1997, two years after their first album, they released a second. Much Afraid won them a Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. In addition to the award, the album also went platinum and released two singles with videos; Five Candles (You Were There) and Crazy Times. They earned their second Grammy award with their third album If I Left the Zoo. While touring for this album, the drummer, Scott Savage moved on to play elsewhere. Joe Porter became his replacement. Unforgetful You became their big hit off of this album. This song, along with Collide was featured in movies. They were able to see a total of four hit singles off of this album, the most that they had released in one album to date. This has made If I Left the Zoo one of their most popular albums for free mp3 downloads.

They were able to see their third Grammy for their fourth album, released in 2002. The Eleventh Hour had to rely heavily on their studio and touring musicians to make up for the bands lack of a permanent bass player and drummer. The following year they released a double disc. Furthermore: From the Studio, From the Stage consisted of a live and an acoustic disc. They rearranged and reworked some old favorites. Later that year, they came out with another acoustic album of all new songs entitled Who We Are Instead.

They came out with their first ever rock record, Good Monsters in the fall of 2006. CCM Magazine called it “the most profound album the Christian music community has released in years.” They released two albums simultaneously the following year. They began with their mainstream release of an EP of their live concert recordings entitled Live Monsters. They then released a greatest hits album, The Essential Jars of Clay.

Independent

In 2007, Jars of Clay announced that they and Essential Records were going their separate ways. They entitled their new label Gray Matters and their first album released was a Christmas album entitled Christmas Songs.

They released their tenth album in April of 2009, they called it The Long Fall Back to Earth. It debuted on the Billboard 200 mainstream chart at #29.

Charity

Dan Haseltine went to African in 2002. He put together a nonprofit organization entitled Blood: Water Mission. They help to bring awareness as well as money to help those in need. They bring clean water and medical supplies for those suffering from Aids.

In the summer of 2009, Jars of Clay was named peace heroes by PeacebyPeace.com.

Did You Know…

• …they were under fire for refusing to boycott Disney

• …they also caused trouble by stating that Christian music was full of right wing Republicans and that Christian music should not be void of sex

• …they have enjoyed a total of 10 #1 singles 

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