If your perception of the GRAMMY-nominated NEEDTOBREATHE is isolated to the band’s iconic 2009 Americana anthem “The Outsiders”—the one that drips with banjo rhythms, big guitar licks and the distinctive, deep-throated voice of frontman Bear Rinehart—you might not recognize the South Carolina-born group’s broader body of work.
Indeed, the 20-year history of the multi-platinum band occupies a unique position in the modern genre landscape, and in this episode of The Load Out Music Podcast, we welcome NEEDTOBREATHE keyboardist Josh Lovelace who understands the gradual nature of the band’s climb over nearly a quarter century.
“When we look back at our career,” he said. “We can all say there was never that one moment. It’s kind of been little things that were gradual along the way that built us up to this place.”
NEEDTOBREATHE has placed five number one albums all across the Billboard chart spectrum—from rock to alternative and Christian—racking up two billion career streams and scoring multi-platinum chart topping hits like the spiritually-conscious anthem “Brother” featuring Gavin DeGraw, “Who Am I,” “Drive All Night,” “Let’s Stay Home Tonight” and dozens more. The band has done it all while filling venues across the globe, either as headliners or with a diverse array of superstars like Taylor Swift, OneRepublic and Tim McGraw.
Much like our past guest Jon Foreman and his GRAMMY-winning band Switchfoot, NEEDTOBREATHE self-identifies as a rock act but is often categorized as a Christian rock act. The band has unquestionably experienced great success on Christian adult contemporary and rock radio stations as well as at the Gospel Music Association Dove Award. In fact, the band’s 2007 song “Washed by the Water” reached No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. And yet, NEEDTOBREATHE resists labels, focusing simply on making music that speaks to diverse audiences.
“There was a lot of friction in the industry—it’ll never work—you’re gonna put a banjo on this and it makes no sense,” said Lovelace, referring to the experimentation with “The Outsiders.” “We feel this is what we want to do. It feels right to us.”
Ultimately Lovelace and his NEEDTOBREATHE bandmates understand their good fortune but recognize it’s the product of a long body of work that continues to unfold.
“Of course, we’re very fortunate and big things have happened for our band,” he noted. “But it was never an overnight thing and we’re always looking at what is going to be the next thing to push us to the next level.”