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After rotating band members, management companies and record labels over the past few years, Blessid Union Of Souls day one faithfuls, lead singer, Eliot Sloan and bassist Tony Clark, along with 6 year vets Bryan Billhimer and Shaun Schaefer have put together the band’s 6th studio CD, CLOSE TO THE EDGE.
Scheduled to be released worldwide September 16th on Torque Records, distributed by Sony/Victory/Red, Blessid Union Of Souls fans can be reassured that they have not abandoned the song writing integrity that helped establish them as one of the premier groups of the past decade. Their knack for simple, sing along melodies can be heard in the instantly likeable ‘I’ll Be There’ and their taste for intriguing themes is evident in their opening track, ‘Back From The Dead’ which is an emotional, personal piece about recovery from addictions.
Taking 8 tracks from their 2005 independent release, PERCEPTION and adding 4 new songs, the band is poised with a new outlook on their musical careers and an innovative management company to guide them. After signing with Atlanta based New Line Management, headed by Caleb Morgan, the band saw a light at the end of the tunnel that they had not seen in a long time. “Caleb brought a new sense of direction, energy, passion and excitement to the band that had been missing for a while now” says Billhimer. “It’s been a while since the band felt this confident before. Even when we first hooked up with Blessid, there was a sense leadership that was missing, which Caleb helped restore.” After the success of their Platinum debut CD, HOME in1995, which boasted their 1 hit ‘I Believe’ and top twenty hits ‘Let Me Be The One’ and ‘Oh, Virginia’, the release of their second CD titled, BLESSID UNION OF SOULS, helped prove that the band was not a one CD wonder and found more success with two more top-twenty hits in ‘I Wanna Be There’ and ‘Light In Your Eyes’. Their 3rd release, WALKING OFF THE BUZZ, produced yet another Top 10 Hit, the fun, upbeat 1999 summer smash, ‘Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me),’ along with the undeniable power ballad anthem, ‘Standing at the Edge of the Earth’. In 2007, while the band was working on an unplugged album, ‘BLESSID UNION OF SOULS; ALMOST ACOUSTIC VOL ‘” (available only on I-Tunes) which produced an intimate, stripped-down collection of some of the band’s most popular hits, Sloan was working on music for the upcoming movie, ‘ALICE UPSIDEDOWN’ starring TV and film legend, Penny Marshall, ‘Cheaper By The Dozen’s” Alyson Stoner, High School Musical’s Lucas Grabeel as well as Luke Perry of 90210 fame.
With their humble, not so rock star attitude, radio friendly songs and an absolute love for their fans, Blessid Union Of Souls continues to defy odds and remain a steady, driving force on the music scene. But with their new CD on the horizon and a tour to follow, the band doesn’t complain about the climate of the industry, they just continue to do what they’ve done from the beginning that have made them a mainstay in pop music: write songs from the heart.
Stay tuned to www.blessidunionofsoulsonline.com and
www.myspace.com/blessidunionofsouls for updates.
