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For King & Country (band) facts for kids
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For King & Country
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For King & Country performing in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | Fervent/Curb |
| Associated acts | Rebecca St. James |
| Members | Joel Smallbone Luke Smallbone |
For King & Country, also known as for KING & COUNTRY, is a popular music duo. It's made up of two brothers from Australia, Joel Smallbone and Luke Smallbone. They sing Christian pop music.
The brothers were born in Australia. They moved to the United States when they were kids. They settled in the Nashville area. Before becoming "For King & Country", they were known as "Joel & Luke" and "Austoville".
In 2012, they released their first album called Crave. Billboard magazine named them one of the "New Artists to Watch" that year. In 2014, their second album, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., won a Grammy award.
Their album Burn the Ships came out in 2018 and became very popular. It included hit songs like "God Only Knows" and "Joy". In 2020, they released a Christmas album. Their fifth album, What Are We Waiting For?, came out in 2022.
For King & Country has worked with many famous artists. These include Dolly Parton, Timbaland, Tori Kelly, and Lecrae. The brothers have also made two movies, Priceless and Unsung Hero.
Contents
The Story of For King & Country
Starting Their Music Journey (2007-2008)
Before forming their own band, Joel and Luke sang background vocals. They also helped their sister, Rebecca St. James, and other bands at concerts. After Luke finished high school, they decided to start their own group in 2007.
They first called themselves "Joel & Luke". Later, they changed it to "Austoville". Finally, they chose their current name, "For King & Country". In 2008, as "Joel & Luke", they released a six-song EP called A Tale of Two Towns. Some of these songs later appeared on their album Crave.
Becoming "For King & Country" and Releasing Crave (2009-2013)
In 2009, the brothers signed with Warner Music Group. They decided to change their band name to "For King & Country". This name comes from an old British battle cry.
Luke explained that they wanted a name with more meaning. He said the phrase "For King and Country" was a battle cry for English soldiers. They were ready to give their lives for their king and country. For the band, it means giving their lives for their King and their country.
In 2011, they released For King & Country: The EP. Their song "Busted Heart (Hold On to Me)" became a hit. It reached No. 3 on Billboard's Christian Songs chart. The band said "Busted Heart" is about everyone needing something bigger than themselves. It was the fastest-rising song in their music style that year.
Their first full album, Crave, came out on February 28, 2012. It quickly became popular on iTunes and Billboard charts. Another song from the album, "The Proof of Your Love", also became a hit. It reached No. 8 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart.
The band went on the 2012 Winter Jam Tour Spectacular. They also appeared on the Huckabee show. Their songs were featured on TV shows like Vampire Diaries and Drop Dead Diva. In 2012, they released a Christmas song called "Baby Boy".
In 2013, Luke had to take a break from touring due to a serious illness called ulcerative colitis. He lost a lot of weight. In June 2013, Joel acted in a movie called The Book of Esther. In August 2013, the band released a live album and DVD called Hope Is What We Crave: Live. They also toured with Casting Crowns in 2014.
Growing in Popularity (2014-2017)
For King & Country released their album Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. on September 16, 2014. This album was very successful. It reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band performed their songs "Run Wild" and "Fix My Eyes" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2015. They also joined the Winter Jam Tour in 2015 and 2016.
In 2015, they released a special edition of the album. It included new songs like "Priceless" and "Ceasefire". In 2016, Curb Records became their main record label.
After their second album, the brothers spent a lot of time on their movie Priceless. They wrote several songs for the film. This is partly why it took four years to release their next album. They also wrote "Ceasefire" for the 2016 movie Ben-Hur.
On October 27, 2017, they released Christmas: Live from Phoenix. Soon after, they went on a Christmas tour with Casting Crowns.
Continued Success (2018-2020)
The band started writing their third album in January 2017. The first song from the album, "Joy", came out on May 18, 2018. It became a top hit on Christian music charts. Their album Burn the Ships was released on October 5, 2018. The brothers said it was their most grown-up album. It had ten songs and five music videos. "Joy" was nominated for a Grammy Award.
In 2019, "God Only Knows" became the second single from the album. This song was very popular and even reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band worked with Dolly Parton on a new version of "God Only Knows". They also released versions with Timbaland and Echosmith.
The Burn the Ships album won a Grammy in 2019. The song "God Only Knows" also won a Grammy. In 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the band performed outdoor concerts. People watched and listened from their cars. The band announced they had over one billion digital streams of their songs. In October 2020, they released A Drummer Boy Christmas, a full Christmas album. It featured collaborations with Needtobreathe and Gabby Barrett.
What Are We Waiting For? and Unsung Hero (2022-Present)
In 2021, Burn the Ships received a gold certification. The band also released a special edition with remixes and collaborations. In 2021, they released "Relate", a song from their upcoming album. This song became their seventh straight number one hit on the Christian Airplay chart. On September 24, 2021, they released "For God Is with Us". This song also reached number one, making it their eighth straight hit.
In January 2022, the band released "Unsung Hero". This song is about their mom. On February 18, 2022, they released "Love Me Like I Am". In March 2022, they were the first Christian music act to perform at RodeoHouston.
The band's fifth album, What Are We Waiting For?, came out on March 11, 2022. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Christian albums chart. One song, "Broken Halos", also had a music video.
In October 2022, they re-released "Love Me Like I Am" with singer Jordin Sparks. This new version became a top 10 hit on the Christian Songs chart. In June 2023, they released the song "What Are We Waiting For?". In August, they announced a deluxe version of the album with four extra songs.
In February 2024, the band performed at RodeoHouston again. This time, they had their largest audience ever. In April, they released their second movie, “Unsung Hero.” It earned over $21 million at the box office. The film also won a Dove Award for Inspirational Movie of the Year.
Their Music Style
SUSIE Magazine said that listening to the brothers' music shows why they became popular so quickly. Their songs have rich, upbeat sounds and thoughtful lyrics.
In a 2012 interview, they shared their belief about music. They said music can change our mood and day. But when music is combined with the hope of the Gospel, it can have an even bigger impact. They hope their music encourages people to live for something greater than themselves.
They are inspired by bands like U2, Mutemath, OneRepublic, the Beatles, Goo Goo Dolls, and Switchfoot. They also get ideas from film scores, like those from Braveheart and Gladiator. Joel Smallbone also mentioned the 80s band Stryper as an early influence.
Personal Lives
Joel David Smallbone was born on June 5, 1984. Luke James Smallbone was born on October 22, 1986. Both were born in Sydney, Australia. They moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1991 because of their father's job. Their father was a music promoter. Joel remembers going to rock concerts with his dad. He felt like music chose him.
The Smallbones are the younger brothers of Christian artist Rebecca St. James. They are also brothers-in-law to Jacob Fink, who used to be in the band Foster the People. They have another sister, Libby, and three other brothers: Ben, Dan, and Josh.
On June 26, 2010, Luke married Courtney Helm. They have three children. From 2013 to 2015, Luke had a very serious illness. It caused him to miss many shows. He got better in 2015. In 2018, his two-month-old son also had a serious health issue but made a full recovery.
On July 7, 2013, Joel married Moriah Peters. She is also a recording artist. They live in Franklin, Tennessee. Both brothers are citizens of both Australia and the United States.
Discography
Studio albums
- Crave (2012)
- Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. (2014)
- Burn the Ships (2018)
- A Drummer Boy Christmas (2020)
- What Are We Waiting For? (2022)
Live albums
- Hope Is What We Crave: Live (2013)
- Christmas: Live from Phoenix (2017)
- A Drummer Boy Christmas (LIVE) [The Cinematic Concert Album] (2024)
Soundtrack albums
- Priceless (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2016)
- Unsung Hero (The Inspired By Soundtrack) (2024)
Other Media
Film
In 2014, Joel Smallbone acted in the movie "Like A Country Song". In 2016, Joel was the main actor in a drama called Priceless. Luke was one of the producers, and their brother Ben directed the movie. For King & Country also wrote some music for the film.
In 2019, it was announced that the brothers were working on a musical called The Drummer Boy. On November 30, 2022, the brothers announced a new movie about their mother, called Unsung Hero. It was released on April 26, 2024, by Lionsgate. The movie tells the story of their family moving from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee. Joel Smallbone played his father, David Smallbone, and Daisy Betts played their mother, Helen Smallbone. All the Smallbone siblings made a small appearance in the film. The movie earned $21 million at the box office. The band also released a soundtrack album for the film.
A concert film called A Drummer Boy Christmas was shown in theaters in December 2024. It earned $2.9 million. The brothers have also confirmed they are working on another new movie project.
Novel
A book called Priceless: She's Worth Fighting For was released on September 6, 2016. It is based on the movie Priceless.
Awards and Nominations
In December 2012, iTunes chose Crave as their top Christian & Gospel Album of the year. In 2013, they won "Breakthrough Artist of the Year" at the K-LOVE Fan Awards. In 2015, they won two Grammy Awards. One was for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, and the other for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
Billboard Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | For King & Country | Top Christian Artist | Nominated |
| Burn the Ships | Top Christian Album | Nominated | |
| "Joy" | Top Christian Song | Nominated | |
| 2020 | For King & Country | Top Christian Artist | Nominated |
| "God Only Knows" | Top Christian Song | Won | |
| 2021 | For King & Country | Top Christian Artist | Nominated |
| "Together" (with Tori Kelly and Kirk Franklin) |
Top Christian Song | Nominated | |
| 2022 | For King & Country | Top Christian Artist | Nominated |
| 2023 | "Love Me Like I Am" (with Jordin Sparks) |
Top Christian Song | Nominated |
| For King & Country | Top Christian Artist | Nominated |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. | Best Contemporary Christian Music Album | Won |
| "Messengers" (Lecrae featuring for King & Country) |
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Won | |
| 2017 | "Priceless" | Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Nominated |
| 2019 | "Joy" | Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Nominated |
| 2020 | "God Only Knows" (For King & Country and Dolly Parton) |
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Won |
| Burn the Ships | Best Contemporary Christian Music Album | Won | |
| 2023 | "For God Is with Us" (For King & Country and Hillary Scott) |
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Nominated |
| 2024 | "Love Me Like I Am" (For King & Country and Jordin Sparks) |
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Nominated |
GMA Dove Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "The Proof of Your Love" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| Contemporary Christian Performance | Nominated | ||
| Crave | Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Caught Dreaming" (Andy Mineo featuring For King & Country) |
Rap/Hip-Hop Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| For King & Country | New Artist of the Year | Won | |
| "The Proof of Your Love" | Short Form Music Video of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2015 | For King & Country | Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year | Won |
| Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. | Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year | Won | |
| 2016 | For King & Country | Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year | Won |
| 2019 | "Joy" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| For King & Country (credited as Luke Smallbone and Joel Smallbone |
Songwriter of the Year (Artist) | Nominated | |
| For King & Country | Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| "God Only Knows" | Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year | Won | |
| Burn the Ships | Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2020 | "Burn the Ships" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| For King & Country | Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| "Burn the Ships" | Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Solo Dios Sabe (God Only Knows)" (featuring Miel San Marcos)) |
Spanish Language Recorded Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "God Only Knows" | Short Form Video of the Year | Won | |
| 2021 | "Together" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| For King & Country | Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| "Together" (with Tori Kelly and Kirk Franklin) |
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| A Drummer Boy Christmas | Christmas / Special Event Album of the Year | Won | |
| Recorded Music Packaging of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Burn The Ships Concert Film | Long Form Video of the Year | Won | |
| 2022 | For King & Country | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| "Relate" | Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| Short Form Music Video of the Year (Concept) | Won | ||
| What Are We Waiting For? | Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year | Won | |
| "For God Is with Us" | Short Form Music Video of the Year (Performance) | Nominated | |
| What Are We Waiting For? | The Worldwide Special | Long Form Video of the Year | Won | |
| 2023 | For King & Country | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| "Love Me Like I Am" (featuring Jordin Sparks) |
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| Do You Hear What I Hear? | Short Form Music Video of the Year (Concept) | Nominated |
Tours
Headlining Tours
- The Proof of Your Love Tour (2012)
- You Matter | The Tour (2014–2015)
- Priceless: The Tour (2015–2016)
- A For King & Country Christmas (2016)
- Burn the Ships World Tour (2018–2020)
- Little Drummer Boy | The Christmas Tour (2018)
- Together Again (2020)
- A Drummer Boy Christmas Tour (2020–2024)
- Relate: The Fall Tour (2021)
- What Are We Waiting For Tour (2022–2023)
- Unsung Hero Promotional Tour (2024)
- The Homecoming Tour (2024)
- The Unsung Hero Tour (2024)
Co-Headlining Tours
- Winter Jam 2016 (with Matthew West)
- A Glorious Christmas (2017) (with Casting Crowns)
- The Roadshow 2018 (with Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Bethel Music, Zach Williams, and Social Club Misfits)
- joy.UNLEASHED (2018) (with Skillet)
Supporting Tours
- Winter Jam Fall Tour 2011
- Winter Jam 2012
- RESTART Tour (2013) (Newsboys)
- K-Love Christmas Tour (2013) (Big Daddy Weave)
- The Thrive Tour (2014) (Casting Crowns)
- Winter Jam 2015
Other Live Performances
Besides their tours, the band often performs at summer festivals. They are regular performers at Lifest in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Alive Festival in Mineral City, Ohio, and Unity Christian Music Festival in Muskegon, Michigan. They have also played at non-Christian music festivals. These include the Florida Strawberry Festival, Kentucky State Fair, L.A. County Fair, and Summerfest.