One of the problems with being a successful Christian rock-pop band is that you don’t spend many Easters at home.
Luke Smallbone of the band For King & Country thinks it has been about four years since he celebrated the holiday at home in Nashville, Tennessee.
This year, he and Joel Smallbone, his older brother and bandmate, performed at the Tucson Convention Center for Calvary Chapel Tucson’s Easter service.
And they just couldn’t get enough.
The spring continuation of the band’s You Matter — The Tour brings them back to the Old Pueblo to play at Calvary Chapel Tucson’s east campus, 8711 E. Speedway, Thursday.
Coming off appearances this year on “Entertainment Tonight,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and the “Today” show, the Australian-born brothers are in high demand.
King & Country also won its first Grammy Award this year. The song “Messengers,” a collaboration with artist Lecrae, won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. The brothers’ sophomore album “Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong,” won Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.
The brothers aren’t strangers to being on stage. They toured with and sang background vocals for Christian artist Rebecca St. James, their sister. During their own performances, the brothers bounce between instruments, though both are primarily singers. Luke Smallbone, 28, grew up playing drums, and usually sticks to rhythmic instruments.
We caught up with Luke Smallbone by phone two weeks ago before the tour began. He was enjoying the day at home in Nashville with his wife and their 2-year-old and 4-month-old sons.
Working the family business: One of seven children, Smallbone has always worked with family. Their father has managed the three performing siblings.
“I don’t really know how to do it any other way,” Smallbone says, adding that he has only ever had one other job as a customer service manager — even then there was a family connection. “At the end of the day, they still have to love me and I love them. In bands and families, you have hard, knock-out, drag-out arguments and you feel hurt, but you can be honest in a family and not sugar coat. You’re able to get more done more quickly because you can be more straightforward and honest.”
Writing “Christian” music: “I think for us, it’s funny. Christian music is the only genre that gets a name based on lyrical content,” Smallbone says, adding that Christian music can include rap, R&B, rock, “whatever.”
“Whatever the best music is, that’s our benchmark. We just so happen to write music about our faith and what’s going on in our lives,” he says. “We write love songs and for our friend who struggles with depression. … At the end of the day, we write music for people, and it has been a thrill for us to play on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ and ‘Today’ because we do feel like our music is music anyone can attach themselves to.”
Running wild: After a serious digestive disorder forced Smallbone to take a hiatus from touring, he found a new appreciation for life. He returned more than a year ago.
“I’m a different man, to be totally honest, from the beginning of that journey of illness to where I sit now,” he says. “A lot of that music that we have written especially for this second album, it came from those challenges and hardships of not feeling like I could do anything or be the husband and father I wanted to be. … ‘Run Wild’ was a desire of mine when I couldn’t get up and run, and ‘Shoulders’ was a song that we wrote because, when things are going badly, where does your help come from? For us, that period of time in my life was instrumental in being inspired and being really excited to live life and feel better to come out and see you guys and live the adventure called life that you take for granted.”
