The Christian Underground Encyclopedia

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====== Jars of Clay ======

Alternative Rock\\
Greenville, Illinois, USA / Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Jars of Clay is an alternative rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The members met at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois. They consist of Dan Haseltine on vocals, Charlie Lowell on piano and keyboards, Stephen Mason on lead guitars, and Matthew Odmark on rhythm guitars. Although the band has no permanent drummer or bass guitarist, Jeremy Lutito and Gabe Ruschival of Disappointed by Candy fill these roles for live concerts. Past tour band members include Aaron Sands, Scott Savage, and Joe Porter. Jars of Clay's style is a blend of alternative rock, folk, acoustic, and R&B. The band's name is derived from the New International Version's translation of 2 Corinthians 4:7:

Dan Haseltine, Steve Mason, Charlie Lowell, and Matt Bronleewe formed Jars of Clay at Greenville College, in Greenville, Illinois in the early 1990s. Charlie Lowell first met Dan Haseltine after noticing that he was wearing a Toad the Wet Sprocket shirt. Pursuing a career in music together was not necessarily their original goal; some of the first songs they wrote together were for music and recording classes they were taking at the time. Their second guitarist Matt Odmark joined some time later. While in college playing together at local coffee houses, Jars gained a reputation for their original arrangement of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" which had been adapted to the tune of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

In 1994, the band submitted a demo to a talent competition run by the Gospel Music Association and were selected as finalists. They traveled to Nashville to perform and won the contest. Back in Greenville, they self-released a limited-run of the same demo, //Frail//, after their song of the same name. The buzz from their performance in Nashville and the demo's popularity resulted in offers from record labels, so the band decided to drop school and move to Nashville. At this time, Bronleewe left the band to finish school and settle down with his fiancée. He was replaced with Matt Odmark, Lowell's childhood friend and fellow McQuaid Jesuit High School alum.

The band signed with Essential Records and started recording their first full-length studio album, //Jars of Clay//. Adrian Belew, of progressive rock band King Crimson, heard the band and offered to produce, leading to him producing two songs: "Liquid" and "Flood." The band's self-titled debut released in 1995. When the single "Flood" began to climb the charts on mainstream radio stations, Silvertone Records (Essential's parent company) started to heavily promote the song, turning it into one of the biggest mainstream hits ever by a band on a Christian label. The album has since reached multi-platinum certification according to the RIAA. "Flood" peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, and was the band's only secular radio hit.

The band toured in support of other Christian acts, such as [[PFR]], and with mainstream acts like Matchbox Twenty, Duncan Sheik, and Sting. This resulted in a small backlash from some Christian groups.

The band released //Drummer Boy//, a Christmas EP entitled, at the end of 1995. The EP was re-released, on Silvertone Records, in 1997 with a slightly different track listing. The band's second album, //Much Afraid//, produced by Stephen Lipson was also released in 1997. The album sold well and like its predecessor, enjoyed crossover success. The album went on to earn a Grammy for "Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album". The album has since earned platinum certification by the RIAA. They released two music videos for this album for the songs "Crazy Times" and "Five Candles (You Were There)."

In 1999, Jars of Clay released their third album, //If I Left the Zoo//, which was produced by Dennis Herring. The record was their third to crossover into the mainstream, and it earned the band their second Grammy award. It was during this time that touring drummer Scott Savage left the band's touring group to play for Jaci Velasquez and was replaced by Joe Porter. Lead radio single, "Unforgetful You," was also featured on the soundtrack to the motion picture //Drive Me Crazy//. "Collide" was also featured on the motion picture "Hometown Legend". Upon the release of //If I Left the Zoo// they also released //Front Yard Luge// and after a year //The White Elephant Sessions//. //If I Left the Zoo// so far has the most singles released by Jars of Clay.

//(...To Be Continued...)//

===== Discography =====

| 1994 | Frail |
| 1995 | Jars of Clay | Essential Records |
| 1995 | Drummer Boy ep | Essential Records |
| 1997 | Much Afraid | Essential Records |
| 1999 | If I Left the Zoo | Essential Records |
| 2002 | The Eleventh Hour | Essential Records |
| 2003 | Who We Are Instead | Essential Records |
| 2003 | Furthermore: From the Studio, from the Stage | Essential Records |
| 2005 | Redemption Songs | Essential Records |
| 2006 | Good Monsters | Essential Records |
| 2007 | Christmas Songs | 
| 2009 | The Long Fall Back to Earth | Gray Matters |
| 2010 | The Shelter | Gray Matters |
| 2013 | Inland | Gray Matters |
| 2014 | 20 | Gray Matters |

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==== Frail ====

1994 Independent

Matt Bronleewe\\
Dan Haseltine\\
Charlie Lowell\\
Stephen Mason

  - Liquid (3:22)
  - Boy on a String (Sunflower Song) (3:26)
  - Art in Me (3:39)
  - He (5:13)
  - Fade to Grey (4:58)
  - Frail (4:04)
  - Like a Child (4:47)
  - Love Song for a Savior (4:35)
  - Four Seven (2:46)

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==== Jars of Clay ====

1995 Essential Record (ERCD5573)

Dan Haseltine – Lead vocals, programming\\
Charlie Lowell – Organ, acoustic piano, backing vocals\\
Matt Odmark – Acoustic guitar, programming\\
Stephen Mason – Acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, backing vocals

  - Liquid (3:32)
  - Sinking (3:47)
  - Love Song for a Savior (4:46)
  - Like a Child (4:35)
  - Art in Me (3:58)
  - He (5:19)
  - Boy on a String (3:31)
  - Flood (3:31)
  - Worlds Apart (5:18)
  - Blind (contains the hidden track "Four Seven" and a strings studio session for "Blind") (27:15)

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==== Drummer Boy ====

1995 Essential Records (ERCD 5622)

  - Little Drummer Boy (4:24)
  - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (3:03)
  - He (acoustic version) (5:24)
  - Little Drummer Boy (Grinch mix) (4:48)

== 1997 Version ==

  - The Little Drummer Boy (4:26)
  - The Little Drummer Boy (Grinch mix) (4:51)
  - Blind (Fluffy Sav mix) (5:11)
  - Wicker Baskets (2:54)

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==== Much Afraid ====

1997 Essential Records (CD70017)

Dan Haseltine – Vocals, percussion\\
Charlie Lowell – Keyboards, acoustic piano, organ, backing vocals\\
Stephen Mason – Guitars, bass, backing vocals\\
Matt Odmark – Guitars, mandolin, backing vocals

  - Overjoyed (2:58)
  - Fade to Grey (3:34)
  - Tea and Sympathy (4:51)
  - Crazy Times (3:34)
  - Frail (6:57)
  - Five Candles (You Were There) (3:48)
  - Weighed Down (3:39)
  - Portrait of an Apology (5:43)
  - Truce (3:11)
  - Much Afraid (3:53)
  - Hymn (3:53)

== Japanese Release Bonus Tracks ==

  - The Chair (from the //Long Kiss Goodnight// soundtrack) (5:22)
  - Sleepers (1:54)

== //Seatbelt Tuba// Bonus Disc ==

  - Crazy Times
  - Liquid
  - The Coffee Song

A bonus three-track disc was bundled with early copies of the album and made available exclusively through Family Christian Bookstores. All three tracks were recorded live acoustically on July 3, 1997, at the Quad, with no remastering or editing of the songs.

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==== If I Left the Zoo ====

1999 Essential Records (83061-0499-2)

Dan Haseltine – Lead vocals, percussion, loops, backing vocals, handclaps, toy piano, drums\\
Charlie Lowell – Accordion, backing vocals, Vox Jaguar organ, handclaps, Wurlitzer electric piano, Mellotron, pump organ, acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ, Moog synthesizer, toy piano, percussion, strings\\
Stephen Mason – Acoustic guitar, backing vocals, Casio synthesizers, electric guitars, handclaps, car horn sounds, lap steel guitar, percussion\\
Matt Odmark – Electric guitars, acoustic guitar, handclaps, backing vocals, lab technician, percussion

  - Goodbye, Goodnight (2:53)
  - Unforgetful You (3:20)
  - Collide (4:46)
  - No One Loves Me Like You (3:48)
  - Famous Last Words (3:26)
  - Sad Clown (4:27)
  - Hand (3:36)
  - I'm Alright (3:40)
  - Grace (4:31)
  - Can't Erase It (3:35)
  - River Constantine (4:48)

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//(...To Be Continued...)//

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