With a scheduled tour stop next Friday, Mainers should be able to confirm themselves that the “lack of talent” August alludes to in his online biography is limited to athleticism, and not his musical abilities.
August is the Gospel Music Association’s reigning New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, and he’ll be one of two opening acts for MercyMe, when it brings its “The Hurt and The Healer Live” tour to the University of Southern Maine’s Costello Sports Complex in Gorham. The May 4 show is also scheduled to include 19-year-old sensation Moriah Peters.
Tickets for the May 4 show are $60 for gold circle seats, and $25 for general admission. Proceeds will benefit the men’s basketball program.
To order tickets, visit www.TheLighthouseEvents.com or call 232-0966.
Ouch
According to his official website, www.chrisaugustmusic.com, August suffered an injury Tuesday night in a skateboarding accident and has been hospitalized. Due to this accident, he had to cancel concerts scheduled this weekend in Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee.
“On behalf of Chris, his family and his friends, we ask for your thoughts and prayers as he recovers and his body heals,” the post states.
At press time, promoter Jeff Wall of TheLighthouse- Events.com remained confident that August would be available for the concert in Gorham on May 4. Fans should can find up-to-date information on his website.
Early life
As a youth who grew up around music in Garland, Texas, August would find himself “constantly listening and singing along with The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Beatles and my favorite, Stevie Wonder,” he writes in his biography.
Things really started to take shape for August at age 15. “This was the year that I would start playing, writing and recording music; and most importantly, become a Christian,” he wrote, adding that, “I was suckered into going to church by a cute girl in my Spanish class. It just so happened her youth group met at a place that was known for its break dancing. I arrived Sunday evening (Adidas wind pants and all) ready to show off and perfect my Usher-like moves, only to find out there would be no break dancing, but instead, a church service for teenagers. I would have been mad, but there was free pizza and who can complain about that?”
Though he was quick to admit his reasons for going to the teen service may not have been the best, “once I was there I heard the gospel, week after week. I had grown up with Christian beliefs my entire life, but I was finally starting to understand what giving my life to Christ meant. I now had two new and unrefined loves in my life: God and music.”
August would learn to play a keyboard he received for his birthday, and began to gain a love for worship songs. Eventually, he would begin to help lead the music for the youth group.
“I would show up week in and week out with my keyboard, amp and a binder of songs to sing to God with my friends. My faith was growing and so were my musical abilities. It was then that I added acoustic guitar to my repertoire, opening the door for me to sing, perform and travel,” he wrote.
By age 22, he was finally ready to release his first selfproduced, recorded, mixed and mastered independent album. It had been finished for about seven months when his life took a dramatic turn, he explained. “A singer/songwriter named Ryan Cabrera had gotten a hold of it and wanted to work with me. Within two weeks of Ryan hearing my music, I signed a management deal with Joe Simpson, father of Jessica and Ashlee, and a record contract with Geffen Records.”
He’d move to Los Angeles in January 2005 to work on his first album with Geffen, eventually writing for other artists and touring with Ashlee Simpson.
But by January 2008, August was back home in Garland. It had been two years since he was involved with a church and “I missed leading worship. I missed writing Christian songs. I missed the feeling of conviction.”
So he started playing keyboard at a nearby church and ended up leading their worship pretty frequently. “It felt great to be playing Christian music again.”
Back to Christian music
A year later he realized how long it had been since he’d written anything overtly Christian, so “I wanted to write a song that was a rededication of my music and my life to Jesus.” On Jan. 18, 2009, he penned “Starry Night,” which would prove a life changer.
His indie release of “Starry Night” found its way to producers in Nashville, Tenn., and he was signed to a deal with Word Records.
Over the next three months he was prolific, writing about 60 songs. Eleven were chosen for the album, “No Far Away.”
A couple days before recording, producer Ed Cash said he felt like August still needed a personal song. “Unaware of my family background, he asked me to go home that night and write about what hurt me growing up,” August shared. “I wrote the first verse of ‘7×70’ later that evening.”
It, again, proved a pivotal moment for the singer-songwriter.
“After playing my idea for (Cash) the following morning, he looked over to me with tears in his eyes and said, ‘this song has to be on your record and it has to be about forgiveness.’ This was the last thing I wanted to hear and have to deal with while making my album, but nonetheless it was something that needed to happen.”
August notes that the next few days he felt surrounded by the Holy Spirit like never before. He explained that it was the most personal song he had ever taken on and it required a mind set on prayer.
“I come from a broken home. Better yet, a broken family,” he writes in his bio. “Parents screaming at each other. Frustrations were commonly taken out on my brother, my sister and myself. As the lyrics started to come to mind, so did all the memories of my past that I hadn’t thought about in years. Some lines bringing smiles and some bringing another set of pains that I needed to forgive. It was through this song that I was able to forgive and be healed of that pain. I hope others can use the song in their own journey to forgiveness.”
Like many musicians, August is often asked what he wants listeners to take away from his music.
“My response is that I want to write music that people can relate to. I hope my music speaks to them within their own lives and becomes something they can turn on any day of the week and in any season in life. I hope that when someone listens to my music, they learn something about me, something about themselves, and most importantly, about the God who creates starry nights.”
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