The Katinas Album Release Concert

The Katinas are one of those rare groups who go against the grain and stand for music that has lasting value. With a lifetime of making music as a tight-knit family, this quintet of brothers have taken the road less traveled with the new release, named Timeless, a collection of classic Christian songs that have inspired them, all updated with modern arrangements and the Katinas' unique style.

But Timeless — which includes tracks written by Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Andrae Crouch, Keith Green, and Randy Stonehill - is more than a tribute to the pioneers of Christian music. For the Katinas, it's a musical timeline that traces their faith journeys as individuals, as brothers, and as a band.

"We grew up listening to these artists," says James, 33. "We lived in American Samoa, 2,000 miles south of Hawaii, so the only way we could keep up with what was happening in Christian music at that time was through the cassettes and records our cousins mailed us from the states. That's how we discovered these songs; they're the reason for our love of music."

Choosing the songs wasn't an easy task. A final lineup with songs like Green's "Your Love Broke Through" and Crouch's "My Tribute" may seem like easy picks, but the brothers started with more than 100 songs to choose from. "There are so many great ones in Christian music," Joe, 35, notes. "We'd have five to 10 meetings on just one song choice."

"It was a long process, but it was worth it," James adds. "We're excited—we feel that the Christian music lover and audience is ready for a record like this."

Brown Bannister took care of production, so the Katinas knew that Timeless would contain what they wanted ... "a voice and vision that not only spans the decades but also is filled with power and consistency even though the songs are so different." (from a press release issued by their label)

"He's probably the most decorated producer in our industry," said John in the same press release. "We have experience under our belts, too, but what Brown brings to the table in terms of stability and wisdom is priceless. This is the best work we've done so far, and Brown is a big reason why—he's great at making sense out of everything and pulling out the best performances from each of us. And when you have five brothers in a band, often with five different ideas, you need someone to be a sounding board—and Brown was the guy."

"When we put our stamps on these songs, the credit goes to Brown and (co-producer) Dan Needham for keeping the reigns on and still encouraging our creativity," says James. "The result is exactly what we wanted to accomplish—our best record with our most cohesive sound."

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