Joshua Bennett
For King and Country is a Christian pop duo made up of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone. The brothers, originally from Australia, settled in Nashville, Tennessee as children. They started their singing career in 2007 and have since released several albums and singles, including Crave, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., and Burn the Ships. The duo has also been involved in acting and philanthropic efforts. Their music often contains messages that glorify God and they have performed at events such as the National Catholic Youth Conference.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Christian pop, rock |
| Band members | Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone |
| Band member nationalities | Australian, American |
| Band member place of residence | Franklin, Tennessee |
| Band member religion | Catholic |
| Band member relationship | Brothers |
| Band member year of birth | Joel: 5 June 1984, Luke: 22 October 1986 |
| Band formation year | 2007 |
| Band name origin | British battle cry |
| First song | Busted Heart (Hold On to Me) |
| First EP | Crave (2012) |
| First album | Crave (2012) |
| Awards | Grammy Award, RIAA Platinum-selling act |
| Notable songs | "God Only Knows", "Joy", "Burn the Ships", "Together", "Baby Boy", "Out of the Woods" (Taylor Swift cover) |
| Notable collaborations | Dolly Parton, NEEDTOBREATHE, Timbaland, Kirk Franklin, Tori Kelly |
| Notable performances | NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference), Jimmy Kimmel Live! |
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What You'll Learn
For King and Country is a Christian pop duo
For King and Country has released several popular albums, including Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. in 2014, which spent 17 weeks on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 12 on the Digital Albums Chart. The album also featured the song "Fix My Eyes", which the duo performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2015. In 2018, they released Burn the Ships, which achieved gold status and featured three singles: "God Only Knows", "Joy", and "Burn the Ships". All three singles reached No. 1 on the charts, with "God Only Knows" achieving platinum status.
The duo has also been involved in acting and philanthropic efforts. Joel Smallbone starred in the 2014 movie "Like A Country Song" and the 2016 drama "Priceless", which was about human trafficking. Luke and their brother Ben produced "Priceless", and Ben also directed the film. For King and Country has also collaborated with various artists, including Dolly Parton, NEEDTOBREATHE, and Timbaland. The duo has won multiple Grammy awards and is known for their sold-out concerts in the USA, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
In addition to their musical success, For King and Country has performed at Christian events such as the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis, where they led the audience in singing and praising God. Their music is known to uplift and inspire, especially for those who enjoy Christian music or are seeking a way to connect with their faith. While the duo does not come from a worship leader background, their songs often contain messages of hope and encouragement, with a focus on praising and adoring God.
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They are Australian brothers
For King and Country is a Christian pop duo composed of Australian brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone. The brothers were born in Australia and emigrated to the United States as children, settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They began their career as "Joel & Luke", which they later changed to "Austoville", before settling on their current name, "For King & Country", in 2007. The name was inspired by a British battle cry.
The brothers grew up in a God-fearing family and are self-described "lovers of Jesus". Their music reflects their religious beliefs, with songs that praise and adore God. They have released multiple albums, including "Crave" (their debut album), "Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.", and "Burn the Ships". "Burn the Ships" achieved gold status and featured three platinum singles: "God Only Knows", "Joy", and "Burn the Ships".
In addition to their musical careers, the brothers have also ventured into film. They have worked on projects such as "Priceless", a drama about human trafficking, and "Unsung Hero", a biopic about their family. "Unsung Hero" was released in 2024 and received a Dove Award for Inspirational Movie of the Year.
For King and Country have received numerous awards and accolades for their music. They have won four Grammy Awards, a Billboard Music Award, and multiple GMA Dove Awards, among other recognitions. Their high-energy performances and meaningful lyrics have garnered a dedicated fan base, and they regularly perform to audiences of thousands.
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They sing songs to praise and adore God
For King and Country is a Christian pop duo comprising brothers Luke and Joel Smallbone. They are Australian but moved to Nashville, Tennessee as children and started their singing career in 2007. Their first song was called "Busted Heart (Hold On to Me)".
Luke and Joel live out a Catholic life and sing songs to praise and adore God. They perform Christian rock/praise music and their songs always deliver a message while glorifying God. Their music can lift you up in seconds, especially if you are the type of person that loves Christian music or if you need a way to talk to God. Their music helps with reconnecting and talking to God, as well as learning how to praise and thank Him.
Luke is the vocalist for the duo, and he has ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. During his illness, Luke and his wife wrote the song "Without You" together. For King and Country has performed at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis, making everyone sing and praise God with their music.
The band's name, "For King and Country", is derived from the Bible. Starting with Psalm 121, the MSG version misinterprets verses 1-2. The Psalm is a pilgrim's song, with the pilgrim looking to the hills as his destination and asking from where he will get help to reach God's Holy Hill. The answer comes in the second verse, "my help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth".
For King and Country's song "Shoulders" also references Christ on the cross, with the chorus containing a declaration of faith: "I don't have to see to believe". The song is consistent, with the pronouns not flip-flopping, and it is aimed at believers rather than unbelievers.
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They have won multiple Grammy awards
For King and Country is a Christian pop duo composed of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, who live out a Catholic life and sing songs to praise and adore God. They have won multiple Grammy awards.
The band was formed in 2007, and their first song was called "Busted Heart (Hold On to Me)". They released their debut record, "Crave", in 2012, which was selected by iTunes as the Breakthrough Christian & Gospel Album of 2012. In 2013, they collected the "Breakthrough Artist of the Year" award at the inaugural K-LOVE Fan Awards.
In 2014, they released their second studio album, "Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.", which won a Grammy award. In 2015, they won two more Grammy Awards at the 57th Grammy Awards: Best Contemporary Christian Music Album and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
Their 2018 album "Burn the Ships" won a Grammy in 2019, as did the single "God Only Knows". The album also featured the songs "Joy" and "Burn the Ships", which reached gold status. "Joy" was nominated for the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
For King and Country have been described as one of the music industry's most respected and decorated duos. In addition to their four Grammy Awards, they have also won a Billboard Music Award, 10 GMA Dove Awards, 13 K-LOVE Fan Awards, and their nine No. 1 songs have accumulated over one billion on-demand streams. Their live show has been hailed as a must-see concert event, wowing sold-out crowds around the world.
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They have collaborated with Dolly Parton
For King & Country, a Christian pop duo comprised of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, collaborated with Dolly Parton on a remix of their song "God Only Knows". The song, which offers a faith-based solution to severe depression and suicidal thoughts, was originally released in January 2019. The collaboration came about after Joel Smallbone watched the Netflix film "Dumplin', for which Parton composed new music, and reached out to her. Parton, who was looking for more faith-based projects at the time, was excited about the song's message of hope and its ability to lift people up.
The collaboration earned the artists a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song in 2020, marking Dolly's 10th Grammy win and For King & Country's fourth. The song also won "Song of the Year" at the K-LOVE awards and the GMA Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year in 2019. The powerful music video for the collaboration, shot in Nashville, has amassed over 9.3 million views on YouTube.
In an interview, the duo reflected on how much their collaboration with Dolly Parton changed their plans for 2020. They had not expected to collaborate with Parton or be nominated for a Grammy, and they were grateful for the unexpected turn of events. Joel and Luke Smallbone also performed with Parton during the 2019 CMA Awards and on the 2019 CMA Country Christmas television special, where they sang "Little Drummer Boy".
For King & Country have been praised for their ability to deliver a message in their songs while giving glory to God. Their music has been described as uplifting and inspirational, with a focus on praising and adoring God. The duo has performed at Christian events such as the National Catholic Youth Conference and has brought their family's story to the big screen in the biopic "Unsung Hero".
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, For King and Country is a Christian pop duo made up of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone. They live out a Catholic life and sing songs to praise and adore God.
The brothers were born in Australia and emigrated to the United States as children, settling in the Nashville area. They started their singing career in 2007.
For King and Country is a Christian rock band. Their music style is described as progressive pop. They always deliver a message in their songs while giving glory to God.
For King and Country has had multiple No. 1 songs on Christian radio. Their popular songs include "Together", "God Only Knows", "Joy", "Burn the Ships", "Run Wild", "Fix My Eyes", "Baby Boy", and "Priceless".
