Across The Sky
Encyclopedia
Across the Sky was a Dove Award-nominated Christian
band formed in Nashville, Tennessee
during 2000 by Matt Martin, Ben Kolarcik, and Justin Unger. Matt eventually left before their first album was recorded and now resides in Louisville, KY. Both musicians are of the singer-songwriter
style. Their self-titled debut was released in 2003, spawning a top ten song and three wide release singles. Across the Sky's music is a style combining light rock, pop, and folk. The group toured and recorded for two years under the Word Records
Label before disbanding in 2005 when both artists decided to pursue different career paths.
, Ben Kolarcik is originally from Louisville, KY; his father was in the military and he is the fourth of five children. Kolarcik was the only one in his family to pursue music full time.
He was raised in Christian schools; his earliest performances were in this setting and in his home
church of Southeast Christian Church
, in Louisville. These experiences led him to the decision to be a full
time independent artist. After high school,he got married to Melissa Strandell. Opportunities came about to perform consistently, nationally and
internationally, including such places as Australia
, Costa Rica
, New Zealand
, and Poland
. A self-taught guitarist, the multi-talented artist has also learned to play piano
and lap dulcimer. Kolarcik references his influences as being The Beatles
, The Police
and Jeff Buckley
to Keith Green
, Rick James
, Jimi Hendrix
and Rich Mullins
.
Per the same interview, Justin Unger had some similar experiences. Unger was raised on Christian music
.
He was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ and is the middle of three brothers. His father was a self taught
musician and a roofer by trade, and his mother a stay-at-home mom. Justin, influenced by his father's musical
pursuits, began playing piano at age 10, and trumpet in the school band.
Unger began writing music at 17 for his grandfather, who was a pastor. He also started a Christian band called
"Emmaus," performing as lead vocalist on the songs that his grandfather and he had written.
, met and began collaborations in Nashville. Both artists had a history of performance and music ministry in their hometowns and in regional tours. After deciding on becoming a duo act, the pair sat down to work on music together. After composing 50 or so titles, they settled on 12 for their first album. The pair was assisted along the way by such notable Contemporary Christian musicians and writers as Cindy Morgan
, Scott Krippayne
, Matthew Gerrard
, Jeff Borders, Kyle Matthews and Tony Wood.
Their self titled album was released in 2003. Much of the music on this project is artist composed. During their run they toured extensively around the US and internationally. They toured with major established artists such as Michael W. Smith
, Mark Schultz
, Avalon
, and Mercy Me. Their debut album and tours garnered the duo a GMA Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year in 2004. Also in 2004 their song "Masquerade" was included on the Platinum Album WOW Hits 2004
, an annual compilation CD of top artists of the previous year.
While still together they received radio play throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. During this period, their single "Found By You" peaked at number 5 on the AC Christian Charts in the United States
. Across the Sky disbanded in 2005.
Other career highlights include:
called The Heights. Unger continues song-writing and composition with a new solo CD titled "Disengage" to be released on October 30, 2007.
Ben Kolarcik resides in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and son where he has pursued a career as a writer and composer. Kolarcik tours as well. He still performs nationally with occasional bookings in other countries.
Both musicians continue their individual careers in the music industry.
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
band formed in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
during 2000 by Matt Martin, Ben Kolarcik, and Justin Unger. Matt eventually left before their first album was recorded and now resides in Louisville, KY. Both musicians are of the singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
style. Their self-titled debut was released in 2003, spawning a top ten song and three wide release singles. Across the Sky's music is a style combining light rock, pop, and folk. The group toured and recorded for two years under the Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
Label before disbanding in 2005 when both artists decided to pursue different career paths.
Early life
According to an interview given by the duo in Christianity TodayChristianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
, Ben Kolarcik is originally from Louisville, KY; his father was in the military and he is the fourth of five children. Kolarcik was the only one in his family to pursue music full time.
He was raised in Christian schools; his earliest performances were in this setting and in his home
church of Southeast Christian Church
Southeast Christian Church
Southeast Christian Church is located in Louisville, Kentucky and is an evangelical, Christian church. This Church is associated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ. Its Senior Minister, Dave Stone, assumed leadership of the church in 2006....
, in Louisville. These experiences led him to the decision to be a full
time independent artist. After high school,he got married to Melissa Strandell. Opportunities came about to perform consistently, nationally and
internationally, including such places as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. A self-taught guitarist, the multi-talented artist has also learned to play piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and lap dulcimer. Kolarcik references his influences as being The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
and Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
to Keith Green
Keith Green
Keith Gordon Green was an American gospel singer, songwriter, musician, and Contemporary Christian Music artist originally from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. Beyond his music, Green is best known for his strong devotion to Christian evangelism and challenging others to the same...
, Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Rich Mullins
Rich Mullins
Richard Wayne "Rich" Mullins was an American Contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter born in Richmond, Indiana. He had two sisters and two brothers....
.
Per the same interview, Justin Unger had some similar experiences. Unger was raised on Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
.
He was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ and is the middle of three brothers. His father was a self taught
musician and a roofer by trade, and his mother a stay-at-home mom. Justin, influenced by his father's musical
pursuits, began playing piano at age 10, and trumpet in the school band.
Unger began writing music at 17 for his grandfather, who was a pastor. He also started a Christian band called
"Emmaus," performing as lead vocalist on the songs that his grandfather and he had written.
Musical career
Across the Sky was formed when solo artists, Ben Kolarcik and Justin Unger, who were under consideration by Word RecordsWord Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
, met and began collaborations in Nashville. Both artists had a history of performance and music ministry in their hometowns and in regional tours. After deciding on becoming a duo act, the pair sat down to work on music together. After composing 50 or so titles, they settled on 12 for their first album. The pair was assisted along the way by such notable Contemporary Christian musicians and writers as Cindy Morgan
Cindy Morgan
Cindy Morgan is an American actress best known for her appearances as Lora/Yori in Tron and Lacey Underall in Caddyshack.-Biography:...
, Scott Krippayne
Scott Krippayne
Scott Krippayne is a Christian music artist, singer and songwriter. He has released ten albums between 1992 and 2008...
, Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has written hit singles by artists such as Nick Carter , Kelly Clarkson , Hilary Duff , Eden's Crush and Jesse McCartney...
, Jeff Borders, Kyle Matthews and Tony Wood.
Their self titled album was released in 2003. Much of the music on this project is artist composed. During their run they toured extensively around the US and internationally. They toured with major established artists such as Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith is a Billboard top ten Billboard Hot 100 recording artist and Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in Contemporary Christian music. Smith also has achieved a considerable amount of...
, Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz (musician)
Mark Schultz is a Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter. He grew up in Colby, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in marketing. At Kansas State, Mark was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he served eight years as a youth group...
, Avalon
Avalon
Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
, and Mercy Me. Their debut album and tours garnered the duo a GMA Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year in 2004. Also in 2004 their song "Masquerade" was included on the Platinum Album WOW Hits 2004
WOW Hits 2004
WOW Hits 2004 is a two-disc compilation album of songs that have been dubbed to showcase the best in contemporary Christian music. It was released on October 7, 2003. The album features songs by Michael W. Smith, Newsboys, Amy Grant, Sixpence None the Richer, and many more widely renowned groups...
, an annual compilation CD of top artists of the previous year.
While still together they received radio play throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. During this period, their single "Found By You" peaked at number 5 on the AC Christian Charts in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Across the Sky disbanded in 2005.
Other career highlights include:
- The songs "Broken World" and "Give it all Away" were released as singles and received airplay in the US and radio stations in Australia, Canada, South America, and Europe.
- Their song "Everywhere She Goes" was featured in the first season of "One Tree Hill" on the WB network.
Personal lives
After the disbandment of Across the Sky in 2005, Justin Unger moved to Prescott, AZ with his wife and children where he is a music minister at an alternative style megachurchMegachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
called The Heights. Unger continues song-writing and composition with a new solo CD titled "Disengage" to be released on October 30, 2007.
Ben Kolarcik resides in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and son where he has pursued a career as a writer and composer. Kolarcik tours as well. He still performs nationally with occasional bookings in other countries.
Both musicians continue their individual careers in the music industry.
Discography
- Across The Sky (2003)
- WOW Hits 2004WOW Hits 2004WOW Hits 2004 is a two-disc compilation album of songs that have been dubbed to showcase the best in contemporary Christian music. It was released on October 7, 2003. The album features songs by Michael W. Smith, Newsboys, Amy Grant, Sixpence None the Richer, and many more widely renowned groups...
"Masquerade" (2004) - CCM Top 100 Greatest Songs In Christian Music "When God Ran (Tribute Recording)" (2004)
- Found By You (Studio Series Performance Track) (2005)
- Broken World (Studio Series Performance Track) (2005)