Rend Collective

A modern praise & worship band founded in Bangor, Northern Ireland, the Rend Collective (formerly known as the Rend Collective Experiment) is exactly what the name says, more a spiritual and creative collective than a band per se, blending praise lyrics with a kind of experimental folk-rock approach. Since debuting in 2010, their albums have been consistent staples of the U.S. and U.K. Christian charts; 2015's As Family We Go and 2018's Good News topped both. The Rend Collective continued to enjoy success into the next decade with albums like 2020's Choose to Worship and 2022's Whosoever.

Growing out of a group of Christian friends looking for a way to bring spirituality more in line with the complexities and confusions of life in the 21st century, the band, at least when it tours, consists primarily of drummer Gareth Gilkeson, vocalists Will Herron and Chris Llewellyn, percussionist and keyboardist Ali Gilkeson, horn player and accordionist Bridget Herron, and bassist Patrick Thompson.

Organic Family Hymnal Recorded mostly in churches and homes, Rend Collective's debut album, Organic Family Hymnal, appeared in 2010, followed by Homemade Worship by Handmade People in 2012, both released by Kingsway Music.