Band
Leeland > W

Leeland is a Christian rock band from Baytown, Texas. The band was formed in 2004, although lead singer Leeland Mooring had been writing songs beforehand. Leeland is composed of Leeland Mooring (lead vocals, guitar), Jack Mooring (backing vocals, keyboards), Casey Moore (guitar), Shelly Mooring (bass, backing vocals) and Mike Smith (drums). The band's original line-up included Jeremiah Wood, who left the band in late 2006, and was replaced by gui ... tarist Matt Campbell in late spring of 2007. Leeland has released four studio albums, and received a Grammy Award nomination and two Dove Award nominations for their debut album Sound of Melodies (2006). The band's third album, Love Is on the Move, was released on August 25, 2009. Leeland's fourth studio album, The Great Awakening, was released on September 20, 2011 and received a nomination to the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Lead singer Leeland Mooring wrote his first song "Shine" at the age of 11. After having a successful performance of the song at a church in Illinois, the Mooring family began touring the United States. When he was 14, Mooring entered into Embassy Music’s Ultimate Talent Search contest in Nashville, Tennessee, where he became a finalist in the songwriting and artist divisions. Although he did not win the competition, one of the contest's judges, Kent Coley, now the band's manager, took interest in the young teen. A year later, Eddie DeGarmo, President of EMI CMG Publishing, also was interested in Mooring, and the two signed a songwriting contract on EMI/Capitol Music Group. Less than a year later, Leeland Mooring, his older brother Jack Mooring, their cousin Jake Holtz, and friends Jeremiah Wood and Mike Smith, who the Moorings had known for several years, officially signed as a band onto their record label Essential Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's Provident Label Group. The five members began practicing at night in their church's building after youth group, which doubled as a funeral home. Leeland Mooring's first name was used as the band's name because the members said that "it sounded cool" See more [+]