'Life,' awaited new album from MercyMe, to release on March 31

Band announces tour dates

On the heels of their RIAA-certified gold and Grammy-acclaimed "Welcome To The New" (2014), MercyMe will release Lifer (Fair Trade Services) on March 31.

The core of "Lifer" is the question of what it looks like to live as followers of Christ who are committed for life.

With 2014's "Welcome To The New," MercyMe spoke to what they called the grace and celebrated new life Christ offers believers in entering into faith. With their newest record, MercyMe writes about what it means to live out that faith as a "lifer" in the kingdom of God. 

"This new record is the logical next chapter after our last album, and it carries a new perspective," MercyMe's Bart Millard said. " 'Welcome To The New' was all about grace and identity in Christ; a welcoming to the life of being a new creation by grace. And it's such an exciting truth to grasp, but then life continues to go on and eventually the newness of that wears off and we need encouragement and support to sustain us. For me personally, I sing about being new every night on tour and I don't always feel so new. So the album title, 'Lifer,' and the theme of the record is all about reminding ourselves and others about the victory we have in the end through Christ. We are all in this for life - even on the days when we don't feel like doing any of it. We want these songs to be a morale boost to remind people of who they are and what Christ has done."

Filled with positive, uplifting lyrics, along with energetic beats and soaring melodies, this latest offering delivers the hits that MercyMe is known for. The debut single, "Even If," will serve as a follow-up to the band's four hit singles found on its previous album.

"The song 'Even If' is incredibly special to me," Millard said. "My son Sam is 15 years old, and he's been a diabetic since he was 2. When you're a parent of a child with any kind of chronic illness, these things don't go away. You have a lot of good days, but some days you feel like you're losing bad. I was in the midst of one of those bad days when 'Even If' was written. This song is a reminder to people in these difficult situations that don't seem to go away. God was worthy long before any of these circumstances even showed up. It's a foundation that was built long before those difficulties came to be. This song is a declaration to God that even if he went silent and never said another word, he's still worthy to be praised, and he's our greatest hope in the midst of the trial."

Amidst tour dates across the country, the multiplatinum-selling band will head to its home state of Texas for "MercyMe's Texas Takeover Tour" throughout the month of February, with labelmate Micah Tyler. In April, the band will headline a national tour with fellow Fair Trade artists Hawk Nelson and Tyler. For the latest on all MercyMe tour dates, click HERE.

"Lifer" will be available for pre-order on Jan 27 in Lifeway Christian Stores. Customers who pre-buy the album in their stores will get a free, two-song CD that includes the songs "We Win" and "Lifer."

Next, "Lifer" will be available for preorder at Family Christian Bookstores on Feb. 14 and, for every album sold, $1 will be donated to Pray America.

Finally, "Lifer" will be available for pre-order on Feb. 17 on iTunes and Amazon Music, with an instant grat of the debut single "Even If."

Get connected with MercyMe

• www.mercyme.org
• www.facebook.com/mercyme
• www.twitter.com/mercyme
• www.instagram.com/themercyme
• www.youtube.com/user/mercymevideo
• Hashtag - #LIFER