Citizens has a new name, but the Seattle band is not starting over.
The group will now record and perform as Citizens & Saints, a change made after its members learned that a British band had already been operating under the Citizens! name.
Frontman Zach Bolen said the two groups worked toward an agreement rather than waiting for the shared name to become a larger problem.
“In fairness, they have been a band operating under that name longer than we have,” Bolen said. “In the end, we knew that higher than our band name is the name of Jesus.”
The revised name keeps the original idea intact. Citizens took its name from Ephesians 2:19, which describes believers as fellow citizens and members of God’s household. Adding “Saints” makes the reference considerably less subtle while allowing the British band to keep the shorter name it had been using first.
Citizens & Saints also announced its second album, Join the Triumph, scheduled for release Oct. 28 through BEC Recordings.
The album follows the band’s 2013 self-titled debut, which reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Heatseekers and Worship Albums charts. “Made Alive” became the record’s most visible song and spent several weeks among Air1’s most-played tracks.
The new project arrives during a period of considerable change for the band. Bolen is no longer serving on staff at Mars Hill Church, where Citizens originally formed around the music ministry of the church’s University District campus. The band has nevertheless committed to continuing together even as its members work and worship in different places.
“The primary thing for us will always be to serve the local church, whether or not Citizens & Saints is playing together as a band at a specific church,” Bolen said.
Brian Eichelberger and keyboardist Nate Garvey remain connected to Mars Hill, while the band has also partnered with William Morris Agency for booking. Citizens & Saints is currently seeking fall dates and additional touring opportunities for spring 2015.
Join the Triumph was written around themes of grace, redemption and the shared identity of the church. Bolen is joined by Garvey, Nathan Furtado, Spencer Abbott, Jeremy Kelderman, Adam Skatula and Eichelberger, who also serves as a co-writer and producer.
The name change may require some explanation in the immediate future, but it avoids the more awkward alternative of two Citizens bands arriving at the same festival and both assuming the green room belongs to them.
Citizens & Saints plans to release more information about Join the Triumph ahead of its October arrival. The name change and album announcement were first made in August 2014.