Matt Maher

With musical talent oozing from his pores as a child, Maher’s parents nurtured this by encouraging him to take up piano lessons. Maher went on to play in concerts, jazz ensembles, sing in choirs and even a garage rock band, before being awarded a scholarship from the Jazz Department of Arizona State University. The musician subsequently studied jazz piano which he funded by playing the piano in a nearby hotel. Following his degree and a move to Mesa, Arizona, Maher became acquainted with the songwriter Tom Booth, who aided the release of his debut album “The End and the Beginning” in 2001. The independent label Spirit and Song issued the record, as well as his two subsequent releases 2003’s “Welcome to Life” and 2006’s “Overflow”.

The albums led to Maher signing a publishing deal with EMI and a recording deal with Essential Records, greatly increasing the singer’s national exposure. In 2008 Maher released his major-label debut album “Empty and Beautiful”, which became his first album to chart on the Christian Billboard Albums Chart landing at No. 12. Due to his strong messages and thoughtful delivery, later in 2008 Maher was asked to lead a worship for thousands of young Christians at the Rally for Youth event when Pope Benedict XVI visited in April.

The singer-songwriter’s fifth full-length album “Alive Again” arrived in 2009 charting at No. 6 on the Christian Billboard Chart. The album earned favourable reviews from the critical press aided by the Top 20 charting singles “Alive Again”, “Hold Us Together”, and “Christ Is Risen”. 2011’s “The Love in Between” was another another impressively charting album reaching No. 7 on the Christian Albums Chart and is noted for giving a voice to those suffering, in doubt or in pain. “All the People Said Amen” followed in 2013, once again released on Essential Records, led by the single "Lord I Need You". In 2015 Maher released his most successful album to date “Saints and Sinners” to unrivalled reviews. The album charted at No. 52 on the Billboard 200, No. 2 on the US Christian Albums, and spawned the single “Because He Lives (Amen)”.