March 4th, 2008

Bryan Murdaugh with Total Strangers, a Lexington, S.C. Catholic rock band, has released its debut album, “With Everything I Know, It’s a Long Way Home,” a moving collection of songs that energetically celebrates the joys of praising God. Frontman Bryan Murdaugh, an Irmo, S.C. Catholic youth minister, songwriter, musician and Eucharistic speaker, established the band to amplify his ministry.

“This album is about putting together stories that I’ve been telling for the past ten or so years. It’s an experience to develop as a human and as a Christian. One of my callings is to tell other people how my victories, struggles, joys and pains have contributed to my own story,” said Murdaugh.

Bryan Murdaugh with Total Strangers includes Bryan Murdaugh, Joey Toohey, Mike Anzalone, Michael Ball and Eric Bouchard. All of the Total Strangers have been in a liturgical ensemble at one time or another with Murdaugh. When they put their first album together, they wanted to step outside of the liturgical music world, but make sure that the music was rock solid, focused on the Gospel and teeming with energy.

“I never thought that one day I’d be playing in a Catholic rock band. But it’s a great feeling to be surrounded by my Catholic brothers and rocking for Christ and His Church,” said Ball.

Release week includes a headline performance at the Diocese of Charleston Annual High School Youth Conference, the largest gathering of Catholic Youth in South Carolina. In the following months, the group will be supporting the album with various events around the state and beyond.

The band’s stellar debut comes as no surprise to Rev. Robert J. Sayer, pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Lexington, S.C., where Murdaugh serves as youth minister and leads the music for contemporary liturgy.

“When Bryan leads the music during Mass, it’s always a unique and entertaining experience. You’ll hear a responsorial that could have been born when grunge exploded onto the Seattle scene in the early ’90s, an entrance song that’s fused with a smooth reggae beat and occasionally, a rock number that makes you wonder if you stumbled into a Quentin Tarantino movie. This constant creativity is further amplified once Bryan gets together with the band. It’s a thrill to be with them as they minister because they defy expectations about what Christian music should sound like,” said Sayer.

Over the next few days, weeks, and months, I’ll be posting more links to buy the album. For now, check out the bryanmurdaugh.com store.