With a name inspired by the passage in Ephesians 4:29 that says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen,” Building 429 got its start in North Carolina when the band members, who were in different independent acts at the time, met at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church.
Eventually deciding to join forces to play pop/rock with a decidedly Christian message, Building 429 recorded a few independent albums before hitting the road with worship act Sonicflood. The tour not only thrust Building 429 into the national spotlight, but eventually paved the way for a record deal.
Throughout the years, Building 429’s line-up has changed as band members have opted to pursue other ministry opportunities. Today, Building 429 is currently a foursome with lead singer Jason Roy, drummer Michael Anderson, bassist Aaron Branch and guitarist/keyboardist Jesse Garcia.
The band's first single “Glory Defined” held the #1 spot on Christian Radio Weekly’s adult contemporary chart for 10 weeks and since has received four Dove Award nominations and was honored with the “New Artist of the Year” crown in 2005. With the release of its single "Listen To The Sound" in 2011, Building 429 challenged listeners to "listen to the sound" of Christian music for 30 days, and asked them to report on how it changed their life. Take the challenge or read some of the stories online.
The single was followed up by another popular favorite, "Where I Belong," which was written by Jason out of a small group, “We had a lady in our small group who was going through cancer and it did not look like she was gonna make it,” Jason told K-Love. “And in the midst of that we were struggling with the thought process of what do we should do with this? And I heard somebody say that sometimes the things that happen that don’t make any sense in this world, are actually reminders and blessings of reminders that this place in not our home.”
Later that year, they followed up the campaign with their "Sounds of Hope" tour this fall, the band teamed up with Leeland and Royal Tailor to bring awareness and support to the nonprofit organization Food for the Hungry. During the tour, Building 429 joined Casting Crowns and other artists as part of the Courageous soundtrack, featuring their song "One Foot."
Following that, Building 429 teamed up with Dawn Michelle from Fireflight for the song, "Right Beside You," a song that highlights the importance of friendship. "As a band we have been through some difficult times. Recently, we made a vow to each other always to have each others’ backs and to stand as a team," Jason explains. "We have since found what it means to be brothers, and “Right Beside You” speaks to our new found accountability as friends and in the war of this life."
The band can currently be found on tour across the U.S. and is also gearing up to release the album We Won't Be Shaken (June 4, 2013), which features the single, "We Won't Be Shaken," a song meant to encourage listeners to erase fear and stand firm in Christ.
“We feel like we’ve made the most focused record of our career,” says Jason. “We knew what we were trying to accomplish. We wanted to push the limits of what people expect us to do while maintaining the absolute laser focus on meeting our current fans where they are.” He adds, “We are as committed as we’ve ever been to the body of Christ and to the church."
Building 429 is also up for two K-LOVE fan awards, "Song of the Year," for their song, "We Won't Be Shaken," as well as "Breakthrough Artist of the Year."