As rock powerhouse Pillar gears up for the launch of its career-shifting sixth album Confessions (Essential/Provident), its simultaneously released radio singles (July 31) are making waves at radio. “Fire on the Inside” has climbed to No. 8 on the Christian Rock chart while the CHR single “Secrets and Regrets” was added by the Air-1 Network reaching two-million listeners, weekly.

In addition, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY nominated band recently announced its fall Confessions Tour with KJ-52, Run Kid Run and 7eventh Time Down. Promoters are anxiously anticipating the bands arrival in their markets.

“Pillar was part of our Rock the Sound festival this summer in New York City,” said Chris Barrett, President - Rock the Sound Concerts. “They played our rock room along with RED, Decyfer Down, Remedy Drive and Doubledge. All night the room was pulsing with energy as the anticipation grew for Pillar’s appearance onstage. Their set was strong and the crowd was with them from the beginning.”

Matt Brown, Kansas-based concert promoter, expressed a similar sentiment. “The ‘Confessions Tour’ was a huge ministry outreach to our community. The event strengthened believers while it introduced non-believers to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
“The time that Rob Beckley, Pillar’s lead singer, had with the youth leaders before the concert was totally unexpected, and truly appreciated,” shared John Hill, Uvalde, Texas Event Organizer. “The one-on-one interaction, from the second the band drove up until the last student left, made the event unforgettable. Six months later our youth are still talking about the experience. Thank You, Pillar.”

Thematically, the album picks up where Pillar’s profound spring “Confessions Tour” left off earlier this year. A confessional curriculum, called “My Secret,” being taught in the band’s local Tulsa, Oklahoma church, changed the way the members of Pillar wanted to engage its audiences on tour.
“We decided to give our fans a way to pour out their hearts anonymously, yet before God” says Beckley. “We took thousands of blank confession cards [distributed via a confessional booth] on the road. It definitely brought kids to the point of acknowledging their sin and what was going on.” The “Confessions Tour” had a defining impact on Pillar as its members read and prayed over each audience’s confession cards. Explains Beckley, “More than ever, it put things into a perspective of ‘what we do matters.’”

That approach obviously carried over to the new album. “1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Every song on this album could be broken down to ‘If you just confess,’” shares Beckley. Under this umbrella, recurring themes on Confessions include unity, commitment and perseverance.

While lead singer Rob Beckley and guitarist Noah Henson have been the band’s principal songwriters the past eight years, Confessions marks the first time the two of them have collaborated with writers outside the band. Guest composers include Chris Stevens (tobyMac, Sanctus Real), Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet), Keith Wallen (Fuel), Red guitarist Jasen Rauch and Building 429 front man Jason Roy.

Confessions’ production marks equally new territory. Pillar teamed with GRAMMY nominated, Dove Award-winning producer/songwriter Rob Graves (Red, Wavorly) and further enhanced its sound through new bassist Rich Gilliland (KJ-52, Brandon Heath) and drummer Taylor Carroll (After Edmund).

Graves notes, “Originally I was just supposed to write with Rob (Beckley) for the album. But after spending the day with him in a writing session, I called my manager and told him to get all over the record. I wanted to produce it. The result is something I’m extremely proud of. The guys allowed me to push them as hard as I needed to and they gave it everything they had. They impressed me on so many levels. They’re genuinely great guys, and a band I hope to continue working with regularly.”

About Pillar
Pillar’s previous studio album, For the Love of the Game (02/26/08), debuted at No. 4 on SoundScan’s Christian (overall) album chart. Since Pillar’s Dove Award-winning label debut Above in 2001, the band has performed for more than 3 million people and tallied 10 No. 1 radio singles, 13 top five hits, a GRAMMY nomination, four Dove Awards, nine national headlining tours, covers of numerous Christian and mainstream magazines, features in Rolling Stone, Spin, Bass Player, and Hit Parader, and album sales approaching one million (including two albums with sales exceeding 300,000 copies each). The Tulsa, Oklahoma-based band also won Fuse TV’s “Next Big Thing” Award and has seen its music played on numerous ESPN sports programs, including SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight (during montage highlights from the 2007 World Series) and College Gameday, as well as CBS and FOX Sports.

Confessions, Pillar’s sixth studio album -- debuting the talents of new members, bassist Rich Gilliland (KJ-52, Brandon Heath), drummer Taylor Carroll (After Edmund) and new producer, Rob Graves (Red, Wavorly) -- releases everywhere on September 22.

Find more information, including tour dates and markets, please visit: www.pillarmusic.com and www.myspace.com/pillar. Follow Pillar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pillarmusic.

Pillar’s Fall “CONFESSIONS TOUR” Dates listed below:
Dates and markets subject to change without notice. Please visit www.pillarmusic.com for latest tour itinerary.

September
9/18 Atonement Lutheran Church Overland Park, Kan.
9/19 North Intermediate High School Broken Arrow, Okla.
9/20 Dodge City Church of the Nazarene Dodge City, Kan.
9/21 Woodward High School Woodward, Okla.
9/23 Trinity Evangelical Upper Sandusky, Ohio
9/25 The Underground Cincinnati, Ohio
9/26 Rent One Stadium Marion, Ill.
9/27 Grace Community Church Champaign, Ill.

October
10/1 Gateway Ministries Williamsport, Md.
10/3 U Mass Amherst, Maine
10/4 Zion Church Clarion, Pa.
10/7 The Gear Franklin, Ind.
10/9 Club 3 Degrees Minneapolis, Minn.
10/10 Appleton North H.S. Appleton, Wis.
10/11 Slowdown Omaha, Neb.
10/15 Believers Fellowship Keyser, W.Va.
10/16 The 7:30 Club Mechanicsville, Md.
10/17 LifeFest Cary, N.C.
10/18 The Channel Greenville, S.C.
10/19 Graceville Civic Center Graceville, Fla.
10/24 The River Forsyth, Mo.
10/25 Jefferson Assembly of God Meriden, Kan.