Abel

When you speak with Abel vocalist Kevin Kneifel, there’s no mistaking his passion and drive for his music. He speaks quickly, and is excited and thorough. However, in the summer of 2008, you might not have found Kneifel so enthusiastic. His then-current band with fellow Abel member Alex David was struggling, relationships were strained, and stress was taking over. The band knew they needed a new direction and a sharpened focus, but instead returned home to a lull.

“Sadly, we did not come back to a grand revival,” Kneifel shares. “Instead, the members of that band parted ways, and I was left believing that our time for music and ministry was at an end.”

It wasn’t until November of that year that Kneifel and David would reunite and re-approach their mission. Joining up with drummer John Rell, the trio spent the next six months practicing and demoing songs in secret, growing together not only as musicians, but and friends. The group chose the name Abel after the biblical martyr who gave a pleasing offering to God–a purpose deeply planted in the band’s conscience. With a handful of songs ready to record, Abel hit the studio in early 2009, tracking what would ultimately become The Honest Love EP. The album was a soulful and introspective look into the heart of a blossoming group of musicians, and the band quickly caught the attention of Facedown Records, releasing the new EP only months later under the Dreamt Music banner.

Touring relentlessly over the following months with bands like Deas Vail and Lorien, and strengthening their sound with the addition of guitarist Dan Bishop, Abel returned home in early 2010 to write the follow-up to their debut release. However, the band once again struggled with musical direction, and the pressures of delivering a new album. “It wasn’t until April when the dam finally broke, and we caught that wave of inspiration we needed,” Kneifel explains. “As soon as we let go of the concern, we suddenly had ten songs to record.” Newly independent from their run on Facedown, the group entered the studio in May 2010 to record with producer Will Tendy.

With a newly completed album, Abel has turned a new page, reaffirming the band’s roots by joining forces with the ministry-focused Come&Live!

Lesser Men, Abel’s upcoming release via Come&Live!, is a dynamic step up from their previous effort. Baring the same heart and soul, Abel dives into more complex areas of faith and musicianship. “The album is about how we often lose focus on the things that are truly lasting and important in this life,” Kneifel explains. “It’s about discovering that forgiveness is real, and that no matter how far away from God we wander, he always takes us back.”

Speaking with Kneifel today, one might never guess the struggles it’s taken to carry the band to where it is now. But he says that Abel is ready to continue its growth in the same way it always has, “Through purposeful self-evaluation and passionate worshipful expression.”

Sounds Like / Influences:
Thrice, Coldplay, As Tall As Lions, Brand New, As Cities Burn

Management:
Nathan Mallon - nathan@comeandlive.com

Booking:
Kevin Kneifel - kevin@theorganmedia.com

Publicity:
Jamie Ketcham - ktcpublicity@gmail.com

Rebecca Cicione - rebecca@comeandlive.com