2 or More
Though their name is taken from the King James version of Matthew 18:20, 2 OR MORE is anything but outdated, in fact, quite the contrary. This female threesome from Knoxville, Tennessee has one of the freshest, most versatile sounds in contemporary Christian music. And while all three are not blood-related, their voices have a natural blend rarely found outside family circles.
There are two actual sisters in the group, Rebekah Wade and Sarah Mentzer, who grew up daughters of their minister of music father in a mid-sized church in Maryville. Brandee Vandergriff grew up friends with Sarah, attending the same church, and the two began singing harmonies as mere 2nd graders. Later, the two performed with various church groups and choirs when they were just teenagers. Rebekah began singing with them and realizing their unique blend early on, the three girls started working as a trio performing mostly a cappella arrangements of some of their favorite songs. The group soon developed a local following, and recorded a mostly a cappella project.
But it wasn't until their paths crossed with veteran producer Travis Wyrick (P.O.D., Pillar, Disciple) that the three ladies got a glimmer of what their potential might be.
"He told us to let him produce just one song and we would see a difference. And man, was he right," says Sarah.
That one song turned into a full CD produced by Wyrick entitled Can You See Him? which showcased not only the trio's incredible vocal versatility, but also their songwriting and arranging abilities. Penning eight of the cd's ten songs, as well as changing the lyrics to a more spiritual version of the "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Of Company B," Rebekah, Sarah and Brandee got fresh wind in their sails and began to believe God had a plan to use their music in a more powerful way.
Influenced by everything from "Sandi Patty to Mariah Carey to Beethoven," 2 or More can sing just about any genre of music, tackling big band, jazz, rock, pop and everything in between. The group has already begun gaining notoriety beyond their hometown and was recently invited to sing at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York, sharing the stage with multiple independent artists. Their performance was so stirring that the hall manager asked the promoter to bring the show back to Carnegie Hall, and specifically requested 2 or More be there.
Wyrick and 2 or More will be teaming up this fall to produce another CD scheduled to release in the spring 2007. And the girls are excited about what the future holds.
"It's been a walk of faith for us," says Sarah. "We don't know what God has in store for us, but we want to be obedient to His path, wherever that may lead. But we each feel we have been given a mandate to use our talents for His glory. And we know, as long as we keep our focus on Him and our songs true to His Word, He can use us to touch people's lives and make their hearts open to His love. That's our prayer."
Influences
Grew up listening to Sandi Patty and Mariah Carey, as well as En Vogue, Point of Grace, Oldies, church choir music, big band, every kind of music there is. You may also hear a touch of Avalon, Anointed, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and many more!!!
Sounds Like...
Andrew's Sisters meets Destiny's Child...hmmmm...