Is a band even the same after you replace the lead singer? It’s one thing to try to replicate the drums, guitar, or the bass. It’s another to plug another voice in there entirely. But Anberlin, best known for their run in the 2000s and the many Warped Tour performances they’ve had, decided to start fresh. Back in 2023, original frontman Stephen Christian stepped away from the group and from making music indefinitely. Nowadays, he serves as a full-time pastor.
That left the prominent 2000s band searching for a new vocalist. Insert new lead singer Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire. Together, they revealed their new album Currency, coming out November 11, 2026. With Mullins, it felt like the band could essentially start from scratch again.
“It felt like we needed to make an album that let us embrace the roots of the band and truly ‘reset’ with Matty to make something that we would love and our fans would recognize,” the band told Buzz Music.
Initially, they were worried that their entirely different processes would’ve led to an ugly clash in styles and chemistry. However, they credited a shared vision for the band that helped them avoid any unnecessary squabbling.
Anberlin Starts Fresh With Matty Mullins as Their New Vocalist
“Matty comes from a band that has their process fully hammered out over years of refinement, so I didn’t envy him coming into a new situation with guys that have done the same in a completely different way. It went so smoothly that you would’ve thought we’d already done this together a hundred times. Neither of us had to change much at all,” the band added.
“I think that’s all it comes down to: having a shared vision of what the end result will be. During the writing process, there were no egos clashing, no big dramas, just everyone communicating and working toward the same goal.”
As for original vocalist Stephen Christian, he held no regrets about taking his leave. In an interview with New Noise Magazine, he argued that Anberlin accomplished everything he imagined for the band. Consequently, his priorities shifted accordingly.
“For us, we were so thankful to have the chance to succeed, there wasn’t much left to do. The simple fact is I have two beautiful toddlers and I get the chance to come home and sleep two doors down from them. I have a wife who I’m in love with who I get to sleep next to every night. For me, that’s the new standard of not only normal, but of success,” Christian argued.
(Photo by Joshua Applegate/Getty Images)
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