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King and Country Come to Belmont


Photo by Lily Koleas

A crowd of people begin to fill the Massey Preforming Arts Center. 

 

As the room fills with different colored lights, the band members invite the crowd to stand with them and sing along. 

 

Multi-award-winning duo and Belmont graduates Luke and Joel Smallbone performed their most famous songs, gave an inspirational talk and promoted their upcoming movie “Unsung Hero” on Wednesday.    

 

The brothers, who go by King and Country on stage, said, “We had a lot of friends tell us that our story was powerful and that the world needed to know it.”  

 

Luke Smallbone said they pulled inspiration from songwriting and books to help them construct a movie that closely illustrated their lives.  

 

Originally from Australia, the brothers said their family’s move to Nashville was a challenge.  

 

Their father was promised a new job, but when it didn’t produce the money they needed, the Smallbone family did what they could, sleeping on beds made out of clothes and struggling to get food. 

 

Early in their careers, the brothers began to establish themselves in Christian music, hoping their songs would reach large audiences and change lives for the better.  

 

Having won four GRAMMY Awards, the brothers have seen their success grow over the years.  

“Sometimes we think too much about what we’re called to do. We have to just take each step, one day at a time, so we can share hardships and life together along the way,” Joel Smallbone said.  

 

The students in the audience were able to show their love for King and Country in the Q&A portion of the event.  

 

For Danielle Levasseur, King and Country’s music is something she listens to with her family. 

 

“Their music is very special to me because it is something we all share,” said Levasseur, a sophomore media production major. ““Music is such a wonderful gift from God and I’m grateful to experience their story and the power it has to change lives. 

 

The duo said both their music and the new movie are a tribute to families and the connection of sticking together no matter what life brings.  

 

King and Country’s new movie “Unsung Hero” comes out on April 26, the same day as their parents' wedding anniversary.  


 

This article was written by Lily Koleas

 

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