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The story comes straight from a Disney battle of the bands movie - young band doesn't make the cut at a nationwide radio competition,
gets called to fill in a slot at the last minute, wows the crowd and wins the competition. The phones light up and a music
career begins.
And so the journey started in 1998 when Australian youth group friends Naarah Seagrott (vocals), Brett Seagrott (guitar),
and Sam Hatch (guitar) made an independent recording, and began playing local events.
Within months they picked up Matt Smallbone (bass), and Josh Brown (keys), and became Alabaster Box. Matt had just got
off the road with Rebecca St James, and Josh was still in high school.
In 2000 Alabaster Box gave up the security of full-time jobs to minister through music across Australia and New Zealand.
No-one really was doing what we were trying to do in Australia. There were some difficult times at the start. When the
bus gets a flat tire in the outback, hitch-hiking to the nearest town is the only option. You said your prayers and hoped
for the best, says Naarah.
Fortunately, the passion to reach the young people in the next town far outweighed the heat of a broken-down van in the
sweltering outback.
Over the next years the band recorded seven 1 Australian Christian Radio hits and saw thousands receive Jesus. The ballad
Theres Hope won the prestigious Johnny Dennis Music Award for Best Pop Song. Winning a mainstream award of this caliber convinced
the band that they were ready to take it to the world.
In February 2006 Alabaster Box relocated to Nashville, Tennessee.
In 2007 Alabaster Box played over 170 shows in churches, schools, and arenas and is on pace to do that again in 08. Since
being in the USA, they have rocked the main stage at Ichthus Festival, and shared the stage with Michael W. Smith, Rebecca
St. James, Newsboys, and many others.
This generation needs to know of a Saviors love, and I know that we have a key role to play in that. The calling on our
lives is what writes the songs and drives the bus, says Naarah.
Matt Lucas is a singer/songwriter from Sydney, Australia. Starting his musical career as a session drummer, Matt has played
with some of Australia's leading musicians including Tommy Emmanuel, Colin Buchanan, and one of Australia's premier Christian
bands Alabaster Box. As a singer Matt travels all over Australia ministering in churches, youth groups, high schools, and
at festivals. In 2007 he played over 100 shows.
Matt has also delivered three hits to Australian Christian Radio. Having studied at the Churches of Christ in NSW Theological
College (now know as the Australian College of Ministry) and having worked in two Sydney churches as a Youth Pastor and spending
18 months as a Schools Youth Worker, Matt has also had the opportunity to develop a reputation as a gifted and dynamic preacher
and communicator.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS -
SINGING: March 2008 Newsboys Tour opening act in Adelaide, Australian Gospel Music Festival, Black Stump Festival, Channel
9's Rise and Shine Television Program, Australian Christian Channels Face to Face Television Program,
PERFORMED ALONG SIDE: Newsboys, Michelle Tumes, Nathan Tasker, Alabaster Box, James and John Morrison to name a few.
DRUMMING: Tommy Emmanuel, Colin Buchanan, Alabaster Box, Channel 10 TV Movie Jessica,
MEDIA: Radio: 'MERCY LIGHTS MY WAY (I AM FREE)' no. 8 Radio Active Song - 2008 The Rock Across Australia (Still Charting),
'I STILL PRAY' no. 23 Radio Active Song - 2007/2008 The Rock Across Australia, 'WATCHING OVER YOU' no. 23 Radio Active Song
- 2007 The Rock Across Australia,
Television: Channel 9's Rise and Shine, Australian Christian Channel's Face to Face, Channel 10 TV Movie Jessica,
Print: Alive Magazine, The Edge Magazine, The War Cry, Pipeline Magazine, Queensland Baptist Magazine.
Also a local band to be decided by the battle of the bands competetion
Youth Alive exists to reach the young people of South Australia and does many regional rallies and high school seminars every
year.
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