Hailing from Orlando, FL,
Anberlin formed from the ashes of various other area projects, including the Christian punk outfit SaGoh (Servants After God's Own Heart). Led by the soaring vocals of
Stephen Christian, the positive-thinking
Anberlin also included
Joseph Milligan (guitar),
Nathan Young (drums),
Joey Bruce (guitar), and
Deon Rexroat (bass), and presented an alternative pop/rock sound that, while inflected with the earnestness of emo, was closer to the mature stylings of
Third Eye Blind. A five-song demo landed
Anberlin the attention of the Seattle-based indie label Tooth & Nail, which signed the group in 2002.
Blueprints for the Black Market marked the band's debut in May 2003, and
Anberlin supported the album with shows alongside groups like
Fall Out Boy and
Story of the Year. Second guitarist
Nathan Strayer later joined the lineup, and
Anberlin returned in February 2005 with
Never Take Friendship Personal. Their third record,
Cities, appeared two years later and debuted at number 19 on the Billboard charts; soon after its release, however,
Strayer made his exit and was replaced by former
Acceptance guitarist
Christian McAlhaney. 2008's
New Surrender saw the retooled band joining the roster of Universal Republic Records and enlisting the help of
Neal Avron, who had formerly produced records for
Fall Out Boy,
Yellowcard, and
New Found Glory. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide