“It’s rare to find talent and fun in the same place, but that’s exactly what Leeland serves in generous portions,” says producer Matt Bronleewe. “I was blown away in the studio. The band would rock a fantastic track, full of verve and inspiration, then turn right around and make me laugh ’til I cried. I’m incredibly excited about the new project. For me, and I believe fans as well, Opposite Way defines the direction music needs to be headed.”

That music has also taken Leeland on the road opening for Casting Crowns on “The Altar and The Door Tour.”  The three-month journey hit 36 cities across the U.S. and boasted over 200,000 in attendance, giving Leeland more fans than ever before—including Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall.

“The guys in Leeland have been such a blessing to us,” Hall says. “From playing soccer outside the venues, to hanging out at meal times, to spending time in the Word and in prayer–these guys model what believers are supposed to look like. And when Leeland takes the stage, people see and hear Jesus through these guys every night.”

A new album isn’t the only thing the band has to be excited about, as Leeland has also changed their lineup. “The newest member is Matt Campbell,” states Leeland. “Our last guitarist wanted to move on and do some other things. It was all cool. So we just prayed that God would provide somebody and we talked to Matt about it, and Matt was actually feeling that there was a change coming in his life. We’ve had a lot of fun, and he’s like a little kid on the road just like I am. So that only makes the experience better.”

The biggest changes, however, are found in the personal lives of the band members. Two of the band’s members are already married—including Jack, who recently married Michael W. Smith’s daughter, Whitney. The band’s remaining bachelors are tying the knot this winter during a bit of downtime from life on the road.

“We’re just all like family, so it’s cool to be experiencing this together,” says Jack. “We can be accountable and encourage each other.” Additionally, he jokes, “We’re also the wedding singers for each other.”

For all the album sales and awards, the critical acclaim or experience, it all comes back to one main agenda for the band:  “We’ve been saying this for the last year that our band is trying to raise up a new generation of young worshippers who aren’t scared to live different than the world—who aren’t scared to live the opposite way,” says Jack. “We’ve grown up in church and heard these things our whole lives, that we need to be different and stand up. But now that we’ve been on the road for a year and a half, we’ve really seen the need for that. We need people in our generation to stand up and live like God, even if it makes us look crazy.”

© 2008 CCM Magazine.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.