It's the start of a new chapter for Christian rock band Hawk Nelson as Jon Steingard signs on as their new lead singer.

Fans will already be familiar with Steingard, who has been the band's guitarist for the last eight years.

Former frontman Jason Dunn announced his departure from Hawk Nelson earlier this year to pursue his solo project, Lights Go Down (facebook.com/lightsgodown).

Band members, bass player Daniel Biro and drummer Justin Benner remain on board.

“The chemistry we share as a band cannot be fabricated," says Biro.

"In other words, we know we have something special here. We're very excited to be working on a bunch of new songs for everybody. It's a new day, and we want to make the most of it."

That sentiment is shared by Steingard: “Moving forward, I couldn't be more excited to step into the role of lead singer."

And there's plenty for fans to look forward too as Hawk Nelson work on new material for their next album.

The band is promising a fresh direction combined with the signature Hawk Nelson sound.

“We are knee-deep in writing a new record at the moment, and these are some of the most inspiring songs we've ever worked on,” says Steingard.

“As a band, we've had our fair share of highs and lows, and through it all we've become a family.

"A further blessing has been the incredible amount of support we've received, particularly over the past few months of growing pains, from family, friends, other bands, industry folks, and especially the wonderful hawk-listeners that have stuck with us on our journey.

"The future is bright.”