U.S. based popular Christian band MercyMe will release a new project Coming Up to Breathe on April 25, 2006.

The band has become what some are calling “ambassadors” of bringing evangelistic, Christian music to the mainstream while staying true to their call to make Christ known. With the upcoming project, MercyMe says they have delivered the album they’ve always wanted to make.

"We just wanted to make the music we love and it definitely came across a little more rocking than any other album we've ever done," says lead singer Bart Millard, adding enthusiastically. "We love it. We really focused on up tempo songs. It's definitely way more energetic than anything we've ever done before. I don't think we are trying to reinvent the wheel, it's just trying to put a little more edge into what we are creating."

After an intense four years, personally and professionally, the title "Coming Up to Breathe" holds special significance for Millard and the band. "We just want to take a break and surface and take a gasp of air," he says. "We just wanted to stop for a second and kind of let our hair down."

"There is no huge consistent theme," Millard says of the songs on the new album. "It's really just everything that was on our hearts at the time. There are some songs that reflect where we've been like 'Hold Fast.' It's just talking to people about when you feel like you are going to give up, just hang on because help is on the way. That's definitely based on what we've gone through and how we've made it."