Rend Collective Experiment have just released the first single release from their upcoming album to iTunes.

My Lighthouse was released on Tuesday in studio, acoustic and live formats. 

The track is the lead single from The Art of Celebration, their new album out on March 17.  In it, they sing about God's faithfulness in leading his people through difficulties and times of trial "safe to shore". 

"You are the peace in my troubled sea," they sing. 

The perky, upbeat track sets the scene for the whole album, which as its name suggests is an affirmation of the joy to be found in the Christian life - come what may. 

"This record is an attempt to reflect something of the irrepressible laughter in the heart of God," says Rend Collective band leader Gareth Gilkeson.

"It's a call to the cynical to once again choose celebration over condemnation and a reminder to the broken that 'the joy of the Lord is our strength'.

"It's no accident that the opening line of the whole record (from the appropriately titled song, 'Joy') is 'We're choosing celebration'.

"Celebration, the practice of joy, is a choice. That doesn't mean it's always an easy choice to make. We know that we inevitably must navigate storms of sorrow and shadows, disappointment and doubt in this life."

The Art of Celebration follows their hugely successful No 1 iTunes record, Campfire, which features vocals recorded live outdoors around a campfire on Ballyholme Beach in Northern Ireland along with members of the collective's Facebook and Twitter community.

The band are currently on tour in the US with Kari Jobe.  Most of their year is booked up with US tour dates but they will have a brief spell in the UK and Ireland in May, playing in Dublin, Glasgow and Manchester among other cities.

Watch the video for My Lighthouse here: