Citizen Way
{{Short description|American contemporary Christian music group}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Citizen Way
| image = Citizen Way St. James MO 2014-02-09 (cropped).jpg
| landscape = yes
| alt =
| caption =
| alias = The Least Of These
| origin = Elgin, Illinois, U.S.
| genre = Contemporary Christian music, Christian rock, worship
| years_active = {{start date|2004}}–present
| label = * Fair Trade Services
- JetFeather
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|citizen-way.com}}
| current_members = * Ben Calhoun
| past_members = David Blascoe
- Ben Blascoe
- Josh Calhoun
- Daniel Olsson
}}
Citizen Way, formerly known as The Least of These, is an American contemporary Christian music and Christian rock band from Elgin, Illinois.{{Cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/citizenway/info |title=Citizen Way: Info |date=February 1, 2012 |publisher=Facebook |access-date=November 8, 2012}} Ben Blascoe retired from the band in 2015.{{Cite web |url=http://www.klove.com/music/artists/citizen-way/ |publisher=K-LOVE |title=Citizen Way |access-date=November 8, 2012}} The band relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 2016 and Josh Calhoun left after that time. In December 2019, David Blascoe posted on social media that he was departing the group as well.
Background
Citizen Way is from Elgin, Illinois, founded by two sets of brothers Ben Blascoe on bass guitar, David Blascoe on drums, Ben Calhoun on vocals and guitar and Josh Calhoun on guitars, keys and vocals.{{Cite web |url=http://www.judsonu.edu/Alumni/Citizen_Way/ |title=Citizen Way |publisher=Judson University |access-date=November 8, 2012}} Their original band name was The Least of These, when they were at Judson University together. This band has been together since 2004.{{Cite journal |url=https://www.ccmmagazine.com/features/citizen-way-from-day-1-to-2-0/ |title=Citizen Way – From Day 1 to 2.0 |last=Lusk |first=Caroline |date=March 31, 2016 |access-date=March 31, 2016 |journal=CCM Magazine}} They relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 2016.{{Cite web |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/music/article/Citizen-Way-starts-anew-in-Nashville-7467087.php |title=Citizen Way starts anew in Nashville |date=May 13, 2016 |access-date=April 3, 2018}}
The band released their debut single, "Should've Been Me", on the Fair Trade Services label on June 26, 2012.{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Shouldve-Been-Me/dp/B008DB1D2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352347988&sr=8-1&keywords=citizen+way |title=Should've Been Me |website=Amazon |date=June 26, 2012 |access-date=November 8, 2012}}{{Cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shouldve-been-me/id536606167?i=536606591 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616161305/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shouldve-been-me/id536606167?i=536606591 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 16, 2014 |title=Should've Been Me |date=June 26, 2012 |publisher=iTunes Store |access-date=November 8, 2012}} Their second single, "Nothing Ever (Could Separate Us)", was released in June 2013.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mstarz.com/articles/15193/20130626/citizen-way-nothing-separate-silly-video-released-celebration-new-single.htm |title=Nothing Ever |first=Anna |last=Dinger |date=June 26, 2013 |publisher=mstarz.com |access-date=June 3, 2014 |archive-date=June 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606233124/http://www.mstarz.com/articles/15193/20130626/citizen-way-nothing-separate-silly-video-released-celebration-new-single.htm |url-status=dead }} Their third single, "How Sweet the Sound", was released on September 27, 2013,{{Cite web |url=http://daily.plaympe.com/citizen-way-how-sweet-the-sound/ |title=How Sweet the Sound |date=August 28, 2013 |publisher=daily.plaympe.com |access-date=June 3, 2014}} and has gone on to become their first No. 1 single. It has charted on Christian AC Indicator and Soft AC/Inspirational, reaching No. 1 on the Christian Soft AC/Inspirational chart on April 3, 2014.{{Cite magazine |url=http://cclamp.radioandrecords.com/rrwebsite20/Members/Charts.aspx?ChartId=23 |title=Soft AC/Inspirational 2014-04-03 |date=April 3, 2014 |magazine=Billboard |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412143012/http://cclamp.radioandrecords.com/RRWebsite20/Members/Charts.aspx?ChartId=23 |archive-date=April 12, 2009 |access-date=June 3, 2014}} The single spent four weeks atop the Christian Soft AC/Inspirational chart.{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2014-04-26/soft-ac-inspirational |title=Soft AC/Inspirational |date=April 26, 2014 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=June 4, 2014}}
Discography
=Albums=
= Singles =
= Promotional singles =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Title ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Album |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| US Christ {{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/citizen-way/chart-history/christian-songs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702115125/https://www.billboard.com/music/citizen-way/chart-history/christian-songs |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 2, 2019 |title=Citizen Way Album & Song Chart History (Hot Christian Songs) |magazine=Billboard |access-date=June 5, 2018}} |
| 2019
| style="text-align:left" | "Love Has Won" | — | Love Is a Lion |
Notes
{{notelist-ua}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.citizen-way.com/}}
- [http://www.allaccess.com/christian/10-questions/archive/14751/10-questions-with-citizen-way All Access Interview]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Christian rock groups from Illinois