Gungor

Michael Gungor grew up in Marshfield southeast of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He is the son of pastor and author Ed Gungor. Michael began writing and playing music at a young age and studied jazz guitar at both Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and the University of North Texas in Denton while also touring and working as a performer playing multiple instruments.

Lisa Gungor grew up in Deming west of Las Cruces, New Mexico.{{Cite web|title = Lisa Gungor's Biography – Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and pictures at Last.fm|url = http://www.last.fm/music/Lisa+Gungor/+wiki|website = last.fm|accessdate = August 26, 2015}} She came from a "sports-crazed" family and didn't fully commit to her musical abilities until her senior year in high school. Michael and Lisa met at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma during their first year.

Michael and Lisa were worship leaders at Resurrection Life Church in Grandville near Grand Rapids, Michigan.{{Cite web |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2003/biggerthanmyimagination.html |title=Bigger Than My Imagination - Michael Gungor |access-date=June 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615094743/http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2003/biggerthanmyimagination.html |archive-date=June 15, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} In 2002, Michael began producing albums with his church. The albums caught the attention of Integrity Music, who signed Michael for a solo album. In 2003, he released "Bigger Than My Imagination" under Integrity Media. Lisa also sang on the album.

In 2005 Michael and Lisa released a live album titled Battle Cry: Worship from the Frontlines, through Integrity Media.

In 2006, Michael Gungor parted ways with Integrity Music, seeking more creative control over his music. He then formed The Michael Gungor Band, consisting of himself on guitar and vocals, his wife Lisa on vocals, and Brad Waller. They released the album All I Need Is Here in 2007. In 2008, they signed with Brash Records. The label re-released All I Need Is Here in 2008 as Ancient Skies, omitting two songs and adding the upbeat rock opener "Say So", as well as a song sung by Lisa, "You Are The Light".{{Cite web |title=Ancient Skies – Michael Gungor |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/ancient-skies-mw0000795107 |website=AllMusic |access-date=November 9, 2014}}

Michael Gungor renamed the group from The Michael Gungor Band to simply Gungor in 2010.{{Citation needed|date=August 2015}} The first album release under the new name was Beautiful Things in 2010 that features a short gospel-blues jam featuring Israel Houghton titled "Heaven". In 2011, the album and its title track, "Beautiful Things", were nominated in the Grammy categories Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album and Best Gospel Song, respectively.

In 2011, Gungor released Ghosts Upon the Earth. Gungor followed up with a live album, A Creation Liturgy in 2012. The band's third studio album, I Am Mountain, was released on September 24, 2013.{{cite web|last = Irvine|first = Nate|url = http://metroyouthnetwork.com/2013/08/22/gungors-long-awaited-new-release-i-am-mountain/|title = Gungor's Long Awaited New Release: I Am Mountain | Connect. Experience. Grow.Metro Youth Network|date = August 22, 2013|accessdate = January 21, 2014}} On October 24, 2013, the band began its 60-city headline tour across the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.{{cite news|url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/08/16/gungor-i-am-mountain-song-debut/2665241/|title = Song debut: Gungor's 'I Am Mountain'|work = USA Today|date = August 16, 2013|accessdate = September 26, 2013|first = Brian|last = Mansfield}}{{cite web|url = http://www.americansongwriter.com/2013/08/song-premiere-gungor-wayward-torn/|title = Song Premiere: Gungor, "Wayward & Torn"|publisher = American Songwriter|date = August 26, 2013|accessdate = January 21, 2014}}

Though Gungor's music is filled with Christian themes, the band has attempted to distance itself from being labeled simply a "Christian" band due to the problematic way the term may be used.{{cite web|url=http://gungormusic.com/#!/2011/11/zombies-wine-and-christian-music/|title=Gungor|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}{{cite web|url = http://www.faithvillage.com/article/c6e41a44b9e245c3a35967f0bcb02953/gungor_talks_with_faithvillage|title = Gungor Talks With FaithVillage - FaithVillage | MOVE YOUR FAITH HERE|publisher = FaithVillage|date = May 14, 2012|accessdate = January 21, 2014|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://archive.today/20131008185111/http://www.faithvillage.com/article/c6e41a44b9e245c3a35967f0bcb02953/gungor_talks_with_faithvillage|archivedate = October 8, 2013|df = mdy-all}} Michael refers to Gungor as a collective because at any given time the group is composed of 3-10 members. He and his wife believe that their music transcends one genre.{{cite web|last = Puga|first = Kristina|url = http://nbclatino.com/2013/11/08/gungor-label-less-in-music-and-life/|title = Grammy-nominated Gungor, label-less in music and life|publisher = Nbclatino.com|accessdate = January 21, 2014|archive-date = January 17, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140117055646/http://nbclatino.com/2013/11/08/gungor-label-less-in-music-and-life/|url-status = dead}}{{cite web|url = http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-28870-music_gungor.html|title = Music: Gungor|publisher = Citybeat.com|date = October 22, 2013|accessdate = January 21, 2014}} Gungor write songs that are a mix of indie rock, post rock, progressive rock, soft rock and more. If asked, Michael describes his song style as "alternative, folk, textured and experimental."{{cite web|url = http://www.cincygroove.com/?p=26768|title = Alt-Folk Collective Gungor Launches 60+ City Headlining Tour Oct. 24 at The Madison Theater|publisher = Cincy Groove|date = October 9, 2013|accessdate = January 21, 2014}} They performed at SXSW 2014.{{cite web |url = http://sxsw.com/|title = SXSW 2014|publisher = SXSW LLC|accessdate = March 7, 2014}}

In 2015, Gungor embarked on their most ambitious creative project thus far: One Wild Life. The band released three full-length albums—Soul, Spirit and Body—in a span of a year. One Wild Life: Soul began the trilogy on August 7, 2015. While each record carries a distinct vibe, the album series presents a body of work which celebrates the adventure and challenges faced by Michael and Lisa Gungor since the release of their previous album "I Am Mountain".{{Citation|title = One Wild Life Soul|url = http://www.gungormusic.com/onewildlife/|accessdate = August 26, 2015}} One Wild Life: Soul charted on multiple Billboard charts the first week of release, including Billboard 200.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/303246/Gungor/chart?f=305|title=Gungor - Chart history - Billboard|magazine=Billboard|publisher=|accessdate=July 16, 2016}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/303246/Gungor/chart?f=794|title=Gungor - Chart history - Billboard|magazine=Billboard|publisher=|accessdate=July 16, 2016}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/303246/Gungor/chart?f=310|title=Gungor - Chart history - Billboard|magazine=Billboard|publisher=|accessdate=July 16, 2016}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/303246/Gungor/chart?f=326|title=Gungor - Chart history - Billboard|magazine=Billboard|publisher=|accessdate=July 16, 2016}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/303246/Gungor/chart?f=408|title=Gungor - Chart history - Billboard|magazine=Billboard|publisher=|accessdate=July 16, 2016}} On One Wild Life: Soul, Michael and Lisa wrote a song dedicated to Lucie,{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_uioQqW8ac |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/A_uioQqW8ac |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=Light - Gungor [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]|date=July 14, 2015|work=YouTube|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}{{cbignore}} their youngest daughter, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.{{cite web|title = Gungor Music Blog|url = http://gungormusic.com/2014/05/lucette/|website = Gungormusic.com|accessdate = November 9, 2014|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20141110002302/http://gungormusic.com/2014/05/lucette/|archivedate = November 10, 2014|df = mdy-all}}

On April 26, 2018, Gungor announced on the band's official Facebook page that they were going to address the "multiple personality thing going on within its musical stylings" by bringing Gungor back to its roots in "the progressive spiritual space, and finding different homes for some of the other music that we’ve tried unsuccessfully to fundamentally change the Gungor brand with". This was accompanied by the removal of I Am Mountain and One Wild Life series from online stores and streaming services, the latter being replaced by a 90-minute "director's cut" of the three albums. Michael and Lisa also announced an upcoming solo album each in the post.

On February 1, 2019, the band announced that their upcoming "End of the World" Tour would be "Gungor's farewell tour". While Michael and Lisa continue to make music, future projects would no longer be recorded under the Gungor band name.{{cite web |last1=Gungor |first1=Michael |title=The End |url=http://www.gungormusic.com/blog/2019/1/the-end |website=Gungor |accessdate=February 20, 2019 |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220181604/http://www.gungormusic.com/blog/2019/1/the-end |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Gungor Is Ending: 'It's Time For Something New' |url=https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/gungor-is-ending-its-time-for-something-new/ |website=RELEVANT Magazine |accessdate=February 20, 2019 |date=February 1, 2019}} On March 1, 2019, the band released Archives, an album intended to wind down the project. Archives is composed of previously unreleased material as well as re-released material.{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BueKv1VDYas/|title=Gungor on Instagram: "NEW ALBUM out now! With this being the close of our journey as "Gungor," we decided to clean out the hard drives and release a bunch of…"|website=Instagram|language=en|access-date=2019-03-06}}

Beginning in 2021 the group began releasing singles, including collaborations and original songs and announced they were releasing an album which they described as attempt to make "worship music again that would be enjoyable for people who might not fit the traditional religious boxes".{{Cite web|title = Gungor Announces New Music: ‘Worship for the Heretics’|website = Church Leaders|url = https://churchleaders.com/news/408040-gungor-worship-for-heretics.html/2|accessdate = December 19, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817033116/https://churchleaders.com/news/408040-gungor-worship-for-heretics.html/2|archivedate=August 17, 2022}} In February 2022 they released an EP of covers Praise. In November 2022 they released Love Song to Life their first studio album since 2016.

• Independent Music Awards 2013: A Creation Liturgy (Live) - Best Live Performance Album[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/2013/12th-annual-independent-music-awards-winners-announced "12th Annual Independent Music Awards Winners Announced!"] Independent Music Awards, June 11, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.

== See also ==

• Kevin Olusola who performed on several tours with the band

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• {{Official website|http://www.gungormusic.com/}}
• [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gungor-mn0002379647/ Gungor] at AllMusic
• [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-michael-gungor-band-mn0000997434 The Michael Gungor Band] at AllMusic

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Category:American musical duos

Category:Musical groups established in 2006