Understanding What We've Grown to Be

Understanding What We've Grown to Be was recorded during two sessions, the first being from February 16 through March 10, 2011, and the second being from May 16 through June 23, 2011. On June 22, the first single "Mis//Understanding" surfaced through Equal Vision' official YouTube channel.{{Cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/in_the_studio_exclusive_news_we_came_as_romans|title = In the Studio/Exclusive News: We Came as Romans| website=Alternative Press |date = 22 June 2011}} A day later, the title track was also released for free listening. "Mis//Understanding" was released as an official single on iTunes on July 5, 2011, which included "Understanding What We've Grown To Be" as a bonus track.{{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/mis-understanding-single/493442695|title = Mis/Understanding - Single by We Came as Romans|publisher=Apple Music|access-date=May 16, 2021}} On July 14, 2011, the album's cover art was released via puzzle on the band's homepage.[http://wecameasromans.com/reveal/] {{cite web |title=WeCameAsRomans.com |url=http://wecameasromans.com/reveal/ |access-date=2011-07-15 |publisher=Wecameasromans.com}} By August 2011, the record's production was completed and distribution began shortly. On August 22, 2011, the length of each song was announced.

According to Equal Vision, "musically and lyrically, Understanding What We've Grown to Be holds a much darker tone than their previous release, To Plant a Seed. While still maintaining the band’s overall theme of positivity and brotherhood, the new material takes on a more straightforward approach to life’s struggles and the challenges of growing up."[http://wecameasromans.com/]{{cite web |title=WeCameAsRomans.com |url=http://wecameasromans.com/ |access-date=2011-07-15 |publisher=Wecameasromans.com}}

The lyrics follow a sort of 'dark to light' theme as the album goes on. "We, as a band, discovered a lot of negativity in our lifestyle that we hadn't truly realized or noticed in the past and this CD is a lot about dealing with that and coping when things turn out the opposite of how you'd imagined they would."{{cite web|url=https://noisecreep.com/we-came-as-romans-tour-and-album-art/|title=We Came As Romans Announce Headlining Tour, Reveal Album Cover|website=Noisecreep|last=Ramirez|first=Carlos|date=July 15, 2011|access-date=May 16, 2021}}

"Mis//Understanding" was officially released, exclusively by ArtistDirect.com as the album's first music video on November 11, 2011.[http://www.artistdirect.com/]{{cite web |title=artistdirect.com |url=http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/we-came-as-romans-exclusively-premiere-mis-understanding-music-video-on-artistdirect-com/9745595 |access-date=2011-11-11 |publisher=artistdirect.com}} It is the first of a three part series of music videos for songs off of this album. The videos were filmed in Brooklyn, NY in September, with director Travis Kopach.[http://www.equalvision.com/]{{cite web |title=equalvision.com |url=http://equalvision.com/news/show/709 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118084321/http://equalvision.com/news/show/709 |archive-date=2011-11-18 |access-date=2011-11-11 |publisher=equalvision.com}} According to guitarist Joshua Moore, "We actually filmed three music videos. The story you see is actually part one of three. As time goes, we'll release another video and then follow it with the final video. You see this guy running through the woods. There are scenes of him covered in mud, dirt, and grime. He's even running from himself. That's all going on in his mind. He's running away from the darkness that he sees. He's trying to break away and break out from that. It goes along with the lyrics of the song—not understanding a lot of the things that happen and the negativity that seems mindless. There's no reason for it. Towards the end of the song, Dave [Stephens] says, 'Don't give up on me. Take comfort in me.' The song is ultimately about figuring out how to fix things within yourself and be happy. That's where it all starts. More or less, the video is the artistic way of expressing that."[http://www.artistdirect.com/]{{cite web |title=artistdirect.com |url=http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/we-came-as-romans-talks-mis-understanding-the-count-of-monte-cristo-and-understanding-what-we-ve-grown-to-be/9745596 |access-date=2011-11-11 |publisher=artistdirect.com}}

The album's cover painting was done by Paul Romano, who also created the cover of We Came as Romans' debut full-length album, To Plant a Seed and features the same faceless boy from before. Guitarist/lyricist Joshua Moore and bassist Andrew Glass worked together to come up with the visual concept for the cover and then collaborated with Romano to bring the powerful imagery to life. Moore explains that the idea for the piece was developed long before the album was even completed stating, "We knew going into everything what the direction of the CD was going to be, the whole concept behind it and how we wanted to be portrayed as a band."

All songs written by Joshua Moore and David Stephens.

{{Track listing

| title1 = Mis//Understanding

| length1 = 3:57

| title2 = Everything as Planned

| length2 = 3:39

| title3 = What I Wished I Never Had

| length3 = 4:01

| title4 = Cast the First Stone

| length4 = 3:35

| title5 = The Way That We Have Been

| length5 = 3:44

| title6 = A War Inside

| length6 = 5:21

| title7 = Stay Inspired

| length7 = 3:34

| title8 = Just Keep Breathing

| length8 = 4:00

| title9 = Views That Never Cease, to Keep Me from Myself

| length9 = 3:48

| title10 = What My Heart Held

| length10 = 4:06

| title11 = I Can't Make Your Decisions for You

| length11 = 3:43

| title12 = Understanding What We've Grown to Be

| length12 = 4:15

| total_length = 47:43

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = European bonus track

| title13 = Roads That Don't End and Views That Never Cease

| note13 = live

| length13 = 3:55

| total_length = 51:38

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Japan bonus track

| title13 = Intentions

| note13 = live

| length13 = 3:06

| total_length = 50:49

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Deluxe edition

| title1 = Hope

| length1 = 4:10

| title2 = The King of Silence

| length2 = 4:36

| title3 = Let These Words Last Forever

| length3 = 3:42

| title4 = Mis//Understanding

| length4 = 3:57

| title5 = Everything as Planned

| length5 = 3:39

| title6 = What I Wished I Never Had

| length6 = 4:01

| title7 = Cast the First Stone

| length7 = 3:35

| title8 = The Way That We Have Been

| length8 = 3:44

| title9 = A War Inside

| length9 = 5:21

| title10 = Stay Inspired

| length10 = 3:34

| title11 = Just Keep Breathing

| length11 = 4:00

| title12 = Views That Never Cease, to Keep Me from Myself

| length12 = 3:48

| title13 = What My Heart Held

| length13 = 4:06

| title14 = I Can't Make Your Decisions for You

| length14 = 3:43

| title15 = Understanding What We've Grown to Be

| length15 = 4:15

| total_length = 59:46

}}

We Came as Romans

• Dave Stephens – unclean vocals
• Kyle Pavone – clean vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizer
• Joshua Moore – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Lou Cotton – rhythm guitar
• Andy Glass – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Eric Choi – drums

Additional personnel

• Josh Wells of Close to Home – additional vocals on tracks 1 and 12
• Programming and additional keyboards by Joey Sturgis

Production{{Cite web|url=http://allmusic.com/album/understanding-what-weve-grown-to-be-r2249892/credits|title=Understanding What We've Grown to be - We Came as Romans {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|publisher=AllMusic}}

• Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Joey Sturgis
• Art concept by Joshua Moore and Andrew Glass
• Artwork and design by Paul Romano
• John Feldmann – production, mixing (deluxe edition)
• Machine – production (deluxe edition)
• Alberto de Icaza – engineering, editing (deluxe edition)
• Zakk Cervini – additional production, editing (deluxe edition)

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{{We Came as Romans}}

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Category:2011 albums

Category:Equal Vision Records albums

Category:Nuclear Blast albums

Category:We Came as Romans albums

Category:Albums produced by Joey Sturgis