Formed in 2006 under the name Breaking the Silence, The Letter Black has already built a strong established fan-base by opening for Skillet on multiple dates, and there are no plans to slow down as they get ready to play at major festivals this summer. After an impressive streak of 150 shows a year, this Uniontown, Pennsylvania-based band is sure to bring a major amount of attention on Tooth & Nail Records, their new label home that is releasing their national debut, Hanging On By A Thread.

With the name change, renewed focus and expanded national platform, The Letter Black is poised to become a rock staple in the Christian music scene.

NewReleaseTuesday.com's Senior Editor Angel sat down with lead singer Sarah Anthony to get her perspective on how her own past--filled with doubt, darkness and despair--has not only shaped her into a powerful woman of God, but has also directly influenced the band's entire message found through their latest release, Hanging On By A Thread.

Hi, Sarah. Thank you for joining us here at NewReleaseTuesday.com. Let’s kick things off by talking about your full-length debut Hanging On By A Thread. What’s the story behind the title track?

When we wrote “Hanging On By A Thread,” we felt that a lot of people would connect to the lyrics because all of us will go through different stages in our lives when we'll feel like we’re at our wits’ end. Maybe you’ve been struggling to overcome an enormous challenge that has caused you to feel overwhelmed or frustrated. Perhaps you’ve reached the point where you don’t even know if you can deal with the issues you’re facing, and you’re life has hit rock bottom. We wrote “Hanging On By A Thread” to send out a message of hope. No matter how dark things may seem, you just have to keep hanging on. Don’t ever lose faith!

In your bio you state: “A lot of our songs on this record talk about the past and how to move forward from it. The songs talk about hurts and things that we’ve been through, but they show that it’s possible to move on with your life, and it’s possible to live life without walls built up around your heart.” What experiences did you draw from when writing these songs?

When you’re a kid you don’t fully understand that people aren’t perfect and that they will make mistakes. Since my father was a pastor, I was able to see a number of things in the church that other people couldn’t see. So when certain people talked one way but acted another, I didn’t fully comprehend that they were only human, and I ended up despising the church.

Because I was deeply hurt by some of the things that had happened, I started cutting my wrists. Finally, when I got back on track with God, I drew from this experience to help people better understand why they should never let past hurts rule their lives. That’s what I had been doing—and it was just ruining my life!

How old were you when you started cutting yourself?

I started during the 8th grade, and this went on for about two years. Whenever my parents noticed the cuts, I’d lie and tell them that the cat had scratched me, but I always tried to cover it up.

Can you share with us how your past hurts affected your relationship with God?

I never once doubted His existence, but I had completely given up. I didn’t want to have anything to do with Him because I had mistakenly blamed God for the way some of the people in our church had acted. Looking back, I should have recognized that it was Satan who was attempting to twist and distort my thoughts, while simultaneously attacking other people in the church.

Even during the time I struggled with cutting, everyone else thought I was a great girl. I was one of those people who helped others out whenever I could; I was always sweet and polite. My parents raised me very well. But I had put on a front--and that’s all it was, it was only a front. Whenever I was alone, I would become very sad and depressed. I didn’t want to open up to anyone. And if I did, I'd only let you in an inch deep--but that’s all you got! I wouldn’t let anyone near my heart, especially God.


At what point did you rededicate your life to Jesus?

When I was 16, I started attending Friday night services geared for young adults. It’s ironic, but I ended up singing on the worship team. Even though I wasn’t at a place where I should’ve been spiritually, they still accepted and welcomed me.

Then one Friday night the pastor talked about the benefits of forgiving others and used this analogy during his sermon: “Imagine a dog chained to a bench,” he said. “Suddenly, the dog begins to panic and starts to run around frantically, but as the dog drags the bench behind him, he takes out everything in his path. That’s what will happen to you if you don’t forgive others. Not only will you mess up your future relationships, but you’ll also take out everything in your path."

The moment he said that, I thought, I don’t want to live my life like that, but as I looked back over the last few years, I realized that’s exactly what I had been doing. I had destroyed relationships—not literally—but in the sense that I’d never even given them a chance. Sadly, any of the relationships I did have, I’d often shut people out. I thought, This happened years and years ago, and there’s no reason why I should ever have to live this way. This is ridiculous! That night God really spoke to my heart. Finally, I went to Him in prayer and said: “Alright, God! You know what? Don’t leave me!” I just kept saying, “Don’t leave me!” over and over again, and ever since then, my life has been much better.

Did you draw inspiration from that experience when you wrote the song, "Moving On"?

Yes! That song means the most to me of all the tracks on this record. When people listen to "Moving On," I want them realize that there is absolutely no point in holding on to past hurts. So often, when someone has been deeply hurt, they tend to shut down and build walls around their heart, and that is exactly what I did. I want to get the message out that it is possible to live your life without walls built up around your heart. You just have to forgive others and move on with your life.

What advice would you give to someone who has seen a lot of hypocrisy in the church and feels a little disillusioned?

You need to remember that everyone is human and that everyone will make mistakes, including yourself. So the best thing you can do is to focus on yourself, instead of judging others. Keep in mind that even when you strive to do your best, you can still make mistakes, and that’s actually the idea behind the song “Best Of Me.” It’s our slow single off the new album. The lyrics talk about giving God your best—even though you’re not perfect. Deep down inside, you know that following Jesus is the right thing to do, so you should follow Him and give Him the best that you possibly can because He deserves your very best.

Why did you change your band’s name from Breaking the Silence to The Letter Black?

After being signed to Tooth and Nail Records, we went into the studio only to find out there was another band named Break The Silence, which officially disbanded in 2004. Even though they aren't a band anymore, they still owned the name legally. As we were searching for a new name, we came across an old Johnny Cash song called “The Letter Edged in Black,” and we thought that one was really cool. But since it’s a little long, we shortened it to The Letter Black--and we love it!

How did the band’s original lineup come together?

Before I rededicated my life to God, I met my husband, Mark Anthony, our guitar player--when he was 21 and I was 16--at our church. We were both helping out on the worship team at that time. After I rededicated my life in 2006, we started writing material for our first project, and that’s when we officially formed the band. Then, we recorded our debut album, Stand, from December 2006 through January 2007, as Breaking The Silence.

What are your aspirations as a band?

Our main goal is to reach the kids who would never step foot inside a church. I believe God has called us to go out and reach those people because if we don’t go to them, they’re not going to come to us. Somebody has to go out and do the dirty work, and we feel a strong calling on our lives--and as a band--to go into the places where no one else wants to go. I’m not going to lie, it gets rough sometimes. But if we don’t go, who will?

You’re right! I was one of those people who had never stepped foot inside of a church until after I saw Stryper play at a bar many years ago. Their music had such a profound impact on my life that I made a decision to follow Jesus. But back then they were often persecuted by other Christians for playing in bars.

P.O.D. got persecuted for that, too. It’s funny, but there are a lot of people in the church who don’t realize that just because we’re playing in a bar or at a secular venue, it doesn’t mean that we’re out partying or drinking. When we’re playing at a secular venue, we’re there to be a light in the darkness.

Didn’t Jesus say, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners”?

You’re exactly right. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17).


What has been one of the most memorable moments onstage for the band?

One of the coolest moments was during NAMM 2010, when we shared the stage with Hail! at an all-star charity benefit to raise money for the medical expenses of Deftones’ bassist Chi Cheng. The members of Hail! feature Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), and Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteen). There are talks about a possible run with them in the fall, and that would be cool!

On November 11, 2010, we’ll be performing on a music cruise called ShipRocked that will set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to the Bahamas, and Hail!, along with The Letter Black, will be part of the lineup. Anyone who wants more information about our upcoming shows can go to www.theletterblack.com or www.myspace.com/theletterblack.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a singer but often doubts herself? [A question submitted by livin4Jesus247 at the NRT forums.]

Never, ever doubt yourself! If you don’t believe in yourself, then no one else will believe in you. In fact, when I first started singing I was very shy and quiet, and I didn’t think I was any good--and that’s exactly what came across onstage. I’ve learned that if you don’t believe in yourself, then nobody else will believe in you. But if you do believe in yourself--and you believe with all your heart and really trust in your abilities--then that comes across in the way you stand, in the way you present yourself and how you belt it out onstage. So just believe in yourself and don’t ever doubt!

Can you share any stories from fans who have been impacted by your music?

We’ve received a lot of positive feedback, especially on MySpace and from people who’ve come up to us at our shows. A couple of months ago a girl admitted that she had struggled with cutting too, but when she picked up a copy of our CD and started listening to it, she was so encouraged by what she heard that she decided to stop cutting. She said she hasn’t cut herself in over a year. When I talked to her on MySpace, she said that sometimes she still felt like cutting and asked, “How do I continue to resist the urge to cut myself?” So I offered her advice about what she should do.

Another person was so disillusioned with life that he was determined to commit suicide one day. He doesn’t even know why, but when he put our CD, Stand, into his player, he heard a song called “Tonight,” which talks about suicide--and that’s when his life miraculously changed. Obviously, he never ended up killing himself, and that is absolutely amazing! I’m so glad God is using us.


I am too! I believe God has a very special plan for each of our lives, but it often takes time to unfold. However, in order to set His plan in motion, you have to live your life for Him. When you stop and think about it, if you hadn’t rededicated your life to God, He couldn’t have used you to help those people, and you wouldn’t even be in The Letter Black.

Exactly! And maybe the song “Tonight” never would have been written, and maybe this guy would have ended up committing suicide. And who knows what would’ve happened to his family and friends? In fact, I don’t think we realize how often our lives have impacted others. If you were able to see, from an outside point of view, the ripple effect your life has had on so many other people’s lives--even if you haven’t reached thousands of people a night onstage like I do--you still have had a greater impact on more people’s lives than you realize. That’s why you have to be careful how you live.

Sarah, thank you for sharing an incredibly powerful message, along with your story of redemption and restoration. Before we go, do you have any words of encouragement you would like to offer to someone who is in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation and feels like there’s no way out?

You need to remain strong in the face of adversity and realize that you can go on. It’s so important to push through the challenges that life presents and keep on going. Don’t ever give up! Just reach out to the people who love you and they will encourage you, and most of all, reach out to God because He is always there for you.