Christian rock band Altira is quickly making an impact with their debut single, “Black Hole,” and their upcoming EP, Death of Fear. Featuring former Fireflight vocalist Dawn Michele alongside Ash Blair and Gina Osmar, the band was formed by a shared calling to confront fear, division, and hopelessness through faith-driven rock music. In a conversation with Bradden Ford of NewReleaseToday, the trio opens up about how Altira came together, the meaning behind their name, the emotional heart of “Black Hole,” and their passion for encouraging people who feel unseen or overwhelmed.
For those who may not know Altira yet, how did the band come together?
Dawn: I sing in Fireflight, and around 2020, things got crazy. We had been a band for 20 years by then, and we decided it was probably time to stop touring. So I hadn’t really been performing or touring for several years. But over the last couple of years, God started opening doors again for me to write and create music. For a while, it felt like I kept running into walls, like I couldn’t move the project forward. Then, over the last five or six months, everything suddenly started falling into place in these very “God” ways.
Someone encouraged me and said, “You don’t have to do this alone—you could start another band.” I had honestly never thought about that before, but once I did, I loved the idea.
Ash and I had connected years ago online. She had reached out asking for advice as an up-and-coming female artist, and I remembered her. Later, when I started thinking about doing music again, I checked in on her and saw she was doing great. We started talking, and I realized God was opening a door.
At that point, I knew I wanted this to be a female-driven band—to give more representation to young girls in the rock world. Then I started looking for a drummer. I literally searched “Nashville female drummer” on Instagram, and Gina was one of the first people I found. I could tell immediately that she loved God and had a heart for ministry. We met for coffee, and everything just clicked. That’s really how Altira was born.
What does the name “Altira” mean?
Dawn: The whole purpose behind this band is to fight fear. Ever since 2020, I feel like fear has been in the driver’s seat for so many people’s lives.
Finding a band name was honestly difficult because every good band name is already taken. Fireflight was basically a made-up word 26 years ago, and now it feels like every possible name already exists.
I started looking into the phrase “fear not.” First, I looked it up in Latin, but it was complicated. Then my benefactor texted me and asked, “Did you look it up in Hebrew?” In Hebrew, “fear not” is Altira. The moment I saw it, I knew that was the name.
Why does Christian rock connect so deeply with each of you?
Ash: I love that the focus is God while still being able to rock out and magnify the name of Jesus. That’s what makes Christian rock so powerful to me. I had specifically been praying for an opportunity in Christian rock, and honestly, I’m a huge Fireflight fan. I’m still pinching myself every day that I get to do this. I’m just thankful.
Your debut single, “Black Hole,” has already made a huge impact. What inspired the song?
Dawn: I’ve always written songs from places of struggle and honesty. Life has a lot of ups and downs, and that naturally comes out in my writing.
Lately, I’ve been looking around and seeing more darkness than ever before. Maybe it was always there, and I’m just seeing it more clearly now, but these are hard times. There’s so much division—inside and outside the church, between people of different backgrounds, between men and women, races, political viewpoints—everywhere.
I think the pandemic deeply affected all of us. The whole world went through this collective trauma where people didn’t know what was going to happen. Many of us lost friends and family members. That kind of fear changes people.
I think we’re all grieving in some way, and when people are afraid, fear often shows up as anger, denial, or a need for control. It feels like everyone is boiling over right now.
“Black Hole” is really a cry to God from that place. It’s for people who feel unseen or abandoned—people who feel like everyone around them has checked out because their struggle has lasted too long.
Sometimes people say, “I’ll pray for you,” but they don’t really want to carry your burden with you. This song is for the people who feel like they’re on the outside looking in.
At its heart, the song is about knowing that God doesn’t give up on us. He sees right through all the darkness and still loves us unconditionally. He’s the one who pulls us back from the edge when we feel like we’re about to disappear.
Your upcoming EP is titled Death of Fear. What can listeners expect from the project?
Dawn: We recently finished filming the music video for the title track. We’re really excited about it.
We’re releasing one song every four weeks until all four songs are out and the EP is complete. The next single is another big one, and we can’t wait for people to hear it. We’re also working on touring plans and hoping to play festivals and build out a fall tour. More than anything, though, we just want to stay open to whatever God has for us. Honestly, I never expected to start touring again. But it became impossible to ignore that God was doing something.
I have a huge burden right now for the church—especially in the United States. I think so many people feel isolated, angry, and afraid. I want to see believers become the hands and feet of Jesus again.
The Bible says God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. If we’re operating out of fear, we’re not walking in what God has for us. The goal of this band is to help people encounter God, lay down fear, and learn how to love each other again.
You recently toured with rock veterans Seventh Day Slumber. What has that experience been like?
Gina: This is both mine and Ash’s first bus tour like this, and it’s honestly been such a blessing. Being in close quarters with everyone could be overwhelming, but they’ve been amazing to us from the very beginning. Everything has flowed so naturally.
I loved performing our set because it feels like worship to me. But then going out afterward and experiencing their set as a fan has been incredibly emotional, too.
We’ve already formed such genuine friendships with them. It’s been such a meaningful experience.
How can people be praying for Altira in this season?
Gina: I’d love prayer not just for our opportunities, but for people who are struggling right now. I feel incredibly blessed by what God has placed in my life, and I want these opportunities to become a blessing to others, too.
Ash: Pray for safety as we travel and for God to reach the people He wants to reach through these shows. This is ministry first and foremost.
Dawn: I’d ask for prayer for God’s provision and guidance—that He would continue opening doors and moving through every performance. I also pray that God would help all of us see each other the way He sees us. That we would see ourselves and our neighbors through His eyes and truly become the hands and feet of Jesus.
Bradden Ford is a Christian music enthusiast responsible for managing NewReleaseToday's new release database of artists and albums. He resides just outside Nashville, Tennessee. Some text in this article was generated by ChatGPT.
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