In an official statement released Thursday, the band--which now consists of singer-songwriter Emily Fertig and her husband, guitarist Nathan Fertig--said that a series of events and a sense of "changing seasons" has led to the band's conclusion.
The farewell statement shared how they faced difficulty and tremendous hardship since the beginning of 2015, when the Fertigs quit their jobs and moved from Ohio to Nashville--with the band's lead singer suffering from ongoing health issues and the young married couple enduring financial hardship.
"Leaps don't usually come with cotton candy clouds at the bottom," the statement reads, "but we did find the bottom."
They called the release of the 2015 Only You EP "a spot of sunshine in a dark year," and said the David Thulin-produced record had "some of our proudest musical moments on it."
Eventually, things began to turn around. While not perfect, Emily's health started to improve, and creative work began coming in for Nathan--a designer by trade. As the tide began to turn, the Fertigs started sensing the seasons change for their band.
"After a year of holding on so tightly, we so clearly and gently heard the Lord saying to let go," the band's statement reads. "We don't really know what's coming but we know that this chapter is now giving way to the next."
In just a few years, SHINEBRIGHT--formerly known as Shine Bright Baby--went from being a garage band formed by youth group worship leaders to being dubbed "Ohio's New Kids of Rock." Before being signed to BEC Recordings in 2012, they'd released three independent EPs: Brace Yourself (2008), The Heart and its Hope (2009) and Fall 2010 Sampler.
They were discovered by Tooth & Nail/BEC Recordings while performing at Alive Festival in 2009, and once signed to BEC, they released their debut studio album, Dreamers (2013), where their song "Beautiful Love" had moderate radio success. The title track from 2015's Only You EP also saw moderate success at radio, and that project was nominated for EP of the Year in the 4th Annual WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS.
During their tenure as a band, fans saw a musical metamorphosis that saw Shine Bright Baby transform from a pop/punk rock band to an adult contemporary rock and, and then once more to an electronically flavored pop group called SHINEBRIGHT.
Although SHINEBRIGHT is done as a band, they look back on the experience with gratitude, and said they believe "the Lord has already made this a building block for the rest of our triumphant story."
The band will close this chapter of their lives with a farewell event on Saturday, November 19 at Orrville Christian Church in their hometown of Orrville, Ohio--playing stripped-down renditions of their songs and sharing memories with longtime fans.
The band asks for prayers and love as they seek out what the Lord has for them in the new season.
