Unspoken

“Many days I wake up and remember who I was and the life that I was living, and I thank God that I now live in grace, peace and forgiveness,” says Chad Mattson, lead singer of new Centricity Music band, Unspoken. As an athlete playing basketball, he stayed away from drugs and alcohol and acted as the designated driver for his friends. But Mattson recalls 1 Corinthians 15:33, Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character,” and admits that over time he became involved in a scene that did not mesh with his convictions. “I would wait until after Thursday night Bible study to get high so that I would have a clear mind for the Lord,” he says. “I believed in God and I knew that I wanted God, but I still found myself stuck in this environment.” After two and a half years, Chad reached a point in his addiction where he knew he had to get away and rediscover his relationship with God. His brother suggested a mission trip to the Dominican Republic; it was the exit Mattson knew he needed. He raised the money, asking clients of his lawn care business for donations and receiving help from surprising places, including the Buddhist that bought his plane ticket for the trip. Chad boarded the plane and flew to the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican, he shoveled dirt, helped build churches and returned to his relationship with God. “I started reading my Bible and praying every day,” he says. “Yes, church attendance and youth conventions are good things but I discovered that there is no substitute for spending time with God and building my relationship with Him. I realized that discipline brings the most satisfaction and the most fruit.” He was freed from the shackles of addiction so he celebrates his recovery each year on February 4th. While on the trip, he met Dominican guitarist Mike Gomez and the two began to play and write songs together. Meanwhile back home, Chad’s brother entered him in a talent competition and scraping together what they had, along with the generosity of a local church, Mattson and Gomez arrived in Nashville for the competition. They did not win but the event marked a pivotal moment in the band’s history. Mike moved to Chad’s hometown in Maine; they bought a 1994 Fleetwood Cadillac from Chad’s grandparents and began touring as Unspoken. The two played anywhere they could in the Northeast: churches, subway stations, bars, nursing homes, wherever. After two years they added Chad’s friend from home, multi-talented bass player Jon Lowry, and the highly acclaimed drummer Ariel Munoz, who hails from Puerto Rico. Since then, in the past seven years, the band has been consistently on the road and has shared the stage with such high-profile artists as; Third Day, Casting Crowns, TobyMac and Pillar. experienced firsthand in the Dominican Republic, Unspoken feels called to awaken the Church to rediscover their personal relationship with Jesus. “Growing up in church myself, as a pastor’s kid, I became complacent to the power of the Gospel,” says Lowry. “Christians often view the Gospel as a runway: useful only for the initial take- off as a Christian and for final landing in heaven. But really, the Gospel is more like jet fuel – we need it to get off the ground but we also need it throughout the flight. I get so excited when I think about our audience, the Christians in the church, and about waking them up to the daily power of the Gospel.” Each song on Get To Me reveals the heart of Unspoken, offering a melody and lyric to the person reconnecting with God. The first radio single, “Who You Are,” is a reminder that one’s past does not have to dictate one’s future, and the title track explores the lengths that God takes to get someone’s attention. Crowd favorite, “Run To You,” and “You’ve Got Love For Me,” express the joy that comes in knowing God’s love is ever present. Sharing this music and message in venues around the country, Unspoken also takes time to minister with Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step recovery program based on Christian principles that was founded in 1991 by Pastor John Baker and Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. On any given day, there are Celebrate Recovery groups meeting across the country. So while on the road, Unspoken has decided to share its music and Chad’s story of recovery with such groups everywhere opportunities are available. “In the early days of the band, God reminded me that there are thousands of singers better than me and thousands of guitar players better than Mike, but He chose us to do this for Him. We have been chosen to bring a message to the Church…wake up, find your contentment and satisfaction in Him, hang out with Him, and have a real relationship with Him,” says Chad. “Yes, we love music and we love people but more than anything we want to see people reach their full potential in Jesus.”