PLUS ONE

"Guys with good voices are one thing," says Plus One's Nathan Walters. "But chemistry that's another story. Plus One works because we are not just five guys singing next to each other. We've worked our socks off to really connect, to click as a unit."

"Exactly," adds his vocal comrade Nate Cole. "Our goal has been to become one great group. It's a path that has involved a lot of hard work and getting to know each other's voices, but when we're on stage and everything falls right into place, that's where it all pays off."

The Nashville-based vocal quintet - Walters, Cole, Jeremy Mhire, Jason Perry, and Gabe Combs - likewise found things falling right into place early this year as they completed sessions on "THE PROMISE," their debut album and the first joint venture from Atlantic Records' recently formed Christian Division with the celebrated 143 Records.

Recorded in locales from New Jersey to Los Angeles to San Francisco, Boston to Santa Monica and Nashville, "THE PROMISE" saw the quintet working in the studio with 143 chief David Foster. In addition to his keyboard contributions, the 14-time Grammy Award-winning producer helmed sessions for the rich, flamenco-flavored "God Is In This Place," the heartfelt, tender "The Promise,"and the stirring "My Friend," in addition to co-producing the soaring "Last Flight Out."

"These guys really hear each other, really listen to each other when they sing," says Foster, who signed the group to his 143 label nearly straight away after first introductions. "Individually, they're all incredibly talented, but they've learned that as vocalists, they're even better together. There's wisdom there."

Additional sessions found Plus One paired with such top studio talents as Rodney Jerkins (Whitney Houston, Brandy, Brian McKnight) & Harvey Mason, Jr. (son of the famed Fourplay drummer and solo artist), Buster & Shavoni (Kirk Franklin), Chris Farren (Deana Carter, Kevin Sharp), Reed Verteiney (Luther Vandross), noted solo artist and producer Robbie Nevil (Jessica Simpson), renowned producer/songwriter

Eric Foster White (Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Jessica Simpson), and accomplished songwriter Stephanie Lewis.

"I knew making this record would be hard work," says Combs. "As we got into this, we realized that what we were doing - what we had been called together to do - would take everything we had."

Throughout "THE PROMISE," the guys touch on topics of friendship, love, and their faith in God through such tracks as the dynamic, rhythmic "My Life," warm, melodic "Soul Tattoo," and the high-flying single, "Written On My Heart." The album also reveals the promise of a fast-emerging artistic collective with the songwriting contributions of Walters, Combs, and Cole on the cool, R&B fueled "Be."

The combination of elements proved their fortunateness straight away, with "THE PROMISE" debuting in May at #1 on the Soundscan Christian music chart, coming in with a new artist record sales tally, and at #76 on the Billboard 200. The single, "Written On My Heart," kept the success rolling with remarkable #1 runs at Christian CHR and AC outlets.

The summer of 2000 is already proving equally exceptional for the guys, with highlights including their previously unreleased contribution of "With All Your Heart" to Atlantic's Pokémon 2000 The Power of One soundtrack and a cameo on the ever-sudsy Days Of Our Lives.
Plus One began to take shape as early as 1998 when 18-year-old Sacramento, California-boy Nate Cole was joined by 20-year-old Gabe Combs of Pittsburgh, California; 22-year-old Nathan Walters of Lakeland, Florida; and the 19-year-old Jeremy Mhire, who had been engrossed in vocal studies as a junior on full scholarship to Southwest Missouri State University. In a pattern of chance and happy accidents, suggesting a bit of destiny at play, Cole and Combs had know each other from mutual music circles while growing up in Northern California and Nathan had initially heard about the new group through an acquaintance of Nate's. The group came to complete fruition with the arrival of Jason, who, up to that moment, had been focusing on his role as starting fullback and defensive end for his high school football team. The youngest member of the team, Perry celebrated his 18th birthday on June 1st and graduated as a member of the Class of 2000 in Madison, Indiana on June 4th.

"In some ways we're very different," explains Mhire, "but it's our differences that make us interesting - as friends and as a group. I'm learning how we each bring something unique to everything we do, and that it's the ways we differ that allow us to become something truly special."

By June of 1999, the guys were living together in a crowded San Francisco apartment, so tight in fact, that Gabe was forced to sleep in a walk-in closet. Among the many positives that emerged from the spontaneous bonding that came in the wake of their Real World-styled homemaking was the discovery that Jason makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich. Earlier this year, Plus One launched a North American promotional tour with a performance at Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a trek that included an array of in-store appearances and a concert at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. After initially gathering to start recording in San Francisco last year, the guys began volunteering at the St. Joseph's Village, a shelter for homeless families. Their dedication to service continued last fall when Plus One forged an ongoing partnership with Habitat for Humanity by participating in a week-long, 20-house building blitz in historic Selma, Alabama, where they worked side-by-side with veterans of that city's civil rights movement.

"That experience put some things in perspective for us," says Nate. "Seeing that kind of need right here in America and being able to make a personal contribution experiencing how we could help-that was amazing."

"Working next to people who worked with Dr. King, people who sacrificed so much it was overwhelming," adds Gabe.

"That's really what Plus One is about," adds Nate. "The 'One' in our name is about more than just us, more than anyone we've worked with. It's about the fact that we're never alone. We have each other and we have God. Anyone who takes a look at anything we do, be it our music or the way we live or lives, can understand what that's all about. And I'm so happy to be able to share this experience with these guys."