| Alias | Nations |
|---|---|
| Origin | Portland, Oregon |
| Genre | CCM, Christian rock |
| Years active | 2007–2014 |
| Label | Sparrow |
| Current members | Michael Watson Tim Aylward Brook Mosser |
Above the Golden State, also known as Nations, was an American Christian rock band from Portland, Oregon.[1] Their self-titled debut album, Above the Golden State, was released on July 22, 2008[2] through Sparrow Records. The band's first single from the album was "Sound of Your Name",[1] which was included in WOW Hits 2009 as a bonus track. An extended play titled The Golden Rule was released on January 1, 2010, with lead single "I Am Loved". On April 3, 2012, the band released a new EP titled Word's Don't Act, reflecting the name of its first track.
The band changed their name to Nations. They began fundraising for a second album, titled Nations, which would be released on August 27, 2013.[3]
In 2018, frontman Michael Hughes Watson began his solo music career.[4]
Musical style
Above the Golden State has been described as being indie rock and Christian, but Above the Golden State self-describe their music as "west coast rock, pop." Lead singer Michael Watson said "we're doing our best not to call it surf rock—basically, it's that with a touch of the rainy northwest." The band has said that they are fans of all musical styles, and have been influenced by Weezer, Five Iron Frenzy and Delirious?, as well as the Beatles and Duke Ellington.[5]
Members
- Michael Watson – lead vocals, guitar
- Tim Aylward
- Brook Mosser
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ | US Heat | ||||||||||||
| Above the Golden State |
| 28 | 40 | ||||||||||
| Nations |
| — | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ | |||||||||||
| The Golden Rule |
| — | |||||||||
| Words Don't Act |
| — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ | |||||||||
| "Sound of Your Name" | 2008 | 11 | Above the Golden State | ||||||
| "I'll Love You So" | 2009 | 22 | |||||||
| "Under the Mercy" | — | ||||||||
| "I'll Love You So" | 2010 | 29 | The Golden Rule | ||||||
| "Love You More" | 2013 | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
References
- ^ "Above the Golden State – Above the Golden State". Christianity Today. Archived August 2, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ "Discography – Above the Golden State". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ ""New" band Nations - Jesus Freak Hideout". Retrieved May 18, 2014.
- ^ Underdown, John (2019-07-01). "An Interview with Michael Hughes Watson". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Above The Golden State Readies Debut Release". BREATHEcast.com. June 3, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2008.