Christian act
the Gray Havens merge earthy indie folk with lush elements of pop/rock and strong faith-based narratives. Since debuting in 2013, the husband-and-wife duo
Dave and Licia Radford have developed a reputation for soaring, emotional arrangements on albums like
Fire and Stone,
Ghost of a King, She Waits, and Blue Flower.
The two singers met during a mission trip to British Columbia and married in 2012. Then based out of Crystal Lake, Illinois, they began recording together as
the Gray Havens later that year, releasing their first EP,
Where Eyes Don't Go, in early 2013. Following a move to Nashville, they worked with producer
Mitch Dane (
JJ Heller,
Brandon Heath) to record their ambitious full-length debut,
Fire and Stone, in 2015. The dramatic arrangements and large-scale production also featured guest appearances from
Jars of Clay member
Stephen Mason and Tyler Somers of the duo
Jenny & Tyler.
The Gray Havens' 2016 follow-up,
Ghost of a King, followed a similar trajectory and yielded a live companion album, Ghost of a King (Live), a year later. In 2018, the duo began to release a series of new singles, including the bright synth rock ballad "Forever" and the more acoustic "Storehouse," both of which appeared on the full-length She Waits. In 2021, they issued their fourth long-player, Blue Flower, which was inspired by the life of British writer and theologian C.S. Lewis. ~ Timothy Monger