Robin Parrish – CMCentral

Gotee recording artist Relient K will launch their first headline tour this fall, on the heels of debuting the lead single from Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie. The Back to the Few Tour, will also feature Bleach, Philmore, and new Tooth & Nail signee Holland.

The 40+ city tour, which will hit key markets including Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Boston, is taking a diverse approach to venues, with performances scheduled in every outlet possible, from high schools and auditoriums, to clubs and churches.

“We hesitate to headline a band on their second record, but Relient K’s growth is undeniable,” commented Steve Thomas, of Alabaster Arts. “Gotee and Jeff Risden are making good decisions, and the climate is perfect for this type of band to take a leading role.”

In addition to the tour, Relient K has recorded a single for the upcoming film, Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie, which releases in theaters nationwide October 4, and the single will be sold at retail beginning in August. The song, produced by industry veteran Steve Taylor, is a rendition of the Veggie classic, “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.” The single will be supported by Gotee Records through a summer-long campaign which also aims to support the fall tour.

In addition to the for-purchase CD single, and servicing CHR and Rock radio in late July with “Pirates,” 60-second spots were created to advertise through the Radio U and Z-Jam networks. The spots showcase the single and also promote the both the fall launch of the film and the Back to the Few Tour.

Always one to support products on the internet, Gotee has placed a banner on gotee.com regarding the single and the movie where browsers will be able to view a trailer of the movie. Gotee is also using their HTML email template to design an email plugging the single and the movie, which will have a clip of the song as well as a link to relientk.com and the Jonah site. The email announces a contest, where the top 10 contestants who forward the email to the most addresses will win the tickets to see the film.

In addition to advertising in festival papers, Gotee will actually hit all the summer festivals with CD Single giveaways at Atlantafest, Alive, and Creation East, where Gotee street-teamers and staff will pass out 5,000 copies of the single. In addition, “Pirates” will be featured at listening stations in the Gotee Booth with a graphic advertising the single and the movie.

“Relient K and Steve Taylor did a great job on the ‘Pirates’ song,” commented Ben Howard, Big Idea’s VP of Music and Strategic Partnerships. “A classic song performed by a hot band, combined with the energy of Gotee Records, supporting a movie that we believe will be huge — all the ingredients are here for a blockbuster promotion and campaign that will create momentum for both Jonah and Relient K.”

In addition to main stage performances at Atlantafest, Creation East and West, Kingdom Bound, Cornerstone, and more, Relient K also played two major U.S. mainstream music festivals this past spring, including the fabulously fun and famous Skate ‘n’ Surf Festival in Asbury Park, NJ.

For more information about the Back to the Few Tour, the Jonah movie, or the “Pirates” single, please visit: www.relientk.com, www.gotee.com, or www.alabaster.com.