There are plenty of influences at work in the Alternative Christian Rock of NeedToBreathe, and not all of them are musical. Brothers Bear and Nathaniel Bryant “Bo” Rinehart (named after the legendary Alabama coach) are the sons of an Assembly of God pastor and his piano teacher wife, and products of their upbringing in tiny and isolated Possum Kingdom, S.C.
The brothers were playing instruments by the time they enrolled in college. Bear was a standout wide receiver at Furman University, where he played in a duo with drummer Joe Stillwell, while Bo was an architecture major at Clemson, where he met recording engineering student/bassist Seth Bolt. The foursome coalesced as NeedToBreathe in 1999 and used its free time to record and tour, attracting a sizable fan base and selling over 15,000 copies of their self-released EPs along the way.
NeedToBreathe play Madison Theater Friday. Go here to read Brian Baker’s full Sound Advice recommendation.
This article appears in Oct 20-26, 2010.
