Ten Shekel Shirt

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Ten Shekel Shirt
Background information
Origin	New Haven, CT, USA
Genre(s)	Christian rock
Years active	2000—present
Label(s)	Vertical Music, INO
Website	tenshekelshirt.com
Members
Lamont Hiebert Austin Morrison Jake Carey David Benedetti

Ten Shekel Shirt is a Christian rock band hailing from New Haven, CT. The band consists of Lamont Hiebert (lead vocals, guitar), Austin Morrison (drums), Jake Carey (guitar), and David Benedetti (bass). Their name refers to a sermon by Paris Reidhead called "Ten shekels and a shirt". As Hiebert explains, "Basically [the story is about] this Levite, who is unsatisfied with serving God, and so he decides to wander around Israel until he finds a place. There's a man that has some household idols and he ends up serving this man and his household idols for a payment of ten shekels and a shirt. His ministry revolved around himself rather than God, so he ended up selling out. So we named the band Ten Shekel Shirt because it just reminds us that we need to keep God at the center of everything and that our ministry is not for sale and that success is really obedience to God in the every day things of life. It's not as much how big we make it or the success in the world's eyes, but if we're obedient and do what we're called to do then we're successful."

Their acoustic-driven 2001 debut album Much sold 130,000 units, was nominated for a Dove Award for "Praise and Worship Album of the year", and featured the #1 hit "Ocean" and a top ten song "Meet With Me". Their latest project Risk, released in 2003 by INO Records, is a "radio-ready" rock album with a soul, featuring solid organic grooves, electric complexity and haunting melodies. CM Central called Risk "one of the most creatively satisfying albums of the year."[1]

Currently, they are working with Justice for Children International, which Hiebert co-founded after returning from a visit to South East Asia. JFCI raises awareness and resources for the prevention, rescue and after-care of sexually exploited children.

[edit] Compilations

Mix This (2001), "Come Away" (From Much)
Open The Eyes Of My Heart (2001), "Unashamed Love" and "Meet With Me" (From Much)
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (2001), "Meet With Me" (From Much)
Above All (2002), "Ocean" (From Much)
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever 2 (2002), "Ocean" and "Sweet Embrace" (From Much)
Sing For Joy (2002), "Sing For Joy"
Songs 4 Worship: Modern (2002), "Ocean" and "Meet With Me" (From Much)
Hope Of The Nations (2003), "Healer" (by Lamont Hiebert)