The Innocence Mission

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The Innocence Mission is a band centered around the husband-and-wife songwriters Karen Peris (vocals - guitar - keyboards), and Don Peris (guitars - vocals). The original band, including Mike Bitts (bass), and Steve Brown (drums), was formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the early 80s when the members met during a Catholic school production of Godspell.

Their eponymous debut album, released in 1989 (A&M Records), was produced by Larry Klein, then-husband of Joni Mitchell, and recorded in the couple’s basement recording studio. The album peaked on the Billboard charts at #167 in 1990, and the album’s second track, "Black Sheep Wall", released as a single in 1989, peaked at #22 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. The album’s fifth track, "Clear to You", was used on the soundtrack of the pilot episode of Beverly Hills 90210.

Their third album, Glow, released in 1995 (A&M Records), had songs that appeared on the soundtracks of the films Empire Records, and Dream for an Insomniac, as well as the television series Party of Five. The album’s second track, Bright as Yellow, peaked on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks at #33.

In 1999, Steve Brown officially left the band to pursue a career as a chef, leaving a trio to release their subsequent albums on their own. However, Steve Brown will perform on the upcoming Innocence Mission album "We Walked in Song" to be released in March 2007.