| Mukala | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Vine |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Christian rock Pop rock |
| Years active | 1997–2000 |
| Labels | Essential Records |
| Past members | |
| Dan Mukala Alex Nifong Jason Collum |
|
Mukala was a Christian rock band formed in the late 1990s. The group consists of singer-songwriter-keyboardist Dan Mukala, guitarist Alex Nifong, and drummer Jason Collum. They released one album, Fiction, in 1998.
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Dan Mukala was a musical composition student at Belmont University in Tennessee.[1] In 1996, he became a professional songwriter and penned a number of Top Ten songs on contemporary hit radio.[1] Prior to forming the band, Mukala had also toured with other artists and led worship for a youth group.[2] According to Mukala, "the band got started out of a desire that God gave me to put together a group that . . . really was focused on reaching kids and not just playing music either. I've always felt that Christian music should be a medium that reaches into the mainstream."[3] Signed in early 1998 to Essential Records,[4] Mukala released their debut album, Fiction, in September.[5] The band's musical style drew comparisons to Silage, Smash Mouth, and Beck.[4][5] Their first single, "Soap", received airplay on Christian rock and Top 40 radio stations.[2] In an industry first, the single "Regret" was released as an Internet download.[4] "Regret" was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1999 movie Drive Me Crazy, starring Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier. Since the album's release, Mukala became a record producer for such artists as the Backstreet Boys, Nick Lachey, Kimberly Locke, Ace Young, The Afters, Rachel Lampa, and Brandon Heath.[6]