Mormon Musicians Making Their Mark in the Music Industry

Mormon musicians are making waves this year, from Neon Trees’ quirky pop-rock band to SHeDAISY’s captivating female group SHeDAISY; inspiring people worldwide.

Composers like Leroy Robertson, Crawford Gates and Merrill Bradshaw use music to express Mormon identity through its neoromantic tonality. Meanwhile other artists such as Low seem unfettered by any Catholic music legacy.

Brandon Flowers

Brandon Flowers, best known for fronting The Killers from Utah, is an acclaimed performer with a powerful voice. His songs explore themes of love, loss and personal growth which strike a chord with fans on an emotional level. Brandon is passionate about maintaining rock music’s legacy from its classic era as his main source of influence.

He has a love of literature and often incorporates aspects of storytelling into his songs. Additionally, he serves the church missionary program and is married with three children.

Flowers turned to architect Cristof Eigelberger when looking for his Park City house, who had previously designed his Las Vegas residence. Eigelberger replicated that same style for this Park City residence reminiscent of Utah’s mountains and desert landscape, complete with an expansive media room and ski room for entertaining purposes and five bedrooms offering plenty of storage space.

The Avett Brothers

Scott and Seth Avett began The Avett Brothers after leaving grunge band Nemo in 2000, and quickly gained prominence for their acoustic trio known as The Avett Brothers. For three years after leaving Nemo they traveled freely, sleeping wherever was available, and performing gigs lasting three hours and costing 150 dollars plus tips at venues like Dairy Queens, topless bars, and trailer parks.

Scott and Seth began making music together after finding inspiration in traditional folk and bluegrass, yet their sound embodies the high spirits and no-boundaries approach that defines rock & roll music – where Scott and Seth first developed their talent. Since then, their band has recorded four studio albums as well as numerous live shows.

Even with their success and fame, The Avett Brothers still live within walking distance on a worn-wood farm located on 60 acres in rural Southern Concord, NC. Concerts held by them bring people together through handclaps and singalongs that bring everyone closer. Each week they also hold a community dinner that offers free food to anyone attending their performances.

Hilary Weeks

Hilary Weeks is an esteemed Latter-day Saint singer known for her inspirational music. Born into a household where music played an essential part, Hilary started playing piano at age eight and writing her first song at 14! Since then she has released 10 solo albums, written several books, appeared on various compilations albums and regularly participated as a speaker at Deseret Book’s Time Out for Women conference. Hilary also enjoys scrapbooking, exercising, traveling and cooking (particularly coconut ice cream!), but most importantly spending quality time with husband Tim and their daughters!

Hilary currently resides in Utah, performing contemporary inspirational music that has attracted followers among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) as well as non-LDS audiences alike. Comparable in style and vocal quality to Twila Paris, her sound has been described as having “melted butter on a hot biscuit” qualities; Hilary often finds inspiration for her songs from personal experience or scripture verses.

Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons is a modern rock group with roots firmly established in Las Vegas and Provo, Utah. Formed in 2008 when frontman Dan Reynolds met drummer Andrew Tolman while studying at Brigham Young University, quickly recruiting other students including Andrew Beck, Dave Lemke, Aurora Florence as soon as the band had its initial lineup in place.

Their breakthrough came with the release of “Radioactive,” one of the greatest rock hits of 2010. Since then, two diamond songs (“Believer” and “Thunder”) and the chart-topping track “Natural” followed suit.

Imagine Dragons create songs that elicit powerful emotion with lyrics that range from lighthearted to profound, while their sound blends elements of pop, rock and electronic music to form something entirely original. Imagine Dragons has collaborated with artists like Kygo, Lil Wayne and JID; their latest album Origins examines human evolution while emphasizing self-reflection; its lead single “Whatever It Takes” serves as a testament to resilience with soaring vocals and percussive beat.