September 12, 2011
Matt Hammitt's son, Bowen, inspires Sanctus Real lead singer's first solo album
"Every Falling Tear", released amidst acclaim
(From a Press Release)
Multiple GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Award winning Sanctus Real lead vocalist Matt Hammitt celebrates his son Bowen’s first birthday as his first solo album, Every Falling Tear, releases on Sparrow Records Tuesday, Sept. 13, which is coincidentally the year anniversary of Bowen’s first open heart surgery. Bowen, “small victorious one,” was born with a severe congenital heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and has now gone through two heart surgeries, an infection and other complications since being born.
After his first surgery, five-day-old Bowen Hammitt’s heart stopped beating shortly after midnight Sept. 14, 2010. Bowen’s body seemed to resist the open-heart surgery that he endured the previous day. Forty minutes after nurse Sarah Bealman at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, started performing resuscitation on Bowen’s exposed heart, a faint pulse and improved vital signs restored hope for Matt and his wife, Sarah.
The couple first learned of Bowen’s condition less than one month after Matt’s band, Sanctus Real, released their album, Pieces of A Real Heart, which features songs like “Dear Heart,” “Keep My Heart Alive,” and “The Redeemer” with the chorus lyric, “‘cause you can make a weak heart stay alive forever.” All these songs were written before they knew of Bowen’s condition.
Organically sparked by the rich joy and pain of life over the last year that strengthened Matt Hammitt’s faith and solidified his resolve to lead his family well, these new songs are his most deeply personal to date. Born out of the heart of a father, Hammitt's main impetus for writing the songs on Every Falling Tear was to play them at Bowen’s bedside in the hospital, with the hope that they would be a source of comfort for his family, as well as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in the midst of their uncertainty.
Encouraged by his Sanctus Real band mates to release these songs, Hammitt enlisted Jason Ingram to produce, as well as to co-write six of the songs on Every Falling Tear. Hammitt also co-wrote “Let Go” with Joy Williams (The Civil Wars), “This Is Grace” with Leeland Mooring and Ingram, and “All of Me” with Bernie Herms. Sanctus Real band mate Pete Prevost co-wrote “Holding You” with Hammitt and Ingram. The song “Without You” was co-written with Audrey Assad, who also wrote and sings “Little Light” on the album.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Every Falling Tear benefits the Whole Hearts Foundation, a new non-profit Matt and Sarah Hammitt set up to help families going through similar challenges as themselves; providing assistance for families of children affected by congenital heart defects.
“More than 40,000 babies a year in the United States alone are born with congenital heart defects,” says Hammitt. “More kids die from heart defects than all cancers combined. The Whole Hearts Foundation seeks to be a resource for families who are suffering in much the same way as my family.”
Matt and Sarah started a blog to chronicle their journey of highs and lows since finding out about Bowen’s condition. Recently nominated for a 2011 Parents Best Special Needs Blog, the website gathered more than 220,000 people the day of Bowen’s first surgery. The site has been viewed millions of times since as people connect with the Hammitt’s courageous story.
For all the latest information on Bowen and Every Falling Tear, go to www.bowensheart.com. For the latest Sanctus Real news and tour dates, go to www.sanctusreal.com or www.myspace.com/sanctusreal.