It’s hard to know how to describe the McKendree Augustas sound.  He’s got the ghostly electronics of Radiohead, the wide-open atmosphere of Coldplay, with the pounding piano of Ben Folds, and the intimately worshipful lyrics of John Mark McMillian, all the while retaining at least a peripheral awareness of emo-guitar, and mixed together into a creative, original, and refreshing sound. In May of 2008 McKendree Augustas released his debut solo worship c.d., A View for Opened Eyes, which was chock full of melodies that keep you guessing, deep hooks, fresh yet singable choruses - the type of music that builds slowly, swelling, organic yet electronic, with instruments entering and exiting almost line-by-line - a shimmering sign of what is to come from one of the more original worship songwriters around today.

After months on the road supporting both his own original music, and as the keyboardist/backing vocalist for SonicFlood, McKendree is back in the studio putting the final touches on his second release, the Attention e.p., which is sure to have an even broader impact than his first.

So how did a youth worship leader from deep South Georgia end up sharing the stage with the likes of Jeff Deyo, Britt Nicole, and SonicFlood?  All by following the promises of God. The only son of a pastor/church planter/worship leader father and a mother who is a successful artist, McKendree was raised in an environment where creativity was the norm and worshiping God was a daily family activity.   Even then, it took a time of great brokenness for God to reveal to McKendree the true reason for his gifts and talents, and it was all in answer to a prayer he prayed when he was young:  “Lord, allow me to play music & travel.”  God would answer that prayer, but in ways that were bigger than McKendree had even hoped.

After moving to Nashville to chase the dream, yet finding “reality hitting me in the face like a bag of bricks”, McKendree packed his bags for home, discouraged and broken.  He had no money, and was sleeping on various couches from Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, and Saint Simons Island.  Yet the irony of this agony is that it sparked the creative burst that eventually became A View for Opened Eyes.  Through simple, natural fellowship and God-arrange circumstances, connections were made that took an outsider to the Nashville scene, and brought him to be a sought after worship leader, songwriter, producer, and musician touching the world with God’s love and mirroring the creativity of the creator in his own work.

God is a promise-keeping God, and the work He is doing in and through McKendree Augustas is far from over.  Whether solo or with SonicFlood, you can be sure you’ll be hearing more out of McKendree.

McKendree is available to lead for various worship events, rock concerts, ministering/teaching, and even offers training for sound engineers, singers, musicians, and other worship leaders.

“McKendree is a brilliant musician and artist... his music is deep and his lyrics honest... I know that the Lord will continue to use him in a mighty way in leading worship and in writing songs of worship in these last days.” - Rick Heil, SONICFLOOD

“McKendree’s music is as transparent as his heart.  He is both an artist and a man after God’s own heart... a vulnerable and pure worshiper, who’s music comes as a breath of fresh air.” - Will McGinnis, Audio Adrenaline