The Afters Biography
Who is The Afters?
The Afters are an American Christian rock band formed in Mesquite, TX, by Josh Havens and Matt Fuqua, who met while working at Starbucks. They began performing acoustic sets for customers before joining with guitarist Brad Wigg and drummer Michael Burden to form a band originally known as Blisse. After signing with INO Records, the group changed its name to The Afters and gained attention with its major-label debut, I Wish We All Could Win (2005), which featured the hit singles "Beautiful Love" and "You."
The band's second album, Never Going Back to OK (2008), became its breakthrough release, earning widespread Christian radio airplay with songs including the title track, "MySpace Girl," and "Ocean Wide." Over the following decade, The Afters established themselves as one of Christian music's most consistent radio acts through albums such as Light Up the Sky (2010), Life Is Beautiful (2013), Live on Forever (2016), and Fear No More (2019). During that time, they scored numerous chart successes, including "Light Up the Sky," "Broken Hallelujah," "Well Done," "I Will Fear No More," and "Lift Me Up."
The Afters have received eight GMA Dove Award nominations and won multiple Dove Awards, including Short Form Video of the Year for the music video for "Live on Forever." Over the years, the lineup evolved, with bassist Dan Ostebo becoming a longtime member alongside founders Josh Havens and Matt Fuqua. In 2021, The Afters released the live worship album Where Heaven Touches Earth: Live at The Grove.
In October 2026, The Afters released their seventh studio album, New Day New Life, a 12-track project issued through Fair Trade Services. The album includes the singles "New Day, New Life" and "It's Gonna Get Better," continuing the band's recording career more than two decades after its formation.