Plus One (band)
| Company type | Boy band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Defunct | 2004 |
| Fate | Disbanded; brief reunion in 2014 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Plus One was a Christian pop boy band from the United States, established in 1999, disbanded in 2004, and briefly reunited in 2014. The group was composed of Nate Cole, Jason Perry, Jeremy Mhire, Nathan Walters, and Gabe Combs. Their first album, The Promise (2000), represented their highest commercial achievement, followed by their second release, Obvious (2002). After the departure of Perry and Mhire in 2003, the remaining three members signed with Inpop Records, releasing Exodus in 2004 before ultimately dissolving. In 2014, Walters, Combs, and Perry briefly came together again to release the single "My All."
Formation and early years: 1999–2000
In 1999, under the guidance of manager Mitchell Solarek, Plus One was assembled. The lineup featured Nate Cole (18) from Sacramento; Gabe Combs (20) from Pittsburg; Nathan Walters (21) hailing from Lakeland, Florida; Jeremy Mhire (19), a vocal scholarship recipient at Southwest Missouri State University from Springfield, Missouri; and Jason Perry (17) from Madison, Indiana. Perry was the youngest member and joined after shifting focus away from high school football. The band's name signifies the five members plus God. Atlantic Records created the ensemble to tap into the surge of secular boy bands such as 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys. All members were raised within the Assembly of God Church, with three being sons of pastors, sharing a mutual dedication to Christian ministry.
Their debut album The Promise, released in May 2000, earned notable success within the Christian pop genre, achieving gold status with sales exceeding 500,000 copies. The album included production work by David Foster. Plus One attained two No. 1 hits on Christian radio: "Written on My Heart," which maintained the top position for two months, and "God Is in This Place." Additional singles included "Last Flight Out," "Here in My Heart," "Run to You," and "Soul Tattoo." The band toured alongside well-known Christian artists like Jaci Velasquez, Rachael Lampa, and Stacie Orrico. In 2000, they made an appearance on Days of Our Lives and performed "Grown-Up Christmas List" with Monica during ABC's Christmas Eve special titled 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Recognized as one of TNN's "Class of 2000" new artists, they also performed at the 2000 Democratic National Convention as well as at major league sports events featuring teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks. Their touring schedule included festivals like Atlanta Fest and the Raggedy Ann Festival held in Arcola, Illinois. In 2001, they appeared on Touched by an Angel and received a nomination for New Artist of the Year at the Dove Award. Plus One contributed "With All Your Heart" to the soundtrack of the Warner Brothers film Pokémon: The Movie 2000 and provided "I Need a Miracle" for the Christian film Left Behind: The Movie. They were also featured on Natalie Grant's album Stronger with the track "Whenever You Need Somebody" in 2001, recorded a rendition of "America the Beautiful", and performed at the Luis Palau Festival.
Obvious and Christmas: 2001-2002
Following their Promise tour, Plus One crafted new songs characterized by more pronounced beats and guitar elements, marking a departure from their previously lighter style. The album Obvious, launched in February 2002, achieved first-week sales twice that of Promise and quickly secured the top spot on Christian music charts. Popular tracks such as "Camouflage," "I Don't Care," and "Let Me Be the One" all attained top-ten rankings on Christian radio stations. In autumn 2002, while on the Obvious Tour, they released the holiday-themed album Christmas, which blended classic carols like "Silent Night", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "What Child Is This?", "O Holy Night", and "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" with original compositions including "This Is Christmas," "I Won't Forget This Christmas," "Our Christmas Prayer," and "A Prayer for Every Year." The latter track was also featured on WOW Christmas: Red in 2002.
Departure of Perry and Mhire, and Exodus: 2002-2003
After completing their Obvious tour and promoting the Christmas album, Jason Perry exited Plus One in 2003, soon followed by Jeremy Mhire's departure. The remaining trio continued the band's musical efforts. After being released from their record deal, they signed with Inpop Records and issued their third studio album, Exodus. This project, co-produced by former Newsboys lead singer Peter Furler alongside keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, represented a transition from their boy band image toward a more sophisticated sound incorporating keyboards, guitars, and entirely original material. Furler regarded this work as among his finest productions. The album's lead single was "Be Love," followed by "Circle." Except for a rendition of Tim Hughes' "Here I Am to Worship," all tracks were original compositions.
Break-up and Hiatus: 2004-2016
Following the conclusion of the Exodus 04 tour in 2004, Plus One parted ways with Inpop Records and officially disbanded. On September 23, 2004, Nate Cole publicly confirmed the group's likely dissolution. Subsequently, Cole and Gabe Combs formed Castledoor, an indie rock ensemble featuring their wives; this band released five EPs along with one full-length album. Nathan Walters embarked on a solo path, unveiling his album Escape in Nashville in 2008. Later on, Cole collaborated with his wife to create the duo Doom & Gloom, focusing on home-recorded music. In 2011, Combs and Walters established the production company Multitone Musik, merging their songwriting and production expertise. Nate Cole released his debut solo album titled Bad Beat in December 2016.
Reunion: 2014
On April 14, 2014, Plus One reunited with original members Nathan Walters, Gabe Combs, and returning member Jason Perry. They announced the release of a new single named "My All," which was made available through their official website and Facebook page.
Members
- Nate Cole (1999–2004) – vocals
- Jason Perry (1999–2003, 2014) – vocals
- Jeremy Mhire (1999–2003) – vocals
- Nathan Walters (1999–2004, 2014) – vocals, keyboards
- Gabe Combs (1999–2004, 2014) – vocals, guitars
Discography
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Christian |
US CCM |
|||
| The Promise |
|
76 | — | 1 |
|
| Obvious |
|
29 | 3 | 3 | |
| Christmas |
|
— | — | 25 | |
| Exodus |
|
— | 17 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | |||||
Contributions to Compilation Albums
| Title | Album Information |
|---|---|
| Left Behind: The Movie Soundtrack |
|
| Pokémon: The Movie 2000 |
|
| WOW Hits 2001 |
|
| Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 4 |
|
| WOW Hits 2002 |
|
| WOW Christmas: Red |
|
| WOW Hits 2003 |
|
| WOW Worship: Red |
|
| X 2004 |
|
Released Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Performance | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCM | |||
| 2000 | "Written on My Heart" | 1 | Template:Center |
| "God Is in This Place" | 1 | ||
| "Last Flight Out" | |||
| 2001 | "Here in My Heart" | ||
| "Run To You" | |||
| "Soul Tattoo" | |||
| 2002 | "Camouflage" | Template:Center | |
| "I Don't Care" | |||
| "Let Me Be The One" Template:Angle bracket | |||
| 2003 | "Be Love" | Template:Center | |
| "Circle" | |||
| 2014 | "My All" | non-album single |
- The track "Let Me Be The One" was later re-recorded by Jesse McCartney for his debut album Beautiful Soul, under the title "Come to Me".
Featured Artist Appearances
| Year | Title | Chart Performance | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCM | |||||
| 2001 | "Whenever You Need Somebody" (Natalie Grant featuring Plus One) |
— | Stronger | ||
| The symbol "—" indicates that the release either did not chart or was not distributed in that region. | |||||
Television Appearances
| 2001 | Touched by an Angel Season 7, Episode 20 titled "Band of Angels" |
Video Releases
| Title | Video Information |
|---|---|
| Plus One: The Home Video |
|
| Plus One: Making of the Album |
|