Rend Collective is a folk rock worship band from Bangor, Northern Ireland, born around 2002 within a youth group at Bangor Elim church. Known for songs like "Build Your Kingdom Here" and "My Lighthouse", the band continues to tour and record, with the album Folk! released in 2024.
Rend Collective was born in Bangor, Northern Ireland, within a young adults group at Bangor Elim church led by Gareth Gilkeson and Chris Llewellyn. What began as an informal time of worship, carried by acoustic instruments and an energy close to Irish folk, grew into a full band, Rend Collective Experiment, which released its first album, Organic Family Hymnal, in 2010.
The collective quickly stood out for its communal approach to worship: strings, improvised percussion, a village party atmosphere, and lyrics oriented toward collective praise rather than individual introspection. Albums like The Art of Celebration (2014), As Family We Go (2015), and Good News (2018) established Rend Collective as one of the most played worship bands in English speaking churches, and even in some French speaking congregations.
- Origin
- Bangor, Northern Ireland
- Style
- Folk rock, communal worship
- Active since
- 2002 to 2003 (under the name Rend Collective Experiment, later shortened to Rend Collective)
- Good to know
- "Build Your Kingdom Here" and "My Lighthouse", two songs widely sung in congregations
How did Rend Collective get started?
It all started with a community of young adults gathered around Gareth Gilkeson at Bangor Elim church, in Northern Ireland, in the early 2000s. Chris Llewellyn, who led worship for this group, felt with Gareth a calling to write original songs rather than only playing the existing repertoire.
This dynamic gave rise to Rend Collective Experiment, which released its first album, Organic Family Hymnal, in 2010, with an acoustic, festive sound that would become its signature.
What makes Rend Collective distinctive?
Unlike many worship bands built around electric guitars and layers of synths, Rend Collective leans on acoustic instruments (mandolin, violin, ukulele, improvised percussion) and an atmosphere close to traditional Irish music. Their concerts, designed as moments of collective communion more than shows, have earned the band several GMA Dove Award nominations and certifications for songs like "Build Your Kingdom Here" and "My Lighthouse".
Where should you start with Rend Collective?
To discover their current sound, start with "Evergreen", "Salt And Light", and "Do It All Alone", three recent songs below. Their historic classics, "Build Your Kingdom Here" and "My Lighthouse", remain must haves of collective worship, widely sung in many churches.
songs
Evergreen
A song from their most recent folk sound, about God's faithfulness through every season of life.
Salt And Light
A call to live out your faith in concrete ways, drawing on the biblical image of salt and light (Matthew 5).
Do It All Alone
A song that reminds you that you're not meant to carry life's trials alone, in the communal spirit that defines Rend Collective.
Discography
- 2024Folk!
- 2022Whosoever
- 2020Choose to Worship
- 2018Good News
- 2016Campfire II: Simplicity
- 2015As Family We Go
- 2014The Art of Celebration
- 2013Campfire
- 2012Homemade Worship by Handmade People
- 2010Organic Family Hymnal
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Rend Collective?
Rend Collective is a folk rock worship band from Bangor, Northern Ireland, born in the early 2000s within a youth group at Bangor Elim church. The band made its name through communal, festive worship carried by acoustic instruments.
What is Rend Collective's best known song?
"Build Your Kingdom Here" (2013) and "My Lighthouse" (2014) are their most widely sung songs, played extensively in English speaking churches and beyond, with platinum and gold certifications.
Is Rend Collective a Christian band?
Yes. The band was born in a church in Northern Ireland and its songs sit squarely within the tradition of evangelical worship, centered on collective adoration rather than individual introspection.
Where can you listen to Rend Collective in French?
The band sings in English. Unofficial French translations of some songs circulate, but no officially recorded French version exists to date; their songs are still mostly heard in the original version.
Is Rend Collective still active?
Yes, the band is still active: it released its album Folk! in November 2024 and continues to tour regularly in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Where can you listen to Rend Collective?
Their albums are available on streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer) as well as on their official YouTube channel and their website rendcollective.com.