I want to talk about where we are heading, but first a quick glance at where we've been:
Anchordown started in early 2006. We had cycled in and out some players in search of a team that could tour. There were many kind and generous people that contributed to Anchordown in those days. We made a record locally. We toured a bit in the west.
We then made a record with a man named Will Hunt who was good at making records. He worked with Shane and Shane, Bethany Dillon, and Shawn McDonald, all of whom are artists we respect. That record did very well for a band like us. We sold 3,000 physical copies and around 7,300 single-track digital downloads. We toured some more. We got more radio play.
We entered a battle of the bands in the huge state of TX. 175 bands entered, one would win. We won the grandprize which included making a music video of the winning song. The song that won wasn't our previous style, but more of an experiment. We still didn't feel like we had found "our sound" but were enjoying the journey.
Around this time I received an interesting phone call from my father.
Apparently, the man I had always known as my grandfather, "Grandpa Z", was not my dad's biological father. That man had left when my dad was very young, leaving him with only one memory of a dimly lit room, and a pack of cigarettes on the counter alongside a glass of whiskey.
My biological grandfather had contacted my grandmother several times over the years to reconnect with my Dad but she hid the letters in a dusty shoebox in the attic.
On her death-bed, she made mention of the box to my dad. This was the beginning of the truth getting dusted off, and a new chapter starting in our family's life.
My dad found out after 50 years, that not only was his biological dad still alive, he wanted to meet his son. After prayer and deliberation, my father Don Zimmerman arranged to meet his biological dad, Don Otto. He later met a whole portion of the family tree that he never knew existed. Including, my aunt Wendy, in the chair with her dad Don Otto below.
My Grandpa Zimmerman (Zimmerman is German for carpenter) legally adopted my dad at a young age and changed his name to Donald Zimmerman. He worked long and hard hours at a car dealership to make ends meet. He raised my dad with love, compassion, and a gentleness that was truly unique.
This band has always been about telling the story of God's redemptive love. Ephesians 1:5: "...He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will". God has adopted us into his family, and we have a new and perfect Father in heaven.
And so begins a new chapter for the band. We have worked very hard on a new record with producer and artist Robbie Seay. We are excited about the new CD is coming out in a few weeks. We are waiting for new doors of opportunity to open. It seems a fitting time to close the previous chapter, and commence a new one.
We are Zimmerman.
Our purpose is the same. Our hearts are for people to know God and experience the rescue He offers.
