PFR

PFR is a Christian rock group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Although the group initially disbanded in 1997, they periodically reunited from 2001 to 2013 and recorded two albums in that time. They reunited again in 2022. Their name was originally "Pray for Rain", but was changed to "PFR" to avoid a conflict with another musical group. The trio consisted of members Joel Hanson on guitars and vocals, Patrick Andrew on bass and vocals and Mark Nash on drums.

PFR was founded in 1989 as the Joel Hanson Band by Joel Hanson, who was a camp counselor at Camp Shamineau, a Christian youth camp in Minnesota. In 1991, the band, then known as Inside Out, was signed to Brown Bannister's newly founded Vireo Records. After signing, Patrick Andrew suggested the band change the name to "Pray for Rain" after a line from a poem. In 1992, the band released their debut album Pray for Rain. Shortly after releasing the first album, an existing band (an instrumental group who did soundtrack work) known as Pray for Rain threatened a lawsuit, leading the band to settle on the name PFR. The first album was reissued with a slightly modified cover to reflect the change.

In 1993, PFR released their second album, Goldie's Last Day, whose title track was inspired by the passing of Patrick Andrew's pet golden retriever. Also that year, the band recorded a cover of "We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles with Phil Keaggy for the various artists tribute CD Come Together: America Salutes The Beatles. PFR released their third album Great Lengths in the fall of 1994 and later toured with the Christian alternative band Jars of Clay. The band released their fourth album Them in 1996 and then announced their breakup. In 1997, PFR released their "best of" collection The Late, Great PFR containing three new tracks.

Over the next 5 years, the band reunited for an occasional benefit concert. In 2000, when Mark Nash was working as the A & R director of Squint Records, the band returned to the studio to contribute to Steve Taylor's Roaring Lambs compilation album, inspired by the book by Bob Briner. Working on the project inspired the band to sign to Taylor's Squint Records and record 2001's Disappear. The album did not gain much exposure, however, due to Squint Records selling to Warner Music Group, which also displaced artists such as Chevelle and Sixpence None the Richer. Another casualty of the Squint shakeup was the PFR cover of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" recorded for a 2001 Squint Christmas compilation that was never released. However, the recording has been released digitally through the band's MySpace page. In 2002, PFR recorded a cover of "Livin' Thing," originally recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.

In 2004 PFR released The Bookhouse Recordings, an album consisting of PFR classics rearranged, plus three new songs. The Bookhouse Recordings was recorded in one week at the end of August 2004 in Nashville, TN at Mark Nash's studio. This was the first album produced by the band alone, and features the song "Prayer For Beslan," a song mourning the terrorist attacks on a Russian school the same week the band was recording. The Bookhouse Recordings was released exclusively through Family Christian Stores, and was on the Fuseic label started by Rick Altizer.

Hanson released three solo albums, Broken (2001), Captured (2002) and What If It Is (2009) and a self-released Christmas EP Arise the King is Coming (2010). Patrick Andrew formed Eager following the 1997 break-up of PFR, and was signed to Questar/Mission Records, releasing a self-titled album in 1998, before Eager also disbanded. In 2004, Andrew released his first solo album, There and Then It's Gone.

The band still does occasional one-off reunion shows, including a run of shows in 2012, a couple in their hometown of Minneapolis in October 2022, and one in Nashville on March 8, 2023.

More information on PFR at Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PFR_(band)

Discography

Pray for Rain (1992)

Goldie's Last Day (1993)

Great Lengths (1994)

Them (1996)

The Late, Great PFR (1997) (compilation album)

Disappear (2001)

The Bookhouse Recordings (2004)

Very Best of PFR (2006) (Sparrow Records compilation album)

Minneapolis (2012) (live digital release)