BreatheCast caught up with popular Christian rock band Sanctus Real on the red carpet of the K-LOVE Fan Awards and learned of the band's new single and upcoming album release date.

Lead singer of Sanctus Real, Matt Hammitt, expressed his appreciation for the fans "who trekked a long way" to be there. Hammitt said the band was really looking forward to see all of the performances.

"We are on the road a lot with different artists, at different seasons," he said, adding that the K-Love Awards give them an opportunity to see "a lot of our friends perform at one place, at one time." He graciously noted, "It is so neat to see and cheer them on."

The native Ohio band is set to release their new album entitled The Dream on September 16. They showcased and spoke of their latest single "Lay it Down," at the songwriters showcase, an intimate acoustic concert held during the K-LOVE Fan Awards weekend.

The journey of Sanctus Real began about a decade ago while Hammit was still in high school. He met guitarist Chris Rohman in their sophomore year. After leading youth worship together, they eventually started collaborating on their own material, hence, a band was born.

Shortly after, drummer Mark Graalman and bassist Steve Goodrum joined the fun, and they began making recordings of their music together in a nearby garage. Members of the band worked wearisome jobs by day to pay for the sessions.

Sanctus Real released three independent albums before signing with Sparrow Records. Their first major debut album was Say It Loud in 2002, it was followed by the band's first official No.1 hit, a cover of U2's "Beautiful Day" from the compilation project, In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa (2004). From that point on, the band has consistently released albums filled with heart and passion.

To view the BreatheCast interview with Sanctus Real view the video below:

For more information on Sanctus Real visit sanctusreal.com