Home Free

Formed in Mankato, Minnesota in 2001, a cappella country music group Home Free are best known for winning the fourth season of televised talent competition The Sing-Off in 2013. Founded by Chris Rupp when all the members were still in their teens, the other founding members included Chris’ brother Adam Rupp, and Matt Atwood along with Darren Scruggs and Dan Lemke, both of whom would later be replaced by Rob Lundquist (i2008) and Tim Foust (2012). After six years of performing as a hobby, they had built up enough of a following for all the members to focus their attention on the group full time. Home Front released a series of independent albums – From the Top (2007), Kickin’ It Old School (2009), Christmas Vol. 1 (2010), Christmas Vol. 2 (2010), and Live from the Road (2012) – before they competed on Season Four of NBC Television’s The Sing-Off. After winning the competition, Home Front signed with Columbia/Sony Records and released the album Crazy Life (2014), which reached Number 4 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. Later that year, they released the Christmas album Full of Cheer, which climbed to Number 12. After the release of Country Evolution (2015), founder member Chris Rupp left for a solo career and was replaced by Adam Chance. While they continued to be a popular group, Home Front left Columbia Records after the release of 2017’s Timeless, which reached Number 3 on the chart. Returning to their own independent label, they released Dive Bar Saints (2019), Warmest Winter (2020), and Land of the Free (2021), which featured appearances from Lee Greenwood and Don McLean. In March 2021, the group released the single “Sea Shanty Medley,” which was streamed on social media over 20 million times.