PRESS RELEASE

The Down East Boys have once again claimed the No. 1 spot on the monthly SGN Scoops Southern Gospel Chart with a song from their album, The Stories We Tell. “Ready To Leave,” a horn-driven cover of the popular Hemphills song, has quickly climbed the chart since its release, debuting at No. 13 before jumping to No. 1. The song follows the group’s last single,  “Your Sins Are Forgiven,” which was No. 1 on the SGN Scoops chart in May.

“Ready To Leave” talks about living a life that prepares you for heaven, as the chorus shares, “​​Ready to leave in a twinkling of an eye / making investments in the bank up in the sky! / I’ve made preparations — not a reason to grieve. / Are you in that number getting ready to leave?”

“We are overwhelmed by the response to this great classic song,” says Ricky Carden, the group’s lead singer. “Fifty years after it was first recorded, the message has become more real in the days we are living in. We are getting ‘Ready To Leave’!”

The song is the latest single from the Down East Boys’ album, The Stories We Tell. The album is the first featuring the current lineup of singers (Carden, baritone Daryl Paschal, bass, Alex Utech and tenor Doug Pittman), and offers a sampling of all the elements that have contributed to the success of the group’s musical ministry — uplifting songs; thoughtful, creative arrangements relevant to today’s faithful while keeping strong links to tradition; and, above all, singing that gives each voice an opportunity to testify within a tight-knit quartet setting.

Click here to listen to The Stories We Tell.