Meet Joel Houston and his rock band Hillsong United, bigger than Delta Goodrem and Powderfinger

HE FRONTS a band that has sold more records worldwide than Delta Goodrem and Powderfinger but most people have never heard of him.


Around the world, fans mob Joel Houston and his rock band Hillsong United, but back on home turf he is barely recognised.

It is surprising, considering the band's album Tear Down The Walls last year debuted on iTunes at No. 2 on its album download chart, just behind rapper megastar Eminem.

But founder and creative director Houston, 30, isn't phased by the band's little-known profile. He measures success in other ways.

"You put music out there and people choose to recognise it or not, and that's ultimately up to them ... that's the beauty of music," he said. "Not everybody has to love it, not everybody has to understand it, but it seems like there are people who are connecting, and that's the coolest thing in the world."

Born from the Hillsong Church's youth group, the band's success stems back to when they were just a group of mates playing a bit of music at church each week. They have since sold more than 1.9 million albums and DVDs worldwide.

Houston is the son of the Hillsong Church's founder and senior pastor Brian Houston. The group of friends used to jazz things up at each service.

"We grew up in the church and loved it, and loved music and found ourselves playing and writing music for the church, and out of that all these opportunities came," Houston said. "I write songs about what I'm passionate about and what's important to me. I didn't envisage people getting into it and a big future in it."

The band is a sensation, just like the church they started in, which is now Australia's fastest-growing.

But if not in Australia yet, somewhere someone is connecting to Hillsong United. On YouTube, the band's page has been viewed more than 60 million times. "If no one was buying it or listening to it [the music], I think we'd still be doing what we're doing," he said.

The band has played in stadiums and arenas in Asia, Africa, the US and beyond. "I can't describe what it is like to play in front of people like that and get the message across to so many people all over the world," Houston said.


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