Constellation has been in existence since 2013 and yet, 10 years later, this is our first album to be released. Part of that was simply our longstanding focus on 'Music & Brotherhood' that began with Saturday morning rehearsals followed by a 'cheers!' in Evanston, IL. Another part of that has been the uphill battle to create, sustain, and grow an arts organization in America today. But the biggest focus for me has always been the 'why' of all of our performances. What place does another vocal ensemble have in the recorded history of music to release albums unless it has something to say? With the creation of Man Up / Man Down, I knew we had something important to add to the conversation.