Jonas Myrin

Originally from Sweden and now based in Los Angeles, Jonas Myrin is a Grammy® Award winning singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer. With a versatile talent that transcends genres, Jonas has collaborated with Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand Andrea Bocelli, Natasha Bedingfield and Nicole Scherzinger, among others. His collaboration with Lauren Daigle has produced a captivating track together with Gary Clark Jr. on her self-titled no1 album. Through it all, Jonas remains grounded in his dedication to storytelling through music, leaving an unforgettable imprint on the industry and the hearts of those who listen.

In this interview we discuss his background and purpose, collaborating with Lauren Daigle, and the songs he’s written for the new film, The Hopeful, a tale of faith and perserverance.

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When do you realize songwriting was your calling in life? 

I think I was around 10 or 11 years old when I truly began to pour my heart into songwriting at the piano. Growing up, my family's journey in ministry led us to travel around the world, but amidst the constant change, the piano remained a steadfast companion.

It became more than just an instrument; it was my sanctuary, my confidant, and a place where I could freely express my emotions and prayers.

Even now, as a professional songwriter and artist, I view music more than a “job”… it’s my passion, my purpose, and my ministry. It's such a privilege to use this gift to touch hearts, connect with others and offer comfort, faith and hope through music.  

You have collaborated with a wide range of artists and songwriters over the years (Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Natasha Bedingfield, and Lauren Daigle to name a few) - what do you find inspirational about working with artists from a wide range of backgrounds and genres?

Each collaboration offers a unique opportunity to dive into new sounds and perspectives, sparking creativity in greater ways than when you write alone - regardless if it’s writing for a well known artist, or a brand new singer/songwriter.

Every time it’s like discovering new colors on a canvas, each bringing its own vibrancy, inspiration, authenticity and story to the songwriting process. 

You collaborated with Lauren Daigle recently to write “Salvation Mountain” for her self-titled album. It features Gary Clark Jr on electric and a gospel choir. The song has a very Southern Gospel bent to it! Tell us about the writing and recording process. Did you choose the musical direction for this song?

Lauren and I actually wrote “Salvation Mountain” during a road trip to the actual Salvation Mountain, located in the desert outside Joshua Tree, California. It was an incredible experience being surrounded by such a unique landscape and nature, as we delved into the essence of soul and gospel for inspiration.

Infusing our own experiences and contemporary influences, the song took shape in unexpected ways.

Little did we know that this song, born on a road trip, would become an anthem of hope for so many people! Gary Clark Jr.'s soulful bluesy guitar parts added a depth and richness that elevated the song, beautifully complemented by Mike Elizondo's amazing production.

It's amazing how the creative process can lead to such unexpected and meaningful outcomes.

Recently, you’ve written two songs for a new film called The Hopeful. Tell us what drew you to this project.

When my good friend Kyle Portbury, the director of the film, called me and asked if I'd be willing to watch a rough cut of the edit, and possibly write a song for it, I eagerly accepted the challenge.

The film and story ignited such a powerful creative spark within me.

After watching The Hopeful, I rushed to the piano, and inspiration struck like a bolt of lightning. “Hope Is on the Way” was born in that moment, followed shortly by “Made for You.” This whole journey has been a testament to the beauty of creative collaboration – where storytelling and song intertwine to serve a purpose greater than ourselves.

Did you use themes from the upcoming film, such as waiting on the Lord and Christ-centeredness transformation, in the songwriting process?

The heartbeat of The Hopeful became the mirror of my songwriting process. I sought to reflect the film's message of waiting and anticipation and I think the chorus of “Hope is On the Way” somehow sums it up: “it’s gonna get better, the Son will come again - don’t you be afraid. Hope is on the way.” 

It has been a true privilege to contribute to a project dedicated to spreading light and hope in a world that needs it more than ever.

Any words of advice for aspiring writers when it comes to where to focus their attention? How do you balance writing for the Church, for artists, and for films? 

For aspiring writers, I'd say:

Stay true to yourself and your unique voice. Embrace the authenticity of your experiences and let them guide your pen, piano, or guitar strings. Don't be afraid to explore new horizons and step out of your comfort zone and WALK on water. Be open to collaborate with others who can challenge you and your writing, give you new perspectives and enrich your creative journey in new ways. 

How do you balance writing for the Church, for artists, and for films?

Balancing writing for the artists, films and the Church is a dance of passion and purpose.

It's about pouring your heart into each project and being obedient, following where the Spirit leads you. And throughout it all keeping the main thing, the main thing. For me that is the desire to bridge Heaven and earth through the power of music, story and song, regardless of the genre - shining brightly in the darkness for the world that He so loves! 

VOUS Worship

VOUS Worship is a passionate, multi-cultural team of writers, musicians, singers and worshippers united in love for Jesus and the local church. VOUS is an expression of VOUS Church, a diverse community located in Miami, Florida. The sound of the EP So God Came To Us reflects the vibrant rhythm of the city that VOUS serves. The mission behind the music is to go into the night carrying the message of Jesus and to bring the broken home.

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We’re excited to share our first interview with VOUS Worship! First, tell us the origins of the name VOUS and its roots in youth ministry.

The word VOUS derived from the “Rendezvous,” weekly gatherings Pastor Rich and DawnCheré led during their time serving at Trinity Church in our now Miami Gardens VOUS Church location. As they felt called to plant a church in Miami, they shortened it to the word VOUS.

They would later on discover that VOUS, meant “you” in French, adopting the phrase we love VO[U]S, we love you.

How does VOUS get involved in the community in unique, creative, and impactful ways?

Here at VOUS, we believe that as we serve the city of Miami, God will change it. Every month, we partner with different organizations to love those around us. This past month, our emphasis was on the next generation, and we served over 30 outreaches around the South Florida area. Some of these outreaches included the WOW Center, running their sports camp, Cards of Love, writing cards of encouragement to the next generation, and ONE MORE CHILD, cleaning, organizing, building, and moving units for single mothers and children.

Our servant leaders can choose one of the many projects to serve in during these outreach days and be able to meet people where they are with the unconditional love that Christ offers us.

Tell us about how you all approach genre-blending worship, both in the songwriting and production process.

We draw from a wide range of references, bringing everything into the process. Our team reflects the diversity of our city with many different cultures and musical styles. We work with a variety of collaborators, each of whom brings a unique sound and skillset to the table.

In our songwriting, we seek to communicate a timeless truth in a fresh way. 

You all have a new album coming out on March 8th. Why did you all decide to usher in this new project with the single release of “Sacred Fire?” 

We recorded this album the week after Easter last year, so our church has been singing and connecting with these songs for over a year.

From the start, “Sacred Fire” has resonated with our community. We believe in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The song captures both the intimacy and intensity of worship at VOUS. 

Why did you all decide to center these songs around the themes in Ecclesiastes 3? Was VOUS church in a season of studying that particular scripture?

The title track, “Good Time,” started with the chorus about praising God with everything we have.

As we fleshed out the rest of the song, we wanted to anchor a simple song of praise in the context of our real lives - lives that are messy, and filled with ups and downs.

We love the honesty in Ecclesiastes, how it doesn’t shy away from the pain and suffering of life but ultimately allows those difficulties to push us closer to God, rather than drawing us away.

What song or songs from the album have been most impactful for you all’s church so far?

• “Good Time” - an anthem of praise in good times and bad

• “Sacred Fire” - an invitation for the Holy Spirit to fill our services

• “Use Me Lord” - a song of surrender to the work of God in and through our lives

• “Right Place” - we have loved singing directly to the person in the room who is not sure they should be there

• “Take Me With You” - this song was born out of a conversation our worship team had about not leading our church without God’s grace and presence (out of Exodus 33)

• “Let It Flow” - a song about waiting on God and allowing the fullness of our emotions to flow in his presence

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VOUS Worship | Always A Good Time

Lead songs from Always A Good Time with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

The Worship Initiative

November 3rd, 2023 was a big day for The Worship Initiative community. Psalms From The Well is an album that has been in the works for many months. Six songwriters made their way to Dallas as part of the first ever group of Worship Initiative Residents and the goal was simple: study the Psalms each morning, pray and worship together, and then write new songs from the Psalms in the afternoon.

This is the first original album from The Worship Initiative, one that was created by our entire community of artists and writers, including Shane & Shane. All twelve songs on the album were inspired from the book of Psalms. Our prayer is that as you listen, you would see the beauty and power of the Lord both in creation and in His word.

We asked Robbie Seay all about it!

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The Worship Initiative has released their first original album, Psalms from The Well! Before we dive into this record, tell us about the initial vision and purpose of The Worship Initiative and how it has evolved into what it is today.

From the very beginning, Shane and Shane had a vision for The Worship Initiative: to equip and encourage worship leaders serving local churches across the country. Their vision encompassed practical aspects, such as learning to play songs, studying corresponding devotionals, and improving instrumental competency.

It also included training for leaders and musicians longing to grow as ministers serving on a ministry team and needing help in areas of theological understanding and pastoral care. Today, we see the immediate need to not only serve leaders in the areas of musicianship and pastoral ministry but also in the area of team leadership and developing other leaders.

We are committed to helping leaders grow in all three areas - musician, minister and leader/developer of others.

Tell us about the community of writers and worship leaders you all have cultivated over the years that were involved in this project.

For the first time, we hosted six young songwriters from across the country here in Dallas for a six week Residency intensive.

Together, we studied the Psalms every morning, spent daily time in worship and prayer, and then wrote new songs from the Psalms every day (for weeks on end). Our staff of experienced songwriters, producers and leaders invested in the Residents each day and were a part of the co-writing sessions in our studios (including Davy Flowers, John Marc Kohl, Aaron Williams, Robbie Seay, Shane Barnard, Dinah Wright, Bryan Fowler and others).

The Residency culminated in the recording of the album together with our team, Psalms From The Well, produced by Shane Barnard and Bryan Fowler. Nearly forty songs were written during that time and 12 were chosen for the album.

All of these songs are rooted in the book of Psalms. Why was Psalms the book that was chosen and how did that decision come about?

The Psalms are the hymnbook of the Bible. They are the template for corporate worship in so many ways and there is a never ending well of truth to be sung from them.

Joy, Doubt, Fear, Trust, Sin, Redemption — all of it is found in the Psalms and informs how we should be writing for the local church.

Our passion for the church to return to a more robust singing of God's word begins with the Psalms, so this record is a culmination of that vision.

What did the writing process look like? Did it involve a combination of having the writers be in solitude with God and his word and then have them collaborate with each other?

For The Residency, we chose to write primarily in group settings but only after in-depth study and prayer together in community. So many of the Residents had expressed the desire to write with others and that was such a special part of the album. Rarely do you have so many writers under one roof for six weeks straight, so we varied the groups every day. That kept it fresh and exciting, not knowing who you would be paired with for the afternoon writing sessions.

It was truly a communal record in every sense!

Tell us about Psalms From The Well’s place in Writers Well: a new space at The Worship Initiative for songwriters.

Writers Well takes our vision to equip and encourage and aims it directly at those longing to grow in songwriting for the local church. Psalms From The Well embodies that vision because most of the writers who came for The Residency were not experienced writers.

Helping them grow in their craft so that they would leave our studios ready to go write for their own local churches is the biggest win, even beyond an incredible album from the Psalms. We say often around here — BY THE CHURCH, FOR THE CHURCH.

We are so excited about all of the resources offered now at the Writers Well corner of our site that will do just that — empower local churches to write for their own congregations.

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The Worship Initiative | Psalms from the Well

Lead songs from Psalms from the Well with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Evan Craft

“Chances clearly speaks of the gospel for me. From the faithfulness of Christ to loving our neighbors. Redemption is the work of Jesus in our lives. He takes what was dead and breathes life into it. When we think we are too far gone, disqualified, or our mistakes are too great, He steps in. So, if you think you are too far gone, you’re not. He is the God of second chances.”

— Evan Craft

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This album celebrates the fact that God gives us second chances (and third, and fourth etc). What has he shown you in his Grace recently that inspired you to anchor on this theme?

This song is a testimony of my family. We've been through it. People saw mistakes my parents made and didn't think we had a hope or a future. Thank God He doesn't give up on us. Our lives aren't perfect by any means today, but I've seen God restore, rebuild, and redeem lives very close to me.  

Tell us about how “Faith Don’t Fail Me Now” harkens back to a prayer you repeated over and over when you were first called to Mexico. 

When I would drive into Mexico, I remember a mixture of fear and excitement. I was afraid to fail but too invested to turn around. I was trusting God with every fiber of my being and seeing him provide in miraculous ways.

I didn't care if I failed and I remember telling God, "this was your idea, and you don't fail, so I'll trust you."

Who were some of the believers that inspired “Fight On My Knees” and how did they encourage you in dark seasons? 

This song was inspired by my pastor.

He was running from God, church, and anything religious. He told me his mom would go into his room at night and anoint him with oil and pray over him declaring he would serve the Lord. Today, he's obviously a pastor, but God has used him in a mighty way. His mom prayed through so many situations that it inspired me to do the same. To declare health, wholeness, redemption, all of the above over my family.

How has God reminded you that He is “Still Good” whether on the mountaintop or in the valley?

Because God is still God regardless of my day, week, or year. I wrestle with this constantly. His ways are higher than my own and, truthfully, I don't understand what He is doing most of the time.

But as He sustains me through each day, providing breath for my lungs, blood in my veins, I know he has a plan and a purpose for me.

Despite where I'm at or what my perspective is, He doesn't change. He's still who He says he is.

We know "Mas Rico Del Mundo" is a favorite. Tell us about how your Dad's motivational words growing up influenced this song, and tell us about the Spanish-inspired instrumentation! 

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

I remember hearing this hundreds of times and I started telling myself this phrase when I was comparing myself to others earlier this year. They have x car, they have a bigger house, they have x success, etc. It was really bringing me down.

On the other hand, I've been able to travel to some incredible places where people are happy despite having very little. They would maybe say they don't have much materially, but in terms of personal wealth, they put Elon Musk to shame. They have healthy family relationships, healthy marriages, love for Jesus, and contentment in their hearts. I want that over anything else. And “Más Rico Del Mundo” is a song I sing to myself constantly to make that a priority.

Lastly, tell us about “Lean On Me,” the possibly influence of the original song, and how we cannot be Christ-like in silos. 

We were definitely not meant to live this life alone. I've needed someone to lean on every day of my life and it doesn't make you strong to be alone. Independence is great but it should never isolate us. Strength is being willing to be vulnerable and realize your need for a savior and other people. Sooner or later, you're going to need someone. 

So call me up! Lean On Me!

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Evan Craft | Chances

Lead songs from Chances with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

The Belonging Co

"So many songs we were writing and singing in church were full of lyrics describing the different aspects of Holy Spirit and lifting a hunger for more of Him in our lives. That’s where the title Pneuma came from, as it’s the Greek word for 'wind, breath, spirit, an invisible force.' 

This album is full of songs of our need for the Spirit Of God but also songs of vertical praise and worship to The Lord. That’s always been the heart of our house, that we would have life changing encounters with God that would then lead us to lift up a praise that He alone deserves, and we pray this album does that for all who hear it."

- Andrew Holt

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Congrats on the new album! This may seem like an obvious first question, but tell us about the title’s name for this project: what it represents and how it became a central theme for The Belonging Co writers.

Absolutely! As a team we never set out to write songs for a specific album, but rather we are focused on writing songs for our local church here in Nashville, TN. So because of that we don’t start out with an album title or theme and then write songs around that title, but rather allow God to highlight a common thread throughout the songs after we’ve chosen a group of songs for an album.  

When we started looking at the songs for this particular project it became very obvious that a strong theme was that so many songs highlight the different aspects of The Holy Spirit.

So we decided to call it “Pneuma” which is a word defined as ‘wind,’ ‘breath,’ ‘spirit,’ ‘an invisible force’ in the Greek New Testament. 

Some of these songs were written recently, and some were written years ago. Tell us why they all fit into this one particular record.

Yes some of these songs were written over the past year and a couple of them even date back all the way back to the early days of our church almost a decade ago. Which is really incredible to think that although these songs were written over the span of a decade there is still a common thread between them all.

I think ultimately what ties them together as well is that they were all written for and from our church community. Our goal as songwriters is always to be in the flow of what God is speaking and how he’s moving in both our church here locally and also the Church globally and then write songs from that place. 

How have these individual and collective encounters with the Spirit spurned on the heart and mission of The Belonging: that these life-changing encounters with God would lead you to lift up a praise that He alone deserves?

It’s been so encouraging to hear how these songs have done exactly that for so many people in our church already as we’ve been singing them week to week.

Two of our main goals as a worship team are one, that we would lead worship in such a way that invites people into deep encounters with The Spirit Of God that would change them from the inside out, but also, more importantly, we would lead them to a place of giving God the praise, honor, and worship that he alone deserves.

I believe when we do, those two things take place the mission and heart of our church is advanced because the people are changed and reminded of who their God is. 

“The Dove,” the first single from the project, feels particularly special. The dove is one of the symbols of the spirit. Why was this symbol intentionally chosen for this song?

Yes this song has felt so special since day one!

I actually had the title “The Dove” written in my notes on my phone for a little while and didn’t have anything else other than I knew it would be a song about the Holy Spirit. I had told Cody (Carnes), Kari (Jobes), and Austin (Davis) about the idea and when we got together to write we started reading and referencing the different times throughout scripture that a dove was referenced and how that it actually had a common thread from the beginning of creation all the way to Jesus.

We wanted to paint this beautiful picture that it’s always been God’s plan to give us the Holy Spirit to live within us.

The Spirit of God isn’t a mystical far off thing but rather a person who comforts, convicts, and helps us everyday. Our prayer from day one was that it would tangibly show people the power and gift of the Holy Spirit and lead them to an encounter with that power.

Pneuma was recorded over two nights at you all’s home church. Tell us about your congregation’s responses to these songs and what you hope the response will be now from congregations around the world.

This was actually the first time we’ve intentionally set aside nights to record new songs as the other albums we’ve released were just recorded at our weekly services or conferences, so it felt really special to gather to worship and capture these moments.

You could tangibly feel the expectation in the room on both nights because people had come ready to worship and intentionally taken time out of their lives to be in the presence of God. There were both moments of deep encounter and then moments of high praise, moments of intimate worship and also moments of dancing and shouting.  

Our prayer is that these songs would lead other people and congregations into those same expressions of worship, and that God would use them to change and equip the global Church! 

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The Belonging Co | Pneuma

Lead songs from Pneuma with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Gas Street Music

"When we first started Gas Street, one of the first words spoken over us was that we would be 'Woven in worship.' As a community, all we say and do would have worship at the heart of it.

These songs are woven together to reflect the full range of Christian experience in worship, from thanksgiving to lament, contending in prayer and longing for the glory of a God to fall. Our heart is that these songs would give voice to the community before us and beyond as we join the wider church woven together in unity by the Spirit to give glory to the Father through the Son." 

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The title 'Woven: Live from The Coal House' comes from a prophetic word spoken at the start of Gas Street as a church almost ten years ago. How has your church sought to stay true to worship being at the heart of everything you do as you all have grown and evolved?

Yes! At the start of our journey, a friend of our church gave us a prophetic word about everything we do being “woven in worship.” We desire to be a people who carry worship as the highest and most important value.

Everything we do as a church must enable and lead people to encounter Jesus, whether it's a Sunday gathering where we come together corporately to worship and minister to Him or serving our community. We desire our conversations and activities to be from a place of giving our everything to Jesus. 

Why did you all choose this title for these particular songs? How do you think this spectrum of expressed worship weaves Gas Street together with the global Church?

This title is a full circle moment for us, seven years on from the start of the church, remembering our calling again to be woven in worship. It felt like it just made sense in our journey and the story that God has been writing.

We first and foremost write songs to serve our local church, expressing the diversity in the creativity of our community. Most of our worship community consists of volunteers and people who spend their time beyond the four walls of the church. We realise that when our work becomes a position of worship, we lose the separation between the sacred and the secular.

These songs are heart cries of what we long to see God do not only in our times of gathered sung worship but His presence impacting and changing our city, our workplaces, and our communities.

Tell us about the setting of the recording of ‘The Coal House.’

Typically, we have recorded our songs in a studio setting or captured them live from a Sunday gathering. This time, we wanted to express these songs in one of our favourite settings, together “in the round.”

The Coal House is a space in our building that historically was used to store coal previously used to power the street lamps across the city. We invited our church members for a beautiful night of worship and encounter, and you hear the sound of a unified body expressing their praise, thanksgiving and hunger to see more of the Glory of God.

The passion for Jesus was so tangible! 

Tell us how Psalms 139:13-16 inspired the song “Woven.”

Psalms 139 is a stunning scripture — it’s deeply personal and speaks right into the heart of who we are. Being formed by God and known by him releases an overflow of praise. The works of God lead to a right response of worship.

It's like strands of fabric sewn together: they are linked and bonded to create something beautiful. The song ends with inspiration from Psalm 103:1: Let all that's in me bless your name, let all that's in me say, ‘You're worthy of my praise.’

What songs in particular have resonated the most with your congregation? Do you think it has something to do with the season your church is in or a collective season the global Church is facing?

We've been using most of these songs in our gatherings for quite some time now, particularly “Thanksgiving,” “Worthy Jesus,” “Broken Hallelujah (Not My Will)” and “Lord Let Your Glory Fall On Us.”

They have all brought us into beautiful encounters with the Lord. “Thanksgiving” gives melody to Psalm 100, where we read about how we can enter His presence by expressing our gratitude. We've seen God move in incredible ways this year, with so many people giving their “yes” to Jesus for the first time. “Worthy Jesus” has called us into simple faith, reminding us that He is before all things and holds it together, regardless of circumstances or our situations — that in every season, He is worth our worship.

“Broken Hallelujah (Not My Will)” has helped us navigate what we see in the global Church with the heartaches of the Christian experience and the devastation of what people are facing in the world. It's a beautifully honest song of lament. “Lord Let Your Glory Fall On Us” has become a passionate prayer to see His glory fall.

The bridge articulates the only response when we encounter Him: declaring how holy and worthy He is!

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Gas Street Music | Woven: Live from the Coal House

Lead songs from Woven: Live from the Coal House with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Yancy

Yancy is a worship leader, songwriter and producer of hundreds of songs that make Jesus loud. Her Dove Award-winning music is all the things kids love and everything adults value. She is a powerhouse at leading and teaching kids from birth to preteen how to worship and creates popular worship resources for churches and homes around the world.

This year, Yancy is celebrating 25 years of music. We asked her about this milestone, her new remix produced by Colony House’s Will Chapman, and what’s next!

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Yancy! Thank you for joining us for another interview about Kids Ministry. You are such an integral leader in this space, and we’re grateful to spotlight this area of ministry as worship teams prep for the Fall. 

Before we dive into specifics, tell us what’s been on your heart / what have you been learning lately in regards to leading kids in worship, whether practical or pastoral?

Thanks so much for having me. I’m grateful to have this conversation.

Coming off a bunch of summer events leading kids in worship I can say that I’ve never been more convinced of the importance of worship discipleship in our congregations. Watching what happens in the span of these multi-day events is the equivalent of a couple months of Sundays. Session by session I break down what worship is and how they take part in it. It’s amazing what leading them intentionally does to grow their understanding and therefore engagement.

I feel like I’m in a season of reminding church leaders what could and can be: telling dry bones to come alive as church leaders and awaken to this idea of raising up every generation within their church to be the worshiper God created them to be. I take this area of discipleship very seriously. 

This year, I’ve had a few interactions with some once-upon-a-time fans of mine that are now grown up.

I think hearing from those now adults what my music meant to them or how they learned to fall in love with worship because of what I do was of course humbling but also a beautiful reminder. Every testimony is number one: proof that they grow up and what I do matters. But number two, it reminds me that this works.

Planting God’s Word in the hearts of kids through songs isn’t just a nice idea, but it works and bears fruit. As they enter new seasons as student ministry pastors, missionaries and parents themselves (and bearing fruit themselves), the ripple of impact gets bigger and bigger. This inspires me to keep going!

Tell us about the new remix you just released “Super Wonderful” with Will Chapman (son of Steven Curtis Chapman & drummer for Colony House). How did your son inspire this one and how was he a part of the release?

My son Sparrow inspired me to write the song “Super Wonderful.”

When he was little he was obsessed with superheroes and dressed up as his favorites all day long, every day. So for the project I was working on at the time I had the idea to write a “superhero” themed song about the greatest superhero of all time. Especially in the last handful of years, that song has become one of the crowd favorite songs. It’s always a party and a highlight moment to watch a group engage and participate with this special song.

Earlier this year I had the idea to have Will remix the song. So I sent him a message and he got to work. It was fun to imagine the song in a new way. I’ve had a blast leading the “Funky Franklin Remix” version this summer and providing some variation on theme.

Leading a song that is already a favorite, but also with a new sonic landscape and video. Sparrow is now twelve years old and over the last year has grown in his art ability. He does a lot of graffiti artwork illustrations. I comissioned Sparrow to do the artwork for the single of the “Super Wonderful (Funky Franklin Remix)”. His art for it is also on a t-shirt and has now become my fastest selling t-shirt ever.

It’s a pretty special thing as a mom to realize that God has given him this art talent and ability but also, how because of his life, I wrote this song about our “super big, strong and wonderful God.” And now, thousands around the world are singing along and this truth is being etched on their heart. 

You recently worked on a new kid’s musical for Christmas. Why do you think children’s musicals tend to get a bad rap, and how do you think audiences can uniquely experience the presence of God through theatre?

Yes, I did. It was an opportunity God dropped in my lap. I wasn’t seeking it out or looking for it, but once the opportunity presented itself it was an easy “yes”. I love Christmas music. So, the idea to get to write and dream up an idea from a blank page was a lot of fun. Truthfully, I have very little experience in this genre but I understand church, ministry and how to write songs for kids. Thankfully Lillenas Music gave me freedom to be me and create this musical. Whether it be a musical or kids music I think it can get a bad rap because people think that just because it’s for kids it doesn’t have to be great music or production. It shouldn’t be nails on a chalkboard audio. I try really hard in the things I create to write catchy pop hooks and make great music period. The fact that it’s for kids is most identifiable in the lyrics, repetition or arrangement. But, at the end of the day I’m trying to make great music period. I believe that music moves people. In theater you’re expanding the story and details of what you’re communicating. People are able to see themselves in a particular character and connect in a deeper way. Thinking of this medium on the calendar of a church, the greatest win to me are the family members who will show up to see a grandchild, niece or nephew be in a play that don’t normally go to church. Planting seeds and being able to share the gospel with them is an opportunity I don’t want to take for granted. Any time we can help families connect with each other and make memories centered around fun and Jesus, it’s a win for me.

You are celebrating 25 years of music and ministry this year. Congratulations! Your entire career has been independent. What advice would you give any worship artist who’s wanting to be their own team?

Thank you! It’s been a fun journey for sure. God is oh so faithful.

I have been independent the whole time which is crazy to think about. Many artists have come and gone throughout those twenty-five years and yet here I am still getting to make music and do it as my job. I’m incredibly grateful for that. God has placed people in my life throughout the years to help and certainly open up certain doors on my behalf.

The biggest thing I could share is it’s so important to know what it is that God has called you to do.

If I reflect on the journey, there were certain deals I turned down back in the day because of obedience. They didn’t always make a ton of sense in the moment but I gave God my obedience and years later it made sense why. Knowing who you are as an artist and what it is that God has called you to contribute helps you distinguish what is a good idea and what’s God opportunity. Not becoming some type of artist or band that the label wants to have on their roster just so you can get a deal. To quote Eddie DeGarmo who I admire so much “Success is obedience.” 

Giving God my yes to do what He has called me to is always worth it.

I’m reading Scott Brickell’s book right now about the music business and would highly recommend to anyone feeling called to that space to just learn more how it works. I feel like in the current spaces of mostly singles being released to DSP’s and all the social media it’s a busier time than ever to be an independent artist.

There is a lot of work you will do, behind the scenes. So many task that have nothing to do with making music. Being on stage is just the cherry on top to a lot of other tasks. Don’t be afraid to work really hard and always make it look and sound the very best that you can. People compliment my branding often. I’ve always had doors open for me because I didn’t look and sound like an independent artist so it’s really a Biblical principle for at work. "Whatever you do, do it with all your heart!"

You mentioned that you feel like even though you’re 25 years into this, you feel like you’re just getting started in many ways. What’s next?

The last few years has been a really special season for me. I wrote a book about kids worship. I won a Dove Award. I released a worship curriculum churches can use to teach their kids about worship and now the musical.

I think I’m more certain of who I am and what God has called me to do now than ever.

I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the potential that is there to help Christian parents and Church leaders have amazing kids music. I know I have more music in me….with a few more kids worship resources to release this fall. I have some more books I want to write as soon as I can create time to write them. I want to help kids fall more in love with Jesus one song at a time. I have some big dreams I haven’t seen come true yet, so stay tuned, but I know God has more for me to do as I make Jesus loud. 

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Explore resources from Yancy at MultiTracks.com!

Tiffany Hudson

Today, award-winning songwriter and worship leader Tiffany Hudson releases her solo debut, Hidden Here. A member of the GRAMMY® Award-winning group Elevation Worship and a worship leader at Elevation Church, Hudson is behind songs such as “Graves Into Gardens” and “More Than Able,” many from the GRAMMY-winning project Old Church Basement, among others. 

“This began a personal journey of sitting with Him, writing, co-writing, and desiring to present the things He placed in my heart. It’s always a humbling experience to try and pen God’s wonder. It’s a weight and a responsibility to put confessions in other people’s mouths to say to God.”

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How does it feel to have your debut release Hidden Here out in the world? 

After carefully and prayerfully working on these songs for a year, I’m filled with gratitude to finally have them released to the world.

The day of the release felt weighty, because I knew how much these songs meant to me and how deep the confessions I was making to the Lord through them. But simultaneously, releasing them felt like a relief. It felt like the pressure was lifted off my shoulders as I gave this first little offering to the Lord.

You felt an opening from the Lord in early 2022 to make a solo artist career part of your story. Can you tell us more about hearing this invitation from the Lord?

I never had it in my heart to do a solo project, honestly because I felt like I had nothing important to say.

In early 2022, when I would sit with the Lord and write at my piano, it felt like a flip switched and suddenly had lots on my heart that felt important to say. The songs I began to write & co-write didn’t feel like ones we would sing at church as a team. They felt like my own personal responses and confessions to the Lord. I’m so grateful to my church and pastor that gave me the green light to explore what these songs could turn into.

It was a beautiful, messy, journey of discovery which ultimately ended up as an 8-song album that I pray could lead people into deeper devotion with the Lord.

About the writing process you’ve said: “It’s always a humbling experience to try and pen God’s wonder. It’s a weight and a responsibility to put confessions in other people’s mouths to say to God.” How do these songs steward this responsibility?

When I write, I always have the thought: “who am I to possibly try and describe the God of the universe, who was here before me and will be here after me”? What a weight and responsibility that is to try and pen who he is.

But I believe in every generation, there is a responsibility to proclaim the goodness of God. 

This album is filled with confessions of surrender and devotion. The Lord has taken me through different seasons that produced these prayers. My hope for this project is that the Lord would invite the listener into a similar trust-walk that He took me on, so that ultimately it would lead the listener to a deeper lever of surrender to Him. 

Tell us about working with Steffany Gretzinger, Mitch Wong, and Joe L. Barnes as collaborators on “Break The Bottle” and “Togetherness.”

Steffany Gretzinger has been a shining example to me for years of what it means to be a true worshipper of Jesus, on and off the platform. Her voice and songs have led me to His feet many times, so when she agreed to write for this project, I felt so incredibly grateful. We wrote the song “Break The Bottle” along with Jason Ingram and Josh Holiday. The day felt worshipful and meaningful. I’m still filled with gratitude that she added her heart and voice to this project.

In 2020, Mitch Wong, Joe L Barnes, and I wrote the song “Togetherness.” Our country was in a season of heavy division and confusion. It was in the middle of all of that, where we wrote this cry for unity.

We felt so aligned with the message of the song while writing it, so it only made sense to have the two of them join their voices on this project.

How did writing these songs shape your own personal testimony?

The Lord truly took me through a season of learning what it meant to walk with him in every moment.

In a lot of ways, it felt like the Lord had woken me up to the reality that He is coming back for His bride, and how that should affect every part of my life. As this conviction grew in my heart, the confessions followed. This album is my response to the Lord, and all he showed me.

It’s my vow to live fully and only for Him. This album truly signifies a part in my story where everything changed.

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Tiffany Hudson | Hidden Here

Lead songs from Hidden Here with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Red Rocks Worship

Denver-based worship collective, Red Rocks Worship, have released their new album Ascend. This group has been preparing for more than a year to create this new project.

"Our hope is that no matter where the listener finds themselves on that path, they would take the next step in trusting God and living out the freedom that life with Him provides," shares Red Rocks Worship.

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We’re excited for the world to hear these new songs! Tell us about the single “Miracle In Me.” What scripture in particular inspired the lyrics?

One of the key verses that inspired “Miracle in Me” was Isaiah 53:5 which says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."

There is so much power in that verse!

It is because of what Jesus did on the cross that we can stand on His promises no matter what we are facing. The world constantly pressures us to take a second rate option— anything less than what the Lord promised. However, this song is an anthem that stirs our faith and reminds us of the power of the blood of Jesus, calling us to an unshakeable trust in the Lord! 

Jesus said in John 19:30, “It is finished!” That means that everyday our posture should be that of confidence in what Jesus said and who He is within us. This song has already seen so much testimony, and I’m praying that through it we will continue to see our Healer create so many more!

We know Tyler and your whole team is passionate about prioritizing mental health in the Church. Thank you for sharing a message this past Mental Health Awareness Month with our community! What about Jesus has encouraged you in particular lately to reject fear and walk in the promises of God? 

Recently I’ve really been trying to remind myself of exactly who Jesus is, and how He has shown Himself faithful in the past.

Part of being mentally healthy is renewing our minds daily. The time we spent with God yesterday was for yesterday. The time we spend with Him today is what we need for today. There are moments when we literally have to take charge of our thoughts and retrain our minds to think differently.

Psalm 42:5 says “So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. For no matter what, I will still sing with praise, for you are my saving grace!” In this psalm, the writer calls into question why he would let his soul be downcast and then reminds himself of who God is, resulting in praise to the Lord. 

Fear and worry cannot co-exist with gratitude and praise. So when you find yourself slipping into fear or despair, choose to remember who Jesus is and give Him the best praise your soul has to offer.  

We know that “Good Plans” has a really cool backstory. Tell us how this song has impacted the people at Red Rocks Church, and how you hope it continues to impact the global Church. 

This song has become an anthem that we shout from the rooftops at Red Rocks Church!

There have been so many testimonies already that we have had the privilege of hearing about, but one in particular has stuck out for me.

Sandie is a woman in our church who had recently been re-diagnosed with a brain tumor and told that she needed surgery to remove it. She thought she had made up her mind and decided not to have the surgery this time, but the first Sunday we sang “Good Plans” at church, she heard the Lord tell her to have the surgery and trust in Him. So she did just that.

She downloaded the song on her phone and asked that they would play it in the operating room while she was under anesthesia. It was an anthem of faith that she could cling to while going through one of the most frightening events of her life. She trusted the Lord and saw His provision all the way through. Now every Sunday, I see Sandie sitting stage left a few rows back at church — she’s worshiping the Lord with her whole heart and a fully healed brain, cancer free!

“There’s No Way” is another standout - tell us the backstory of this song and why you wanted to release it to the Church first, before anywhere else. 

This song is another one that I’m so excited about!

It’s a reminder that when you feel your back is up against the wall and you can’t see a way out, there’s no way that the Lord is going to let you down! He does not fail! He is sure to make good on all of His promises, and He takes what the enemy meant for evil and turns it around for good every single time.

It is a perspective-shifting song about the supernatural God we trust in, birthed from a miraculous story of a supernatural healing. It was written from a place of celebration and testimony after one of the writer’s received a physical healing they had been waiting on for years. When they shared their testimony in the writing room, we knew that we had to write a song that would remind the greater Church that Jesus is still a miracle worker. Whether we see it or not, He is always working. 

We wanted to release it early to the Church because we believe this song is one that will help reignite faith in the Body of Christ. There are so many hurting people in the Church, and unfortunately many have forgotten the power of God. It’s time to recognize where the enemy of our soul is trying to discourage us and to ultimately say “yes” to the promises of God!

What’s your greatest hope as congregations begin leading and hoping in these songs?

My greatest hope is that people will grow in deeper connection with the Living God!

My prayer is that no matter where people find themselves with Jesus that they will be compelled to move closer and closer to Him through repentance, praise, and faith in Him.

The purpose of these songs is first and foremost to please the Lord, but we also hope they help the Church remember that worship is for Him only. He alone deserves the highest praise — it was never meant for us!

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Red Rocks Worship | Ascend

Lead songs from Ascend with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Michael Bethany

Michael Bethany is an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and recording artist with Gateway Music, based out of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, where he leads dynamic worship at services and conferences. He has been involved in global worship ministry for over 15 years, collaborating with musical greats including Fred Hammond, Mitch Wong, Leeland, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Tamela Mann and more. Michael loves leading worship, teaching, and mentoring the next generation, and is passionate about creating worship experiences that activate an overflow of intimacy with God. 

Overflow is a collection of songs coming out of Michael’s personal overflow of intimacy with God. Songs of high praise like “Ask Me Why” and “Already Done” will make you want to dance and sing, while songs like “He is Lord” and “Fill the Room” will usher you into the throne room of God’s presence.

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Your first solo album in 7 years is out today! We love the joy and confidence in this album. How does it feel? Were you more focused on other aspects of ministry during your hiatus?

It’s an amazing feeling because God put this album in my heart one year after my release in 2016.

I’ve been getting this download from God this entire time and to see it finally release is like giving birth to a dream that’s been growing in my heart all these years. I’d been focused on my worship pastor role in ministry and I had a major transition to Gateway Church which took time to settle my family into a new life rhythm. I kept recording and releasing music with other artists and ministries along the way. 

You are currently serving as an associate Pastor of Worship at Gateway Church in Southlake, TX. Were any of these songs a reflection of what your congregation has been learning or wrestling with?

In one aspect yes, because as a member of Gateway, God has definitely used my time there to cultivate some things in me that are directly reflected on this album. At the same time, this album had a slightly different journey because it’s more focused on music God has given me more personally, and I get to steward that as a Gateway Music artist.  

Tell us about your passion for teaching and mentoring the next generation through your pastoring and music. 

It’s probably even more of a passion to invest in people through discipleship than creating music. God’s love for His children has filled my heart and it’s one of my highest privileges to come alongside ministries and individuals to help them understand the heart of God for them and release them into their God-given purpose.  

Tell us why you led this project with the singles: “Ask Me Why” and “He Is Lord.”

“Ask Me Why” is an exciting song about my testimony and it’s filled with so much joy. 

I wanted to start these releases with a song that people could sing in their own personal spaces and also sing in congregations to rejoice while reflecting on God’s goodness. 

“He is Lord” is a Christ-centered song that is at the heart of every believer’s profession of faith. I also truly believed that releasing this song as one of the leading singles would provide the Church with a song that would focus our worship on the Lordship of Jesus.

I love declaring the power of Jesus through miracles or provision, but His lordship is the greatest thing you could ever declare according to Philippians 2:9-11. 

If you could choose one song for the Church to begin using in worship services regularly, which song would you choose and why? 

I would definitely choose “He Is Lord” if I only had one choice. 

When we get a revelation of the lordship of Jesus we usher in all that God has for us all.  It’s because of the Lordship of Jesus in our lives that we have the right to inherit all the precious promises from the Father.

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Michael Bethany | Overflow

Lead songs from Overflow with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Elevation Worship

What would happen if we began to believe that God could do the miraculous through us? Can you imagine what might happen? These are the questions GRAMMY® Award-winning collective Elevation Worship asks on their anticipated 15th career project, CAN YOU IMAGINE? 

“We want someone to listen to this album and know that God is still writing their story,” Elevation Worship Worship Leader and songwriter Chris Brown explains. We asked Chris about the writing and recording process of CAN YOU IMAGINE? and he shared how a lot of it was in-the-moment, and most importantly, God-driven.

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We’re excited CAN YOU IMAGINE? is out in the world! The album opens with the joyful song “Jehovah,” and we love how the bridge lists Nissi, Jireh, Rapha, and Shalom.

What led you all to write a song around the different attributes of Jehovah from the Old Testament?

Well, we didn’t start with that end in mind. That day we had been trying to write another song but kept hitting a block. And as it often goes when that happens, we eventually carried a piece of that idea and slipped into another stream where we found excitement around the line “He goes by the Name of Jehovah” to anchor a verse.

And that was the spark that was needed to set the rest of the song in motion.

As that piano hook started to find its way into the room along with the musical vibe, out came “Jehovah Nissi fight your battles.” And then the other names of God followed. And as we looked at having this song centered around ‘Jehovah,’ that led to the chorus simply starting with the line: “Call the Name…”

“More Than Able” was the first single released from this new project. Can you tell us why you all decided to lead with this single? 

I think this song has marked this current season we’ve been in as a church. Pastor Steven has preached around the theme of the song, and not giving up hope for all that God has in front of us. Plus, we really really really like it haha. 

“Make A Way” feels like a standout. Tell us more about this song and about bringing in Chandler Moore and Brandon Lake to be a part of the record as a whole. 

When we recorded in January, we started that week with only a few songs we felt great about. I’m so grateful for the relationships God’s given us with different writers and worship leaders.

So that Monday we asked Chandler, Brandon, along with Pat and Cody to come to Charlotte to see if any more songs might surface for us to record on Friday. God was gracious, the flow was good, and “Make A Way” was written that Tuesday (along with “Praise” and “Been So Good”). On Wednesday and Thursday we got our amazing musicians around these new songs, and sang them with our church for the first time at the recording. 

Some folks from our team got to be there for the live recording and mentioned that having extensive, live percussion was a new element.

Can you tell us about how that impacted the recording process? They also mentioned there were more musicians on stage in general than normal. What role did tracks play in the live recording this time, if any?

The long answer is that when we were recording some of the songs for LION, I asked Dom Geralds to add percussion and vibe to “Bye Bye Babylon” and a couple more songs.

Then last year we recorded a B side project called LION: Live From The Loft that Dom’s instincts on percussive sounds and rhythms added a ton to. So when “Jehovah” was written and we decided to record “Runnin,” I knew how instrumental it could be to have those songs approached with additional drums so there was no constriction to what we wanted to create rhythmically for them. So, Dom joined us for all the songs and he and Vinny (Baynard) worked hand in hand to bring the songs to life in new ways.

It was also a lot of fun having that big of a rhythm section when we added “Praise” a couple days before the recording, since it wound up being very drum-driven. And since a lot of the song production was taking shape right up until we recorded, we didn’t use any tracks that evening. We did ask Joel Kelly to add some strings in post for a few songs that turned out beautiful! 

Were there any surprises/unexpected moments from the night of recording? Were there any songs y’all were unsure of how they would land going into it?

I spoke to some of this earlier, but honestly, a lot of the night was a surprise. We had only really led “More Than Able” in church before the recording. I believe “Trust In God” and “Jehovah” may have been introduced once or twice.

But that week of the recording was wild because songs were still being written, parts and hooks were still being created up until a few hours before the doors opened for the night of worship.

We decided late Thursday night to add “Been So Good” and tried it for the first time Friday morning. “Praise” was still being written around 4pm that day haha!

By the time we started, our team knew what the core map and arrangement of the songs were, but left plenty of room and space for them to take shape in the room that night.

CAN YOU IMAGINE? overall has a very different feel from LION, with these songs being more congregational. The theme of encouragement, comfort and expectancy throughout this record is really felt in every song.

Can you speak more to this shift in theme and perspective?

I love hearing what you took away from the songs and how an album is speaking to you! Truth is, there wasn’t an intentional shift we took from LION.

One of the benchmarks for us in approaching a song, whether in a writing session or later in producing the album, is that we would remain presently focused on what we feel God wants to give us as it’s being created.

We didn’t set out with a vision or goal to try and record anything different from LION, in the same way the songs on LION weren’t an intentional departure from Old Church Basement, but rather a collection of songs that were honest to that season. I can’t speak for how congregational these songs may or may not be, but they've certainly been ones I’ve looked forward to putting in the setlist for Sundays at Elevation.

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Elevation Worship | CAN YOU IMAGINE?

Lead songs from CAN YOU IMAGINE? with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Naomi Raine

One of Naomi Raine’s joys is singing with her new found family, Maverick City Music, who has taken the world by storm over the past few years. Together, they have touched generations of people and have been widely recognized as artists who are leading the masses to the heart of God.

Today she releases her new solo record, Cover The Earth (Live in New York), More than a collection of songs, a worship experience full of upbeat and praise-worthy songs that blend pop, R&B and more, while delivering encouraging and uplifting messages across ten songs and four “flow” song transitions. The album was recorded in the heart of New York City and produced by Naomi with Adale Jackson.

Monica Moser from our team drove down to Houston to spoke with her about how Maverick City represents so much of what she hope for as a young believer and how her new worship-centric album intentionally follows her personal reflections shared and stories told in Journey.

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You are currently on tour with Taya, Natalie Grant, and Tasha Cobbs. What an incredible crew. Tell me how tour has been and any standout moments.

It's been amazing.

I'm having a really great time learning from the other ladies and just experiencing their gifts because they are absolutely amazing. I’m with these amazing people every night, and it's almost like, “Wait!”— it's such a blessing.

There was a moment in, I want to say Connecticut, where at the end of the night, we had just been praying over the city beforehand and had felt like there was some heaviness during the night, and so at the end, it just broke, and we just went into worship. And when I say worship, I just mean we're literally just praising God – everybody. At the end of the show, there was no other song.

There was nothing else to do but to just literally shout out to God and it was a beautiful moment because it was so evident that it wasn't about us and our songs, it was really about just giving glory to God. It was a moment that I don't think I'll ever forget because it was so right and so good.

I’m a fellow native New Yorker, and something I loved about faith in the city is that it was in opposition to culture so it felt extra genuine. I wondered if you could relate to that or if you experienced that as well growing up there.

I don't know if I could say I experienced it like that because I grew up in a church that was very… I grew up in a megachurch. There's something about mega churches that's very exclusive — it's just us, right? So that in and of itself felt very countercultural even to other churches. I always kind of felt like we were in this bubble, but the bubble was really big! And we all just connected together.

I do think as I've gotten older and have gone into other spaces, I do realize how difficult it is to be a Christian in New York City sometimes, because there's just so much happening and so much going on. And when you realize that Christianity really has been a culture in and of itself, you go, “oh, man, that's difficult.”

I will say this: the name of my church growing up is Christian Cultural Center (it used to be Christian Life Center).

Our pastor used to always teach us that we were to bring and put Christ in the culture, and so I think from a young age, it kind of was like: every culture I stepped into, I'm to bring Christ, so I didn't feel the difference, if that makes sense. It was intentional to be like, “Ok, everywhere I go, I'm going to try to bring Jesus.”

Totally. It's like you already knew it going into it.

In your bio, it says you “desire to see the body of Christ united and empowered.” When I read those two descriptors, it makes me think about what Maverick City has built and fosters in the way their music not only unites believers of different denominations and racial backgrounds, but it even reaches the mainstream (you all performed at the Grammy’s this year on the main stage). Do you feel like Mav City’s legacy is what you hoped for as a young believer?

100% - I think in many ways.

I feel like the Lord gave me a heart for this before I even knew what it was, and he told me, He said: “You're going to be a part of a Civil Rights Movement in the Gospel Music industry.” I didn't even know what that was. I was like, “Civil rights? That's silly because it's 2004!” I just had no greater understanding of what was actually happening because I was a kid. But the Lord had said it to me then, and I remember I told my parents and I told people around me that this is what the Lord said.

So when this stuff started to happen, I was like, Maverick City is an answer to prayer.

And I know there's a lot of controversy around some of the things that we've done, like being on the Grammy’s stage – some people don't understand that, but when you get a word when you're 16 about this and how the Lord wants to take you into different spaces and that you would have to be what the church looks like in those spaces, then you kind of go, “Okay God, I know you're in this.”

Mav City evolved into this - it wasn't like we knew set out to do that. So it just kind of became this and it's like, man, God is good.

So now transitioning to your album that's coming out soon - this album feels a lot more congregational than Journey. Can you tell us why you went this direction for Cover The Earth? Were there personal stories you wanted to release in Journey before transitioning into more Church/worship-focused songs?

Definitely. So here's the thing with Journey - Journey has been in the works for years. The way that the Lord gave it to me… I was supposed to be put it out before this project I did called Back to Eden and it was supposed to be called Journey Back to Eden.

But I realized that, first of all, Journey just wasn't ready to be presented when Back to Eden was. I think that's just life, like: we can always come together and worship, but the stuff that's going on in our own personal lives — our personal, actual worship, our personal sacrifice, laying down our lives for Jesus — sometimes takes a little longer. And 100% - I needed to say some of these more personal things, especially because of the temperature of the world: us just coming out post-pandemic. We've gone through a lot! The whole world has.

And I'm not going to say the Church hasn't done a good job of talking about mental health. I don't actually know if that's always true, but I do think that there's more conversations that need to be had: I think we tell people to pray about things in a way that's dismissive rather than empowering. So it's like pray about it instead of saying, “Hey, you can pray.”

You can participate in your own life. Some of this is not a prayer issue, some of this is the result of the decisions you're making, or maybe you believe something that doesn't line up with the way you think your life should be, and so we have to adjust.

I think sometimes we use prayer as a band-aid rather than what it actually is for: it’s communication with God. It's us asking Him and petitioning Him for what we need, yes, but also it's communication - asking the Lord questions, getting insight and receiving answers. Prayer is a two-way street.

So, I had to say the things in Journey because I think there was a perception of me that was just: “Naomi's, the church girl that sings in church and gives us congregational song sand she's like, ‘Jireh, you're enough’ and ‘I'm going to be content and I put my faith in Jesus.’”

All of these lyrics that I still of course stand by, but even when we were on that first tour and we were singing it everywhere, I was singing those things in faith.

I was singing it and making myself be content because I was in terrible situations and I was going through personal issues, and I think we hear those songs and we sing it like, with a crown and with a scepter in our hands, but really, we should be singing it when we're in the corner crumpled up. That's the way we should be singing it. And I just had to make sure that I wasn't presenting myself as the hero of my story and that people were not going to be confused by the idea of: “Man, she must never go through anything because she's singing this.”

So I had to set the record straight: I go through stuff and I'm still able to sing this. And so to me, to come back around now with Cover The Earth is like, “Yeah, my life is not all peachy keen and I don’t always understand everything and yes, I understand more now, but… that and this.

I'm going to worship corporately and we're going to lift Jesus up, and Jesus is still worthy and he's still good, and I'm still going to put my anchor to the ground, even in the midst of everything.

So to me, it's important to show both, and most artists have not been able to. And I don't think people really wanted me to put out Journey, and that's okay, but most worship artists aren't able to do both. Because people don't want that – they don't want to see that – but he was 100% God and he was 100% man. That's the Jesus that we serve.

It is what it is. You can't separate him. I think we've tried, but I think we learn in the end: “Oh, no, you really are both. Thank you, Jesus.”

The lead single from the album is “One Name,” which feels really special. Why did you and your team decide to usher in your new project with this song?

When I wrote “One Name” (I wrote it with my friend G Morris Coleman), I cried at the end. I was like, “Okay, if I cry at a song, I know I have to release it, right?”

When we wrote it, I said: “This is a gift from God. This is what the Lord wants for the people.” I don't know how they're going to get it, but I know they need it. We need to sing this. We need to do this.

And if I'm honest, I went into this project with that – knowing that this was the song. We recorded it, and then we did some other songs that started to stand out. It's like you have more children and you're like, “Oh, I love you all!” (laughs) I was really excited about that. We almost started with another song and I felt like the Lord snatched me back and was like, “Naomi, this is the song.” So I just said, we're going with this song.

Most people want to release songs that are going to get people jumping and excited. It's not that. It starts soft and slow and it builds. It wasn’t the smartest business move, but I believe that it was the Kingdom move, and I stand by it.

It’s such a good song. You’ve also released “We Agree With Heaven” with Todd Dulaney. I love how you all snuck in “Amen” from the 60’s into its outro. Tell us about how that came about! Was that a spontaneous transition in writing or rehearsing the song?

In the rehearsal for it, the day before, I spontaneously just started singing it.

Normally, I'm a very spontaneous singer. I don't know if anybody knows that…. (laughs). If I do something once though, I don't really do it again., but that moment, I felt like the Lord was like, “You need to sing this and stamp it, because it's the song about prayer. It really is a song about prayer and standing in agreement with heaven, and ‘Amen’ is just so: “Being unto You, it is done.”

I felt like it was just such a stamp on the song, and so I did it. And I'm telling you, it was the hardest thing, because I don't like to do something I feel like I did already, but I know it was right. I was supposed to stamp this and end this with “Amen.” And the people sang it and it was so beautiful!

Cover The Earth releases June 2nd. I know that we talked about “One Name” being really special, but what’s another song you’re most excited for the Church to hear and embrace?

I think the song that I'm most excited – oh goodness, it's between two right now – but the song I'm most excited about, which I don't know if the Church would pick it up (and I say this because I think sometimes our services become about how produced we can make it, or palatable for people) but anyway, if I had my own way…there's a song called “Drink Offering” on there, and it's literally about just being submitted to the Lord, yielded to Him, and it says,

“Let my life be a drink offering, ever pouring for You only. May my life sing of your glory poured out, poured out.”

I think the enemy has started with each of us at a young age to diminish us, to break our self-confidence, and make us think that we're worthless, to the point that we are afraid when it comes to doing the things of God or letting our light shine. We're afraid to do it because we've been broken from when we were little.

And I think there are two ways to get out of that: You either take this thing on like, “I'm going to do what I want, and I believe so much in myself” that you go for it or you go, “Okay, I can't do anything without Christ. All my strength, all my help is in Him. It all comes from Him, and that's how I'm going to be able to do this.” And I care more about His will being done than my feelings, and me feeling like either a failure or a success. That's not the point.

The point is that I share with people who He is and what He's done, and I let my light shine, that people will see my good works and glorify my Father in heaven. That's it — for His glory alone.

That’s the point — and I want believers to really step into that. I'm saying this because I watched somebody minister today, and I saw them break through the barrier of themselves. When somebody's doing what the Lord has called them to do, but you can see that their biggest enemy the whole time was them, and they actually break through, and it's like, “Oh, snap - you got beyond it.” There's almost a moment where you can kind of switch it and you could think that it's about them, but it's actually the enemy trying to stop you with you because it's about God. And that's been the thing from the beginning: the enemy is like, “How can I shut down these people?”

Abraham: afraid he was going to lose his wife.

Moses: I can't speak.

Gideon: I'm afraid. I'm the least of my house.

David is raising the sheep and nobody's talking to him. He doesn’t even know who his mother is! There's all of this stuff that goes on with these people that God wants to use, but the Lord is like, “I'm going to use you anyway.” And he doesn't even tell Gideon, “No, it's not true.” He says, “Be of good courage. Get up and do the thing.”

And so my hope is when people hear this project, especially that song, they go, “All right, wait, it was never about me. Let me refocus and let me just live my life for Him, and give it, and lay it, and pour it all out.”

That's the hope.

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Naomi Raine | Cover The Earth

Lead songs from Cover The Earth with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Seek Well

Seek Well exists to guide men and women toward a deeper relationship with Jesus through experiences designed to provide rest and eliminate the noise of life. They believe that “life to the full” (John 10) is possible for those who are willing to live in rhythm with Jesus and His way.

The truth is that when we slow down and listen, we discover what He has to say to us. When God speaks, it changes everything!

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What specific resources and experiences does Seek Well offer?

Seek Well is primarily an experience ministry.

We exist to help men and women slow down and be still, listen to God, so that they can seek Him well. Our experiences range from one day, to one weekend, to one year. Our one day and one weekend experiences (One Day and Getaway) are designed to provide space to slow down, find rest for the soul, and learn to develop spiritual rhythm. Our one year experience is for people who are desperate for Jesus; men and women who will do whatever it takes to find the “life to the full” that Jesus offers. We guide people in how to develop spiritual rhythm as they discover what it takes to live free and light across four unique in-person experiences as well as additional content and connection. 

Over the years we’ve discovered that the invitation to follow Jesus at His pace and His way was not just for us or a small group of individuals, but is for everyone! We develop resources in addition to our experiences for anyone who is trying to follow Jesus in a busy world. Our current primary resources are our podcast Free And Light, our digital companion resource The Daily Rhythm, as well as our book LISTEN.

Free And Light is a podcast about how to live the life that Jesus offers. We talk about the spiritual practices that will change your life by learning to slow down and seek Jesus well. We share what we have learned about pursuing Jesus in our most difficult seasons and share the moments that are shaping our faith today. We also invite our friends into the conversation by talking to men and women whose lives have been radically transformed by practicing the way of Jesus. We hope that through our conversations that we can encourage you to experience the same!  

The Daily Rhythm is our digital resource that explores the spiritual practices (or disciplines) that we think are vital to following Jesus. These aren’t all of the practices; just the ones that we are discussing currently. We believe that when we create space to connect with God we develop what we call Spiritual Rhythm. We release new guides to these practices in conjunction with our podcast!  

Hearing from God is not complicated. We just have to be still long enough to listen.

LISTEN is a seven week guide designed to help you hear the voice of God. We couldn’t take every person on a hike in the mountains so we decided to put it in book form. LISTEN offers simple but profound practices to help you silence the noise and develop intimacy with Jesus through the lost art of listening. Perfect for individuals or small groups and ministry teams!

How is Matthew 11:28-30 central to the heart behind Seek Well?

Your soul isn’t designed to move at the speed of the world. When we look around us it’s easy to see just how fast the world is moving, and it seems as if everyone is just trying to keep up with this unsustainable pace. Because of this we work ourselves to the bone and then crash into the weekend in an effort to recover; just to do it all over again on Monday. And when we look at the Church it would seem as if we are no different… We have adopted this culture of “hustle” and have applied it to our lives and ministries so much so that things are barely within the boundaries of chaos.

Jesus says there is a better way:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” -Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

It’s fair to say that without those words of Jesus, Seek Well might not exist today. Years ago God used this passage of scripture to reach into the deepest parts of our hearts as a small group of men began to get away regularly to ask God what He had to say. Over the years we invited others to join us in this simple pursuit of stillness, silence, and learning to listen. Since then we’ve seen hundreds of men and women embrace Jesus’ invitation to find rest, be still, and listen to His voice. We’ve seen marriages restored, ministries revived, churches planted, and relationships with Jesus reclaimed. 

We all need a break from the pushing, striving, and stress of life.

We need to discover and embrace what it means to walk with Jesus and work with Jesus; not simply for Him. When we do, it changes everything! If that’s you then we would love to invite you one of our experiences, to join us in conversation on our podcast, or learn what it means to listen through our book. 

What’s a recent testimonial that really affected you?

We get to hear incredible stories of what happens when people begin living the way of Jesus at the pace of Jesus all of the time! We love to share these stories of what God is doing in the lives of people who are reclaiming their faith and relationship with Him and living in the unforced rhythms of grace. Two of those recent stories that come to mind are Justin and Marissa:

Justin thought that he had it all together; but found that he was falling into the dangerous trap of chasing "The American Dream."

When his quest for more left him emotionally, spiritually, and relationally burned out, he had a choice to make - change careers or learn to move at a different pace. It was at this moment that Justin's life was changed as he learned how to slow down and develop spiritual rhythm. Along the way, he found joy in the journey, and you can too!

Marissa had a baseline level of faith for a long time.

In fact, she works at a church and was doing all the churchy things… but if she was honest, inside she was barely surviving. Marissa discovered that there is a difference between knowing about God and actually knowing Him. She learned that she doesn’t have to settle for surviving but that she deserves and can find this thing Jesus calls life to the full.

Tell us about your retreats and the promo offering for our Multitracks/Lead Worship Well community. 

Busy, run down, even burned out in life and ministry? We’ve been there! How can we possibly succeed in life (and ministry for that matter) without feeling like we are losing our souls in the process?

You are not alone!

At Seek Well, we believe that listening to Jesus is the key to our best life, and if we slow down and listen we’ll actually hear God. Over the years we have seen that this is best discovered through an in-person experience; where you are guided towards what that means and looks like in your own life. 

LISTEN

Our seven-week guide is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about slowing down, being still, and how to listen to God.

You can do this on your own or with a group! Use the promo code “LWW” for 25% off! If you’d like to purchase multiple copies for your small group or ministry team please email us at info@seekwell.org for a special discount. 

FREE AND LIGHT

Our podcast is designed to invite you to pull up a chair and join us in a conversation about what it means to live the life that Jesus offers. You can listen on Apple, Spotify, or directly on our site at http://www.freeandlightpodcast.com!

Spotify

Apple

GETAWAY

Right now we have spots available for our upcoming Getaway experiences designed to create breathing room for your soul.

Come and get away with our team and let us show you how to take a real rest and develop spiritual rhythm. We have Getaway’s happening in both June and September! More info can be found at http://seekwell.org/getaway

REFRESH and ENCOURAGE

Our year-long experiences for men and women are currently closed as these groups for 2023/24 are being formed now. However, if you’re interested in the next group please send us an email at info@seekwell.org and you’ll be the first to know when registration opens! 

SPEAKING

We often get invited to speak to ministry teams, church staff team meetings, and conferences. If you would like to work together, you can get in touch at http://www.seekwell.org/speaking.

We would love the opportunity to partner with you!

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Learn more at https://www.seekwell.org/

ELEVATION RHYTHM

With youth and young adults at the forefront of their mission, ELEVATION RHYTHM believes in writing and recording songs with a variety of bold sounds, textures, and genres. In doing so, they aim to create a space for those searching for purpose, identity, and acceptance to encounter Jesus.

Josh Holiday shares about their new album, This Is The Gospel, and how it focuses on biblical truths.

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Tell us about the album opener “Good News,” which serves as almost an overture. There’s a lot going on: there are production elements, a voiceover, a gospel choir, and more. It really creates this powerful, anticipatory atmosphere. 

I actually made that during a Rhythm Offsite! I had taken the team to this cabin in the mountains for the weekend and one morning while we were there I woke up with the idea for this track!

We had already recorded the album but I knew I wanted an intro. An intro that sonically represented the Bible.

There are 3 parts to this opener. The beginning has this feeling of stars being created and a garden growing, it represents the creation of life.

The middle part has the feeling of a journey beginning. And the end is the sound of the return of the King!

The voice over is actually an nyc street preacher. I found a YouTube video of him preaching and I used his message to narrate those 3 parts!

You said about this release: “I just knew this next album had to be truth-centered, and I wanted to create music that was going to be foundational for this next generation in their faith journey.” What aspects of the Truth specifically were dwelled on / prayed over in the writing process? 

I wanted to focus on some of the pillars of our faith.

One, Jesus died for our sins! Two, we are loved. Three, if we believe in Jesus and confess that He is Lord we will spend eternity with Him!

These are some of the truths that we focused on while writing and creating the album.

And this may be hard to choose, but if you could pick one song for someone in the generation following yours to hear, what would it be and why? 

I would choose “Streetlights.” This song focuses on the feeling of being lost and wanting to experience life again and feel loved again.

It's a reminder that you can always run home to the Father no matter where you are or how far you’ve gone. 

When you all were at MultiTracks capturing sessions versions, we talked about how there are more members of RHYTHM than people may think. Tell us about the purpose behind that - of not necessarily having a “face” of the group.

RHYTHM is more than just a traditional worship group.

We are a movement for the next and the NOW generation.

We have core people who take on leadership responsibilities within our team but, RHYTHM is bigger than any of us. We never want to limit what RHYTHM can be by making one person or a few people the “face.”

A few years from now someone who was in high school when TITG came out could be coming here to MultiTracks singing songs for their next generation.

Though our foundation will remain, RHYTHM will continue to evolve and develop because we live in an ever evolving world. 

I’d love to close with talking about the title track. There is so much joy in this song and the arrangement feels like it’s simultaneously from the past and the future. 

“This Is The Gospel” was a song we wrote at our first writing camp for this album! We had the drums, choir and lyrics all done in that session! It was one of those songs that we knew how we wanted it to sound live from day 1!

Once we got that band around it and connected with a local college gospel choir the song came to life even more! Every time we do that song there is an instant feeling of joy that catches the room!

You can’t help but to move and yell out “I was lost but now I’m found !” 

This Is The Gospel is relatively short - not only with how many tracks are on it (7) but the lengths of those tracks. Tell us about the decision behind creating more short form content when the trend in worship has leaned more long form lately? 

When we were in the process of creating the album we actually recorded 10-11 songs. As we continued in the process we narrowed down our tracklist because we wanted to make sure each song supported what we wanted to communicate.

Ultimately that is why we ended up with 7 songs. We wanted to be really intentional with what we were releasing rather than just releasing a bunch of songs that didn’t fully express the narrative we were writing.

For us it's about making sure every song feels right to us and works in our context rather than trying to fit a specific standard of what an album should look like. 

When it comes to the length of our songs, I don’t think it was on purpose that they were pretty short. We love long worship songs and we aren’t opposed to them at all. Though we do lean towards pop it’s not to say every song we will release will be short. When in the writing process we like to ask ourselves “do we need a bridge” instead of “how many bridges can we fit in this song.”

At the end of the day we just try to make sure we communicate the message we are trying to get across in each song. 

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ELEVATION RHYTHM | This Is The Gospel

Lead songs from This Is The Gospel with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Stockholm Worship

For more than 15 years, Stockholm Worship, the creative team of Hillsong Sweden, has been leading worship every Sunday at its various locations around the country. Throughout that time, a desire and longing have been growing to bring forth new and fresh worship.

The group shares about their debut album, Other Side, and how it’s been orchestrated by the Lord for the past several years.

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Congrats on your debut album! Hillsong Sweden has been around for 15 years - what made you all decide to wait until this year to start releasing music?

Daniela Imsen: Thank you! I think it’s all about timing. This has been so much more than a project for us. We have written songs for our church for many, many years without having an album in mind.

But when God started opening new doors for us we decided to go for it.

To see this album release in 2023 feels like perfect timing in so many different ways!

We can imagine you all had a wide range of catalog to pull from for this record. Are any of the songs on this record from over 10 years ago or even all the way back to you all’s inception? How did you all choose which ones were to be on Other Side and was that decision ever daunting?

Eric Liljero: I think we wrote close to 70 songs over the past 2-3 years for this album. But I don’t think we chose songs, I think our church did.

Nothing compares to when God breathes on a song and the church grabs hold of it.

What is unique about the Swedish musical legacy specifically in the worship space?

Jonatan Brandstöm: Musically, Sweden obviously has an amazing history with bands and songwriters like ABBA, The Cardigans, Roxette, Max Martin and more. In the 70’s, we had Christian artists in the Swedish top charts, but it’s been a while since Christian music coming out of Sweden has reached the broader masses. 10 years ago “Cornerstone” written by Jonas Myrin, Eric Liljero ( both Swedes…) and Reuben Morgan really traveled the world.

Our hope is that Stockholm Worship will contribute to reaching more people with Christian music again, and at the same time draw from the rich history of the Swedish musical legacy.

There is one Swedish song featured on Other Side - can you tell us what “Då brister själen ut” means and why that one was chosen to be included?

Wilhelm Dahlroe: The origin of the hymn “How Great Thou Art” actually stems from Sweden, and it was originally written by Carl Boberg in 1885 as the Swedish hymn “O Store Gud.” 

“Då brister själen ut” is basically an inspired and modernized expression of the Swedish chorus. The phrase “Då brister själen ut” resembles the meaning of “Then sings my soul.”

“How Great Thou Art” is a historic example of how a song from Sweden spread across the globe.

And that lines up with the heart behind this album and why this song was included - how these songs created in Sweden hopefully can mean something to people in different places all across the earth.

What song or songs on this record mean the most to you? What song or songs do you think the Church in 2023 most needs to hear and lead?

Jessica Gehlin: "Jesus took away my sin” has a special place in my heart. There are few things that are as powerful as reminding yourself of what Jesus has saved you from, that He has replaced hopelessness with a future and given us hope, joy and peace.

I love hearing the congregation singing the bridge of this song. Even though it might be a broken hallelujah - it’s still a hallelujah to the one who is worthy!

All the songs have lyrics that come straight from the Bible, and I believe in reminding yourself over and over again of what Jesus has done and what He is capable of.

“Jesus Took Away My Sin,” “Sing Hallelujah,” and “Now to God” are some songs I think the people of God need to declare over their lives!

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Stockholm Worship | Other Side

Lead songs from Other Side with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Bethel Music

In February, we attended an immersive visual and audio experience of Bethel Music’s new album, Come Up Here. From a studio in Nashville, we were “placed” right in The Redwoods where these songs were captured, and heard about their origins from some of the key writers, musicians and vocalists on the record.

Afterwards, we sat down with Brian and Jenn Johnson for a deep dive Q+A where we learned about song selection for the album, its unique recording setting (and the hurdles and joy that came with it), and that the message of the entire record comes down to the idea that there is heaven to be experienced in the here and now of knowing Jesus.

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This record is meant to capture and communicate this very sensory, heavenly summoning. Can you tell us how this purpose for the record affected the songwriting process overall?

Jenn: Revelation 4 says: “Come up here and I will show you what to do” and just conveys that “mountaintop” experience.

So many times in the Bible there was this call to go up to the mountain and have this encounter with God and then come back down.

The place that I grew up on is a mountaintop in The Redwoods and so, we've always wanted to record there because The Redwoods are just very special when you're there - you feel small in this grandiose place.

And so just that point in itself of the awe and wonder going to God and who He is in creation and beauty and all of that is in this record.

So, as we were choosing songs, we really chose them around that theme of who God is and his grandeur, holiness, wonder, and awe.

We’re curious to know your song selection process for Come Up Here. How did you decide certain songs weren’t ready for certain seasons?

Brian: We have long lists and folders with little song ideas going back 5-6 years. We were digging in the archives and it's just kind of like, wait, we forgot this! This feels right! And then we called Amanda (Cook) and she's like, yeah, I can make it work and come out. It was just cool.

Then I'd written another song with Daniel Bashta as well, who’s another writer, and that's partly what brought up the idea of digging in the archives for another one that maybe we did together.

It's an interesting thing - it's like an admin thing. You forget about it because you have to organize and then once you get the list in front of you you say, oh my gosh, I remember that song. So, it's really as simple as that. But what's amazing about this is our reconnection with Amanda on this album. It's a special time.

Jenn: We stayed connected over the years, but just to rework together is what’s been really fun. She's been family forever. I have a song I'm working on right now that will probably come out sometime this year that I started 20 some years ago, and I just never felt the green light to put it out. This year I worked on and finished it with Gable Price, and I'm so excited whenever it comes out this year. 

We wanted to ask about the production as well – how you all captured it. We know the experience was a 3-day process. Can you tell our community more about the technical side of things?

Jenn: Yes, so it’s my family's property, and so we had scouted the location because it's hundreds of acres of Redwoods, and we scouted where we wanted to do it. But when we actually went up there, there was a torrential downpour. So, we're setting up and sound checking in the rain.

Brian: They had to dig a flat spot into the hillside. It was just muddy!

Jenn: My dad was out there with his machinery and we had to actually do the 2-day recording. After that, we didn't have any rain, so we actually got to capture everything with no rain, which was awesome. But getting up to that point was a muddy mess, all included. Even the funny insider fact is all the girl's hair - we looked like we had gone through a storm, because we did!

Brian: We had to get all the pine needles and spread them out over the mud and then replant the ferns around the stage.  

Well, it was definitely worth it. Did you guys consider having a crowd there? Why did you all decide on not having an audience?

Jenn: Yeah, we went round and round but honestly, because my family's property has only a one lane road to get up there, we needed to cap it at just the band and the crew.

Brian: This fall we will do a live one with some of those songs.

Jenn: Live is our bread and butter, but I think that I love to do new songs in a creative way, either in the studio or something like this, and then redo the songs live so they translate well for the Church. Because that's where we live!

We love all the music, but songs that translate for Sunday, that's our pride and joy in a huge way.

So it'll be fun to re-do these albums and record live acoustic representations of them. But I really love when there's a creative way to hear and experience new songs; I think it gives you another dimension of hearing it, you know?

Get the forest dirt under your nails.

Did you all capture all the audio in those 3 days? Were there any overdubs or anything? 

Brian: We did some overdubs, but a lot of the audio that you hear was live. The sound in the woods was the best studio because it's open and it's dense, so you're not getting any reflection off of anything. In a studio you don't get any reflections, but this was natural. It was pretty amazing.

Jenn: Singing outside that night in a forest was absolutely epic, with all that beautiful lighting outside and the stars. I wish the camera would have panned up to the stars because it was magical.

It was pretty awesome just to be out there and just sing “Holy Forever” in nature. It was so cool. 

Well, that actually kind of leads into my next question about how it felt worshiping in this beautiful place, in the midst of His creation. Is there something, as churches start leading these songs, that they can do to kind of recreate that atmosphere? How can they capture the awe and wonder that you all did in The Redwoods? 

Jenn: I think that the beauty of a great song is that it can be done simply on an acoustic guitar. I think that is a telltale.

What I love about these songs is that they really translate, and I'm sure down the road we're going to do acoustic versions to really show that.

But that's the beauty.

Brian: The production is huge and massive - a lot of the demos that we listen to are just guitar, so they take on a whole different feel, but they work in an acoustic environment, surprisingly.

Jenn: It is not what you expect.

Speaking of “Holy Forever,” you all mentioned it's Grammy-nominated this weekend. How does it feel to have this song reach beyond the walls of the Church? And why do you think that is the song that is being chosen out of all of them right now? 

Jenn: I mean, I'm glad it is, not only because it's our song that we're a part of, but I'm glad it is because… Holy Forever? Are you kidding? As a song title alone, “Holy Forever” wins.

That’s amazing in it of itself: that there’s not humanity in the message behind the song. It really just is this heaven, awe and wonder, worship song. It’s eternal and epic.

Brian: And that word thousand: a thousand generations. It means forever; it’s eternal generations. So not just a thousand! It's kind of like the idea of heaven with a 1,000 generations, every generation since.

Jenn: There’s this idea of not only the heaven that we go to one day, but the heaven that is the here and now of knowing Jesus.

That right there is really the message of the whole album! 

Speaking of awe and wonder as the themes on this record, was it a common thread between all of the writers' current faith walks as you all were writing this album? And also, why was that theme important for 2023?

Jenn: When we did the call, we all got together and talked through the vision of the album: what we were feeling and sensing. We talked about Revelation 4, we talked about community, we talked about a lot of the themes that you hear in the record.

So people either wrote songs from that theme or they went back to their archives, like Brian was saying, for songs they already had that matched those themes and finished them.

So everyone kind of had their own journey to get to it.

But we love to vision cast the heart and the spirit of what we want to do. We also try to share any verses that come to mind, any themes or words that we all have as a team, we try to share those collectively to kind of keep those in the writing themes and even ask the Lord who we should be partnering with to write for each specific project.  

As a team, is there something you guys will do to kind of maintain this “eyes up” mentality going forward? What’s your greatest hope as these songs reach the Church and worship teams across the world start leading them? 

Brian: I think that we all, as humans, try on different heart postures and at the end of the day, when you go through all the seasons, the one heart posture that never fails is the one that's just magnifying Him.

It’s like the ancient tree: when we lift Him up, we focus on Him.

All these songs remind people about heaven, remind people that praise is the highway to the throne of God, and that there’s just never going to be any other way.

Sometimes we try on the heart posture of talking about ourselves, all the problems and processing, and then we deconstruct everything. But eventually you get tired of that, and you just go, “there's no life in this.” At the end of the day, there's nothing better than the feeling of giving Him something in song. The feeling you get from that is worship and it changes us.

I think our team has been through so much. It's honestly unbelievable what the team has been through - all the little things that no one knows about, and I think that everyone landed in a place on this album that whether the songs land on charts or whatever, they landed in a place of us going back to singing about who He is which is what we used to do.

Jenn: It definitely felt like it was a special moment for our team to see glimpses of them being around the campfire, sharing devotionals, etc.

One of those cool moments, and I don't think we even talked about this anywhere so here's your exclusive (laughs): we were around the campfire doing devotions in the morning and I'm reading Revelation: “Come up here, I'll show you.”And I had borrowed one of the intern’s bibles. We read the whole entire chapter of Revelation 4 and then I close her bible.

On the back of it, there is a picture of a mountain loundscape with Revelation 4 on the bible stitched into the leather. It was really weird, like….whoa. And she had had that Bible forever. Just crazy. Nods from God! 

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Bethel Music | Come Up Here

Lead songs from Come Up Here with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

KingsPorch

KingsPorch is a house church movement in Austin, TX that believes Jesus still wants to show his power today just like he did in the early Church. They are simply asking, “What did the Church look like in the new testament?”... and trying to do that. With Acts 2:42 as the model, they share a meal together, sing together, study the Word of God together and pray for every person that comes through the door.

Their new EP, “God Is In This House,” leads listeners into a place of glorifying God even in the midst of brokenness. It delights in God’s constant goodness and faithfulness.

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Congrats on the EP release! Before we dive into the new songs, I wanted to take some time to honor the impact “I Speak Jesus” had on the Church this past year. It was the #2 song of the year on MultiTracks.com! How did it feel to know so many churches were leading this song, and why do you think it was such a pertinent message in 2021 and 2022?

I literally have no words. It seems like I get an email or text daily of videos of “I Speak Jesus” from all over the world.

Most recently, it was sent to me several times from the outpouring at Asbury. I just watched it and wept. Only God could take a song from a writing retreat in Montana to a house church in Austin, TX and blow it like the wind all over the world.

That’s nothing to do with us, or a record, or a label… it’s only the Holy Spirit. I guess to answer your question, it would be two words:

Honored and humbled.

The EP opens with “God Is In This House” which you all co-wrote with Drew Bodine, the worship pastor at Central Live which is quite a different church from y’all’s size-wise. Was the goal of this song to communicate that God meets us in the masses as well as in more intimate spaces? 

“God is In This House” is one of my favorites for that very reason. We went out to Las Vegas to write for Drew’s church, Central Live, but from the moment this song started taking shape, it felt special.

We wrote it in Drew’s house, and just worshipped together there like that was what it was written for. Since then, it has been an anthem for our house churches in Austin, but I was also able to stand in the sanctuary at Central and see three thousand people sing it… and it blew up there too!

Isn’t that the beauty of the gospel though?

Scripture tells us “wherever there are two or more gathered in my name, I will be there in their midst.”  In the New Testament, it tells us over and over again that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, so wherever there are believers… God is in that house!

 “Faithful Still” is a standout - tell us why it’s one of y’all’s favorite songs to have written.

I say this all the time when I preach, but the stories we read in the Bible were not just stories about what God DID one time thousands of years ago.

They are stories about His character.

They’re stories about what he DOES.

Yes, He gave David the power to overcome a giant. Yes, He was with Daniel in the lions den. Yes, He parted the waters for the Israelites to walk through. Yes, He was in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego… but that’s not what He did. It’s what He does. God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

I also love the bridge of this song. It’s extremely simple. Only one line. “I have a hope. I have a future. I’m a child of the mountain mover.”

That’s it. There’s something powerful that happens in our souls when we sing the truth over ourselves.

All the fear, anxiety, pain, and loneliness start to lose it’s grip on us. When we play it at church, sometimes we just camp out on that and sing it a hundred times! 

“Maker of Heaven” reminds us to turn away from our manmade wells, and to run toward streams of living water. How can we be intentional about encountering the Holy Spirit rather than getting stuck in dry routines?

I love this song for so many reasons. First of all, it reminds me of the early Vineyard Worship days. There’s something beautifully simple and familiar about the melodies.

That’s what draws you in, but the confession is what keeps you there. It is so easy, especially as a worship leader, to lead songs week after week and somehow miss the personal encounter with the living God.

This song is really just a personal confession and repentance, and honestly, I didn’t think it would end up on a record. It’s like eavesdropping on someone’s diary. I think that’s where the intentionality comes in.

The Bible says that “a broken heart and a contrite spirit, I will never deny.” When we approach the throne with this kind of humility, God likes that. He loves to move in an environment of repentance.

The closing song, “All My Days,” also refers to the house of the Lord - was bookending this song with “God Is In This House” intentional?

It wasn’t intentional in the writing process, but it was certainly intentional in arranging the record. Thanks for noticing! “All My Days,” comes from a very difficult place, and I wrote it with a good friend that has experienced extreme loss and pain over the last 2 years in the death of a child, and another child battling brain cancer.

As a result, this has been an extremely hard season not only for them, but also for our church. That’s why this song is so special to me… and to us.

It’s the honest cry of a father in the midst of going through hell on earth saying “God I need you. I love you… and even though I don’t understand what you’re doing right now… I trust you.”

At the end of Psalm 23, David says, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” That’s our only hope!

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KingsPorch | God Is In This House

Lead songs from God Is In This House with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

One House Worship

One House Worship’s mission is to relentlessly pursue the curation of sounds, lyrics and melodies from on high and serve as a bridge for every listener. Regardless of where they are, their spirits will be lifted and undoubtedly encouraged to worship in the midst of all circumstances.

One House dives into their newest album, Live Again, and talk about how we are to live for the one true King!

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Live Again is out! Congratulations. We’re excited to see these songs bless the Church! Before we dive into the album, I wanted to first talk about One House Worship as a collective. Tell us about bridging Christian and Gospel genres and the benefits to this musical marriage.

When people think of Christian music, they may think of a specific demographic of listeners. And this is true for Gospel music. Nonetheless, one of the huge benefits of this musical marriage is having everyone in one room.

The message is the same - to glorify God.

Furthermore, when we all come into a room, it’s a small glimpse of what Heaven looks like and sounds like.

It’s a merging sound where you can’t decipher whether it’s Christian or Gospel. It’s simply a God sound.

I believe we need to do a better job at closing the gap. Not just between Christian and Gospel, but between different age groups. Which is why hymns are important. Likewise, in older churches, it is also vital to introduce newer songs.

Our heart is to reflect Heaven on Earth with Christian, Gospel, old, new, Hispanic, Italian, Haitian, African, American, the list goes on.

The opener “Just Like Jesus” (ft. Chandler Moore and Roosevelt Stewart) is also the first single you all released this year. Tell us why this song was the one to lead the new year with.

Oftentimes we view a new year as a launch into a newer and greater version of ourselves. “New year, new me.” Alternatively, we also realize that this may be a difficult year for many to even start, even for members in our group.

I believe Pastor Sarah (Jakes Roberts) mentioned that this year was one the most challenging years to begin. The song speaks the message that no matter how things may look, no matter how far behind in life you may feel, Jesus will always be right there.

He’s going to always show up at the right time. Even when you think it’s over, or that you’ve missed your train, God has an Uber pulling up. Haha.

And the years leading up to today, we’ve had to face grief, depression, loss - just a number of obstacles. This song is just a reminder that when it seems as though there is no one around us, Jesus is right there.

He’s that friend that wants to hear us. He’s there, not to judge, but to listen to everything we have to say.

We have freedom to be open and vulnerable with Him. He’s never going to remove His Hand. He will show up at the right time, always.

These songs, and the title track in particular, evoke a sense of reawakening and revival. Why was this the central theme you all wanted to write from for this record?

Honestly, we simply wrote songs for the record. We started in 2020, which was a challenging year for everyone. 2021 was also a difficult year, as we thought that would be a year of recovery, but we faced more obstacles.

After we listened to the songs we wrote, we felt like “Live Again” had a central theme. We realized that we wrote from a place of regaining faith, trusting God, knowing that He’s going to show up at the right time, surrendering our life to Him, with an authentic reverence for who God truly is.

All of these songs speak of things coming back to life and trusting God in the process, which is where “Live Again” came from.

We’re telling all of the dead things in our lives to take a breath. What you thought was dead is still alive.

Go back and check it again. It is still possible.

It’s time to pick up the faith that you lost due to disappointment or an appearance of failure. “Live Again” is a true testament of the very experiences that we all were going through that we hope will resonate and inspire hearts around the world.

Can you tell us more about the production process of this album? Describe the setting you all were in and how it informed your spiritual headspace (and “heart-space”).

We first wrote in Los Angeles with Pastor Touré, Naomi, Chandler, Mitch, Emilia, Amanda, and Alton. Here’s the crazy thing: we didn’t write the first day. We wanted to. However, that night turned into a moment for us to be honest with one another about life.

Chandler began praying for people and it just turned into an evening of prayer. We knew that if this was all God had for us the first night, it was more than enough.

The second day we broke out into groups and got writing. The songs started flowing quickly and organically. In one day, we wrote 5 songs.

Our second write was in Nashville. Similar to our first write, we just sat in a room and talked about life and decided to see what we would come up with. We ended up writing the rest of the project. We’re ONE HOUSE, and coincidentally we wrote in a house.

We wrote from an open heart for one another and with a ready pen for what God wanted to express through our worship.

“Surrendered” feels like a stand-out. Can you tell us the backstory of this song?

We were in a room and it had an open window we could see the trees from. We were just in awe of nature. Then Amanda just began singing, “I’m surrendered to the wind of Your Spirit with my heart in my hands. From there, everything just flowed like oil.

We talked about ‘’surrender” and what that looks and feels like.

And also placing trust in God by saying “you know what’s best for me.” And not only what, but God “you know when’s best for me.

And the response to that is: “I’ll go where you go.”

With the idea of whether we are willing to give up our deepest desires for the greater things that God has for us. We don’t always know what true better is, but we can trust God, that it is a “better” that never fails.

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One House Worship | Live Again

Lead songs from Live Again with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Housefires

Based out of Atlanta, GA where they host their monthly worship nights at Grace Midtown Church, Housefires brings a live, raw, organic and energetic sound that makes you feel like you’re in the room.

Blake Wiggins and Nate Moore from Housefires share about their newest album, How To Start A Housefire. They dive into the meaning behind the title, the recording of the album and how they want these songs to be used to build the Kingdom!

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How To Start A Housefires is OUT! How does it feel?

Blake Wiggins: It feels so great to have this record out and listen to these songs with fresh ears.

We recorded this album almost a year ago, so the music has been running through my mind since then - I'm excited and hopeful to see what these songs start to mean for people outside of our community and what kind of life they can have in the world.

Nate Moore: Feels amazing! I’m so proud of this project and all of the people that were a part of it.

It’s a beautiful thing to pour yourself into a project and then be able to rest and wait to see what God does with it once it’s released. 

This project aims to return to Housefires' original mission as a collective - the title may at first sound like an igniting but is really more a cleansing. Can you tell us about the origins of your collective’s name and what the metaphor of starting a housefire means to you?

Blake Wiggins: When Housefires started, the name was a reference to its roots, mainly the house churches that those first Housefires songs came from.

It was kind of a prayer too: that the songs could "spark" something in other communities like they did in the beginning.

I'm brand new to being "in" Housefires, but I got to benefit from what they've been doing since those early days. The songs coming out of that community and those relationships helped me in my own worship and worship leading, especially in some times when life and worship were really difficult for me. 

The metaphor of "starting a housefire" is really (to me) about stripping everything back to the raw material of intimate worship.

Take out all the bells and whistles and get some people together to look at God and look each other in the eyes and see what happens. I think this album captures that. It feels simple and true.

Nate Moore:  Starting a housefire is all about seeing every part of your life set ablaze with the presence of God: the ordinary and the spectacular. Both high and low moments. Your family, your community, your home, your vocation - your whole life consumed with the fiery love of Jesus. 

“Housefires continues to embrace a more unrefined sound that’s free of the safety and restraints that a normal studio and even live recording set often offers.” How is this achieved in a production sense? For instance, the opening of “Don’t Get Me Started” starts in the middle of a phrase and in the midst of the vocals building.

Blake Wiggins: Every moment on this album was a part of longer times of worship, so some of the songs don't even have a proper start.

The recording process was really to press record with a loose setlist and a lot of space to flow between songs and leaders. It's the same thing you'd experience in a house church or a group of people just getting together to worship. No click tracks, no guides, so you really have free rein to just follow wherever God and the room are going.

Nate Moore: We approach production as a means to serve the original, living breathing moments of the recording.

Our aim is to make it feel real and invitational so that listeners feel like they’re in the room, experiencing the exact moments that we did. 

In songs like “Lean on the Lord,” “To You” and “Sold Out” in particular, you can really hear the gospel influence. Tell us more about blending genres and the purpose behind it? Do you believe it reaches a more diversified group of worshippers?

Blake Wiggins: Worship and gospel music have each had seasons of homogeneous sounds and styles and that's created a huge and unnecessary genre gap.

I think blending those sounds can bring the best out of both genres and hopefully create tons of opportunities for writers and artists to make an expression that sounds like the diverse world we live in, rather than just what has worked in the past.

So many of these collaborations come from the real relationships we have built with other artists and writers, and making space for each other to bring our unique strengths into the songs is what allows for what I think is a really special expression on this album.

I hope that the value for different voices, styles, and the way they come together on this album allows for all sorts of people to see and hear themselves in the songs.

Nate Moore: We make music that we love and music that moves us and inspires us. All of us have been greatly impacted by Gospel music throughout our lives and journeys with God so we can’t help but let that bleed into our songs and style of singing. 

Is your hope for churches that as they begin to lead these songs, they too feel their teams returning to what’s pure and true?

Blake Wiggins: I hope that these songs become prayers for the people who hear and sing them. That communities and churches would be changed and encouraged by the words and the melodies, and that a whole new crowd of worshipers can grab hold of these songs and make them their own.

It would be a dream come true if this album could draw people into real intimacy with God and honest worship.

Nate Moore: Absolutely. The Spirit and love of God purifies and ignites us. It’s our prayer that the Church would return to an expression of worship that makes room for that. 

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Housefires | How To Start A Housefire

Lead songs from How TO Start A Housefire with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.

Matthew West

Matthew West has built his career as a revered storyteller. For nearly 20 years, the singer-songwriter has been a mainstay on Christian radio, has amassed 12 No. 1 songs as an artist, has been awarded RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications, and has notched 27 #1 songs combined as an artist and songwriter.

His new double album, My Story Your Glory, features testimonies of God’s goodness and serves as Matthew’s debut worship album for the Church.

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Tell us about the decision behind releasing a “Side A, Side B” record and what encouraged you to write your first ever worship-specific album.

I’ve always been a prolific songwriter in that I’m never not writing.

With the pandemic canceling so many concerts, I was left with even more time to pour myself into the songwriting. The shutdown also caused a greater gap between record releases. My Story Your Glory will release almost exactly three years after my last record.

But more importantly than all of that, I’m always looking for a new mountain to climb, new ground to cover creatively. The idea of a double album felt ambitious in a way that got me excited. 

I have always led worship: growing up in my dad’s church, leading my college ministry group, and even now at church when I’m off the road. But until recently, my songwriting has never naturally leaned in that direction.

Disc 1 is “My Story” and Disc 2 is “Your Glory.” Can you tell us why the songs were sequenced this way? 

Once the concept for the album came into focus, I could clearly see how the title My Story Your Glory really split in half with My Story being one record and Your Glory being another.

On My Story, I’m telling stories in a more singer/songwriter style, the story of my life and the stories of people’s lives who have inspired me along the way. 

Your Glory is a worshipful response to seeing God at work in all of our stories.

Really the whole record is inspired by the power or story and an invitation to worship the Author of all stories. 

The song “Maker” captures the Lord’s authority. Can you tell us more about this song?

I wanted to focus on the attributes of God. In my personal prayer time, I’ll often write my prayers using an acronym ACTS. That stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication.

What I noticed about starting my prayers with “adoration” was that my focus shifted away from my circumstances and on to the God who is in control.

By the time I get to my list of prayer requests, those giants don’t seem so tall anymore. My favorite line in the song is “The word “impossible” is never on your lips.” 

The lyrics for “Jesus Is Better” share this notion that worldly things can never truly satisfy us. Why do you think this is a timely song in 2023? 

There’s a line in the bridge that says “no more drawing from an empty well.” That line speaks to me.

I’d like to think that I don’t look to other things to fulfill me. But the truth is, every day is a struggle not to trade the promises of God for the empty promises of the world and settle for lesser things.

Too often I feel like Jesus is saying to me, “Matthew, I have what you need.” Meanwhile, I live like I’m still searching for something better.

Jesus is better.

What song from DISC 2 do you think the Church needs the most right now? Which song do YOU need to be singing in church tight now?

You Changed My Name is a song that I keep coming back to. I think with so much focus on identity in our world right now, this song can be a resounding message of truth.

And the enemy knows that if he can get us to believe a lie about who we are, then we will never discover the fullness of God’s plan for our lives.

We can try to change ourselves all we want. But true change comes with being in Christ. If anyone is in Christ, you are a new creation. A life in Christ is literally a new identity, a new name, a new story. You no longer have to answer to any name the enemy tries to call you. 

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Matthew West | My Story Your Glory

Lead songs from My Story Your Glory with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.