Kaelob Mecum
The River is part II and a continuation of my three part project "The Lion, The River and the Evangelist". Many of the songs on The Project are about grief and the experience of my daughter Adeline nearly dying and being hospitalized for over 5 months. Songs like "Call Me in The Morning" have to do with not knowing how to talk to anyone except for God while the worst of it was happening, and The Odds came from an experience in a support group for parents of children with Trach and ventilator support. Other songs deal with the fragility of life and ultimately leaning on God through the trials and hard times.
There are other songs that are a little more light hearted like High Horses and Problem Child. They are fun story narratives of being a little bit of a mess but God loving us anyway.
All of these songs serve as diary entries to my children to see inside of my mind and heart as I process my walk with Jesus in various seasons of my life.
We’re excited to hear more about your new album! You said that all of these songs serve as diary entries to your children to see inside your mind and heart as you processed your walk with Jesus in various seasons of your life. What does the songwriting process look like for you - from diary, to sharing with your family, to sharing with the world?
A lot of these songs happened right on the heels of different things I was experiencing at the time. The Odds, Call Me In The Morning, Empty, and others were probably written moments after our family had taken a barrage of various trials.
I'm an audible processor and sometimes just having a guitar in my hands helps me make sense of what I'm going through. After that I'd show my wife and she would help me process whether that was a "just for us" song or something that would relate to others going through hard times.
A lot of these songs deal with the fragility of life and leaning on God through trials - but you kick off the project with an upbeat, declarative anthem: “You Can Do Anything.” Why did you decide to open the door to these songs with this one?
“You Can Do Anything” is one of my favorite songs on the entire project and I put it first because it's the answer to every question and situation that I pose for the rest of the album:
When you are heart broken? God can do anything. When you are facing insurmountable odds? God can do anything.
It has been the greatest lesson in the past year to me. God is truly on the throne, ruling over every situation and he can DO ANYTHING.
“A Little Proof” speaks to the very human longing for tangible evidence of God’s provision. What do you cling to in seasons where that evidence is more elusive?
This song was written about a conversation with someone who really wanted to believe in the Lord but needed some convincing.
I heard a preacher once say: "No sermon I can prepare will be more powerful than the story of a man with a testimony." I think I cling to the evidence of Jesus's wonder working power in the lives of others and the reflection of Him in my own life when his presence isn't overtly obvious to my very distracted eyes.
Talk about the backstory behind the song “Can You Tell” and the collaboration on this one.
A little bit of part two to "A Little Proof," “Can You Tell” was really focused on asking the question "Am I leading a life that resembles a person walking in nearness to the Father? Would others see Him through me?"
It's a sobering question to ask yourself because a lot of the time if we're honest the answer is "maybe" at best.
These songs are very personal and can bless any believer going through a hard time. Which songs from this project do you foresee connecting most with the Church through the resources we offer here at MultiTracks.com?
I really believe "You Can Do Anything" is the most useful song in the project for the Church. I can hear it starting a service filling the room with faith and answering the question.
