Seph Schlueter
Seph Schlueter is an emerging artist whose life was transformed by Jesus and who wants to help others experience the same. Having spent the last seven years of His life as a missionary, Seph is passionate about writing songs that move people and creating opportunities for people to encounter God. As an independent artist, Seph has released three songs that have garnered nearly 2.5 million streams combined, opened for Grammy award-winning artists, led events throughout the country, and been featured on multiple national news platforms. In early 2023, Seph signed an artist deal with Provident Entertainment/Sony Music and is currently working on his first project.
Additionally, as part of his mission work, Seph started the worship collective “Damascus Worship” and has pioneered the release of their first two albums, which he is featured on, and currently serves as the “Worship Director” at the missionary organization “Damascus.”
This past Friday, Seph released his first full-length studio album, COUNTING MY BLESSING. Including his 2023 hit “Counting My Blessings,” the album features 10 additional songs that showcase Seph’s broad sonic influences. This album pulls from his background as a long-time worship leader and the modern pop influences of today.
Congratulations on the release of your first full-length album! How does it feel to have these songs out in the world?
It feels a little surreal!
This project has been in the works for over four years now, and so to have it out and in the hands of the listeners is so special for me. Every song means so much personally, and I feel like it kind of gives a snapshot to my last number of years walking with the Lord. I’m just praying that it will help others connect with Him the same way these songs have helped me!
Before we dig more into the new record, we would love to know more about the missionary organization you started called Damascus.
Yeah! So, Damascus actually started before me; it was created in 2015 as a Mission Campus where retreats, conferences, camps, and events would be run all with the goal of helping facilitate encounters with Jesus!
In 2020, I ended up stating the Worship side of it called Damascus Worship. We were seeing a lot of people resonate with the music we had been leading and writing at these different events, so we decided to really follow the Lord’s leading and build up an intentional worship community within the ministry! And I had the honor of being able to really spearhead and pioneer that (and still do; I’m on staff there to this day!).
You combine your worship leader sensibilities with modern sonic influences in these songs. Tell us about some of the influences you drew from when writing and recording these songs.
I am an avid music listener, and love listening to all sorts of music styles and genres and artists!
So I feel like I’m kind of a crazy melting pot of a bunch of different things. I grew up on Rich Mullins and Matt Maher, I’m a huge fan of worship groups like Bethel or UPPERROOM or Elevation, I love Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham, and I also love a lot of secular artists like Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, Lewis Capaldi, Benson Boone…I could go on and on!
I see little things in their writing or sound or style that I resonate with that, and I think that helps form my own unique take on it.
“Counting My Blessings” was the song that really put your artistry on the map. What are some of the coolest stories you heard about the impact of that song?
Too many to count!
My favorite stories are the ones I hear usually after a show I do, where people come up to me and tell me how the song literally saved their life…they were in a really dark place and ready to leave it all behind when “Counting My Blessings” came on in some way and it gave them new perspective or purpose. Those ones always choke me up. Same with the ones that talk about how it helped bring people back to Jesus from a place of not following Him. That always inspires me so much.
While these songs have a Pop bent, which songs in particular do you envision having a role in church settings?
Being a worship-leader is really core to who I am, and honestly my favorite thing to do is lead worship in church settings.
I think the song “Words We’ll Sing Forever” is really special to me because of that. I really wanted to write a song that could be led in that setting, and picked up super easily, and it honestly might be my favorite song to sing live. I also thing that the song “Turn it to Praise” could definitely be used in a church setting if you’re looking for a bit of a rowdy opener! And I’ve seen people use both “Running Back to You” and “Counting my Blessings” in those settings as well, and it’s been sweet!
