rockyourlyricsHow do you usually write the lyrics of your songs?
It all depends, every day is kind of different. I always love to write from places that I know. I never try to write things that I don’t know about. I’m always trying to search to find a new way to say something. Some days it’s easy and sometimes it’s difficult, but I love the exercise of crafting and shaping words.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing in songwriting?
I think being true to yourself. Whenever people hear a lyric or they hear a song that they know is truth, that they know that the heart of what’s being said is coming from a real place, I feel like people connect with it on a much deeper level.
Are you ever scared of revealing aspects of your personal life/experience to strangers through your music?
No, I’ve never really shied away from being honest and talking about what was going on in my life. For me, I’ve always found life in it. For me it’s always been a kind of therapy to be able to get things out and be able to speak them out and not hold on to them. I tend to bury things deep and the more I talk about it and get them out, the better it is for my soul.
What inspired “Wanderer”, part of your latest album “The Wait”?
“Wanderer” came from a place of wanting to give an introduction to where I felt like I was. So for me, it was who I constantly think I am on a daily basis. I feel like I’m a hypocrite, like I’m a criminal. I feel like I’m somebody that would rather run away than stay where they are, but in spite of all that, God is still a believer that I am a child of God. And He still loves me and cares for me and walks me through all of these things and I’m thankful for it.
And “Share This Burden”?
“Share This Burden” came from just being at the point of breaking, of going “man, we need people.” Me and my wife, my family, we needed people to surround us, to walk with us, through some of the tough stuff that we were walking through. We tried to have kids for years and it just got to a point where we needed community more and more. “Share This Burden” is really that call out of going “God will you please surround us with people who can help to carry this? And how can we continue to encourage people to share the load for each other?” It’s one of those things where we continued to isolate and continued to tell ourselves that nobody else goes through what we go through. It’s not true, it’s a lie.
Do you remember the day you wrote “Know Your Heart”?
The day we wrote “Know Your Heart,” started out the same way anytime I write with Ethan Hulse and Andrew Ripp. We end up in Leiper’s Fork, TN, eating at this little diner called Country Boys. We usually spend a couple hours sitting there and talking about what’s going on at home and in life. It has a little to do with songwriting and everything to do with being present with each other. That day was the same and we just came back after that and “Know Your Heart” was like a true response to where all of us were. I’m a huge fan of that song and those guys.
Is there a link/a common theme among the songs of the new album?
I think the common thread piece is that God is still faithful and that He’s still present in the good times and the bad times. We tend to believe that we’re by ourselves. But He has not left us, and He sees us and we are known and seen and loved by Him.
To conclude the interview a short Q/A session, please answer the first thing that comes to your mind:
- Define in one word your album “The Wait”: Truth. (LISTEN HERE)
- The best show you ever played: The first show.
- The one thing that you must have in your backstage: Spicy chips.
- The soundtrack of your childhood: James Taylor.
- Your favorite song lyrically speaking, but not written by you: “The Forgiven” by David Ramirez.
- Last question is “unusual”, we want to know your best relationship advice: Always be honest, it’ll never backfire on you. Okay, it might backfire on you, but you should still always be honest.
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