Only the heart

Today I begin work on a new album. So many hopes, dreams and excitements mixed in with a sense of responsibility and pressure. For the last year plus I've been working on songs, crafting away. It's been great teaming up with various writers - Martin Smith, Nick Herbert, Phil Wickham, Ben Cantelon, Stu G and others. But now comes the moment where we try and capture them on tape forever. 

In this process there are so many voices; lot's to consider. You want to represent the songs in a way that when people here them they can imagine using them in church. You want the songs to reflect your musical and spiritual journey. You want to be brave and take creative risks. But for me, more than anything you want to capture passion and heart.

With the team working on this album we're trying to navigate through all these considerations. It's amazing to be working with Martin Smith who is producing. We've been working through the songs for months now and he naturally brings so much energy and edge. He's been pushing me. Sam Gibson is engineering and Josiah Sherman is playing keys and programming (the guys a genius!). 

Presently the thing I'm coming back to is trusting your heart. With all these ideas thrown into the pot, all the skills of song writing and playing you can search out something that is cool, but miss capturing the heart. It was the Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky who said,‘Only the heart knows how to find what is precious.’ As a song writer we need to know what is in our own hearts (this involves space and time set apart to reflect and ponder), but also what is in the hearts of others (this involves listening and observing people around us). As song writers and musicians in what we do we are trying to capture people's imaginations, to draw people in and express their desires and yearnings. The more I've thought about it the more I've realised the need to be both vulnerable and brave. To be honest in letting out the thoughts deep within. But also great art happens in community. How are we listening to others? Are we sensitive and aware of the cry within our church, city and generation? Great songs need to connect. There's that special something that moves beyond a cool sound or arrangement and cuts through to the heart. As we record, that's what I'm longing for and that's what we're chasing after!