Interview: Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson

Before their stop on the Storytellers Tour in Ellijay, Georgia, I spoke with Andrew Peterson and Jason Gray. My intent was to get a few quotes for The Sound Opinion’s review of the concert. Instead, I enjoyed a free-ranging conversation about poetry, the songwriting process, and a topic that seems to come up a lot with these guys: Andy Gullahorn. Note how my first question elicited over 1,000 words in response!

 TSO: What is your favorite song by the other artist?

Andrew: Not only is “I Will Find a Way” my favorite Jason Gray song, I am not joking when I say this: the first time [Andy] Gullahorn played it for me and Ben [Shive] it was like he dropped a bomb. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. The song always moves me, every night, every time. When we do the “Behold the Lamb of God” tour I do my first song and then I sit on the stage while others perform. When Gullahorn plays that song I like looking out at the audience. I usually pick a woman, because I feel that song speaks to the heart of a woman in a unique way. There was this one time in particular I remember seeing this young woman and her husband on the front row and I watched the song break her. By the second verse she was like, “This is interesting.” Then, by the end of it her face was shining with tears, which just makes me marvel at the power of song. That song in particular has an ability to work its way in to a listener, just like the song talks about. I think it’s amazing.

Jason: I had written about eight verses for that song and had been working on it for about six years and I knew I got to the point where I cared about it so much that I was afraid of failing it. And I would’ve failed it too, I’m certain. I wanted some help. I brought it to a couple of people, but each time it wasn’t feeling right. Then I brought it to Andy Gullahorn. He said, “I don’t like Christmas music. You don’t want me.” I said, “Hold on, I want to read you the story,” and I read him the source material by Walter Wangerin, Jr. He was so moved by it. I had half the chorus: “How should I come to the one I love,” but then what I had written was “so she will receive me,” and I knew it wasn’t right. And he said “I will find a way”. That was it.

Andrew: That’s one of his best gifts. He has a way of cutting through the poetic mumbo-jumbo and going, “What are you really saying?” I will find a way. There’s nothing really poetic about it.  The same thing happened with my song “You’ll Find Your Way,” the one I wrote for my son Asher. I had all these flowery verses written, and I couldn’t find a chorus. I said, “I can’t figure out how to do this.” He said, “Just go home and write down what you would say to your boy.” So I went home and I wrote, “When I look at you, boy, I can see the road that lies ahead,” and that just opened up the song.

Jason: Billy Collins was on NPR talking about language and poetry. He was talking about when he was a boy and he was riding on a glass bottom boat, and he was looking down, lost in this magical world that was down there. Then, one of the other people in the boat leaned forward and her sunglasses fell off and hit the glass bottom. The moment that happened, it broke the spell, because he realized it’s just a glass bottom boat. Collins said, “In your work you never want to drop the glasses. You never want to say, ‘look at my command of the language’. You want to be invisible.” (And then I still used the word “doppelgänger” in a song! I said, “This is probably ‘dropping the glasses’!”

Andrew: David Wilcox was saying, “I remember in my old songs I was always trying to be clever.” It’s important that you don’t try to be clever. If you say, “I’m going to zing them here!” you’re probably losing them.

 

[At this point, Andrew paused to read a poem called “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins. That’s how it goes with these two. Interviews are paused for poetry recitations. I love it! Then, finally, we got around to Jason’s response to the first question.]

 

Jason: I’m going to cheat just a little bit and talk about my successive favorite Andrew Peterson songs. “Canaan Bound” changed my life the first time I heard it. I popped it in and before he even starts singing I was crying. “The Silence of God”, wow. “The Queen of Iowa”, because I got to meet the real Queen of Iowa, the subject of the song. It was so amazing the way Andrew captured who she was in that story. Beautiful. And then, probably right now my current favorite Andrew Peterson song – I have a bit of personal connection with it but even if I didn’t – it would be “Carry the Fire”. If I’m going to play somebody one Andrew Peterson song I play them that one. It was inspired in part by Cormac McCarthy’s book The Road which is one of my favorite books. That passage in the book was so powerful to me when I read the book, and then when I heard the song I said, “You’re doing the thing from the Cormac McCarthy song!”

Andrew: Now I say feel like I should say a bunch more Jason Gray songs! I will add “Jesus, We are Grateful”. I marveled the first time I heard it and I thought, “Where did he find this old hymn how have I never heard it before?” The jerk wrote it! I’m jealous.

 

TSO: What is it about a song that tells a story that resonates with a live audience?

Jason: I think people care about stories. One of the things that makes the story so powerful is that in a well-written story a plot emerges. There is a sense of order. I think in the middle of our lives it’s hard to discern the plot, especially when things feel out of control. There is something about storytelling that helps gather all these things. I feel gathered and put together when I hear a good story. I feel like that’s part of what I try to do in my songs. Madeleine L’Engle talks about art making cosmos out of chaos.

Andrew: I remember Wangerin at Hutchmoot saying storytellers are heapers into heaps and pilers into piles. It’s great because it’s humbling. There shouldn’t be anything terribly glorious about the work of it. Rich Mullins talked about as quilting. You try to make some sense out of these little things.

 

TSO: Are there any challenges associated with being branded as a “storyteller-artist”?

Jason: I think it comes naturally for us. But there is a decision you make, about talking before your songs or just playing the song. I’ve had to be conscientious that I don’t always introduce the song. Part of this whole thing was owning it for this tour, and just agreeing that we’re storytellers.

I think that deep down I might have more like a pastoral kind of calling. There is something in me that is “teacherly”. I try to not always be like that. Andrew is more of a true storyteller and that’s been wonderful to sit under that and watch that

Andrew: What’s funny is that we both came into this tour with a fair bit of insecurity. For me, I had never seen anybody in our circle communicate with an audience as well as Jason does, because what he says is great every night and you can tell he cares about saying it right. I’ve learned so much from watching him do it. I came into this going, “Take notes, pay attention to the way he brings it home before a song,” because it’s so good. I feel like I ramble and I can’t wait to be done with the talking so I can play the song.

Jason: That’s funny, because his stories are so cinematic to me – images of storms rolling in and trees swaying and I say, “That is so great!” and I’m like, “If you consider that in the Hebrew blah blah blah….”

Andrew: It was refreshing after the first show – we both kind of confessed to each other our insecurities, but I think that’s part of why the tour is working. They are two sides of the same coin. What we want to have happen in the heart of the person in the audience is the same. We are going at it with the same general concept with I think wonderful differences between the way we approach it I like the fact that Jason seems to really love the audience. He really cares about them receiving what it is that the Lord has for them, and he sees music as a vehicle through which that light can shine. So, being considerate to the audience in really practical ways is something I think is really good at.

Jason: I don’t think I’ve ever vocalized this before but sometimes I think the pastoral thing, whatever that is (and I feel presumptuous even saying that), the danger of it is that everything can become kind of a tool to convey to convey a message. “Here’s a story that I know will accomplish what I needed to accomplish.” I have to be mindful that I don’t always have an agenda. I have heard pastors who speak and they begin to tell the story and you can feel that it’s a sermon illustration. There is something that can be unauthentic about that. I can be in danger of falling into that, using a song practically as a tool. My favorite kind of music, the songs that I love the most, are the songs that don’t have an agenda. They are what they are. I feel like that’s more what Andrew does and when I’m listening to music that’s what I love.

Andrew: Jason and I both could name significant moments in our lives where a song hit us in the exact right place at the exact right time which ignited in us a desire to enter into that kind of ministry. As much as I love playing music, when a person gets something out of a song that I didn’t intend it’s further evidence that the Lord is at work. I think Jason and I both have reverence for the magic that the Lord put in songs and to get to be a little part of that, to let the songs do their thing, is pretty awesome

Concert Review: The Storytellers Tour – Jason Gray & Andrew Peterson

When I imagine the “musician-storyteller”, my mind goes straight to Bruce Springsteen. The 5 vinyl records in my brother’s Live 1975-1985 box set made me feel every bit the rebellious teenager growing up on the streets of Jersey that I was decidedly not. Story has the power to transport, and even transform, and I believe the connection between story and song is literally supernatural. That’s why a gifted musical storyteller who understands that we are all part of a much bigger Story is such a treasure. And why the ten-city “Storytellers” tour, pairing Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson, is doubly valuable.

Peterson and Gray are label-mates on Centricity, and I assumed this tour was the label’s idea. It speaks to the admiration the two artists have for each other that it was actually their idea. I don’t doubt the label was thrilled. I caught the tour stop at a large church in a small town in the north Georgia mountains. A gentle snow fell throughout the evening, befitting the cozy mood among the full house.

The dual headliners took the stage with an announcement that, because it did not seem fair to select one or the other’s song to open the show, they would perform a cover together. And who better to cover than Rich Mullins? (I say that as a universal truth.)  During “Calling out Your Name” I realized how surprisingly complimentary were Peterson’s and Gray’s vocals and guitar playing.

Next, the pair completed their new nightly tradition to decide the order of the solo sets: rock-paper-scissors.

The battle was intense, but through multiple rounds Peterson prevailed. Two 4-song solo sets followed – first Gray, then Peterson – with an effective mix of spoken backstory and musical front-story (I think I just invented that word). In general, the song introductions were not lengthy. In fact, the longest story in the solo part of the show was probably the most familiar to the audience, when Peterson introduced “Holy is the Lord”, a song based on Abraham’s journey to sacrifice Isaac. But that familiarity might be why the story was so effective in setting up the song, as he caused the audience to imagine the story in a more visceral way. Michael Card is a proponent of “Biblical imagination”, and, like Card, these artists are particularly effective at drawing a listener into a scene to enhance the experience and the message.

Following intermission, the pair was again joined by their excellent rhythm section: Spencer Ford on percussion and Matt Pierson (who played with Rich Mullins and was named an “Honorary Muffin”) on upright bass.

For his part, Peterson was frequently seen on piano, which is unusual given that he usually hands the keys over to the brilliant Ben Shive. But Peterson is certainly no slouch, and one of the advantages of playing at a church is the availability of a grand piano. The acoustics were excellent, and the band could convey moods through a range of sounds from dulcet to dramatic.

There was an ease and almost natural order to the ping-pong set list which alternated between the artists’ songs. Thrice was this statement uttered: “This is the same song, but different,” highlighting thematic overlaps in each repertoire that gave fresh perspectives. The set was long, but the pace stayed peppy primarily because the artists made an important choice. Between them, they could have easily filled a 20-song set with story-songs, and they could have introduced each one like The Boss did with his six-minute introduction to “The River”. But audiences can reach a saturation point where each story conveys less meaning. Gray and Peterson were disciplined, mixing the story-songs with radio hits and simpler songs of praise. Consequently, the stories stood out. Two songs with nearly identical titles but totally different subjects were highlights. Gray’s “I Will Find a Way” and Peterson’s “You’ll Find your Way” are exemplars of all that is good about Christian music, and hearing them back to back on a single stage is a moment I won’t soon forget.

The Sound Opinion named Jason Gray’s A Way to See in the Dark our top album of 2011, and had we made a list for 2012, I would have nominated Andrew Peterson’s Light for the Lost Boy. These two are on a brilliant songwriting run, and it’s fitting that they are friends who so admire each other’s work. The warmth of that camaraderie reached a high point as the evening closed with hundreds of voices singing with solemn reverence a blend of choruses from each artist. “I believe He is the Christ, Son of the living God” blended seamlessly in to “Thank You, thank You, Jesus we are grateful. Thank You, oh thank You, Jesus we are Yours.” Funny how those simple declarations emerged from a night of story and celebration, reminding us all of our place in Story and our gratitude to its Author.

Set List

Together: Calling Out Your Name (Rich Mullins)

Jason Gray:

More Like Falling in Love (from Everything Sad is Coming Untrue)
Help Me, Thank You (from Everything Sad is Coming Untrue)
Nothing is Wasted (from A Way to See in the Dark)
Jesus, We are Grateful (from A Way to See in the Dark)

Andrew Peterson:

Invisible God (from Resurrection Letters, Vol. II)
Holy is the Lord (from City on a Hill: The Gathering)
World Traveler (from Counting Stars)
Carry the Fire (from Light for the Lost Boy)

Together:

Good to be Alive (from A Way to See in the Dark)
Dancing in the Minefields (from Counting Stars)
Fear is Easy, Love is Hard (from A Way to See in the Dark)
Rest Easy (from Light for the Lost Boy)
I Will Find a Way (from A Way to See in the Dark)
You’ll Find Your Way (from Light for the Lost Boy)
The Sound of our Breathing (from A Way to See in the Dark)
The Reckoning (How Long) (from Counting Stars)
Remind Me Who I Am (from A Way to See in the Dark)
The Good Confession  (from Resurrection Letters, Vol. II)
Chorus: Jesus, We are Grateful

[All photos (c) 2013 Mark Geil. Stay tuned for our interview from the concert.]

Grammy Winners in Christian Music

The 55th Grammy Awards telecast will begin in about an hour, but the awards for the Gospel category have just been announced in the pre-show ceremony. And the winners are:

BEST GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

Matt Redman

Track from: 10,000 Reasons

Label: sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records

BEST GOSPEL SONG

Go Get It

Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell, songwriters (Mary Mary)

Label: Columbia; Publishers: EMI April Music, It’s Tea Tyme, That’s Plum Song, Wet Ink Red Music

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC SONG [TIE]

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

Jonas Myrin & Matt Redman, songwriters (Matt Redman)

Track from: 10,000 Reasons

Label: sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records; Publishers: Thankyou Music/sixsteps Music/worshiptogether.com Songs/Said And Done Music/Shout! Publishing

[NOTE: following the initial announcement, this award was clarified as a TIE. The other winner is Israel & New Breed.]

Your Presence Is Heaven

Israel Houghton & Micah Massey, songwriters (Israel & New Breed)

Track from: Jesus At The Center Live

Label: Integrity Music; Publishers: Integrity’s Praise! Music/Sound of the New Breed, Regenerate Music

BEST GOSPEL ALBUM

Gravity

Lecrae

Label: Reach Records

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM

Eye On It

TobyMac

Label: ForeFront Records

Concert to Honor Victims of Sandy Hook Tragedy

 

Christian artists and speakers will gather on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, from 6:00-10:00 PM at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT to offer “A Night of Hope and Healing” for families of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy. The tribute concert is free and open to the public, though there are currently no more tickets available.

TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, Mandisa, Laura Story, Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Building 429 have volunteered to lead the night in worship. Authors and speakers Louie Giglio, Max Lucado, and Mary Beth Chapman will also make special appearances.

“The initial response to the event was overwhelming, with over 10,000 tickets going in just 30 minutes, and since then 2,000 more seats have been opened,”  commented Kevin Braun of Generation Exodus, the company organizing the event.  ”I think this speaks to how we as a nation want to honor and show our support to this community.”

For more information about the event visit https://www.facebook.com/events/315827618517428/.

 

 

 

2012 Year-End Christian Music Charts

Happy New Year! Before we say goodbye to 2012, here’s a look back at year-end results from Billboard’s Christian Music charts. Billboard maintains four charts, two for songs and two for albums. First, the songs:

5. The Hurt and the Healer – MercyMe

4. 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) – Matt Redman

3. God’s Not Dead (Like a Lion) – Newsboys

2. Overcome – Jeremy Camp

…and the song of the year was:

 

1. Where I Belong – Building 429

Combining all songs by artist, Building 429 again tops the chart, followed by Jeremy Camp, Tenth Avenue North, Newsboys, and MercyMe. “Where I Belong” is the band’s second number one single on the chart, following 2004’s “Glory Defined”.

I suppose we could call 2012 the year of the singalong power anthem. These are hook-heavy songs with massive choruses, and it’s no surprise they did well on radio.

In the modern song-at-a-time download era, it is always interesting to see if the fans of an artist are more likely to download the single or buy the whole album. For 2012, the Billboard Christian Album Chart tells the story.

5. Eye On It – TobyMac

4. God’s Not Dead – Newsboys

3. How Great is Our God: The Essential Collection – Chris Tomlin

2. Wow Hits 2012 – Various Artists

… and the album of the year was:

 

1. Come to the Well – Casting Crowns

So, airplay and sales of Building 429’s single did not translate to album sales as Listen to the Sound landed at number 27. (Keep in mind the album released in May of 2011.) Casting Crowns has established a highly effective strategy of special deals for pre-buys in Christian bookstores. Combine that with a fanbase that remains quite loyal, and the band whose highest charting singe for the year landed at number 11 had the album of the year.

Combining all album sales by artist, Casting Crowns came in on top again for 2012, followed by TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, Newsboys, and Lecrae. It is noteworthy that all five of the top Christian albums of 2012, along with Lecrae’s Gravity, charted in the cross-genre, mainstream year-end Billboard 200. Come to the Well had the highest impact on the mainstream chart at 81, followed by Wow Hits (130) and the albums by TobyMac (156) Newsboys (172), Tomlin (183), and Lecrae (197).

Rock & Worship Roadshow 2013 Lineup Announced

Continuing the theme of massive multi-artist winter tours with low general admission ticket prices, the Rock & Worship Roadshow returns February 7. The 2013 lineup was announced today in Nashville and features MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, Tedashii, Kutless, Family Force 5, Luminate, Adam Cappa, Rhett Walker Band and Tim Timmons.

Over the course of a month and a half the tour will visit 14 states, concluding with multiple stops in Washington and California. For tour dates and more information visit www.rockandworshiproadshow.com.

 

Hillsong Goes Global

Today marks the simultaneous release of nine albums from Hillsong. The effort, titled “The Global Project” is available in Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin, Indonesian, German, French, Swedish, and Russian. Each album features the Hillsong worship team paired with local vocalists from each of the respective countries.

Reuben Morgan explains the motivation. “We are directed to ‘go into all the world’ and as a church we are committed to proclaiming Christ for the entire planet. There is something powerful about singing a song in your own language. God cares about all people in all nations and it was a privilege to work with so many great people and churches who are passionately bringing truth and hope to their countries.”

As a native English speaker who feels embarrassing ill-equipped to communicate in other countries, I really admire this project, and it’s almost gratifying to me that none of the albums is available in English. I’ve only heard the Spanish version, which features Marco Witt, Alex Campos, Marco Barrientos, and Marcela Gandara. This will sound pithy, but essentially, it sounds like a Hillsong album with Spanish vocals. The phrasing is rarely awkward, which is no small feat given that so many translated words have different numbers of syllables.

The playlists on these albums are not all identical, but each features a number of familiar songs sung by churches (literally) around the world. If you’re like me, you wouldn’t recognize the title “Aquí Estoy”, but you would know “The Stand” as soon as you heard it. And the fervent Spanish-language crowd singalong is touching.

All nine albums are available digitally in the US; only the Spanish and Korean versions are available in physical form.

Album Review: Andrew Peterson – Light for the Lost Boy

Andrew Peterson – Light for the Lost Boy – Centricity Music – Releases 8/28/12

 

The tired grown-up, a little bit lost in life and maybe a little bit afraid, looks upon a carefree child and longs to go back to that uncorrupted innocence. But is that really a good idea? Innocence cannot know redemption, and we are made to go forward, not back. It is at this paradox that the multi-talented Andrew Peterson offers his seventh studio album.

 

“Light for the Lost Boy” is Peterson’s finest work. Lyrical gems are expected from this gifted writer, and they are here in abundance. Production has been expanded, and the resulting musical surprises are refreshing. And the remarkably consistent theme is poignant for every sometimes-weary grown-up: the longing for eternity and the glimpses of it in the temporal that bring light to our daily existence. These songs address this human condition spot on, resonating and sympathizing and encouraging. Peterson casts this concept in a strong visual image: “There’s something so beautiful about seeing the little boy inside your grandfather. It’s like, just for a second, he’s old and young at the same time, which I suspect is something like what heaven will be.”

 

From the opener, Come Back Soon, it is apparent that things sound a little different this time around. Ben Shive’s imaginative production has been augmented by Cason Cooley (Mat Kearney, Audrey Assad). The result is really wonderful, from guitar distortion to cleverly doubled vocals to a rarely used falsetto. There is always the potential for singer/songwriters to make sleepy albums, but “Light for the Lost Boy” will keep you on your toes, with plenty of changes in tempo and instrumentation amidst the familiar acoustic guitar and the welcome hammered dulcimer cameo, requisite homage to Rich Mullins.

 

There is a very deliberate sequence of tracks on the album. Come Back Soon sets the undercurrent of tension: “We wake in the night of the womb of the world / We beat our fists on the door.” Eight songs in the middle explore the mystery of understanding Jesus from our limited perspective, the mingled tears and hope of a parent watching his children grow up, and the refreshing comfort of knowing that the God who is love will take care of us, even on this side of Heaven. The closing song, Don’t You Want to Thank Someone, is a brilliant solution to the Lost Boy’s plight, drawn from a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins. As we long for the fullness of God’s coming Kingdom, we should notice the even here, even now, “the world is charged with the grandeur of God.” The song is a 10-minute musical juggernaut, with a glorious string arrangement from Shive and ethereal background vocals from Jill Phillips singing, at the very end, the title of the opening: “Come back soon.”

 

Personal songwriters like Peterson tread a precipice of explanation in their storytelling. With too much backstory songs become plodding and have less relevance to individual listeners. With too little, we’re left wondering what inspired a certain verse instead of being inspired by it ourselves. When we listen to Billy Joel’s Piano Man, we feel like we know Paul and Davey based on a single couplet each. Enough backstory, but not too much. On “Light for the Lost Boy”, Peterson teeters on the edge of the backstory cliff. Shine Your Light on Me tells three stories, and while knowing the background helps, the song stands alone without context, but just barely. The Ballad of Jody Baxter means little if one has not read Rawlings’ “The Yearling” (but it certainly will inspire you to read the novel!). It is on The Voice of Jesus, a song written for Peterson’s daughter, that he gets the balance exactly right. The little girl in the song is fearful and confused and excited about something, all at the same time, and the song is made better by not telling the listener exactly what’s going on in her head. When we hear the father’s gentle, comforting words, and when Skye Peterson herself sings one of the sweetest background vocals I’ve ever heard, we don’t need to know all the details to be touched by the emotion.

 

“Light for the Lost Boy” will command your full attention. It’s the best album of the year so far, and listeners will turn to it again and again when they feel like they’re stumbling a bit in this present darkness. It stays away from simple, sappy platitudes; instead, it says to us, “I know. I’ve been there. One day it will all be bright and good, but for now, you’re not alone, and there is light.”

 

 

A Downhere playlist

With the news that we may have heard the last from Downhere, I immediately recalled a particular interview I had with the band, back in the glory days of GMA Week in Nashville. Record labels would typically arrange for meeting spaces or suites in nearby hotels for interviews with their artists, and I had the good fortune of an extended chat with the band. I found the suite and greeted the band and several other artists, and then I was shown to the adjacent interview room. Oddly enough, it was a regular hotel room, with a pair of beds and everything. I occupied the desk chair, while Jeremy and Glenn claimed one the two beds, leaving Jason and Marc to sit on the floor. Quite casual, to say the least. As always, the guys were honest, insightful, and familial. It seemed like they got along well, and I imagined down time spent in equal parts goofing off and engaging in quite cerebral discussions.

I asked the band about their varying levels of “success” in the industry – I’ve always considered them vastly underrated – and whether or not they wished they were one of those A-list acts. Jeremy’s response indicated that healthy place the band has been in: “I don’t care, honestly. If I can pay my bills, and I’m in the place where God wants me to be, and I have the privilege of playing with great friends and great musicians, I’m not going to crave the next big thing.”

I assume it’s that humble desire to be in the place where God wants them to be that has led the band to cease touring. I certainly hope so. Fortunately, the band leaves us with a solid catalog with plenty of staying power. Here’s my personal Downhere Playlist to mark this sad occasion. If you’re on Spotify, you can listen too. Here’s the link:

The Best of Downhere 7/2012

Here I Am

This is the first Downhere song that got regular airplay on Christian radio in my part of the world, and I still hear it from time to time. It’s a proper introduction to the group, though it came on their penultimate album. It showcases the depth and subtle grit in Jason’s vocals, and then Marc swoops in on that bridge in decidedly un-gritty fashion and practically knocks you over.

Great Are You

And this is the first Downhere song I heard, which prompted me to buy their eponymous 2001 album. These Canadians and I go way back.

Calmer of the Storm

And this is the sort of song I found on that album back in 2001: the powerhouse vocals, the right amount of piano and strings, the electric guitar that hints at the band’s rock underpinnings.

The More

The opening track from Wide-Eyed and Mystified cranks up the beats per minute in a joyous life-story of a faith walk, and a great line: “I pray that You would keep me mystified.”

All at War

This is on the list because, not only because it’s a wise commentary on the human condition spoken of by Paul in Romans 7:15-16, but also because it has the word “dichotomies” in the chorus, and that’s just cool.

Break My Heart

A passionate prayer: “Would You break my heart with the things that break Your heart?” Illustrates the gorgeous vocal layering made possible by having two lead vocalists. From Two at a Time, a set of B sides you definitely won’t find in your local Christian bookstore.

Starspin

Your foot will start tapping, and your head will start bobbing, and you might even start clapping your hands without even realizing it. This band’s not just vocals!

Don’t Miss Now

Why do I keep picking ballads for this list? The band can rock, too! But this beautiful, simple melody always makes me want to go learn how to play piano, and the lyric is an urgent message particularly for anyone in vocational ministry.

Protest to Praise

See, I told you they could rock. There are moments in this song when you hear Marc Martel’s voice and think, “Hmmm, he sounds a lot like Freddy Mercury.”

A Better Way

“’I love you’ could not be said a better way.”

Breakin’ Me Down

Yes, this is Downhere getting’ funky. It’s like their version of the Newsboys’ “Love Liberty Disco”. There’s even the briefest Martel scream here.

How Many Kings

This was a bonus track on Ending is Beginning, and it eventually begat a full-length Christmas album. It’s a Christmas song that deserves to be played year-round, because it’s testimony of the Savior should not be confined to one season.

Let Me Rediscover You

From the band’s latest (and last?) release, On the Altar of Love; this is a stirring ballad with equally stirring Martel vocals. This is a personal “pick-me-up” song during seasons of spiritual complacency.

Only the Beginning

A bittersweet end to this list, given the line: “Press ahead, forget what’s behind”. Here’s to continued blessings and fulfillment for these fine fellows as they each press ahead to a new beginning.

Downhere announces end of traveling ministry

While there’s nothing official up on their website yet, Glenn Lavender of the band Downhere announced today on behalf of the band that January 1, 2013 will mark the end of their traveling ministry. Lavender suggests the band is not breaking up, and that they might play a show or two here and there, but that consistent touring is over.

I’m a huge fan of the band so I’m sad to see the news. They have made consistently excellent music for many years now, and remain one of the more underappreciated acts in Christian music.

Here’s the full text of Lavender’s announcement:

Sad day to make this announcement. This is from myself and my brothers.

Hello friends,

It is with many memories and deep feelings that we relay to you the decision we have made over the course of the last year. January 1st 2013 will mark the end of our traveling ministry for the foreseeable future.

It has become very clear to us that this chapter of our journey, initiated by God, is drawing to a close. While we mourn the end of this season we also celebrate over a decade of ministry. It has been hard work and our families have paid a big price. The friends, songs, experiences, and lives changed as a result of hearing the truth of God’s love have sustained us through many years and miles.

For those of you who know us well, you know that this is not a band break up. In fact, we are open to playing a select few shows or events in the future. After many years and miles spent together we have become a band of brothers who love each other dearly. There is not one single variable that has initiated this change; rather it would seem the same sovereign hand that has guided us together for this season is now leading us in different directions. We are grateful for the role you have played in our lives. Your encouragement and support over the years has carried us through thick and thin.

We have always wanted to finish well. We believe that means finishing together, as a band… and that is what we are going to do. We are working on setting up a few wrap-up shows this fall – more information will be forthcoming as things get solidified.

Sincerely,

Jason, Marc, Glenn, & Jeremy