A Little Closer

In writing and recording this new record, A Little Closer, I welcomed the tension of writing as freely as an eight year old, while continuing to develop my craft and build clear and powerful songs. During my times of writing I have constant conversations with God, much like praying. A song usually takes over a whole season of my life and stays with me even through the night. In this way, this record is written out of worship. Even as the songs don’t necessarily lend themselves to corporate worship, I pray that people will find this record to be healing and inspiring in this journey we are on. A life of faith requires our hearts to be engaged in all that is going on around us and inside of us. Hopefully these songs will point toward tender places in your heart where God is asking you too to move a little closer.

So, it is safe to say that I have not just been taking a journey back to the freedom of an eight year old in my creativity but also in my personal relationships and in my relationship with God. There was innocence in those formative years of loving people and having no fear. As children we aren’t afraid to ask and I’m finding that a lot of life requires asking. Whether we are asking for help, asking why or asking for what we need, this kind of reaching out and being okay with the small and big mysteries of life keeps our curiosity alive and leaves room for God to move us to a new place. Standing in the middle of my life, my marriage, my church, my friends, my art, my memories of NYC, Syracuse and Carlsbad, I’ve tried to allow the songs to be born out of day to day life and my deepest need for the love of God in the midst of it all. God has always reached me through music and I’ve seen that music is the most effective way for me to communicate my heart back to the world.

Much like sitting on the beach lookin...