New Fair Trade Services act Citizen Way have much to show in their debut release, Love Is The Evidence out on April 23. The four-piece band is comprised of two sets of siblings: Josh and Ben Calhoun and David and Ben Blascoe. Love Is The Evidence includes the band's radio singles "Should've Been Me" and "Nothing Ever (Could Separate Us)."
 

Collaborating with acclaimed producer Seth Mosley (Hawk Nelson, Audio Adrenaline), Citizen Way's 10-track debut is an honest, powerful release that fuels the buzz the band's already generating. The Calhoun brothers wrote and co-wrote every track on Love Is The Evidence. 

 

Citizen Way was formed in 2004, when the Calhouns and Blascoes crossed paths while in college. Their camaraderie made for a foundation that went beyond their biological connection and combined their vision for ministry with their passion for music. The result is Love is the Evidence, an infectious pop-rock project with sensibility. It is the byproduct of years spent honing their skills playing at camps, retreats and youth group events, investing in the fans and building a faithful following. The music has a driving momentum. In the end, the guys of Citizen Way really just want to have a conversation with people, sharing stories that reflect Scripture, reveal the heart of God and speak to honest, human struggle. 

 

I had the chance to interview Ben Calhoun about "Should've Been Me." 

 

Please tell me the background story behind writing the song.
 

It's a true story of when I was leading worship at a camp at Cornerstone University in Michigan. I gladly said yes, and my wife and were looking forward to having fun at this camp, which was an answer to prayer, seeing how the Lord provides for us. All week, we took the kids on a crash course through God's Word from Genesis to Revelation. We taught them fun ways to take God's Word and apply it. There weren't that many kids so we got to know all of them individually. We had the kids write their sins on a piece of paper and literally nailed them to a cross. We talked about what it meant for Jesus on the road to Calvary. We asked all the students at the end of the week what they learned.

I remember one of the kids, his name is Morgan and lives in Maryland. He didn't say much all week and was pretty quiet. He just simply said, "I learned that it should've been me." And I thought it was pretty profound for a 13-year-old kid--he's 15 now--to understand the gravity and the weight of what Christ did for us on the Cross. And it really hit me, and right away I wrote this song and I sang it for him about 20 minutes later. I came up with the melody immediately and used everything I'd learned about songwriting to figure out how to make it into a song. It's been a powerful story in my life, and every time I sing that song I'm reminded of that week. I'm reminded of what Christ did for us on the Cross, and I'm reminded of how grateful I am for the life that I do have in Jesus. 

 

Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 

...and 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

 

What is the take-away message for listeners and for you personally? 
 

I have three daughters and I've been married to my wife for 10 years. She is my best friend. I've loved seeing the stories of how people have come to know the Lord from hearing our song. There's a story of girl who was struggling in life and actually tattooed it on her arm.

One of my favorite stories involves my daughter's principal. Her older son was talking to her younger son who was 9 years old. He asked what the song meant. The older brother explained that we should be the ones paying for our sins on the cross. The younger son said he finally understands now. Seeing how the Lord uses songs to influence kids is amazing to me. Some of these stories are really powerful. It humbles me and draws me closer to the Lord. I really enjoy seeing what God is doing. Touring all around the country we get to see people who love the Lord and have been sold out for Him some or all of their lives. It influences me in my walk as a Christian. The song has taken on a life of its own and I'm excited to be on the ride the Lord has taken me on.

 

Something Ben and I discussed was how the core of our faith as Christians is found in John 14:6. Jesus is the only way. All roads don't lead to Heaven, despite what a secular culture tries to tell us. This is an extremely important and uplifting song. I have been singing it at the top of my lungs since I first heard the song and we all need to be bold as followers of Jesus and express that Truth.

I love how this band is truly reaching out and making it clear that Jesus is the only way in their songs. We all need to be unashamed of our faith in Jesus and we all need to be bold in expressing our faith. It does friends and family members who aren't believers a disservice to not fully share the Gospel.

 

I love the sincerity and humility of this song. I sing it at the top of my lungs in praise and awe of my Savior and King, Jesus. Worship is really about submission and our roles as worshippers are really defined in this song, which is to just be amazed and in awe of God. All we can do is submit to Him and give everything we have to Him. If you are a painter, paint in God's Name. If you're a teacher, teach in God's Name. Everything we do is a ministry. Lift up your voice and your life to God and follow Him.

 

This worship anthem is just the type of infusion that the church needs with its honesty and bold lyrics. The song has quickly become a prayerful anthem in my daily devotional time and boldly declares a statement of faith. The song points out that what Jesus went through was because of us, so it should have been us. By God's grace He sent his only Son to die for us, but sometimes we forget that. That puts all of us who have put our hope and trust in Jesus for our salvation in saying, "I guess it just leaves me saying thank God, for the should've been." That is all we can do, is just thank God for all that He has done. Amen!

 

(Check out the song's lyric video here.)