Canadian worship group Lightfall first made waves in 2014 with the release of their self-titled EP, which took the charts by storm. The band's momentum only grew from there into a successful crowd funding campaign that would launch their debut album, Lost In Who You Are.

Lightfall took the time to update NRT on their new album Lost In Who You Are, band transitions and their continued heart to share the love of Christ through their music.

It's been almost exactly a year since the last time we talked. What has happened in that year? What's new for Lightfall in 2015?

A lot has happened. On a bitter-sweet note, Ryan is no longer playing with us, but it's because him and his wife welcomed their first child Ethan! So like we said, bitter sweet. 

We were incredibly busy last fall playing, and as soon as the new year hit we were in the studio. We didn't really see much of a break until late spring, early summer. But here we are again in the fall season, and things are gearing back up. We've been nominated for a GMA Covenant award for best new artist, which is amazing, and we just released our debut full length album Lost In Who You Are. We have also teamed up with a few amazing companies including Heartbeat Percussion, Temple Audio Designs, Neunaber Audio Effects and the World Vision Artist Collective.

What was the experience of crowdfunding Lost In Who You Are like for you? What was the response?

It was unbelievable. In the first week or so we raised almost half our goal. Then it slowed down a bit, and we were all a little nervous about meeting the target. Then in the last couple days we had an unbelievable outpouring of support and surpassed our goal. We ended up with 115% of our planned amount. 

We really couldn't have asked for more or planned it any better, so a huge thank you to all those who contributed. To know that we had so much support, not just from family and friends but from supporters coast to coast, is one of the greatest feelings.

What were some of the themes on your hearts and minds while creating the album?

A few themes that really stick out would be love, hope and grace. It really is a mind boggling thing to think about how much God has given up for us just to be in a relationship with us. We don't deserve it, we can't earn it, but God's grace allows for us to participate in His love and live a life full of hope in spite of any circumstance we may find ourselves in.

Do you have a favorite song, or a song that has a particularly special story behind it for you?

Our first single "Your Love is an Ocean" was one of the first songs we wrote as a group back in 2012 when we were just getting started. It went through a lot of changes to get to where it is today. So having that come out as the first single was a real cool moment. It kind of made things real for us, like a "we're actually doing this" kind of thing. 

On top of that, our Producer arranged and built the song from scratch. We gave him a very subpar demo and a melody line, and he did the rest. Funny thing is we had tabled this song and left it, thinking it would never see the light of day again. We're so glad we didn't leave it there.

What is Lightfall's goal when you perform these songs live? What do you want the atmosphere of your concerts to be like?

We always like to say that we are worship leaders who lead by example. When we're on stage we are worshiping God, and by doing that we hope that it can encourage people to follow along with us and do the same. When playing these songs live, we want them to help people connect with God and find an atmosphere of His presence. We do this by simply giving up the songs as an offering to God. Whether it's a hype song with dancing or a mellow tune with hands raised, our ultimate goal is to have a real encounter the living God and to see others do the same.

How do you feel you have grown as a band and as a ministry since you got started?

A lot has changed for us, even musically. Spending so much time with Derek (our producer) in the studio was an amazing learning experience. Just seeing him work and what he could do really opened our eyes and ears to loads of possibilities. 

We also think the more recognition we receive, the easier it is to give the credit to God. We always talk about wanting to remain true to our calling, and part of that is staying humble. When we get recognized or see a bit of success it's easy to sort of glance at the sky and chuckle. Grace is a funny thing like that.

What is on the horizon for Lightfall? What hopes or plans do you have for the future?

We've been really lucky to have stayed busy through having people contact us, typically. This coming year we'll be stepping out of our comfort zone a bit and planning a few tours. Our good friend Mike Croft (who has worked with Sky Terminal and Manafest) is actually stepping in to help us with our management. It's just been a little hectic for Marquis and the rest of us to keep on top of. We seem to be coming to a tipping point, and we all really want to trust God with this ministry. That is easier said than done sometimes, but our hope has always been to expand the reach of the Gospel through music. 

How can we continue to pray for you and your ministry?

Discernment is a big thing, being able to recognize what and where God wants us. Also for our families, it's never easy being away. A couple of us are married, and life on the road (as glamorous and rock star as that may sound) isn't easy. It's actually probably tougher for our wives who spend the time at home while we are away "living the dream." They're so much stronger than we give them credit for.