When he's not engulfed in the daily trials and tribulations of being a Spanish-studying college student, Seattleite Sajan Nauriyal is learning a completely different trade. As the premiere artist of VMG Records, Nauriyal is discovering what it means to be an artist, what his unique voice is in Christian music, and what it means to make a record from scratch, under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

With his critically acclaimed, surprisingly strong debut, Always Enough, having just released, we thought it necessary to learn a little more about this exciting new voice coming out of the Emerald City.

1. So Sajan, who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Yeah! I was born and raised in Seattle--so naturally, I love rain and coffee--with my parents and younger brother, and grew up playing music in church. I'm currently in school, and I love playing soccer and studying Spanish. 

2. What's the Christian music scene like in Seattle? 

Hmmm... Seattle has a lot of cool stuff going on in the Christian music scene. I grew up listening to bands from around here like The Classic Crime and Kings Kaleidoscope! I feel like Christian music from up here tries to push the boundaries, maybe because Seattle tends to be progressive. 

3. How'd you get your start making music? At what point did you know this was something you needed to focus on? 

I started playing guitar on worship teams at church, and fell in love with it! Honestly, I had a lot of incredible leaders in my life who also played music that I looked up to, and still look up to today. I knew it was something to focus on when I got hired as an audio assistant at an advertising agency. It felt like God just put me there because I didn't have any technical audio experience, but that was when I decided to focus on music. 
 
4. Your new project is called Always Enough. Talk about the album title, as well as the process by which you did the record. You talk a lot about how you let the Holy Spirit guide every aspect of this project. 

Rad! The album is called Always Enough because it conveys the truth that God always has been, and will be sufficient in every area of our lives. There is nothing more, and nothing less than Him that will fulfill us. The whole recording process started in a prayer meeting about what we were supposed to do next as a record label. 

We didn't have a plan, but our director felt urged by the Holy Spirit to produce the album. The recording process continued by just asking the Holy Spirit to give us direction on what to say in each song, and what sounds we could use to convey that message. There were days when it was really difficult, but it was always fulfilling to go about writing and recording that way.

5. It's incredibly well produced. Who's your producer, and how much did they contribute to creating "your sound"? 

Thanks, man! It was produced in large part by Sam Alvarez and Dominic Zoda, two incredible musicians and even better people. The album wouldn't be the same without their willingness to sort through the scattered song ideas and craft a "sound" out of it. They're great producers and took the basic ideas to the next level. I'm really thankful for them. 

6. Always Enough is your first album, right? At what point did you decide it was time to record? 

Yes! Always Enough is my first album. I don't think I was really prepared to record. Haha! I didn't even have any full songs when we started making the album. We just had a lot of little "moments" from individual worship times that became songs during the recording process! 
 
7. Who are some artists you respect, inside and outside Christian music? 

In the Christian music world, I really love Bethel Music, Elevation Worship, and hip-hop artists like Lecrae and Nobigdyl. Outside Christian Music, I like a lot of stuff. I really respect Coldplay and Chance the Rapper. I just feel like their music speaks to my heart. 

8. What's your calling as best as you can tell? What are some big, audacious God dreams you have? What do you believe you bring to the table as an independent artist from the Northwest? 

I think my calling is just to love God and love people in everything I do. It would be awesome to continue to make music for the Lord as creatively as possible, and tour at some point. As an independent artist from the Northwest, I think I bring a fresh take on what Christian music can sound like. 

9. Do you tour? Describe your live show experience! 

I don't tour right now, but I want to! If I had live shows, I would want people to encounter Jesus and leave feeling like they just went skydiving into an explosion of colors--while dancing. 
 
10. Do you have a life verse that steers your ministry? 

Probably 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness." I just really want to know that I know the Jesus is everything I need. We don't have to fear or be worried, and never have to compare because we're all found in His love regardless of what we do. 

11. How can people be praying for you? 

Oh man, I always need prayer. I would say just to be close to Jesus and grow in intimacy with Him. Sometimes I feel like I can characterize God as distant and unreachable, but I want to see Jesus like He's right here next to me.