The origin of MIKESCHAIR was set in a freshman guy’s dorm room one night at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. The band’s name, MIKESCHAIR, begs for an explanation. “The 'chair' was the central gathering point where we got our start,” says Sam. “All of us lived on the same floor of our dorm at Belmont, except for Mike. But, since he was always hanging out with us on our floor, we decided to get him piece of furniture to make him feel a little more at home. The chair was his only piece of property on our floor. He wrote his name on it in big capital letters, and it kind of became his seat of inspiration for writing songs and being creative. The name is a reminder of our humble beginnings and how far God has brought us.”

MIKESCHAIR is a very good debut self-titled album
this year by a promising new band. I like the history behind the band name and in the past couple of years, Rush of Fools, Tenth Avenue North and Fee have all made a big impact as new bands on the Christian music scene, all having been nominated for best new artist and I expect a similar outcome for MIKESCHAIR. Their sound seems to be a very nice combination of the sound of those acclaimed bands. I got the chance to speak with Mike Grayson about their first single “Can’t Take Away”, which is already a top 10 hit on Christian radio and is the stand-out song of the album. You can listen to our entire interview here: http://www.christianmusicreview.org/kingdombuilder.html

Here is what Mike shared with me about the song.

Please tell me about the background in writing the song "Can’t Take Away"?

“Can’t Take Away” was actually the very last song to go on the record. In fact, the record was finished when we wrote this song, but we knew right away that it had to be included. The song was written around the time when gas had reached over $4 a gallon, a hurricane had just hit down south, election season was well underway, and the news was covering nothing but how bad the economy was doing. We sat down to write, and practically all we could feel was defeat. As we were talking it was almost as if rebellion set in, and we decided that even though the world around us is in turmoil. God is still exactly where He has always been—on His Throne! No matter what is going on in our lives and no matter how bad it gets, no one and nothing can take away our God.

Do you have a life verse or any verses you used in writing the song?

Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

What's the takeaway message for listeners regarding the song?

This song is our reminder that it doesn’t matter who is in office or what the economy is doing or what troubles come our way. Our hope and our trust lies in the hands of a God who is unchanging. There’s a confidence we can have as believers that God will never go away and we’ll never be alone. There can be ultimate hope that we’re not walking alone and our God will never leave us.

Here are the lyrics to “Can’t Take Away”:

All around
All of us
Fear has come and so we must
Ask ourselves
In who we trust
What we have here
Is not enough
So let it ring
In freedom sing

You can take away
Everything that I've been holding
You can take away the sun
You can take away the very air that I've been breathing
But you can't take away my God
Oh, my God, my God

Waves will come
And winds will blow
But it's not here I've found my hope
My beating heart
My very soul
Is held by one who won't let go
And so I'll cling
To You my King

You can take away
Everything that I've been holding
You can take away the sun
You can take away the very air that I've been breathing
But you can't take away my God
Oh, my God, my God

A hope that can't be lost
A love that can't be bought
You can't take away my God
Nothing high or low
Nothing you can control
You can't take away my God

You can take away
Everything that I've been holding
You can take away the Sun
You can take away the very air that I've been breathing
But you can't take away my God

No you can't
No you can't
Take away my God
No you can't
No you can't
No you can't
Take away my God, Oh My God, My God.

What a blessing as this song really speaks to the Truth that no matter what happens in the world around us, “you can’t take away my God”. This song closes out the theme from this past month of songs that reflect the biblical Truth that our ultimate source of hope and security can’t be found in earthly treasures, along with “All Along” by Remedy Drive, “You’re Not Shaken” by Phil Stacey and “Beautiful Ending” by BarlowGirl.

You can listen to the song here.