Mallory Balmer is a new artist who got her start when her aunt, Sandee Macgregor, reached out to her with a beautifully written prayer/poem and asked if she could turn it into a song. Written by a God-fearing woman whose heart is for encouraging people in the faith, Mallory's aunt wrote this prayer for women of faith to pray. She wanted to remind them that they are daughters of the king and that their hope is found in the presence of God.
The title, "Her Prayer," says just that. The lyrics are a prayer from Mallory's aunt that they hope will become a prayer for so many more. The song was co-written by Hannah Cheshire and produced by TJ Lawson, with cover art by Alyssa Rae and Christian Santiago.
As June's New Artist Watch, we had the opportunity to speak with Mallory about her debut single.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Mallory Balmer, and I'm a worship leader and recent graduate from Liberty University's School of Music. I'm a pastor's kid, so growing up, I had a lot of opportunities to participate in worship through music and dance, which was a big influence on me. Going to Liberty was a gift because I was able to lean into my love of music and grow in my songwriting. And that's where I met my fiancé Christian, who changed my life.
You started your music ministry after your aunt sent you a prayer/poem. What were your initial thoughts when you first read it?
I loved how I felt so connected to it. [I felt like] I could have written it myself. It was a secret project at first, and we both had fun working together with the lyrics and melody. It was a true partnership and connection that God orchestrated.
Talk about how your aunt's prayer became your first single.
It was my aunt's goal [for it to be made into a song] from the moment she sent it to me, and it felt so right. So I took that as my cue and jumped on it. When we felt it was ready, we partnered with a couple of people I knew through Liberty to record and produce it, and Christian helped with the graphics. It was such an exciting time leading up to it, but also nerve-wracking. It takes a lot of courage to release anything creative, but feeling so strongly that God was calling me to do this helped a lot.
Do you have any artists you look up to, and why?
I look up to Cecily. She is an incredible musician and writer. I have loved every single one of her songs. I also look up to my fiancé, Christian Santiago, who releases music himself. His lyrics are honest, beautiful, and prayerful. We met at Liberty, and I love how in sync we are with our connection to faith through music.
When you're not making music, what fills your day?
I love to spend my time at coffee shops and going for walks with friends. I also love to travel, especially to Canada where I can spend time with my cousins. We've made some beautiful memories, and I look forward to spending more time with them!
I'm really close with all of my seven siblings, six of whom are adopted. We're all super different but I love them so much. I also love my two sisters-in-law. They have blessed me so much.
What's next for you musically?
I'll be living in New York State. I have been working on a few songs and would love to get the ball rolling with those soon. I would love to gig with my soon-to-be husband as well. We hope to travel and lead worship across the country!
How can we pray for you and your aunt?
We want the Holy Spirit to continue to lay prayers on our hearts. We want other women to be blessed through our music ministry and for our family connections to stay alive.
Assembled from the four corners of North America and many other corners in between, the NRTeam comprises staffers whose energy is equally dispersed towards loving and writing about the music they love.
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