How will the legend of the age of trees
Feel, when the last tree falls in England?
When the concrete spreads and the town conquers
The country's heart; when contraceptive
Tarmacs laid where farm has faded

So begins the C.S. Lewis poem from which the San Diego quartet Future of Forestry cribbed its name. In it Lewis describes an England overtaken by industrialization, but the band sees it as more than just an environmental warning.

"It's not about saving trees, but about saving our lives from being taken over by technology," frontman Eric Owyoung said. "It's about asking if we are still able to see beauty."

The past two years, Future of Forestry unveiled the next step in the journey with Travel, Travel II and Travel III, with 18 new songs that provoke contemplation, encourage day-dreaming, and deepen perspective on all things beautiful.

I got the great opportunity to interview Owyoung about his songs “Hallelujah”, “Slow Your Breath Down” and “Did You Lose Yourself?”, my favorite songs from Travel, Travel II and Travel III. The following is our conversation:

What's the personal story behind writing these songs for the Travel Trilogy?

I’ve always enjoyed those encounters with God I have that are kind of unexplainable. There are those times when you know the presence of God, like when you watch the sunset. For me, when I’m writing music, I have that deep soul connection with God. It’s very intense. I’m always trying to best to write songs that reflect that emotion.

The song “Hallelujah” starts with a pensive, meditative sound, but ends very intense which reflects that worship experience. When I sing and write songs, I sing random vowel sounds instead of words. So with “Hallelujah” I was singing “ah” and I realized that the lyrics were supposed to be “hallelujah.” A lot of us have a misconception of prayer and think it’s a lot of words and a lot of requests of God. When we speak so much, we miss out on all of the interaction you can have with God in prayer.

“Slow Your Breath Down” is sung in the first person from God’s perspective. The message is for me, and is to remind myself to remember to slow down, settle down and listen. The song almost didn’t make the album, because it’s slower and a different tempo than the other songs on Travel II. The song has become the most popular from that album and people have really connected to the lyrics.

The theme of the song “Did You Lose Yourself?” is about not getting caught up in commotion and technology. There’s a line in the song: "Cause you're a techno and you're techno-bled, Beneath the undertow where the rest of you is dead." On the road with the band, we all sit around and look at our iPhones and we aren’t even in true community with each other much of the time. That’s not what God intended for us as Christians and He certainly doesn’t want us to lose ourselves to technology.

Which Bible verses go with these songs?

“Hallelujah” is based on Psalm 84:1-2: How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

“Slow Your Breath Down” is based on 1 John 4:7-8: "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

What is the take-away message for listeners about the Travel trilogy?

I am reading a book called Psalms for Praying. In the book the author translates the Psalms. Here’s what he writes about Psalm 84: “How glorious is Your dwelling place, oh loving Creator of the universe, my soul longs and aches for the abode of the beloved, all that is within me sings for joy to the living heart of love.”

I think that Psalm is just beautiful and captures the heart of the song “Hallelujah.” It reflects the majesty of God. We all have seasons of pain, and turmoil and the song “Slow Your Breath Down” reminds us to slow down and listen. I need to remember that I am a son of God. I need to remember the lyrics “Your burdens couldn’t win or lose a thing.” We can’t earn God’s grace, it is freely given and He takes away our burdens.

We’ve all been disappointed by people and circumstances and “Slow Your Breath Down” speaks about learning to trust again. We can fully trust in God, even though people let us down. We need to remember that God is love from 1 John 4:8.

“Did You Lose Yourself?” ties-in with the name of the band, which is taken from a C.S. Lewis poem. In his time, he was referring to the industrial revolution. In our time, it’s about technology. Am I going to be a slave to technology and work 24/7 or am I going to take time and reflect on God’s beauty and spend time alone with Him?

Here are the lyrics to “Hallelujah” 

Adonai, here your beauty dwells
Adonai, for life

Hearts unfold before you
In the light of the sun
Fill the sky Adonai

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Let my spirit sing sweetly
For the love in your eyes
Hold me close, Adonai


Here are the lyrics to “Slow Your Breath Down”

I’ll give you more to own than
All of this
And I’ll give you more than years
For you were once a child of innocence
And I see you just the same
Your burdens couldn’t win or
Lose a thing
Oh, I’d tell you once again
But you’re always on the run

Slow your breath down
Just take it slow
Find your heart now, oh
You can trust and love again
Slow your breath down, just take it slow
Find your smile now, oh
You can trust and love again

If you leave I’ll still be close to you
When all your fears rain down
I’ll take you back a thousand times again
I’ll take you as my own
I would sing you songs of innocence
‘Til the light of morning comes
‘Til the rays of gold and honey cover you
In the sweetness of the dawn
But you’re always on the run

You’re not alone
You’re now a part of me
You feel the cure
I’ll feel the toil it brought you


Here are the lyrics to “Did You Lose Yourself?”

Fondly, you appease the commotion
Yeah, but seldom-ly does it give you the notion
When efficiency is the king of your motion
Do it anyway, you do it anyway

Echo, goes the info in your head
'Cause you're a techno and you're techno-bled
Beneath the undertow where the rest of you is dead
You do it anyway, you got to do it anyway

Did you lose yourself? Did you leave yourself behind?
Did you lose yourself? Did you let your heart unwind?

Flipside, waking daylight
You're a fisherman
Moving further outside upon the Sea of Japan
Seeing life that you felt
You want it any way, you want it any way

Free-life, on the dream-side
You're just a fisherman
Seeing beautiful memories that have always been
And never been
You do it anyway, oh, you got to it anyway

Future of Forestry has been one of my favorite bands for the past few years. Musically they are one of the most interesting bands in any genre and are one of the best-kept secrets in Christian music.

The three Travel albums all are stunning and very musically intriguing. Eric Owyoung is one of my favorite vocalists and all 18 songs of the trilogy are interesting and challenging. “Hallelujah” reminds me to not think of prayer as a lot of words and a lot of requests of God. When we speak so much, we miss out on all of the interaction you can have with God in prayer.

“Slow Your Breath Down” reminds us to slow down and listen. We can’t earn God’s grace, it is freely given and He takes away our burdens. “Did You Lose Yourself” ties-in with the name of the band, which is taken from a C.S. Lewis poem. Am I going to be a slave to technology and work, or am I going to take time and reflect on God’s beauty and spend time alone with Him?

Life is a journey and it's about having different conversations with God. These three songs reflect the overall message of the Travel trilogy, which is that as Christians, we need to journey with God.

Here’s a video of “Slow Your Breath Down.”