Drawing from an influential pool of strong female songwriters such as Sara Groves, Nichole Nordeman and Ginny Owens, Jessa Anderson’s music reflects a constant wrestling with the unknown and the darkest parts of humanity right alongside the gritty, everyday things that make up the human life.

“I always gravitated toward women who were writing their own music and just that honesty,” Anderson says. “That’s what I like to listen to, and hopefully that’s what I’m communicating when I’m writing songs, too.”

The 20-something Michigan native currently can’t imagine doing anything else but music, and desires nothing more than to be a part of the larger story God is telling through her songs—honest, open narratives about faith, struggles and real life.

NRT’s Bill Lurwick spoke with Anderson about her BEC debut album, Not Myself Anymore, leaps of faith, clumsiness and being re-awed by God.

Jeremy Camp, Hawk Nelson, Manafest, KJ-52, Kutless, Seventh Day Slumber... and then there’s Jessa Anderson on BEC Recordings with all those other rock bands. How did this come about?

It’s been quite a journey and it’s definitely something in my life where it’s been God’s very intentional hand at work. My husband and I are both singer/songwriters and have been working as independent musicians for about three years. I released one independent CD in 2008 and after a little while of traveling and touring on that CD I was ready to do another one.

So, I hired a producer and went back into the studio. At the same time found out we were expecting our daughter, Lorelei. There was a lot going on for us personally, and we really started praying and seeking God. We felt really strongly that we were on the right path.

We went into the studio and recorded 10 songs and released them independently in 2010 and not too long after that BEC got in contact with me; one of the producers had sent it over to them. He had it sitting on his desk for a few weeks and gave it a listen and apparently liked what he heard enough to call me in. I decided to go forward with BEC. They’ve been awesome. Things have worked out really well.

The album is Not Myself Anymore. Talk about the songs that you’re excited about.

Well, “Fireflies” and “Worship the Lord”--they’re the newest songs we’ve recorded and written. I’m excited about those because obviously it’s so wonderful to have a fresh sound and something new, but I’m also really excited about the way that they turned out and the message behind both of them. To me, “Firefies” is just a joyful song. It’s a happy song. I love being able to communicate to people that it’s a great thing to celebrate God’s beauty in our lives and celebrate even those little moments like seeing fireflies light up in the night and use those moments as a way to glorify God and celebrate His bigger, more expansive beauty.


The song that is getting a lot of buzz on the message boards and stuff is “Not What I Thought.” Talk about that song.

That song is really about my personal struggles and lessons learned just through my not-super-long life of 25 years. I heard about God all my life, and I loved Him. I was very sincere in my faith, but I also realized that I was sort of boxing Him in a little bit, since I’d heard so much about Him all my life.

So, it was a familiar feeling that became a little too familiar. Instead of regarding God as the creator of the universe and this amazing capable God who could do anything in my life. I thought I knew what I could accept from God.
To me, when I realized I was doing that, it was a little devastating because in my heart I know that God is so much bigger than I can wrap my mind around, and I didn’t want to be the person that was looking at God as something I had figured out or something that I knew and I could expect.

I really learned to step back and let God just do what He was going to do and I found that He was infinitely more, obviously, than I could ever even anticipate or expect or imagine that He would be.

You and your husband took that step of faith to do full-time music, and I know it was tough to take that step. You had some anxiety with that. Is there a song on the project that kind of deals with that fear and taking that step of faith for you?

Definitely. “Moving On,” which is the song my husband and I co-wrote together, is my way of just expressing that frustration of not only being anxious within myself, but dealing with the input of others.

I felt like I was equipped to just trust Him and have faith in and launch this ministry, and I had people I consider wise people telling me that they’re not quite sure if it’s a good idea. That was a little confusing and definitely added to the anxiety. But at the end of the day my husband and I felt like there was nothing we could be more passionate about, that we’d be risking anything for, than this journey of becoming musicians and really getting a chance to tell people who God’s been in our lives through our music.

So, we obviously did end up taking that step to just go into full time music and God has been so gracious and intentional with us every step of the way. When we think we’re confused or we’re not sure exactly what’s coming next, He always provides and takes care of us and opens doors that we weren’t even knocking on.

It’s been great and it’s been a huge faith builder for us as a family, which is exciting and still has its anxious moments, definitely.

We’re talking to you on a Monday and you’ve got the song, "Everybody Has These Days." Are you having one of those days on a Monday today?

Today I’ve been doing OK. We just got off the road, so we’re kind of just hanging around the house and I haven’t broken anything or anything like that. That’s always a triumph when I can get halfway through the day and I haven’t spilled anything all over myself, but I’ve got to tell you those days happen so much more frequently than I would like them to happen.


And that song is for everyone, right?

It is, and it’s very much my own personal life. I don’t just say that so people will think, “Oh, she’s just trying to get a laugh.” I am really clumsy. I have a hard time, but my husband always tells me, “Well, maybe if you just think a little more, try and focus a little more, will that help you?” I’m like, “I am focusing. I’m really trying hard. I promise.”

I hope other peoplewon’t feel so bad about their clumsy moments when they realize it happens to everyone. Some of us it just happens to more frequently, I think.

There’s some stuff in your bio that talk about your struggle with an eating disorder. Can you share about that a little bit, so we can use this as a ministry opportunity?

Definitely. One of my goals through my songwriting is just to be honest. There’s no song title that I struggle with an eating disorder, but it’s definitely woven throughout my music. Whether it’s the triumphs that you have when you’re struggling through something or those low moments, I think there’s something to be said for just being honest and opening yourself up to God and to other people.

So, for me “Don’t Know” is the song that really came out of that specific struggle, and the healing that went along with it. I had to turn back to God and I had to let the walls down, but there’s so much hope as well when you’re struggling with that kind of thing. I need God and I need to let Him be the solution and the remedy and the answer to my problems and my questions.

I hope that as a whole, the songs will just give people a different perspective in different snippets of my life and not only the struggles, but the way that God’s worked to really support me and make me new and hopefully make me more like Him.