Caleb Crino releases his eponymous debut EP on July 12, 2019, a collection of five songs that pairs contemporary pop sounds with a worshipful heart.
The
Caleb Crino EP was created in partnership with producer Justin Amundrud (Elevation Worship, Jason Gray, Local Sound), who Crino enlisted to help him refine a sound that is uniquely his own. "Since this is my first experience recording my own songs to release, I was a bit nervous, but Justin walked us through the process and made sure to get the performances we needed," Crino recalls. "We only ended up needing 4 or 5 recording days to finish the entire record! It was about as smooth as it gets, I think."
The sound they landed on is shaped in equal parts by legends of Crino's childhood (Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman) and pop icons of the present day (LANY, Charlie Puth). You can hear that pop/worship fusion on lead single "Lead the Way," a song which comes from a place of surrender to God. "I understand that no matter how hard I try, my attempts to bring myself to where I need to be will largely be useless," Caleb admits. "It's only through entering into a close walk with God and relying on Him to direct me that I'll ever be able to fulfill the call He has on my life."
It's that need for closeness with God despite life's uncertainties that marks the four other tracks on the project as well. "A few of the songs are talking about modern issues like looking towards the future, uncertainty, and not being sure what's going to be happening," Caleb Crino shares. "I think people around my age, just getting started in life and trying to find our footing, that's something they'll be able to latch onto and identify with."
The singer definitely offers those reassurances from personal experience. The project's fourth track, "Helpless," was born from a crisis moment in the Crino family when Caleb's younger brother was experiencing medical difficulties that stumped doctors. Caleb wrote "Helpless" as a prayer, and later the whole family took a day to fast and pray. A miraculous intervention brought his brother back to full health. The song holds a lot of weight for Caleb, who remembers "In those hard moments, we turned it to God and realized that even though we may be powerless in a situation, we are never helpless, because He is with us!"
Although the
Caleb Crino EP may be his first release, Caleb Crino's music has been a lifetime in the making. A Rhode Island native who originally relocated to Nashville, Tenn. to study in Belmont University's songwriting program, Caleb's musical experience has roots as far back as childhood. From joining his first choir at just 6 years old to gaining both ministry and musical experience worship leading to playing live for artists like Hannah Kerr, music has become an integral part of Caleb's calling. As for where it might lead him in the future, his perspective is simple: "At the end of the day, as long as I'm playing music and giving glory to God? Wherever He leads."
Caleb Crino EP will be available from all major digital retailers on July 12, 2019. To learn more, visit Caleb at
facebook.com/CalebCrinoMusic,
instagram.com/calebcrino,
youtube.com/ CalebCrinoMusic and
calebcrino.com.
