On August 20, Carolyn Arends will release "Without Music," the fifth single from her Recognition project. Featuring shimmering acoustic production and Amy Grant as the guest vocalist, "Without Music" celebrates the enduring power of music.
"The song unfolded just the way the lyrics suggest: I sat down to write a cynical protest song, but the song had a mind of its own," Arends shares. "It instead became an ode to the gift that God has given us in music. The fact that we still make music, especially during difficult times, reveals what a powerful and necessary treasure music really is."
Arends is particularly delighted by the collaboration with Amy Grant. "I just kept hearing Amy's voice on this track," she explains, "so I reached out to her and I was thrilled when she agreed to sing on it. Her artistry helped me learn to love music, so it just seems right to hear her voice on this."
Arends is simultaneously releasing a music video for "Without Music," which captures Grant in her Nashville recording studio and Arends and her bandmates in a session at Five Acres Studios in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The video is Arends's fourth collaboration with filmmaker The Arctic, with an assist from One Move Media in Tennessee.
Music critic Brian Walsh calls "Without Music" "Evocative, truth-telling and life-giving art... that awakens hope anew." Arends smiles at the description. "God seems to have given us music not only as a medium of expression and a resource for reliance but as a kind of promise. No matter what happens, we continue to sing... to me, that points to a hope that, like music, just won't go away."
The "Without Music" video will premiere on Arends's YouTube channel at noon (PT) on Friday, August 20. The single will be released the same day to all streaming platforms.
"Without Music" comes from the new full-length project, Recognition. While singles from Recognition are being released one at a time to streaming platforms, the full project is available at carolynarends.com, The Rabbit Room, and Bandcamp.