Brad + Rebekah – Sounds like love

CCM Magazine: Given many an artists’ tenure in the music industry, to make it to year number ten as a duo and creating project number seven are no small feats. How did you go about the concept and focus of this project?
Brad: Shortly after our 2013 project was finished, we sat down with a pastor and his wife from Nebraska who asked us what our next project would be. We’d just wrapped up one, but it started a conversation. We wanted to elevate whatever would come next. The goal is to write songs for the church. They need to speak to the church. We figured the best way to do that was to talk with pastors and learn what would serve them and their congregations. That began a three-year process of interviewing, writing and production that has finally resulted in this latest project.

CCM: Given the depth of subject matter within these songs, one would assume that you had many a muse speaking into and providing a framework for you to populate with melody and song. How many interviews did you conduct throughout this project?
Brad: We spoke with more than fifty pastors from all over the country. It was our intent to not impose a theme or direction for the project prior to hearing from these pastors. Our goal was to pick up themes that could later be developed into lyric and melody. The theme began to emerge and solidify throughout the process.

CCM: What were the over-arching themes? Were the pastors able to identify and perhaps illuminate various concepts, ideas or needs within their congregations?
Rebekah: “Identity” emerged as a major theme and need. Until we understand our identity in Christ, we can’t live for Him or in response to what He’s done for us. We often hear something in a sermon on Sunday about God helping us in our struggles. But how many of us actually believe that? As much energy as we spend trying to build ourselves up in the world, do we believe that we are truly found in Christ Jesus; understanding and declaring that we are found, free and belong to Him? One pastor we interviewed talked a lot about this…of asking ourselves if we truly understand and buy into this notion that with the faith of a mustard seed, with Christ in our lives, we actually can do things. It takes faith to trust and believe what God says.

CCM: That’s a pretty lofty topic to tackle. How did that translate into the creative and writing process?
Brad: Whenever we are writing worship music, each song must be simple, singable and solid. That may sound easy, but it’s sometimes a challenge to distill the grandeur of God and who we are in Him down to a verse and chorus. Going into every writing session, we knew the songs had to be simple and singable but the utmost priority was their solidity. We’re teaching people theology through worship. It can’t be something that sounds really good, but is weak when it comes to declaring truth.

CLICK “4” TO ADVANCE