for KING & COUNTRY & Tye Tribbett – Love And Respect…Amplified

CCM: Who are you looking forward to meeting the most that night?
TT: for KING & COUNTRY. My group started in a garage. My brother and myself had drums and keyboards all over the place. To see their stage…there’s drums and instruments…the stage is cluttered with instruments! To watch them go seamlessly between all of them while maintaining their musicianship…that reminds me of the garage band in me, reminiscing on after school days in our garage and everyone picking up an instrument and jamming—that’s what most intrigues me about their presentation. To see them utilize the whole stage, it’s something I always dreamed of doing.

LS: Because our sister, Rebecca St. James, was an artist we’ve been around the industry most of our life. Most of the people we have met, but part of the reason why I think there’s excitement as to hosting the Dove Awards, and being honored by the whole thing, is because it reminds me of when I first experienced it. I think it was 1996 when I was supporting my sister for New Artist Of The Year…I remember being up in the Grand Ole Opry balcony pews and watching my her, those memories are ingrained.

I forget who was hosting that night, but there’s obviously a host every single year for these significant moments in those artist’s careers. For us to be a part of those memories is what is probably most fulfilling. The Dove Awards have been a part of my life for over twenty years, I think that’s why there’s a different weight to it for us.

CCM: Luke, was seeing your sister at the Dove Awards so many years ago the turning point in your life in fulfilling a call to serve musically? And, Tye, what led to your calling to pursue a career in music ministry?
LS: I had always wanted to pursue sports. I just loved competing, whether I was playing, coaching, or even if I was to one day work on the administrative side of sports. I didn’t exactly know what it was, but I just loved sports. After setting aside a year during high school to totally devote myself to playing basketball, I tore my ACL in the first game that year. There was no real way of ever coming back from that.

for KING & COUNTRY, 2016 Dove Awards co-hosts

It was actually during rehab for that injury when Switchfoot‘s The Beautiful Letdown (buy) album had come out. That album forced me to the ask the question, “This is your life. Are you who you want to be?” Those were the statements and the songs that said, “I dare you to move.” I began to wonder, “These songs do something to me. They really are powerful. Could I ever do something like that?” Then it was about a year later when Joel came to me and said, “Hey man, what do you think about writing and singing some songs on demo’s and just seeing where this goes?”

TT: Growing up as a preacher’s kid, at first I didn’t have a choice—we weren’t even allowed to listen to secular music. It was a very strict upbringing, which I appreciate now, because it gave me some structure and some boundaries. Other than that, that’s all I really saw for myself growing up. To serve the Lord and eventually create music that pleases and worships Him.

Eventually we sang in mainstream [music], doing background vocals for Jessica Simpson and Stevie Wonder, etc. For me [answering the call] came as an epiphany. It was 2004 or 2005, God just sent me a challenge, “Hey, just make chamber music for one year.” That was the year one of our signature albums was released, Victory (buy). I never wanted to go back to any other genre of music.

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