Third Day – Even Dreams Are Possible

CCM: How much do you romanticize going in to something like that and how much of that is real, where you really do feel like you’re a part of some musical tapestry?
MP: I don’t think you know until it’s done. It’s definitely romanticized because you have these hopes and these dreams of what it can be, of what you want it to be. We could have gone in and it could have been miserable. We could have fought the whole time or just not been into the music. So many times in life, whether you’re heading on vacation or going to a concert, you have this thing in your head and heart of what you want it to be. Then so often, even if you might love it, it never quite gets to that point of what you imagined. This was one of those few times in life where the experience went beyond what we could have dreamed or wanted. The dream came true, really.

In a way, I also think there’s a little bit of us left there—in a good way. Rick Hall, who started the studio back in 1959, his son runs it now. He told us, “Through all the years I’ve done this, there are two records that stick out in my mind. The first is the last Gregg Allman record, which hasn’t even come out yet, and the Third Day record.” He said it was some of the most fun he’s had being around a band, and we’re just truly honored to be a part of it.

CCM: What was your favorite aspect of the recording process itself?
MP: Because of the departure of our original bass player, Tai Anderson, we’d gone from a four-piece to a three-piece. It pushed us to be able to use our touring band in the studio. For the last three years, our bass player Tim Gibson and then Scotty Wilbanks, who has been on the road with us for 13 or 14 years, got to play with us. Then we had Trevor Morgan, who is one of my best friends and has opened up for us in years past, in as the “fifth Beatle.” He’s played guitar for us over the last year or more. All of those guys in the studio with us brought a fresh approach to this old-school record.

Third Day recording “Revival” at Fame Studios, Muscle Shoals, AL

CCM: So much of the story of this album is about the musical side, but we’re curious what the lyrical story is for you, then?
MP: I think it’s the same. Not only musically, I knew I wanted to make this the most gospel-centric record we could make. That’s hard to explain, because before the record came out, when friends would ask me about the record, I would say, “This is a very gospel record.” They’d look at me wondering what that means. It’s not southern gospel or black gospel, so it’s hard to explain. It’s just this thing that we’ve always done that I don’t really have the words to compare. We’re not trying to be cool with the record. We’re not trying to even be poetic. This is just what’s in our hearts and what’s coming out, both from a lyrical and musical standpoint.

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