Brandon Heath\'s newest music video!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Brandon Heath Named New Artist of the Year at 39th Annual...
(Nashville, Tenn.) April 24, 2008 – Acclaimed singer/songwriter Brandon Heath scored a huge win last night in his hometown of Nashville by taking home the Dove for New Artist of the Year at the 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards. Heath claimed the coveted New Artist title due largely to the success of his debut project, Don’t Get Comfortable, which contained the night’s Song of the Year nominee, “I’m Not Who I Was,” a No. 1 smash-hit that was also nominated in the Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song category and granted Heath his first Songwriter of the Year nod.
“I’m from here in Nashville so it’s an honor to accept this award in front of my peers and my parents,” Heath told Nashville’s CBS affiliate NewsChannel 5. “It was a fun thing!”
Heath said backstage during a press conference, “It is truly an honor to be recognized for hard work and good songwriting. I am thankful to work with such a talented and committed team of managers, producers and label staff, and I’m really looking forward to the next chapter!”
Brandon Heath currently resides in Houston, Texas, and is a worship leader at The Loft church located in The Woodlands. He is currently preparing for the late summer release of his highly anticipated sophomore album titled What If We.
Heath quickly became a fixture at Christian radio with the release of his debut project. His mega-hit “I’m Not Who I Was” raced to No. 1 and ended 2007 as one of the year’s most played radio singles. His debut project also delivered the 2007 Dove-nominated, Top 5 radio hit, “Our God Reigns.” Heath has been a respected writer in the Nashville music community for years, collaborating with well-known artists like Bebo Norman, Matt Wertz and Dave Barnes, to name a few. The Nashville native first began writing at age 13 and credits the town’s legendary hotspot for songwriters, the Bluebird Café, as the place he first experienced music that moved him.
The Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards show was presented at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and broadcast live on Gospel Music Channel.
Christian Music News Source
“I’m from here in Nashville so it’s an honor to accept this award in front of my peers and my parents,” Heath told Nashville’s CBS affiliate NewsChannel 5. “It was a fun thing!”
Heath said backstage during a press conference, “It is truly an honor to be recognized for hard work and good songwriting. I am thankful to work with such a talented and committed team of managers, producers and label staff, and I’m really looking forward to the next chapter!”
Brandon Heath currently resides in Houston, Texas, and is a worship leader at The Loft church located in The Woodlands. He is currently preparing for the late summer release of his highly anticipated sophomore album titled What If We.
Heath quickly became a fixture at Christian radio with the release of his debut project. His mega-hit “I’m Not Who I Was” raced to No. 1 and ended 2007 as one of the year’s most played radio singles. His debut project also delivered the 2007 Dove-nominated, Top 5 radio hit, “Our God Reigns.” Heath has been a respected writer in the Nashville music community for years, collaborating with well-known artists like Bebo Norman, Matt Wertz and Dave Barnes, to name a few. The Nashville native first began writing at age 13 and credits the town’s legendary hotspot for songwriters, the Bluebird Café, as the place he first experienced music that moved him.
The Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards show was presented at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and broadcast live on Gospel Music Channel.
Christian Music News Source
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Brandon Heath: Finding The Sound…
He’s a “New Artist of the Year” winner. He’s releasing his second album, What If We (Reunion), after his 2006 debut was a hit with critics and audiences alike. He’s written with Jars of Clay, Matt Wertz, Bebo Norman and many others. And all he cares about is making sure the listener is connecting with his/her Creator.
It’s refreshing to talk to an artist like Brandon Heath about his music because there’s no pretense—just an honest, ordinary guy offering his heart and reflections. In this interview, Heath gives us the lowdown on the meaning behind the new title, working with the Jars guys and what it means to define his sound.
CCM: What informed the new album title, What If We?
Brandon Heath: The slogan “What If We” came from a conversation with a mentor friend of mine. We were talking about what God was doing in our lives. That work has often been with other people; it’s never been alone. For me it was taking the risk and putting myself out there as an artist. For him, he was involved in this ministry and not-for-profit organization that pulls girls from brothels called Restore International (restoreinternational.org).
Both of us are just ordinary people, but it feels that God has done extraordinary things just by us trusting Him. I love the fact we’re able to dream as big as we want as long as we believe God can do great things. So the ‘What If’ part is all about those possibilities and the ‘We’ part is doing that together. So, we’re wanting people to be inspired by that sentence.
CCM: I’ve read where you said you didn’t want to stray too far from your sound on the first record…
Brandon: Yeah, that was really the goal. I think as a new artist, to be perfectly honest, I’m still trying to figure out what my sound is. And I think others are, too. So you don’t want to confuse people too much about who you are. I want my music to be accessible, but I don’t want to be so cookie-cutter that it’s predictable. As we [were] finding out what my sound [was], I didn’t want to be too crazy on the second record.
But I think what ended up happening is that it sounded different because we were into Western movies. Also, a lot of people are using the British sound a little too much these days so we wanted to move away from that, too. We used electrics that sounded like Americana—kind of a Springsteen, Tom Petty sound—that being more of the sound spectrum, or a lot of the instruments we used, rather than the same British rock deal.
CCM: What have you learned about your own sound to this point?
Brandon: Well, that it’s a lot of what I listen to. I listen to a lot of the Nashville scene and the Americana sound. But I love listening to pop as well. I love a good pop beat and a couple of the songs on here have that. But I also work with a producer who is one of my best friends, and I give him a lot of input and stake in my own music. So I think discovering my “sound” is a process of Dan [Muckala] and I sitting in a studio and seeing what works.
I’ll be the first to tell you that my musicality is simple, and I sometimes don’t even know how to put it into words, but Dan has helped me uncover what I’m trying to get across. I think that’s what makes producers great—when they can help you define who you are.
CCM: How was writing with the guys in Jars of Clay?
Brandon: Oh man, I’ve been a fan of theirs for a long, long time. But we’ve never done anything creative—we’ve always just hung out. So I was really nervous going into it. [Laughs] I didn’t tell them that. There was a snow day in Nashville—one of the few we have—and Dan couldn’t be there because of his kids. But the other three—Charlie, Matt and Steve came to their studio called the Jarhole. It’s under construction now, and it was not the vibe to create in at the time, but we had a great time.
They came up with the musical part, and I developed the lyric almost by myself. They let me do my thing. They let me take off and come up with the melody, and most of the lyric, I steered. But the rest, they did it. Even on the recording [of this song], I’m not playing any instruments at all. It went toward their new sound as well. I’m honored to have written with them and have them on the record.
Christian Music News Source
It’s refreshing to talk to an artist like Brandon Heath about his music because there’s no pretense—just an honest, ordinary guy offering his heart and reflections. In this interview, Heath gives us the lowdown on the meaning behind the new title, working with the Jars guys and what it means to define his sound.
CCM: What informed the new album title, What If We?
Brandon Heath: The slogan “What If We” came from a conversation with a mentor friend of mine. We were talking about what God was doing in our lives. That work has often been with other people; it’s never been alone. For me it was taking the risk and putting myself out there as an artist. For him, he was involved in this ministry and not-for-profit organization that pulls girls from brothels called Restore International (restoreinternational.org).
Both of us are just ordinary people, but it feels that God has done extraordinary things just by us trusting Him. I love the fact we’re able to dream as big as we want as long as we believe God can do great things. So the ‘What If’ part is all about those possibilities and the ‘We’ part is doing that together. So, we’re wanting people to be inspired by that sentence.
CCM: I’ve read where you said you didn’t want to stray too far from your sound on the first record…
Brandon: Yeah, that was really the goal. I think as a new artist, to be perfectly honest, I’m still trying to figure out what my sound is. And I think others are, too. So you don’t want to confuse people too much about who you are. I want my music to be accessible, but I don’t want to be so cookie-cutter that it’s predictable. As we [were] finding out what my sound [was], I didn’t want to be too crazy on the second record.
But I think what ended up happening is that it sounded different because we were into Western movies. Also, a lot of people are using the British sound a little too much these days so we wanted to move away from that, too. We used electrics that sounded like Americana—kind of a Springsteen, Tom Petty sound—that being more of the sound spectrum, or a lot of the instruments we used, rather than the same British rock deal.
CCM: What have you learned about your own sound to this point?
Brandon: Well, that it’s a lot of what I listen to. I listen to a lot of the Nashville scene and the Americana sound. But I love listening to pop as well. I love a good pop beat and a couple of the songs on here have that. But I also work with a producer who is one of my best friends, and I give him a lot of input and stake in my own music. So I think discovering my “sound” is a process of Dan [Muckala] and I sitting in a studio and seeing what works.
I’ll be the first to tell you that my musicality is simple, and I sometimes don’t even know how to put it into words, but Dan has helped me uncover what I’m trying to get across. I think that’s what makes producers great—when they can help you define who you are.
CCM: How was writing with the guys in Jars of Clay?
Brandon: Oh man, I’ve been a fan of theirs for a long, long time. But we’ve never done anything creative—we’ve always just hung out. So I was really nervous going into it. [Laughs] I didn’t tell them that. There was a snow day in Nashville—one of the few we have—and Dan couldn’t be there because of his kids. But the other three—Charlie, Matt and Steve came to their studio called the Jarhole. It’s under construction now, and it was not the vibe to create in at the time, but we had a great time.
They came up with the musical part, and I developed the lyric almost by myself. They let me do my thing. They let me take off and come up with the melody, and most of the lyric, I steered. But the rest, they did it. Even on the recording [of this song], I’m not playing any instruments at all. It went toward their new sound as well. I’m honored to have written with them and have them on the record.
Christian Music News Source
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
World travels inspired fundraising musical tour
Singer/songwriter Sara Groves has united with several other Christian artists for a tour that's also a fundraiser for international relief efforts.
The tour, called ART*MUSIC*JUSTICE, comes to Evansville's Christian Fellowship Church on Oct. 12. In addition to Groves, the lineup includes Brandon Heath (Christian music's New Artist of the Year), Derek Webb (formerly of Caedmon's Call), Sandra McCracken and Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer Charlie Peacock.
The purpose of the tour is to benefit both the International Justice Mission and Food for the Hungry.
Groves made trips to Rwanda and Southeast Asia, and through International Justice Mission she witnessed how much could be done to help victims of genocide, sexual exploitation and slavery.
"There is a huge difference between charity and justice. Justice means I'm going to fight for you," Groves said in a recent phone conversation. On her new album, "Tell Me What You Know," Groves made an effort to communicate all the joy and hope that have come from what she's learned. Seven of the songs are inspired by a young woman named Elizabeth, whom she met four years ago.
"Elizabeth, from Southeast Asia, was the oldest of seven, so she took a job in a nearby town to save money for Bible College. A woman she was traveling with betrayed her; Elizabeth was taken captive and sold to a brothel, where she was forced to see 10 to 15 men a day. Elizabeth prayed every night for God to rescue her, and that rescue came in the form of IJM, who was able to secure her freedom," Groves said.
Elizabeth is now a college graduate who uses her story to help others.
In Rwanda, Groves was struck by how one could see the most beautiful things and the most horrible things side by side.
"Hope next to the despair is Rwanda. Yet I learned that I don't know as much as I thought I did. These people are complex and proud."
Food for the Hungry and the International Justice Mission are helping artists and sponsors to partner with one community in Rwanda in the hopes of having every child in that community sponsored by the time the tour concludes.
People might feel helpless when they look at situations like those Groves witnessed in Rwanda and Southeast Asia, but Groves believes that "conviction comes in doses we can handle and guilt is a waste of time."
Partnering with filmmakers and National Geographic, Groves believes the concert will be a thought-provoking and hope-filled evening.
"We are all as Christians saved by grace, and Ephesians 2:10 tells us that Christ Jesus prepared good works for us to do. God is doing amazing things, and we get to be a part of it," Groves said.
Christian Music News Source
The tour, called ART*MUSIC*JUSTICE, comes to Evansville's Christian Fellowship Church on Oct. 12. In addition to Groves, the lineup includes Brandon Heath (Christian music's New Artist of the Year), Derek Webb (formerly of Caedmon's Call), Sandra McCracken and Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer Charlie Peacock.
The purpose of the tour is to benefit both the International Justice Mission and Food for the Hungry.
Groves made trips to Rwanda and Southeast Asia, and through International Justice Mission she witnessed how much could be done to help victims of genocide, sexual exploitation and slavery.
"There is a huge difference between charity and justice. Justice means I'm going to fight for you," Groves said in a recent phone conversation. On her new album, "Tell Me What You Know," Groves made an effort to communicate all the joy and hope that have come from what she's learned. Seven of the songs are inspired by a young woman named Elizabeth, whom she met four years ago.
"Elizabeth, from Southeast Asia, was the oldest of seven, so she took a job in a nearby town to save money for Bible College. A woman she was traveling with betrayed her; Elizabeth was taken captive and sold to a brothel, where she was forced to see 10 to 15 men a day. Elizabeth prayed every night for God to rescue her, and that rescue came in the form of IJM, who was able to secure her freedom," Groves said.
Elizabeth is now a college graduate who uses her story to help others.
In Rwanda, Groves was struck by how one could see the most beautiful things and the most horrible things side by side.
"Hope next to the despair is Rwanda. Yet I learned that I don't know as much as I thought I did. These people are complex and proud."
Food for the Hungry and the International Justice Mission are helping artists and sponsors to partner with one community in Rwanda in the hopes of having every child in that community sponsored by the time the tour concludes.
People might feel helpless when they look at situations like those Groves witnessed in Rwanda and Southeast Asia, but Groves believes that "conviction comes in doses we can handle and guilt is a waste of time."
Partnering with filmmakers and National Geographic, Groves believes the concert will be a thought-provoking and hope-filled evening.
"We are all as Christians saved by grace, and Ephesians 2:10 tells us that Christ Jesus prepared good works for us to do. God is doing amazing things, and we get to be a part of it," Groves said.
Christian Music News Source
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