10 Questions with ... Mark Schultz

1. Looking back on the past few years, what has consumed your mental space the most (both artistically and personally)?

Well my oldest child is six years old; so, for the past six years, my wife and I have really been learning all about parenting. We have an awesome marriage and were excited to start a family. My family really does enter into all aspects of who I am and what I do as an artist. Some of my favorite and most universal songs I've ever done have come out of these years and lessons learned on being a husband and dad. I'm also adopted which plays into my story and my music, and having biological kids has been really cool because I've never met a blood relative before! Now, though, we also have an adopted daughter, so I get to continue the positive legacy of adoption in my life. Honestly, my family has been a lot of my inspiration...now, if only they gave me a little more time to write songs.

2. What (or who) has brought you the most personal joy over recent years?

I'm adopted and in 2017 we adopted our daughter which was one of the greatest experiences of my entire life. I thought having kids, being in the delivery rooms was awesome, too. But the moment we met our daughter and got to hold her and kiss her after only seeing her picture for months was the sweetest thing ever. She brings us so much joy every single day.

3. Conversely, what has been the toughest obstacle to overcome, in recent past?

My wife's dad died a few years back, and he was a big part of our lives. Kate is an only child, so the loss for her was enormous. And, I had a great relationship with her dad. We really miss him and we wish he got to be here to see his grandkids. But, on the positive side of that, the Christmas song I wrote in honor of him a few years back, "Different Kind of Christmas," has probably touched more lives than any other song I've written. I had no idea how it would resonate with people, but that song gets shared millions of times every Christmas to encourage people who've lost a loved one.

4. Who is Mark Schultz now compared to the Mark Schultz that broke out as a Christian music hitmaker in the early 00s?

Oh, well, besides the increasingly good looks? Haha! I'd say a deeper, more inspired person and artist. I really feel like I know who I am and I enjoy doing my kind of shows for live audiences. I'm probably better live now than I've ever been just because I'm so comfortable with who I am. I really feel like when you come to my show you will be thoroughly entertained. People laugh like crazy, cry, hug, bring me food on stage. I mean, you never know what you're going to get, but it's always awesome. In fact, my new album, "Follow" is a live album, which is so cool because, honestly, I sound better live than I do in the studio. I'm so glad I still get to do this for audiences and now that I get to share this project with everyone.

5. If you had to choose the three most important songs you've ever written, what would they be?

Personal perspective (to me) the three most are "Remember Me" (I've probably sung this one more than any other song; and the audiences have sung it back to me just as much; I've even got a book based on it and our non-profit is named after this song). "I Am" (another favorite song about who God is that I'm really glad He gave me to write. I feel like audiences are always waiting for me to play this song in the show; it's a highlight), "He's My Son" (another song that God delivered to me that's touched a lot of lives). From other peoples perspective (like the songs that have touched the most people): "I Am, He's My Son," "Letters From War," and "Different Kind of Christmas." It's hard to pick!

6. What are the three most important songs in Christian music over the past decade?

Probably three that Big Daddy Weave have done! Every time we hear "Overwhelmed," I think my wife still cries. "I Can Only Imagine" is of course up there as well, and now with the movie about Bart's life, that's so powerful. Also, "10,000 Reasons" by Matt Redman is another favorite.

7. You have made a great career as a storyteller; what's the story that's consistently continued to generate the most reaction during your live shows?

The story of how I came to Nashville 20-plus years ago in my Mazda RX-7 with $75 and through a lot of God-driven circumstances, I ended up as a waiter at a hotel where I happened to meet the youth pastor, Mark Devries who would end up becoming a lifelong friend and mentor. It was through that chance meeting with him at the restaurant that several years later I ended up working at his church in Nashville which is where I wrote all of the songs for my first project. Those songs gave me an opportunity to have a concert at the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville which led to a record deal. And that's how my career began.

8. You release your first album in six years this week, titled "Follow." How would you describe the process of writing and recording the songs on this album? Did you notice that anything changed in you as a singer-songwriter over that time span?

Sure. Again, mostly the fact that if you do the math, six years ago I had no kids and now I have three! It's been a full few years and they've flown by for me. The process of both writing and recording has been a lot different, juggling the balance of career and family. I'm certainly much more conscious of how long I'm at the studio each day, because I love getting home to my family. Also, this album is recorded live which is a little different for me, but incredibly fun, and I think it represents even better than a studio album what I do and who I am as an artist. I wanted to do something that really felt like 'me.'

9. It's probably safe to assume there are some songs from "Follow" that came from stories. What's one of them that stands out?

"Handed Down" is one of my favorites, and it comes from the memories of my grandfather. I was literally sitting in the garage one night (where I write all of my best songs) and decided to write a song about the hammer my grandfather passed down to me. But it turned out to be a song about the legacy we leave. It's probably one of the favorites on this album.

10. Outside of the album release, what are you most looking forward to, as you finish out the second half of 2018?

I also have my very first Christmas album coming out this year. I've been an artist for 18 years; so, pretty much, it was time. I think some artists who are my age have about seven Christmas albums, Christmas, Volumes 1-7. I'm excited to get my Volume 1 out there into the world. Also, looking forward to more great shows!