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10 Questions with ... Jason Gray
October 12, 2009
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
LABEL:
Centricity Records
DISCOGRAPHY:
- Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue
- Acoustic Storytime
- All the Lovely Losers
1. Can you give us a brief recap of your musical journey up to your time with Centricity?
I was an indie artist for many years, though I was blessed to have some high profile opportunities like touring with Sara Groves, getting some good press with credible publications, etc. But I was never working that hard to land a record deal. I was just trying to be faithful to what I understood my vocation to be and eventually that brought me across Centricity Music's radar.
2. Tell us what we can hear on the new album "Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue": sounds, words, message.
Thematically, I'm exploring themes of renewal, confession and the hope that nothing lies beyond the redemptive reach of God's hand. Even the worst that happens to us isn't wasted; it's possible for it to become part of the redemptive narrative of our story. Musically, the record is a focused effort to take these big ideas that we try to explore honestly and with depth in the lyrics, and wrap them up in an acoustic pop song. It's kind of like "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" approach. The music is fun, I think, while not compromising the truth in the lyric. That was our aim, at least. I guess it's for others to decide if we succeeded!
3. Do you have a favorite song on the new album?
I wrote two versions of a song called "Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue" Part 1 & Part 2. I think these two are my favorites. Part 1 is just an infectious pop-styled song with lyrics I'm really proud of, and Part 2 is the same way but more somber and introspective. Part 2 makes me cry when I hear it and that rarely happens with songs I've written.
4. And what's the story behind the current single "For the First Time Again"?
Like in a marriage, after several years you have to be intentional about keeping the spark alive, or your passion can cool. The same is true in our relationship with the Lord, and I wrote this song at a time when I was aware of how my passion had cooled. But thank God that his passion for us never cools! And he makes it possible to return to him for the first time again each day, to receive mercies that he tells us are new every morning.
5. Which do you enjoy more: the process (writing, recording) or the performance?
They're very different and I love them both for different reasons, but honestly I feel the most alive and connected to God's call on my life when I'm sharing before a group of people. I'm probably more of a minister than I am an artist. But I hope that being a good artist helps me be a better minister.
6. What does the remainder of 2009 hold for you, especially any fall plans?
I get to go out on tour with Sanctus Real and Phil Wickham this fall and then I'll be on a Christmas tour with my fellow Centricity artists Downhere and Lanae Hale. I'm hoping to take a vacation with my family somewhere in there, too.
7. As you were in the studio working on this new album, did you have any "stop, roll that back" moments when you thought, "Now we have something - and this is good!"?
I'm grateful to say that I had that a lot with this record. "Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue Part 1" definitely had that and so did "Holding The Key."
8. If you were asked to start a band using only musicians found on the Centricity roster, whom would you "steal" from the other acts and what would you name your band?
Well, I've been on five tours with Downhere and have become a big fan. They're a great live band, one of the most underrated bands in our industry. I'd probably just want to join Downhere!
9. If you could have any job outside the music business, what would you like to try your hand at?
I'd probably be a counselor or psychologist.
10. Do you have time to listen to much music? What other artists are you listening to right now?
Derek Webb's new "Stockholm Syndrome" is a record that I can't get enough of lately. Great, great record. It infuriates me how some people out there are calling his faith and intentions into question; some even wondering if this is a "Christian" record, when in fact it's probably one of the most significant faith-based records on the market now. Other than that, this last year I've spent a lot of time listening to Tom Wait's "Mule Variations" and Paul Simon's latest record, "Surprise".
Bonus Questions
1) Who would be your dream artist to record with (any genre)?
Daniel Lanois (producer of U2)
2) Favorite city to visit:
Chicago or St. Augustine, FL
3) Favorite or best meal on the road:
Chino Latino in Minneapolis
4) Any musical guilty pleasures?
Neil Diamond
5) What song do you wish you had written?
"Take It When I Go" by Tom Waits
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