NEW WORSHIP FRIDAY: Citizens, Anchor Hymns & Leslie Jordan
'A Thousand Shores' marks a new chapter for the Seattle-born alternative band Citizens. This new EP cuts across the endless questions and mystery woven into the journey of discovering God with melodies and lyrics that reach deep places in the human soul. Citizens have been writing songs that tell true and relatable stories since the beginning, and this 5- track project continues to carry their legacy with new grace and beauty. Frontman Zach Bolen mentions that "it became clear that this record was meant to be an invitation to step out from behind our defenses and to surrender ourselves into the mystery of Christ." Through the process of writing these songs, Citizens ultimately came to the conclusion that God is is bigger than we can possibly know.
And through this, the band desire to tend to the wounds we inflict on each other by rejecting our different points of view. 'A Thousand Shores' seeks to build a bridge between the many groups of people that are being driven further and further apart by their belief systems. Sonically, this new project embodies the feelings Citizens get when thinking about our Infinite Destiny: "The synths are adventurous. The guitars are forceful and yet often untamed. The vocals are desperate for more. The rhythm section is steady but not mundane or without its surprises," Zach says. 'A Thousand Shores' dares us to dream beyond what’s visible, to ask questions beyond the comprehensible and to embrace dancing in the mystery. Citizens inspire us to reconsider our perception of the Divine with music that pushes the boundaries of what "Church music" usually sounds like.
Integrity Music unveils a brand-new project and multigenerational collective of artists creating songs of substance from a lyrical, theological, and musical frame called Anchor Hymns. Starting with reaching into the past, the initial releases cover some of Integrity’s most iconic songs and reframe them in a modern and musical way. The first single is a revisited version of 'Christ Be All Around Me' featuring multi-cultural collective Village Lights and singer-songwriter Jasmine Mullen. Rooted in sacred, reverential, and vulnerable honesty, Anchor Hymns dive deep into the human condition and are unafraid to tackle the sounds of suffering and grief, as well as joy and celebration. As is introduced with 'Christ Be All Around Me,' this is more than just a serious collection of spiritual songs.
Leslie Jordan presents her new deluxe single titled 'Love Will Never Fail', including her recent release 'Great I Am' as well as a new track called 'Found It All'. The deluxe single’s title track was originally written for The Porter’s Gate 2019 album 'Neighbor Songs'. This project and community are close to Leslie Jordan’s heart as it focuses on important conversations around the embodiment of phileo love, as well as the division within the church around race. 'Love Will Never Fail' is filled with straight scripture as it was crafted around the well-known Biblical passage 1 Corinthians 13. "We’ve heard it so many times at weddings, but I love thinking about it in the context of neighboring and how to love well," Leslie says. Adorned with her soft vocals and a warm acoustic background, the new single gently challenges us to take on the example of Christ – the One who loves unconditionally and never gives up.