As a way to introduce the new records, I thought I would blog song by song to give you some insight into the writing, recording, production and story of each of the songs. Here is the first installment.
Song By Song – All Of Me To Be Redeemed
Songwriting, to me, is really a mystery. There are times when a song just flows right out of me. I wrote “Savior” sitting on the floor of my apartment in Sarasota in about 20 minutes. The lyrics, the chords, the melody were all right there in a sudden wave, a gift really. Other times, it is a struggle.
The last I was actively a cowriter was when I was in a rock band in high school. We called ourselves Manna. For what we had to work with, we did ok. But that’s as far as I’ll go. My best friend Ryan Piechota was our drummer. He had a poetic side and a knack for writing very artful lyrics. I played guitar and sang, so I worked with him to put his lyrics to chord and melody that became some of our songs. If you still happen to own the cassette tapes of Ideal and/or Sleep, I don’t recommend attempting to play them. Beyond that, I was a solo songwriter through and through.
Several years ago, I had an idea for a song with a working title of “All Of Me To Be Redeemed”. I quickly came up with a chorus and a great bridge. And that was where it ended. From time to time, I would revisit the idea, searching for verses. Nothing ever really came. I had sort of an idea for a first verse where I harkened back to “Take Me As I Am” from the One Foot In The Door record, a special homage to those diehard Ryan Newcomb fans out there. But the verse idea was substandard at best.
Enter Michael Kuehn. I had heard Michael play and lead worship, and I knew he had written some worship material while a part of Grace Presbyterian in Kernersville. But then we interacted at a few NSAI chapter meetings in Winston-Salem, and I found out he was a great songwriter. Michael recorded and produced some of his original material a few years ago, and I was really impressed. Michael and I connected on a couple of other topics in 2018 I believe when I proposed floating this song idea to him. He graciously agreed.
After a listen, he sent me a first verse idea. I really liked it, but I was pulled in a lot of other directions at the time. I think about a year passed before I circled back to it. In the back of my mind, I had this idea to make a new EP called Home, and I thought the feel and theme of “All Of Me To Be Redeemed” would be the perfect opener. I decided in 2019 that I wanted to play the Home tunes as part of the all band show I was doing each year at Muddy Creek Café in Bethania in an effort to spur the recording process along. Of course, that meant we had to write this song! If my memory serves me correctly, it was Memorial Day weekend when Michael came over to my house. We spent about 2 hours bouncing lines back and forth, Michael at the upright piano in my living room and me with my guitar. It was a really fun experience, and what came out of it was a great song.
In my walk with Christ, I tend to compartmentalize my faith. I’ll surrender some parts of my heart, my mind, my actions, my life to the Lord, but that’s it. I’m holding the rest of it back, something I tend to do in other relationships as well. Except that’s not the life we’re called to. What I convince myself is freedom (hanging onto things I want or believe I need) ends up being a prison that keeps me from living the abundant life Christ has for me. It’s a hard truth, and this song was a way of putting that hard truth out in the open. I need Jesus to redeem all of me, not just the parts I want to readily surrender. I need Him to get into every corner of my heart. I borrowed a line from Eric Peters about leaving no stone unturned because it fit so well with this tune.
Like all of the songs from both of the new records, I loved how this one came together. Kevin Beck nailed the electric guitar part for the intro. Michael Anderson was solid on the keys, and Michael Kinchen’s organ was the icing on the cake. Having played with him a couple of times as a fill-in at Redeemer, I knew I wanted Tim Roberts to play the drums on this one which he did. I love his sound and his fills, and he brings all of that to this track. And, of course, John Ray is as solid as ever on electric bass.
Check back in a few days as I continue to go song by song with the title track “Home”.
