Ben McDonald has been writing, recording, releasing, and performing songs about hope for nearly 25 years. Almost half of that time, he and his wife Carie were experiencing the very absence of it as they tried again and again unsuccessfully to have children. These days, the McDonalds are a family of three, but the shadows that loomed over so many years are still informing the present. On this episode of The Deepest Cut, we sat down with McDonald, a founding member of Sidewalk Prophets, to hear more about “I Believe It Now,” a song born in the darker moments of waiting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
30:08
Andrew Peterson: "The Rain Keeps Falling”
In this episode of The Deepest Cut, Andrew Peterson reflects on the painful experiences that shaped his song "The Rain Keeps Falling." He shares the loneliness behind its creation and pushes back on what it means for art to be “honest,”—giving all of us a reason to think more about the ways that beauty invades the spaces we inhabit. Known for his work as an award-winning author, songwriter, filmmaker, and founder of the Rabbit Room, Andrew’s insight offers a fresh perspective on how beauty emerges from hardship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
33:03
Zach Winters: "When It Falls Apart"
Singer-songwriter Zach Winters says the most difficult song from his newest album, Shade of Indigo, is “When it Falls Apart,” a song that took considerable time to finish because he knew he had to thread the needle carefully when figuring out what to say. It’s a song that carries the grief of a friend and even offers up a response, and with that comes a very real responsibility to offer something substantive. If you’re familiar with Zach’s music, you know this isn’t much of a problem. Zach is a gifted poet and wordsmith whose compositions feel like the sort of cinematic melodies in which you can truly lose yourself. They’re thoughtful and beautiful and this song is no exception, a gift offered in grace to someone mired in grief.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
22:00
John Tibbs: "After the Night"
For singer-songwriter John Tibbs, the months entering into the global pandemic of 2020 brought about a two-year period in which Tibbs says he could not write—for a number of reasons he documents in our conversation here. After years as a full-time artist on the road 200+ days per year, it was a seismic shift and a downward spiral. In this episode, we talk about that hard season, and John introduces us to his song "After the Night."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
26:24
Wild Harbors: "Break My Heart"
There are a hundred ways in which the process of writing, recording, and releasing a song can be messy, especially when it’s written from a point of pain or borne out of difficult circumstances. For the members of Wild Harbors, those issues could multiply many times over, given that they’re not only a great pop duo out of Nashville, but they’re also husband and wife. We’re thrilled to share one of the firstfruits from a forthcoming new album entitled “Break My Heart,” a song that came to Wild Harbors in a dry spell and admits the shadow side of loving something—that to love something is to also inevitably get hurt by the loss of it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
USA