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nies of tribulaperfor- ne who man… nformaHam- 46)31612)542- //www. www. k Presiies Inc. e been The CW es” and e” have me net- ” a tanup, was irs who has had a long standing struggle with depression. “For a time, our friend lived in a house where he would stuff blankets in the windows, switch off the lights and live for days at a time alone and in literal darkness,” says Luke. “We wrote this song for him, but for the longest time couldn’t work up the courage to tell him. Partly because it was his favorite tune and also because we were afraid of how he would handle it.” When Joel and Luke finally worked up the courage to tell him, their friend stood up, walked out of the room, got in his car and drove off. Roughly 20 minutes passed until he called them up and with tears in his voice saying, “Thank you for writing that song for me. It moves me, encourages me, it gives me hope.” Poignant stories and expe- riences like these are merely one of the many that spark for KING & COUNTRY’s underlying message and what ultimately drives both Joel and Luke in the authenticity behind their music and lyrics. “We want to deliver a message that is about believing in something much bigger than oneself,” explains Luke. “The title track of the album has a line in the chorus that very plainly says, ‘hope is what we crave.’ You can confidently go through the ups and downs in your life because you know that life isn’t all about you and what you do but rather the hope and salvation of Christ.” “We want to be known for writing music that is authentic, real and from the heart,” adds Joel. “Music has been a very therapeutic thing for us. There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that went into this record and what spurred us on is this whole idea that we can make a difference. That music, our music, can have the power to impact someone’s life for the better.”