- here I am, here you are…” opens up into
what sounds like a moment of free worship.
Is this something that you planned, or did it
happen organically?
[Pat] With the layout of that song, I knew
there was going to be verses and a chorus,
but once we went into that part it was just
going to stay there. I wanted it to be long and
extended. Funny enough, I was not in the room
with Amanda and Stef when they recorded
their vocals, so it really was like, “Hey, this is
the plan!” and then just let it rip. And that’s
what happened, we had the base already there
because the music was already recorded, but
the way it was sung and their take on how to
sing it was just a mix of both – planned and not.
[WM] Speaking of writers, Ben Smith co-wrote
“The Way” with you and numerous other songs.
How did you guys meet, and in the framework
of this moment in your ‘career’, what does that
connection mean to you?
[Pat] Ben was the best man at my wedding.
My friendship with him goes back to the
beginning of my leading worship. When we
were 15 years old we were in a worship band
together at our church. I traveled with him until
I was twenty-eight or twenty-nine, leading
worship every weekend. It is such an important
relationship and friendship to me. He just has a
way of writing and melodies that really inspire
me. I met him in middle school! There aren’t
that many relationships where you can have
together, and I loved it so much because there Connection is affected by that. It was one of people that have been in your life that long who
was a forced sincerity. You can’t be around the songs that was so important to me, and I have been a part of the process. He’s just been
them and just talk about shallow, surface level knew it was different. It wasn’t like, “Oh, here such an encouragement to me every step of
things that you don’t care about. This song are some themes I want to write about.” To the way! So, more songs to come!
is about relationships and vulnerability, the have them be a part of writing it and to have difficulty of connection at times, and staying in them sing on it – oh my gosh it was such a joy! [WM] I had a chance visit the way back
a place that is open. The Latin origin of the word When I first got back the initial rough with their machine on iTunes and fell in love with “Holy Is
vulnerable means to be wounded, a willingness vocals on it, I was in the car with Meg, and I to be wounded – that type of openness. That had to pull the car over and I just weep. Then one line felt so true of my relationship with my I simultaneously thought, “Should I have had wife. It felt true of my platonic friendships. It felt them sing on every song?” (laughs) I just can’t true of my relationship with God. tell you how happy I am that they were able to
be a part of it.
Connection is such a dynamic thing that can
be tended or neglected, cared for or forgotten. [WM] The line “I let out the sails of my heart
30 August 2018
“The Way (New Horizons) // Housefires
WorshipMusician.com