[WM] Literally less than two miles away from Music, but I also don’t want to neglect those country song is always born from experience”,
Influence Church, lies the Anaheim Vineyard, songs that touched me when I was a teenager, and the same can be said for worship music.
arguably the “ground zero” inspiration behind and those songs that I have a history in God Your bio states that songs written by the team
the “modern worship” movement beginning with, that my parents have a history in God with. are written from a “genuine encounter” with
just over 20 years ago. The Anaheim Hills/Yorba I think it’s a powerful thing when you can take God. Can you comment on this?
Linda area, where both churches are located, is those songs that minister to the generations extremely affluent in it’s make-up. Does leading before you, and you start mixing those into [Melody] It’s so funny because all of them are
worship in a financially prosperous community this epic song list with some of the stuff that from genuine encounters and genuine stories.
present any challenges for a worship team? you’re writing from your own heart, mixed in You have “Mistakes”, which is a song I think
with an old Hillsong or Bethel classic, I think it’s that came after struggling with panic attacks for
important and really powerful. five years. You have “City in the Sky” from our
[Melody] I think leading worship in any
community
presents
its
own
individual last album, which was born out of an insane
challenges. I think that generally, by being in encounter with Jesus that Matt Gillman had.
Orange County, a lot of people can tend to You need to watch his YouTube video about
be complacent. Sometimes it feels like were
going after the spirit of complacency and trying
to get that off. But there can be a real hunger
to see God, I feel that the more desperate you
are the easier it is to be hungry, so creating a
hunger even when the desperation is not there
is something that I really want to see God do
in this region. Our church definitely has hungry
people, but it’s good to always have more.
[WM] Do you sometimes lead worship using
only songs from your community, and if so, how
did that decision come about?
[Whitney] No, we typically don’t just use
songs from our community, but when we do,
we notice it really inspires something in our
church body because they feel like they’re part
of the actual process of the song. We really
look for their reaction and what they have to say
about the song to really push us and challenge
us to make them better. But no, we don’t only
“It’s definitely
a different
that. So it just depends on the song, but every
song can be traced back to a moment with the
Lord, which is really cool.
expression [Matt] Some of those songs are actually
than I have and pain, too, which I think is what makes our
birthed out of seasons of struggle and hardship
music a little bit different from other streams. I
ever heard
just feel like there is an honesty in our music
before because
there are so
where it’s okay to express those moments of
pain and struggle and questioning. I think people
will hear that a lot on the Rebel album coming
up. There are so many songs of vulnerability.
many different
streams coming
together in one
unique sound.”
use our own songs.
Like Melody with “Mistake”: Wow! Just asking
those questions like; Are you proud of me?
Were you there when my heart broke? The
story that every human goes through at some
point in their life. All people at some point feel
loss or pain or some sort of trial. I think it’s so
good and I think it’s so important for there to be
a melody to sing in those moments that can still
connect you heart to God. Even though maybe
you’re upset with God, or you’re uncomfortable
in your situation, it’s a blessing to give people a
[Matt] I think it’s important that we don’t [Whitney] To add another thing that’s so cool song to sing during those seasons of trial and
neglect those that have gone before us and about introducing our songs to the community, pain. We want to give people an on ramp for
those who have paved the way for us to be able is that a lot of songs are written out of the those moments of real life experiences, whether
to do what we do. I am so thankful for Bethel, story that’s familiar to people in our body, so good or bad, and to be able to connect hearts
and Jesus Culture, Passion, and Hillsong, and that’s been a huge part too where they can with the Lord through music.
all of those songs that have come out and really take ownership in these songs and they can touched the heart of the church through so become their own anthems, giving language [WM] The act of collaborative writing puts a
many generations and for so many decades. to what their hearts are experiencing already. songwriter in an extremely vulnerable position.
I think its so important to have a well-rounded That’s something that’s really cool to be part of. You must definitely check your egos at the
balance of incorporating that newer expression
of what we’re trying to create with Influence
door! How did you all learn to trust each other
[WM] There’s an old adage that says, “A good
August 2019
during your original creative times? What or
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