pulmonary fibrosis for the last couple of years. It was really prevalent in the last year or two. He passed away on Christmas Day and, you know, my dad was standing on the fact that Jesus is the healer literally three months until his last breath, man. My earliest memory of him was him singing over me. It wasn’ t Christian songs, it was probably like the Statler Brothers or Neil Diamond or something like that, you know. He had a very profound encounter with the Lord when I was very small, which turned him into the guy that I really looked up to. He was my greatest example of life with Jesus. So, my first memory was him singing over me in the middle of the night, and just about my last memory with him was him having a rough time breathing in his chair. He would lean forward and put his head on my chest and I was singing over him. I just sang these old praise songs that I had known growing up. Then, literally, after the funeral, we were headed over to this military cemetery where they had put his body, I got the email from Jason with the final mix of“ Great is Thy Faithfulness.” And so, I’ m listening to this song before we left for the cemetery and so it’ s just floating around in my mind,“ Beginning to end, My life in Your hands, Great is Your faithfulness.” And I’ m walking around this military cemetery just feeling the reality of how faithful God has been to my life and the kind of man that my dad was and who I want to be and how I want to share the faithfulness of God with my kids. And I also want to share that with the people we get to minister with and to. Gosh it was just a powerful and special thing, and this song has an even more special place in my heart now.
[ WM ] Being a part of writing a song like that, does it cause you to want to work on more classic hymns?
[ Mike ] You know, I don’ t know that we’ ve ever thought of making an entire record of hymns, but there’ s usually either a remake or some kind of nod to at least one hymn on just about every record. Like a few years ago, on our Every Time I Breathe record, we recorded“ Trust and Obey” and we kind of“ Sting-ified” it. In fact, if you listen, you can probably pick the Sting song we were inspired by, you know what I mean!( Laughs) Man, we did“ Revive Us Again” on the record after that. Even on the last record,“ My Story” which is a song that worked kind of opposite. We had this new song that Ingram and I were working on and we added the chorus of“ Blessed Assurance” at the bridge. I love the hymns. I think I love them more the older I get. I grew up with fighting the battle for the validity of modern worship, you know? And it’ s funny, after fighting the battle for these new songs, the very next time I sat down and we did something liturgical... I was looking for something that was all about the Spirit and when we did something liturgical, God just rocked me with it, you know? The battle then was over for me. So, however you are worshiping Him, however you’ re going about it, I don’ t think He really cares as long as it meets the requirements of“ in Spirit and in Truth”. So, I love the value and treasure that is in those old hymns.
[ WM ] With you, Paul, and Jason working together tell US about the chemistry. What in the process did you each contribute, whether lyrics, chords, melody, or arrangement?
[ Mike ] Really, I just contributed lyric and that melody as we kind of sang out together. I just picked up where Jason left off. He was just singing what he had and literally I just finished what he had started already. It was very organic and natural. Then we took it to Paul’ s place and Paul really put some magic on it! There, my part was,“ Yeah, that’ s really great guys!”( Laughs)
[ WM ] Speaking just about you as a songwriter and arranger, what are some things that you uniquely bring to the table, and what are some things that you did to develop that part of you?
[ Mike ] You know man, I wish I could say that I did something on purpose to develop that, but really I think it was just enjoying music, you know what I mean? It’ s like I just have these instincts and, in our world, I’ m constantly collaborating with our guitar player, Jeremy, who produces all of our Big Daddy Weave records. I remember being a little more of a control freak early on, and then coming to the place where I realize that he( Jeremy) has a gift here, so I would focus more on writing the songs and I would share with him all of the things that I had some sort of strong inclination about. Now, I have learned to turn it loose and to really lean into his gifting. And when I did, man we had the most popular record we’ ve ever had!( Laughs) I should have let go a long time ago!!
[ WM ] I was reading online about the time that Big Daddy Weave almost called it quits. Success as a Christian artist can mean a lot of different things, including being able to afford being out there doing ministry. What does success mean to you as an artist and songwriter?
[ Mike ] What I’ m finding... my definition of( whatever), needs to be yielded to whatever God’ s definition of it is. Here’ s the deal, maybe like 10-15 years ago, I had this moment with Jesus where He showed me this blackboard in my mind and He writes on it( this is during prayer),“ Success =” and then it’ s like He handed me the chalk, you know what I mean? He was like,“ I want you to fill in the other side of this equation.” And, so I tried to be real spiritual about it and grandiose. But I finally gave up and said,“ Lord, I give up. What is it Jesus?” And he fills in the other side of it with“ obedience.” Success equals Obedience. I wish I could tell you I was so awesome at that, dude. But, I stay freaked out like a lot of the time! It really is that simple and then we have the rest of our life to learn that. I think that’ s what our time here is about. I think that’ s what He’ s the rewarder of, because He says,“ I desire obedience more than sacrifice.” That’ s who He is, because that was His life here on earth too. In Jesus’ ministry on earth, He didn’ t have a dog in the hunt, so to speak. He was like,“ I only do what I see my Father do. I only say what I hear my Father say.” That’ s His M. O. That’ s really what He did His whole life. It’ s that simple, but somehow, I overcomplicate it greatly!
[ WM ] On average, how many songs are you
14 July 2018 WorshipMusician. com