Like so many Worship Musician readers , Jadwin ( Jad ) Gillies , began his musical journey in youth group and in service to the church . He has become an integral part of the Hillsong United team , in songwriting , recording and leading worship worldwide . The 2019 Western Hemisphere tour ran from Lubbock to Lima , and from St . Paul to São Paulo . Hillsong United ’ s The People Tour : Live from Madison Square Garden ”, is now available everywhere .
[ WM ] Jad , it ’ s so nice to visit with you today . We ’ re here to discuss the “ surprise ” release of Hillsong United ’ s The People Tour : Live from Madison Square Garden . I don ’ t think that it was on anyone ’ s radar , but following a year of lockdowns and a standstill in touring , here we are , aren ’ t we ? Before we get to that I ’ ve got a couple of other things that I would love to ask you about .
[ Jad Gillies ] Yeah !
[ WM ] You ’ re originally not from Australia but in fact , New Zealand . So much of cinema that has shaped our age has been filmed in your homeland . Peter Jackson ’ s Hobbit movies as well as The Lord of the Rings series are just several iconic productions filmed there . You must feel pride and excitement when you see those movies . Am I correct ?
[ Jad ] Yeah , I am . I ’ ve always loved the ingenuity and the initiatives that come out of New Zealand . It ’ s a very small nation with a very small population , but I ’ m always surprised to see what comes out of there .
[ WM ] And so my understanding is that you left New Zealand at 21 for a move to Sydney , Australia , and a spot at attending the Hillsong Leadership College . Were you leading worship prior to that time , and if so , what were those foundational worship recordings and songs that impacted you ?
[ Jad ] I was definitely leading worship . I started leading worship in a youth group when I was around thirteen or fourteen . I really just wanted to be a guitar player , but we needed somebody to spout the songs off ( laughs ). So , I got kind of tricked into doing that and have been involved ever since . For me growing up the music of Delirious had a massive impact on me . When Delirious started to release Cutting Edge records , and then it was Live & In the Can , those are the ones that really resonate with me and struck a chord with me . I was really interested in that . I saw how much people responded to worship with them and that was really cool .
[ WM ] And what about your college experience ? Was that a valuable time for you ?
[ Jad ] Yeah , it definitely was . I was a smalltown kid showing up from New Zealand to Sydney and being a part of this church and