Pat Barrett ’ s new release , Shelter , is a deepstream collection of songs penned by Pat , or Pat along with some of today ’ s best songwriters reaching the church .
[ Alex MacDougall ] Hello , Pat .
[ Pat Barrett ] Yes . How are you doing ?
[ WM ] It ’ s been an unbelievable year for my need for shelter . You see , this is my first interview in eight months , and this is our first visit since February of 2022 . That was the last visit we had I remember . I don ’ t know if it was that interview or another one we talked about animation , your new project at the time and stuff . But it ’ s been an unbelievable year , and I truly learned the meaning of the word shelter this year because I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in early February , and that took my whole world apart . I mean , everything changed . And so , I am a walking miracle today .
[ Pat ] I feel like I should be interviewing you , is what I feel right now . Wow . I mean , you have the countenance of someone who ’ s seen something .
[ WM ] Ha ! Well , thank you for saying that . That ’ s a great way to put it . I have personally visited the Valley of the Shadow of Death , and I ’ ve made it back .
You know , I ’ ve always thought of you as a good songwriter , and that goes back to your days in Unhindered , and I knew about Unhindered because my daughter used to run media for Teen Mania for the events .
[ Pat ] My gosh . Thank you .
[ WM ] You ’ re welcome . Your new project is called Shelter , and it ’ s a full-length project . It ’ s 12 tracks . We really only learn about the Lord being our shelter and our refuge during times of adversity or hardship . Tell us about the background of the project , and then we ’ ll talk about the song “ Shelter ” individually in just a bit .
[ Pat ] Songs for me have always been a way to find honesty and communion with God first and foremost . And I can trace some of my first songs back to as a teenager , really , and having some moments with God where suddenly , I realized this is more than just some words on a page . I am a preacher ’ s kid , so it ’ s not like there was any lack of that teaching in my life .
There is this moment where everything you ’ ve read or heard has to cross over to an experiential reality , otherwise you can easily stay in this . Well , Jesus said to religious people , “ You diligently study the scriptures , but you won ’ t come to me .” And I feel like I had some experiences like that early on in my life , and songs have always been a vehicle for that . Okay , I want to come to Jesus with this . Things I ’ m walking through or thinking about , or not just like , “ Oh , what can we sing together ?” That ’ s true . Most certainly that . But also personally , I want to be able to look back on my life 30 years from now ( and I can do it now ) a song like , “ Oh , I remember why that song happened , or when that song happened , and how it helped me walk with the Lord through it .”
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