Hymned Again and Again
By Deborah Evans Price, Senior Music Editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
All musicians are a product of their influences, and those are sometimes hard to fully explore in the context of a successful pop/rock outfit. On his 2005 solo debut Hymned No. 1, MercyMe frontman Bart Millard found a way to indulge his diverse musical appetite while simultaneously honoring the hymns he grew up singing. Now he’s back at it with the release of Hymned Again, a new collection just released on INO Records.
The Texas-based singer/songwriter listens to a diverse array of music, and his interpretation of the hymns is colored by his favorite artists. “I absolutely love Harry Connick Jr., Bob Wills, Louis Prima. I’m so passionate about that music,” Bart says. “I grew up on Christian music, which I’m just as passionate about, but the older I get, if I’m in a dressing room or a car, some type of jazz or big band is all I listen to.”
Bart’s unique spin on classic hymns struck a chord with Christian music lovers and re-introduced the hymns to a new generation. “I was thrilled by it,” Bart tells GospelMusicChannel.com regarding the success of the first hymn project. “It was really surprising because you never know [how something will be received]. It was good to know there are people out there who appreciate you trying to go against the flow and do something that may not get played at radio, just trying to be creative and different.”
Buoyed by the acceptance of fans and the fact that his three children memorized the album and were now singing the hymns he grew up singing, Bart decided to record a second hymns project. “Sam, my oldest child, went to bed every night listening to the ‘In the Sweet By and By.’ He had just found it on his own, and it meant something to him,” says Bart. “And that’s all we were able to listen to in the car [the Hymned record].
All of a sudden, all my kids had every song memorized and were singing ‘Old Rugged Cross’ full voice. It was kind of an emotional moment because these songs aren’t sung in the church that much anymore, and [my kids] wanted to hear them. I knew then that I definitely was going to make more hymns records because my first thought was ‘Man, you need to hear ‘Grace That Is Greater!’”
So Bart entered the studio again with Brown Bannister to work on the sequel. “Brown has become one of my best friends in the whole world,” he says. “I just can’t imagine making any record without Brown, whether it’s a MercyMe or solo record or whatever. It’s kind of like this spontaneous journey. I don’t know where we’re going. I don’t have a road map. Let’s just go. I love that free spirit, and I think that’s why he’s been so successful for so many years. He’s willing to follow the artist anywhere they want to go, and he makes sure that whatever they do is done in style. He actually makes me better at what I do.”
Bart and Brown gathered a talented ensemble of studio musicians and solicited their input on reinventing the hymns. “They got to be a part of the whole creative process, and every song was a challenge,” says Bart. “I think they actually loved it because they don’t get to play that role. They usually play the sheet music and go to the next song. There was no sheet music. We literally had hymnals.”
Hymned Again features Millard’s fresh take on “Victory in Jesus,” “Grace That Is Greater,” “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “I Saw the Light” and other church standards. “I Stand Amazed” is the first single released to Christian AC and inspo formats. “Brethren We Have Met to Worship” is being worked to southern gospel and family-friendly country stations.
There’s also one new tune, “Jesus Cares for Me,” which Millard co-wrote with alt-country/Americana songwriter Thad Cockrell. Millard originally intended to do the song as a duet with Cockrell, but when Vince Gill came in to sing harmony, the plan changed. “He loved it and I was sitting there thinking that Vince’s voice would kill on this song,” recalls Millard. “So I called Thad and said, ‘Here’s the deal, do you want to be singing on my record or would you like a song that you wrote to have Vince Gill singing on it?’ And he said, ‘Are you kidding me? I want Vince to sing on the song I wrote!’ So it became this duet. Vince was so gracious. It was awesome. It’s probably my favorite song on the record.”
Bart will be performing a song or two from Hymned Again this fall on MercyMe’s tour. “We’re doing this kind of question and answer thing with the audience, and part of it is going to be talking about what we did in our spare time,” says Bart. “It’s a segue into this thing and the band will back me up on a song on this tour. They are very kind to let me do that.”
Bart has also taped five songs for Gospel Music Channel, some of which will be aired on The Kitchen Sink and shown exclusively on GospelMusicChannel.com.
“We need to hold on to these as much as we can,” he says of the hymns. “The lyrics certainly don’t feel old. These songs are something that needs to be passed on to our kids. As far as I’m concerned, I’m already planning on the third [hymns record].”
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About the Writer
Deborah Evans Price has covered Christian/Gospel music for Billboard magazine since 1994. She also contributes regularly to Country Weekly, CMA Close Up, Devo’Zine, Christian Single, HomeLife, BMI Music World, and other publications.
A Nashville resident since 1983, Deborah has held editorial posts at Radio & Records, Country News, American Songwriter and Billboard. Amy Grant, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Charlie Daniels, 3 Doors Down, Third Day, Don Henley, Bon Jovi, Chris Rice, Sandra Bullock, Mercy Me, Alan Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Steven Curtis Chapman are among her many interviews. Additionally, she's a sought-after music industry analyst who has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, TNN, The Today Show, and ABC PrimeTime Live, among other outlets.
Deborah is a member of the Gospel Music Association's board of directors and a graduate of Leadership Music. She resides south of Nashville with her husband, Gary, and 18-year-old son Trey.
