Why for KING & COUNTRY Duo Want to Share Stories That Reflect Hope
By Movieguide® Staff
Two weeks into their “What Are We Waiting For?” tour, For King & Country are excited for what the Lord has in store.
“We’ve gotten through the hard stuff,” Luke Smallbone told the Albuquerque Journal. “We’re always grateful to be out on the road. We’ve switched the gear and have found our stride.”
Luke performs alongside his brother Joel. The Grammy Award-winning Christian duo released their “What Are We Waiting For?” album on March 11 and were excited to return to touring after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We write these songs in these little rooms and in some cases they are your stories of hopes and dreams,” Luke said. “When you release it, it’s for the world to hear. So far, people have been very kind. Art is a subjective idea. In some cases, you can sign up for people getting really angry.”
“Our hope is to make a piece of music in an album that tells a full story,” he continued. “I want track eight and nine to be as important as one and five. Who wants the end of the story to be lame? We try to write albums that tell a complete story. One that will have some connection with an audience.”
Despite their tour hiatus, the Smallbones said they were thankful for the chance to set aside some of life’s distractions and focus on family.
“It was a gift,” Luke explained. “We were all very settled and we’d be able to sleep on the songs and ideas. Then we’d get up and put holes into the songs that we wrote the previous day. It was the most enjoyable writing process.”
“The pandemic taught me valuable lessons,” he added. “What I realize about being too busy is that it makes me a worse husband and father. It’s not good for my soul. My life shouldn’t be infiltrated by work. For the most part, when I’m home, I try not to work. We will have a family day.”
Luke also shared some of the inspiration behind the new album.
“I’ve had some unique stuff take place in my life and I remember thinking, ‘Why do these things happen,'” he said. “When I started music, I felt God say to me that these things happen because these are stories that reflect hope. It’s real and it’s true.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
The Smallbones are passionate about their faith and often encourage Christians to use their faith to engage with the world around them while using Scripture as their compass.
“Social issues are essentially personal issues, just multiplied,” Luke told the Christian Post. “So if you’re not talking about some social issues, then in some cases, you’re actually not talking about personal issues. At the end of the day, ‘Unity’ or ‘Relate’ is a personal struggle. If you multiply it by the thousands, it becomes a social issue.
“One of the reasons why we named the album ‘What Are We Waiting For’ is because I think that answer is different for every single person, the things that I may be waiting for, the things that you may be waiting for, are different. That’s why I think it’s important to ask,” Luke added.
“I think that over the last couple of years, we have very quickly realized that it’s been a strange time,” Luke said. “A lot of the things that I think the pandemic has brought up are [questions] like, ‘I have got dormant dreams that have been laying in my heart and my mind, and life is fragile. Why aren’t I chasing them?'”
He continued: “I think that’s one thing that people are asking. I think another thing that people are asking themselves is, ‘I’ve held bitterness and resentment to whoever it might be. Why am I holding on to that?’ When life is as fragile as seemingly it’s been illustrated by the last couple years, these are questions that we all need to be asking ourselves.”
The duo hope that their album will motivate listeners to action and address some of the questions that have gone unanswered and where God is in the mix of everything.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
