This Scripture Inspired Leanna Crawford’s Debut Album
By Movieguide® Contributor
Singer-songwriter Leanna Crawford is sharing the scripture that inspired the title track of her debut album, Still Waters.
“I’ve been working on it for the last few years,” she told The Christian Beat of the album. “It was kind of a vision for a new kind of season.”
In an Instagram post about Still Waters, Crawford wrote, “A couple years ago, I almost quit this dream I had of making music. I let the pressure of it all consume me so much that I couldn’t sit down and write without breaking down in tears. I felt like I had failed everyone around me, myself and even God. I was so wrapped up in this need to have everything go exactly like I planned and when it didn’t turn out the way I thought it would, I felt like I disappointed everyone that ever believed in me.”
“This album, my debut album, was mostly written in the middle of all of this,” she continued. “In these songs, you’ll hear me praising God and praying in my hardest moments. I’ll post later about all the amazing people that helped make this record happen, but for now I hope these songs bring encouragement and remind you that no matter where you’re at today, God isn’t giving up on you. You are loved and your story matters to Him.”
Crawford also opened up about her musical journey to The Christian Beat, saying, “Middle school, high school, I would just sit at my piano, sit with my guitar, and I would just sing and write and I felt really close to Jesus when I did that.”
“It’s still a beautiful process, but it’s also a skill that you learn,” she said of songwriting. “This is the struggle: trying to keep it this beautiful, worshipful process where it still feels creative and beautiful, and also work, working on the skill of songwriting.”
Speaking about the album’s title track, “Still Waters,” Crawford pointed to Psalm 23:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
“Even if you don’t have it memorized, it’s kind of in the back of everybody’s mind,” Crawford explained. “It’s such a beautiful scripture and I love it so much, and so I wanted that to kind of be the heart behind the whole project because I felt like…I needed that reminder.”
When asked what she wants listeners to take away from the album, Crawford replied, “I want people to be encouraged when they listen to it. I want them to be reminded that they’re loved, that there’s a God who loves them, but also I hope that there is just, like, a sense of peace.”
In an interview with Crosswalk, Crawford said, “If one person is impacted by my music, I’m so grateful. I write a lot of my own story; I write a lot of my own experience. My prayer is always that someone can feel seen in the music and the lyrics.”
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