Questions w/ Andrew Peterson (part one)

I couldn’t be more excited about this edition of “Questions”. Andrew Peterson has been one of my absolute favorite songwriters for years. Many of you will need no introduction to Andrew, but for those of you who are new, here’s a quick overview. Over the past ten years, Andrew has released seven studio albums, written two novels, created the “Behold The Lamb of God” Christmas tour, and helped build community among artists through The Square Peg Alliance and The Rabbit Room. His influence is far reaching to fans and fellow artists alike and, be it in songs or books, his gift for storytelling is inspiring and encouraging. I could say so much more, but I’ll let this special three-part interview do the talking instead. I’m honored to bring you part one of “Questions” w/ Andrew Peterson…

StSL – "Behold the Lamb of God" celebrates it's 10th anniversary this year! For those who may not know about it yet, tell us about the tour and the special 10th anniversary edition of the album.

Andrew – Well, we recorded one of the shows last year, at a church in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it turned out so well we wanted to release it. Around that time I realized that the first tour was in 2000, making the 2009 tour the tenth straight year of performing these songs. So we remastered the 2004 album (which is to say, polished it up a bit and added a little bit of percussion) and released a 2 CD set. Oh, and one of my favorite things about it was that I commissioned Evie Coates to create another piece for the cover. She knocked it out of the park.

StSL – Your latest studio album, "Resurrection Letters Vol. II", would seem to imply that there is a volume one. However, that's not the case (at least not yet). Can you give us a quick explanation of the title and theme of the album?

Andrew – We were halfway finished with Resurrection Letters and I had a feeling we were only telling half the story—I use “story” loosely here. The concept for the album was the idea that God has filled our world with pictures (“letters”, if you will) of the truth of Christ’s resurrection, as well as our own. But I wanted to back up a little and set the stage for the coming resurrection by writing some songs about the actual death and resurrection of Christ. It was too late to start over, so we pushed on and named the album “Volume Two”. I don’t know when the songs for Volume One will be written. I want to take my time with it.

StSL – The story behind your songs, "Queen of Iowa" and "Invisible God", is just amazing. Can you share that story with our readers?

Andrew – It’s a long story, so here’s the short version. I wrote “The Queen of Iowa” for Jody, a dear woman in Cedar Rapids who’s had AIDS for 17 years or so. She’s been close to dying for a long time, but somehow remains astoundingly alive—but not just alive. She’s full of life. Her love for Christ in the face of her suffering inspires everyone around her. I was blessed to play a bedside concert for her a few years ago and wrote the song about that day. “Invisible God” was one that I played for her on another visit. (A few of the songs on Resurrection Letters were written with her in mind.) At some point during this other bedside concert she wiggled her hand, an indication that she wanted to write something down. She’s mostly paralyzed and can barely talk. When she finished writing, I read the words, “I believe in the invisible God.” That paper is in my bedroom, and every time I see it I say a prayer for Jody.

StSL – Family is a definite recurring theme in your songwriting. How challenging has it been for you to balance your professional life with being a husband and a father?

Andrew – It’s not easy. I ache to be home, to be near my family. The older the kids get, the more I know them, and the more I know them, the more of them I miss when I’m gone. Part of the reason I started writing books was to be home more. I hope I never stop playing music, but until the kids are out of the house (in ten years or so) I’m trying to be more deliberate about spending time here. All that said, Jamie and I both believe God made me a singer/songwriter, and the only way to do that is to hit the road. We trust that He’ll work it out. So far, so good.

StSL – A stranger comes up to you and says, "Play me the best song ever written." What do you play?

Andrew – I’d probably play them “The Color Green”, by Rich Mullins. That, or “Calling Out Your Name”, or “The Love of God”, or “If I Stand”. If it wasn’t a Rich song it would probably be something by Paul Simon (“Boy in the Bubble”), or James Taylor (“Copperline”), or Bob Dylan (“Boots of Spanish Leather”). Or Randall Goodgame (“Peanuts: Part One”), or Ben Shive (“Out of Tune”), or Andy Gullahorn (“Resurrection”). Or, well, Eric Peters’ “You Can Be Yourself”. It just depends on what I have for breakfast.

Visit Andrew-Peterson.com for more info and "Behold The Lamb of God" tour dates, and be sure join us right back here tomorrow for part two!