WE ALL GROW UP SONG SERIES

вЂњThere was already so much racial division going on and our hearts were broken by it,вЂќ Smallbone says of writing the song.

WE ALL GROW UP SONG SERIES

The Smallbones wrote вЂњUnityвЂќ in 2019 with Josh Kerr, Federico Vindver, and singer-songwriter Tony Williams, who has released a series of albums and EPs, as well as working on several albums recorded by his cousin, Kanye West. ThatвЂ™s the reason to do a collaboration, to expand the story, and I think that Dante does that in a brilliant way.вЂќ Rather than focusing on the things that separate us, what if we focus on the things that unite us? Having Dante on this album and on that song, it really illustrates that point. вЂњYou go out of your way to love a brother, love a sister. We wrote this song, just asking questions: вЂDo you believe in unity/ you and me in unity?вЂ™ If so, it does mean you do something,вЂќ Smallbone says. вЂњJust seeing the things that we were going through as a nation, it saddened us all. вЂњUnityвЂќ was born of watching as the nation has grown more divided and fractious over the past few years.

If had happened 50 years ago, there would be no music being created at all.вЂќ вЂњWe would have phone calls to discuss different sounds, like, вЂCould you try this?вЂ™ or вЂHereвЂ™s what weвЂ™re looking for.вЂ™ ItвЂ™s fascinating to think about the music that has been created over the last two years. вЂњI never saw Kirk or Tori during the recording process,вЂќ Smallbone recalls. Though вЂњTogetherвЂќ pulses with joy and cohesiveness, the song was recorded remotely. And Tori has been a dear friend of ours, and sheвЂ™s an unbelievably gifted singer.вЂќ It was super special for him to come alongside and make it his own and infuse it with this great energy. вЂњHe brought in his choir and his band and created the whole section. вЂњThat whole bridge on the song is basically all KirkвЂ™s doing,вЂќ Smallbone says. They didnвЂ™t finish the song in time to make that album, and eventually sent it to fellow Grammy winner and gospel music titan Franklin. The brothers began writing вЂњTogetherвЂќ with the intention of including it on their 2018 album Burn The Ships. Smallbone calls вЂњTogetherвЂќ вЂњthe most expensive song weвЂ™ve ever made, because it had three or four producers on it,вЂќ due to necessary COVID separation. 1 hit on BillboardвЂ™s Christian Airplay chart. вЂњTogetherвЂќ was recorded and released during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and became a five-week No. The album includes a trio of collaborations: вЂњUnity,вЂќ featuring Dante Bowe вЂњHarmony,вЂќ featuring Sleeping at Last and вЂњTogether,вЂќ featuring Kirk Franklin and Tori Kelly. I think this was the most enjoyable process that weвЂ™ve ever had making an album.вЂќ

вЂњGo back in, correct the mistakes and just attack it. вЂњWe said, вЂWhat if we were to go to the studio and treat it like a nine-to-five?вЂ™ You go in, you create, you take the music home,вЂќ Smallbone says.

As with their holiday album, they were able to fully focus on the album-making process instead of slotting writing and recording sessions between tour dates and other career commitments. In early 2021, they returned to the studio. They also released holiday album A Drummer Boy Christmas. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced countless artists off the road - and along with a handful of other Christian music artists, for King & Country got creative and turned outdoor drive-in theaters into drive-in concerts. вЂњThose three things - universality, spirituality and family - encompass a bit of what we walked through in this pandemic, the things we observed about the world and observed about ourselves,вЂќ Luke Smallbone tells Billboard. What Are We Waiting For? centers around a trio of timely topics for an album forged as the nation struggled with political tensions, racial division and a global pandemic.

We all grow up song