Alexander Pappas
It’s been really exciting to see more and more Hillsong artists and writers release solo projects. As 2021 has been your debut year, can you tell us a bit about the journey of and decision behind putting these specific songs out under your name this year?
Truthfully, the dream for this project started in 2016 on an Outcry Tour prayer meeting lead by Martin Smith, and in that time I’ve potentially on more than one occasion tried forcing it to happen sooner than 2021, but I’m pleased to report that I’m so grateful for the timing in which it actually rolled out. In that time, I met and married my wife and have experienced a healthy amount of life that has led me to where I am today. A place to tell a piece of my story and hopefully that you, the listener, might find a piece of your story in these songs as well.
Yes, I am so excited for people to finally hear these songs, but I’m even more hopeful that these “stories” might help demystify some of what it means to stay the path and do life with Jesus.
Tell us more about the production processes and visions for the acoustic versions of “A BEAUTIFUL LIFE” and “K.O.” released earlier this year.
I’ve always found so much joy in taking larger than life songs and making them attainable in a beautiful, yet simple delivery.
I think that's essentially what we’re all trying to do week-in week-out in church, right? Take something designed for a very specific context and make it accessible to our various shapes and sizes as to what churches look like. I didn’t know how exactly we’d pull it off, but I knew early on there might be fun new ways to approach these songs, whether it be something you might want to play or simply allow the songs, in a new context, to again speak to the specific place you might find yourself today.
So, with a few restrictions on what instrumentation we were allowed to use, and a healthy number of vocal stacks, I can proudly present these campfire editions, that as you sit around the fire telling stories on starry nights, these songs might be a part of your narrative.
You recently premiered your new, congregational song “PAUSE” at this year’s Worship & Creative Conference. 2020 (into a lot of 2021) felt like a huge, global pause button. Tell us more about the heart behind this song and the writing process with Mitch Wong & Tommy Iceland.
I’m so glad this song is getting to see the light of day (so many special songs to writers never do). But this song in particular was one I couldn’t escape, in the very best way.
Mitch, Tommy and I scheduled a session over zoom in April 2020. Obviously, this was very early on in the journey that we have all gone on universally, but what I felt very clearly going into that session was the word “Pause.” It didn’t take much digging to figure what I felt the Spirit was prompting with such a word. Mitch and Tommy were creating so much gold in the room in Nashville together, while I, a bit jealous I couldn’t be in the room with them, was chiming in on our virtual writing session from my Sydney apartment.
The song was completed only a few hours later, knowing we had found something special. I say this was a song I couldn’t escape, because it was a song I continually felt the pull to sing, but perhaps wondered if its time had come and gone.
Was the world ready to stop pausing? Had there been enough waiting? Much of our frustration is often found in the waiting, but most of our clarity, wisdom and vision can be found in the stillness. I’m confident in the message of this song because no matter how busy our lives resume or begin to be, there is a great joy to be found when we Pause.
What are you wanting to spend your creative energy on next?
I look forward to the opportunity to actually sing these songs with REAL PEOPLE! We’re just coming out of a pretty lengthy lockdown in Sydney and international borders are finally opening!!! This might not seem like the biggest deal to you, but this is MASSIVE for us on our island of Australia.
New music. New stories to tell. And new stories yet to be written. Great days ahead.
Alexander Pappas | IDAHO - EP (CAMPFIRE EDITION)
IDAHO - EP (CAMPFIRE EDITION) with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.