Bethel Music
"Inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, we believe Homecoming is an invitation to return to who we truly are as sons and daughters."
Bethel Music Creative Director Christian Ostrom and Producer David Whitworth spoke into the lyrical and technical direction of their latest album Homecoming.
Congratulations on the release of Homecoming! This album is inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Can you tell us more why you all chose to make this piece of scripture the “nucleus” of this project?
As songs started to roll in, we all really began to feel that the themes of “resurrection,” “returning,” and “surrender” started to take shape. Ultimately this idea of “Prodigal” began to surface and we jumped into the Gospels to flush it out even more. At the end of the day we are all Prodigals at some level: everyday we get closer and closer to the one who waits for us with open arms.
Sanctification is really our journey home, you know. It’s kinda that “already, but not-yet” feeling. Yes, we are home, but at the same time home has not fully come.
We continue to wait for our final resurrection, for the New Heavens and New Earth… for our ultimate Homecoming.
Tell us about collaborating with worship artists Cory Asbury and Gable Price for the title track.
Cory and Gable have written a bunch together, so it just felt natural to include them in this process. The song “Homecoming” was originally titled “No Place Like Home” and was one that Cory and Gable had been sitting on for awhile. Gable is such a talented young writer and we can’t wait to see what other songs come out of his heart.
We are called home by our Father, as we have been since the beginning, and we are presently, in 2021, being called back home to rooms of worship. Can you speak to the past & present dual meanings of “Homecoming?”
A big part of this idea for Homecoming was also the practical implications. The Church has had to pivot the last few years… it being mostly online, and lacking community and interaction. For us, we really wanted to celebrate the fact that we could record this album together, with our church community in the crowd; we wanted to celebrate with family and be face to face.
“Weathered” walks this really neat line between feeling live and raw and also feeling modern and produced. Can you tell us more about the production process of that song?
From Producer David Whitworth: “Weathered” was one of the first songs chosen for the record. I had been listening to the demo for almost a year. Dante and I were on a trip & I had mentioned to him that we should do this song for the record & have Hannah McClure featured on it. Dante loved the idea, so I just ran with it. Musically, the initial demo soundscape was what drew me in & I wanted to keep it as close to that as possible when it came to recording it live. So we just recreated the mellotron & guitar sounds in the studio as well as a few drum samples.
The rawness and realness of this song comes from the fact that Dante and Hannah had never sung the song together before & we had half an hour to rehearse the song before tracking! We ended up with 2 takes from the tracking night, and I love how it turned out.
This record feels hopeful while also recognizing what we’ve been through. What do you hope people feel and think of when they sing and lead these songs?
Gosh, we really just want people to set their gaze on Jesus. He’s our hope, the reason we do this. His death and resurrection make it possible for Prodigals to come home, so we just want to lean into that.
We hope these songs move people towards an encounter with the One who is bringing us all Home.
Bethel Music | Homecoming
Lead Homecoming with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.