Josh Baldwin
Josh Baldwin’s greatest motivation as a worshipper and songwriter is the desire to connect with the Father’s heart and usher others into the presence of God. Josh’s leadership creates an inviting atmosphere of celebration and his songs point to the trustworthy nature of God as Friend and Father.
His new album, Where The Glory Is, is a collection of songs meant to be used to lead people into worship with God. Recorded with an intimate group of worshipers, Josh dives into his intentional decisions behind the making of this album.
Congrats on your album release! These songs are reminiscent of earlier 2000’s CCM but they still feel very congregational. Can you tell us more about this intentional choice and how you struck that balance?
I honestly don’t know that I intentionally meant for the album to sound or feel that way.
This has really been the first time that throughout the writing and recording process of an album I fully leaned in to who I am and what the songs that lived in me sounded like. Which was a kid who grew up in rural North Carolina listening to late 90’s CCM and Delirious.
So I’m not surprised that those influences came through in the creating of this album, and my hope is that it helps these songs feel timeless.
A common trend these days is to capture a large, full congregation in the capturing of a worship record. These songs feature a group of worshippers along with your voice, but seem to be in more of an intimate space. Can you tell us about the recording process and setting for this album?
I really wanted this to be a studio produced album, but I struggled with the thought of songs that I knew were meant for the church not having a large congregation singing on them.
So we tracked a lot of these songs live in the studio over a few days. Then we brought in a group of our friends to just sing and worship with the songs in the studio while we recorded them. I love how it all came out. It feels very intentional to me.
Most live worship albums today are recorded with a large congregation. Which is great! I love them! The irony of that is that most of our churches are actually small, and they might have a harder time relating to the megachurch worship album.
I loved the idea of having an album that when people listened to it they could hear how these songs might sound in their own churches.
“Where The Glory Is” talks about the consistent presence of Jesus. Can you tell us more about this song?
“Where The Glory Is” is all about how the faithfulness of the Lord never changes. He has always come through for me and my family. The way He shows up has looked different in different seasons of life, but His nature has always remained the same.
The same Father that has led me through my darkest moments is the same Father that’s with me when I’m laughing and playing with my kids.
I continue to write new songs, but the story throughout all of them never seems to change. It’s a story of how faithful He has been to me. That is where the beauty and glory of walking with the Lord is for me.
Tell us about the symbolism behind the “Narrow Road.”
“Narrow Road” comes from the scripture found in Matthew 7:14.
“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
This song is about those times in life where the journey feels lonely and hard. When you’re following the Lord it’s not gonna look like the easy road. It requires trust and faith in Him. It’s about remembering that He is walking with us every step of the way.
He will never leave us, we are never alone. When we cling to Him in the valley, that is where our lives are pruned and we become more like Him. There’s a greater reward on the narrow road, and it’s the road scripture calls us to.
What do you hope for as these songs are released today out into the world?
This album is full of songs that remind me of the Lord’s faithfulness in my own life. I want listeners to be reminded of their history with the Lord.
I pray that the lyrics in these songs would bring to mind all the times that He has shown up in their lives, and it would serve as an encouragement and a reminder that He is and always has been faithful.
Lead songs from Where the Glory Is with your congregation. Resources available at MultiTracks.com.