Just a few years ago, John Mandeville had it all. He was an acclaimed songwriter, writing hit singles for the lauded likes of Avalon, 4Him, Point of Grace and Tammy Trent, among many other top Christian artists. He soon found himself on the brink of mainstream success with the backing of some of the top names in secular music. That is, until it all came crashing down around him. And John is the first to admit, he didn’t handle it well.  “When you get handed a foreclosure notice, an IRS audit and you’re watching your car being repossessed, that’s a pretty bad day,” John recalls. And that “bad day” began a spiral downward that John candidly admits led to enormous frustration and some very ugly manifestations in his life. But it also led to some truly honest songwriting now highlighted in his solo debut CD, We Belong To Heaven.

In a strictly artistic sense, We Belong To Heaven is an ambitious inspirational pop undertaking, that’s just as likely to resonate with fans of Sting as Steven Curtis Chapman, characterized by stirring instrumentation and an even more empowering lyrical undercurrent. And Mandeville certainly means every word of his life-changing story.

“This project really wrote itself as a result of what I was living through, it was meant to be a monument of change for my family, sort of like David wrote the Psalms,” John recalls. “This was the turning point, the line in the sand, to see all the drama come to a close. It was my chance to find my heart and return to a place of hope, while also returning to the heart of who I am as an artist.”

Beyond the self-penned songs, John also sings, writes, plays keyboards and guitar, plus produces and mixes the project (with mastering by five-time Grammy Award winner Richard Dodd). Armed with an uplifting, guitar-centered sound along the lines of Chris Tomlin with the electronic elements of the David Crowder Band and tender piano reflections, We Belong To Heaven is a remarkably humble, but instantly attachable album for a variety of life’s seasons. Despite being written during a time of uncertainly and wrestling, the project points back to ultimate praise and surrender to God.

“Nearly all of the songs on this CD were written in direct response to some impossible circumstance in our life,” continues Mandeville, citing challenging family circumstances. “We were going through some severely difficult times when I was working on this CD, and worship was the only thing that brought us through. It transformed me, my marriage and our family. We chose as a family to worship through the impossible until He made it possible.”

Take for instance key cuts such as “Who Do You Say I Am” and “Free,” the former of which discusses humanity’s attempt to live up to Godly standards (with grace bridging that great divide), while the latter speaks of unceasing hope, letting go of past bondage and finding ultimate freedom in Christ. And the CD’s first single and music video, “Glorify,” has been likened to a modern-day Psalm by one listener.