Brandon Heath – Night, Day, Fear & Light

CCM: I read a quote where this record was written in the face of fear, yet there was no real definition on that—could you define that for us?
BH: Well, it’s not super-specific, but it happens at a specific time. It happens in the middle of the night, around 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. I will wake up and cannot go back to sleep because I will think dark things—that I won’t be able to provide or irrational things about my health. After my dad passed away a month-and-a-half ago, I was having dreams about him. It is just fear in a lot of different forms. It’s nothing super-specific, but it’s this weird, nightmarish voice that enters my head in the middle of the night and I have to wrestle with it. I’ve come a long way because during the day I also used to have a lot of fear. So I wanted to make a record that sounded like something I’d want to listen to if I was feeling not particularly reassured.

CCM: Is it therapeutic for you in that way?
BH: Yes, music has always been therapeutic for me. Songwriting is my journal. It’s a way to get my feelings out. It’s not just my job. It’s medicine for me.

CCM: How specifically does the music help with these sorts of fears?
BH: More than anything, it helps me to not be overwhelmed by whatever the event in my life is, that it’s not bigger than God, you know? If anything, it helps me to define it. In that way, it’s not ominous anymore. It’s not all encompassing. It has boundaries and I can have boundaries with it—like, how much do I allow it to take over my life?

CCM: Is there a song on the new album that comes from this?
BH: I would say “Lighthouse” speaks to it. When I feel like I’m overwhelmed by everything, I look to the Lord to be the One who calls me out of the storm. Another one is “Don’t Be Afraid.” I talk about it from the standpoint of knowing I’m not the only one who deals with this, anyone who is worn out from the fight, anyone who is pulled over in their car, anyone who is blinded by their shame—don’t be afraid. It helps to be reminded of that and I’ve tried to do a good job of including others into this area in my life.

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