This new album looks at what a genuine life of worship is, asking the questions of why-are-you-doing-that, instead of just what-are-you-doing. “Lifesong,” the project’s first radio single, is dubbed as an "undeniable worship song", but lead singer and founder of the group, Mark Hall says, “It’s our kind of worship song—one that asks questions first. What is worship really? Why are you doing this? Worship is not a song, it’s the heart that lifts the song. It’s the motivation behind it. Life is worship, not singing.”
Produced by Mark Miller, frontman of country music group Sawyer Brown and head of Beach Street Records, Lifesong travels the same path as their debut album did. It delivers messages that cut to the heart of the matter, not mincing words to be politically correct while attempting to push the church out of indifference and apathy. With songs like “Love Them Like Jesus,” and “Praise You In This Storm,” Hall has again written a soul-stirring collection of songs that targets believers without apology.
Most of their material is taken from their involvement in their home church. “It’s the ministry that creates the songs, not the other way around,” explains Hall. “From 14 years of being a youth pastor, if I haven’t been through it myself, I’ve been through it a hundred times with someone else. The songs are just about life, it’s where we all live.”
With their self-titled debut album having reached RIAA Platinum status (for sales of one million copies), and the Platinum certification of their Live From Atlanta DVD release, Casting Crowns continues to find themselves achieving extraordinary things for a new band. Including their Group of the Year win, Casting Crowns and Mark Hall were honored with seven total Dove Awards at the 2005 Gospel Music Awards, including Song of the Year (“Who Am I”) and Songwriter of the Year for Hall. Their first headlining tour will be this coming fall and only time will tell if they will continue to break records.
