Adult Contemporary
Jeff Anderson
Gotee Records
CBN.com –
With the release of his Gotee debut Seamless, Jeff Anderson
showcases songs of praise-tinged songwriting doused with an inventive
direction, bringing a sort of unity to the “singer/songwriter”
and “worship leader” labels. “When I was sixteen,
I started going to Christian concerts with my youth group and
that’s where the spirit of God first touched me with where
my heart would be heading,” Anderson says, specifically
referencing a show when Steven Curtis Chapman performed the poignant
“Remember Your Chains. “All of a sudden I had a real
burden for the church and I felt the need to lead people into
the presence of the Lord, regardless of the denomination.”
During his teenage years, Anderson began to observe a division
among many of the people with in Church and among the Christian
community as a whole. The results of such observations instilled
a strong cry of unity within his heart. While studying Vocal Performance
at Capitol University Jeff began to attend the Vineyard Christian
Fellowship in Columbus, Ohio. “Going to the Vineyard got
me plugged into all sort of circles and I soon found myself leading
worship at a service called ‘Joshua House’ for young
adults in the Vineyard movement,” he explains. “I
saw a lot of fruit come out of that, starting with the breaking
down of any stereotypes between believers of different backgrounds
and moving into just a huge freedom to worship the Lord. Soon
I wrote my own music, played the songs at church, saw them latch
on pretty well and decided to make a record.”
That original recording experience translated into a seven-song
EP that Anderson showcased throughout the music industry in hopes
of securing a record deal. Though he had no trouble relating to
a congregation at an individual parish, he found it awkward at
first to connect with an industry crowd. “I really felt
called to music ministry and had already been following that in
church, but somehow I just couldn’t relate that from the
stage when I got in front of big label execs,” he admits.
“It was so strange to experience that and it shook me up
a bit wondering if this was really the path I was supposed to
follow. It wasn’t until I finally laid my songs and my guitar
front of the Lord and completely surrendered to Him that things
started to happen.”
From that very moment the doors swung wide open confirming to
Anderson this was indeed to be his life’s direction. Long-time
friend and Gotee label-mate John Reuben not only assisted Anderson
in crafting fresh material, but began hounding label head Toby
McKeehan to give the songs some time. “We had been great
friends for a long time that would always swap music, but there
came a point where John really invested in what I was trying to
do,” Anderson explains. “He literally started calling
Toby every single day and once he was on board, word started spreading
and the whole label got excited.”
After signing with Gotee Records, plans were soon made to release
an EP and to get Anderson out on the road but, after hearing the
compelling compositions being brought to the table, the EP concept
soon grew into a full-length release. “I kind of went from
being considered this developing experiment that they were going
to test the waters with to someone on their roster they really
wanted to push.”
Much of the excitement from the label stems from the cut “Open
My Eyes”, sure to stand out as one of this generation’s
anthems. The track blends yearning vocals with progressive pop,
rock and a roundhouse rhythm section akin to the creative likes
of Coldplay or Keane. Such a passionate, rock flavoring peppers
the remainder of the record, which features nine other vertically
focused cuts produced by John Reuben, engineered by C.R. Pendleton
(John Reuben, Spoken) and mixed by Shane Wilson (Michael W. Smith,
delirious?).
“The music doesn’t so much have the standard worship
sound, but more what you’d hear on general market radio,”
Anderson observes. “That being said, it’s still a
series of prayers from the heart and I feel like that breeds an
opportunity to reach across to a wider audience.” Such a
desire builds off from that original teenage ambition of breaking
down walls and bridging together the body, which he’s able
to do with the universal messages of adoration on songs like “All
I Need,” and “As I Am.” “I Will Follow”
adapts an appeal of unabashed surrender, “All We Have Is
Now” calls for living an abundance filled existence even
amidst one’s trials, while “So Alive” bursts
with a motif of thanksgiving.
“The one thing I can really say about this album is that
there’s a lot of diversity in topics and dynamics,”
he enthuses. “I always view people’s emotions as a
roller coaster, so there are a lot of ups and downs with the music
that bring you to all different spiritual places.” A case
in point comes in the mellow beginnings of “Your Love Never
Fails Me,” which swells into a climatic, European pop influenced
eruption. There’s also the melodic introspection of “I
Don’t Belong Here,” which was actually crafted in
heavenly hopefulness after Anderson’s wife experienced a
miscarriage. Equally urgent is the vibrant assault of “Paralyzed,”
which speaks of coming before the Lord with reverence and awe.
“There is a lot of integrity going into this project and
I feel like it’s turned out really solid in a way that can
relate to a wide spectrum of people. After all, that was the original
stirring in my heart, and after having stuck with it so long,
I trust the Lord will use it in whatever way He sees fit.”
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