DAVID ADAMS speaks with Hillsong’s Jad Gillies and Hannah Hobbs about the church’s latest worship album, OPEN HEAVEN/River Wild…
Hot on the heels of winning the GMA Dove “worship album of the year” award for last year’s No Other Name, Hillsong’s 24th worship album, OPEN HEAVEN/River Wild, is already garnering accolades – only this week hitting number one on Australia’s ARIA album chart.
But for worship leaders Jad Gillies, 35, and Hannah Hobbs, 30 – both of whom were involved in the creation of the new album, recorded live at this year’s Hillsong Conference in Sydney – it’s not the acclaim that motivates them. They see the production of the albums as an extension of what they’re doing week in, week out, in leading worship in church.
“What motivates us most is the need for new songs to sing in church,” says Mr Gillies, a married father of two young children who oversees the worship leadership teams across Hillsong’s Australian churches and attends the Hillsong Church in Sydney’s Baulkham Hills.
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RECORDING STUDIO: OPEN HEAVEN/River Wild was recorded at this year’s Hillsong Conference in Sydney. OPEN HEAVEN/RIVER WILD – SONGS THAT STAND OUTJad Gillies – ‘One Thing’“I just remember when we were recording that, thinking about the chorus and wondering whether it was actually the truth for me and going kind of through the process of really getting a perspective of what those words meant. The words basically talk about (how) the non-eternal things of the world that we chase after are not important in comparison to who Jesus is in our lives. So that was really cool for me.”Hannah Hobbs – ‘What A Saviour’“There was something about it from the very first moment I heard it, I really connected with the song straight away…It’s just this idea that really at the end of the day, it’s all that we have – our relationship with God and Jesus, who’s more than enough. I love the message of that song – it’s all about Jesus and the life that we’re living; (that) this life that we have is really all about Him…” |
“When we write songs, obviously we have the reality that sooner or later we’re going to be recording a project, but, basically, the motivation for writing songs is (that) the church needs songs to sing and they need a fresh perspective on how they see God and how they see their salvation…”
Ms Hobbs, a songwriter who has co-written the song, Never Forsaken, on the new album, says the songwriting process is “definitely an all-year round thing”.
“We have services every weekend and so, for us, we’re kind of in that process throughout the whole year, just searching for songs, and searching for new ways to sing about God…”
Her involvement in the album simply came about as a result of her involvement in leading worship at the City Campuses of Hillsong at Alexandria and Waterloo in Sydney.
“It was really just serving in church on the weekends and hopefully, I guess, our project is just a reflection of the heart of what’s happening in our church on a week-to-week basis.”
The theme of the latest album came about as Hillsong’s worship teams started to look at making a song around the theme of the Holy Spirit, according to Ms Hobbs. The resulting song – Open Heaven (River Wild) – led to what she recalls was a “memorable” time of worship for the church.
“The idea of OPEN HEAVEN/River Wild, I think, really makes it personal for people to realise that the Holy Spirit is ours…and is very active and alive in our life. I think that imagery is actually so beautiful and it’s kind of really led our church to grab hold in a fresh way of this truth that the Holy Spirit is a real and living and accessible part of our lives every day. And it’s been amazing – actually, incredible – to see the way that our church has embraced that song.”
Mr Gillies, a New Zealander who came to Australia in 2001 to study worship ministry at the Hillsong International Leadership College and who has since been extensively involved with the Hillsong band UNITED, says the response of the churches’ congregations to new songs is an important indicator of whether a song will make one of the worship albums or not.
“A song like O Praise the Name – when the guys brought that, it really struck a chord with our church and we were like, ‘OK, well, that’s a song we can build on’ and as the songs started to come in, we started to kind of figure out that God wants to stir something ..about opening our eyes to the wonder of God and things like that…” he says.
“I don’t think there’s a formula of how it all comes together but the church definitely helps decide…Ultimately if the song doesn’t work when you sing it corporately, it doesn’t work.”
Ms Hobbs, who, as well as song writing, also plays everything from the French horn to guitar and piano, agrees.
“We just want to see people connect with God and make it easy for people to come into services and church and worship,” she says, adding that it was “just really cool” to see people grab hold of the song Never Forsaken.
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OPEN HEAVEN/River Wild was number one on Australia’s ARIA albums chart this week. |
“You just have a go and try to do something in church with a heart that hopefully people are going to connect with God…In a way, it’s a little bit of trial and error – sometimes the church loves it and they grab hold of it and other times it just kind of passes by…”
The fact that the songs recorded for a Hillsong Worship album will be replayed in churches all around the world isn’t something that looms large in their minds during the creative process.
Mr Gillies says he doesn’t see any point in thinking about who might be listening down the track “at the expense of what’s going on in the room” when a song is initially being performed.
“I feel like if you capture genuine authenticity on the night, in the room, then that’s what you’re left with…For me, I’m just worried about leading the people in the room because if God is present, then that’s the best possible scenario.”
As to what they think makes a good worship song?
Mr Gillies says that he loves to lead songs that “magnify God”. “When you magnify God we basically humble ourselves and that perspective, I believe, helps us to build faith, it helps us to build a perspective on who God is versus who we are. I also love songs that will put God at the very top. So, for me, I’m looking for songs that will magnify God in the hope that it will build faith and build hope and take people’s eyes off (their) circumstances and put them on to the only way that (they) can change their circumstances.”
Ms Hobbs says that, from a song-writing perspective, she is “constantly searching for melodies and sounds that are fresh as well”. She says that given the songs all take their themes in some way from the Bible – with which many Christians would be familiar – “sometimes when there’s a fresh sound or a fresh melody or something that’s a little different, it brings a new perspective or just captivates people’s attention and (turns) their eyes towards God in a different way”.
“So, I guess, we’re kind of searching for melodies that are fresh and new but at the same time are easy to catch on to in a way because, hopefully, we can take these songs into any setting, whether for us it’s in an 8am morning service at a weekend or a bigger youth service where people can…hear these songs for the first time and, I guess, not be confused by them but be drawn in and want to sing along…So I think melodies for us are a big part of what we’re trying to figure out.”
