Shawn McDonald sees the release of his fourth album and
first recording in three years, Closer (Sparrow Records). With songs
written by McDonald, Brandon Heath, Joy Williams and others, the album features
themes of hope and redemption.
How would you describe your music?
I am a songwriter by nature. I also love all sorts of music. Every record I have written has been different. This current record I would call “intellectual pop.”
How is this album different than the others you have done?
I try to remain fresh and innovative and at the same time
retain a deep sense of my faith. I really try hard to not make the same record
over, and it is a hard line to walk because you gain fans on one sound you gave
them, and the goal is to not lose them on the next one. I have found that if I
don’t continue growing as an artist or even in my faith, my heart sort of dies,
and I start to do it for the wrong reasons. I am extremely excited about this
record. It is a bit more on the pop side of things, but it was where my heart
was at when I wrote it.
What are some of the album's themes?
This record for me is a redemption record. It is about the
ups and downs of faith that I wrote going through an intensely broken season of
my life. It is really aimed at getting closer to God and learning to lean on
Him in hard times rather then run.
What's a favorite song or two of yours on the new album?
My personal favorites on this record are “Don’t Give Up” and
“Closer.”
Where do you think God is taking you now?
It is hard to say where God taking me because for that I would have to know the mind of God. God is like the wind, ever changing and moving in ways that are different. He is to me an extreme mystery. I believe that is His romance—it is what draws me in. I think that if I really knew where He was taking me, I might not follow. Guess that is why it is called faith. Sometimes where God leads is scary and hard, but the outcome is great.
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