Brandon Heath "What If We"
2009 American Music Award Nominee Says He's Not Finished With Me Yet
Brandon Heath, a Nashville native, wasn't sure he wanted to be a performer. His passion was and is songwriting. He received a guitar as a Christmas present and began writing songs at the age of 13. One summer, at the age of 16, he attended a Young Life youth camp and made a decision to follow Christ. After that experience, he began hanging out at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. He wanted to learn all he could about songwriting This is where many songwriters get their start. It was time to learn and gain insight from some wonderful mentors.
He was an aspiring teenager with a passion to share his message through song. At the age of 25, his guitar was stolen. To earn money for a new guitar, Brandon independently released his first two albums in 2004, Early Stuff and Soldier. He not only made enough to buy a new guitar, he was offered a recording contract with Reunion Records in 2006 and released his first main studio album.
Don't Get Comfortable debuted with a hit single, Our God Reigns. Another single on that album, I'm Not Who I Was, stayed on top of Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart for several weeks. It received two Dove nominations, including "Song of the Year, " in 2007. Brandon's second project, What If We, was released in July 2008. The single from that CD, Give Me Your Eyes, was the Dove Awards, "song of the year," 2009.
Brandon recalls those first years as being rough. He dreaded singing live night after night. He had a gift for songwriting. However, the more he sang, the more he realized his spiritual talents reached beyond the boundaries of songwriting into singing as well. He could use both to bring joy, hope and inspiration to others.
The Meaning Behind "What If We"
Brandon's newest project album, What If We is not really a question as much as it is a challenge. The inspiration behind the What If We project stemed from a conversation with a friend and mentor. The phrase, "What if...," is all about possibilities. What can everyone do together to impact the world for God? Community is everything to Brandon. He shares everything with friends and fans, reflecting and gaining insight from both along the way. Making the most of all the individual moments.
In the first song on the album, Brandon asks God to Give Me Your Eyes. Co-written with Jason Ingram, Brandon wants to know what would it be like to see others as God sees them? Brandon believes the closer he gets to knowing God better, the more compassion he has for others. The video and lyrics are a powerful testimony to what most of contemporary Christian artists are feeling and expressing through their music.
Chorus to Brandon Heath's Give Me Your Eyes"Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see"
Brandon is simply expressing what many others are feeling. There are so many hurting, lonely, empty people in society today. Many artists are writing songs that bring hope and inspiration to a lost and confused world. Their songs express a desire to help more, care more, love more and serve others better. Each songs is written in hopes of reminding listeners God is still here. God loves us. God cares. God will meet our needs. God has compassion for the broken hearted and he loves humanity.
God's Not Finished With Me Yet
This fall, Brandon has been touring with Leeland and Francesca Battistelli. The Follow You Tour is a 8 week, 43 city tour raising funds and awareness for the organization Food for the Hungry. Starting in December, Brandon will team up with Andrew Peterson for the Behold the Lamb of God Tour. He will then participate in the Xtreme Conference at the end of the year.
In January 2010, he'll take almost a month off before appearing on the Renewal at Sea Christian cruise January 31 thru February 6, 2010. Obviously Brandon can still say, He's Not Finished With Me Yet.
Brandon Heath What If We
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