Kim Hill's "Broken Things" releases Sept. 26. This is one roots rock gem you're gonna want to get; Kim lets it all go on this one, all heart.
For more of the Suite review of "Broken Things" click here. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to talk with this gutsy sister.
Kim, I appreciate so much your theme of brokenness on the new album. What role do you think music can play in our surrender to brokenness? Did it play a role in your own experience?
I think God does amazing, truly supernatural things through our weakness, our brokenness. He promises to be near to the broken hearted, to be near when our hearts are crushed, not to break a bruised reed. Those are promises I've held on to many times in the midst of worshipping Him thru the pain of disappointment and failure. I believe God's wired some of us to connect with Him deeply through music, so many times when nothing else was working for me, I would literally cry out to God by playing worship music on a cd, or playing my guitar and praying to Him by singing or crying, pouring out my heart to Him like David did in the Psalms.
You've been involved in women's worship ministry all over the country for almost a decade. What have you observed about women of faith during that period, in terms of their burdens and how they do or do not deal with them?
Unfortunately, the common denominator among Christian women, in the US and abroad, is pain. Many women feel like if they're honest about their pain, they will make God look bad or they will be seen as an unfaithful Christian woman. I've seen God do incredibly healing among women as they find safe pockets (many times at a conference) to be honest and they see they are not alone in their circumstance, that God sees their pain and isn't afraid of it, that He runs to them to comfort them and lavish His love on them.
As a single mom of young kids, how do you manage to juggle family responsibilities and job/ministry demands? What lessons have your sons learned from watching their mom take care of business?
Juggling act is a great description, not only for what I do, but what I see women doing universally. Women's roles in society call them many times to become professional multi-taskers. I'm always looking for ways to be more organized so that I can be an efficient homemaker and working woman, so that I can devote my energy to the things that really matter...mostly, nurturing my boys. I don't believe that you can "do it all" without sacrificing something.I'm just trying to make sure that I don't sacrifice time with my boys or things that they need from me while trying to make a living and be faithful to God's call on my life. I want my kids to know that they are first, even if I miss a ball game because I have to be on the road. I think my oldest son is able to see that now, and I hope my youngest will as well. He has struggled because most of his friend's moms don't work and none are single moms, so that's been tough for him and for me. We talk about the reality of the different path we're on and I think that helps as well. My boys also love to go on the road with me and sell cds,etc. They've realized that's what it takes for me to make a living and for them to be able to go to the mall and get some new American Eagle or GAP clothes, (laughing).
If you weren't making music, what do you think you might have an interest in doing?
I tell people all the time that since I've started recording right out of college, and never had a "real job", my fantasy is to have a "normal" life with a routine job like at a little market or something, where I go to work every day and eat lunch with my friends, go home at 5pm, like Meg Ryan does in "You've Got Mail". I long for structure because in my world, no two days are the same. But, I've also realized I'm probably never going to have that "normal" life and that's ok.I'm trying to make mine as normal as I can.
OK, OK, I know these questions have been a bit "heavy," I'll ease up. Here's a lighter one: What's that one song you wish you had written?
I Can Only Imagine
What super power would you like to have?
I'd love to be able to fly so I could bypass commercial airline travel. It's the bane of my existence these days.
With this CD you are going back to your Memphis rock n' roll roots and also garnered the support of so many key people in the industry that were involved in the project. It seems like it was fun. What lead you down this musical path again?
It probably started a few years ago, when I'd throw in some of my old rockin' songs at a women's conference or a festival and I'd get people to forget their age and loosen up a bit. Sometimes, it seems that Christians get really serious after 40 and think they're too old to have fun! Also, I did a Christmas cd a few years ago that was guitar based and I realized it's my core instrument. On "Broken Things," my producer, Paul Ebersold, was also a huge influence as he reminded me to be the "rocker chick" that he knew I really was!
Suite thanks Kim Hill for being so open with sharing her heart with our readers.
