Ardent artist Todd Agnew is the first to admit that the success of his debut, "Grace Like Rain," was completely unexpected, even "accidental." He simply recorded songs that flowed from his own worship, aiming only for the target of God's heart. But the project scored big, leaving him to face huge expectations for his sophomore CD, "Reflection of Something."
He wisely refuses the heat, choosing instead to concentrate on the real reason for his music. "This is the path I'm walking, and I try not to worry if anybody else is on it or not. It is simply what God is doing in my life right now." This focus is immediately apparent in our recent conversation. Todd Agnew breaks it all down to what's really important, fixing his heart there. It's an accomplishment both vital and impressive for a man of faith who happens to be a commercially successful musician. "Anytime something happens in your life like this it's kind of a pressure cooker. But God gives me a different way of looking at all of it and I'm talking about the journey as openly as I can."
When I comment that basically it's as much about faith as anything else, he replies, "Yeah, that's really all I have to talk about," mentioning an article about Amy Grant that he read as a kid. "She said it best. We write songs about a lot of different things, but if you don't have God to talk about you're basically just throwing out random ideas in the dark. That made sense to me even at that age. Not every song must contain a theological breakthrough, but that's what I care about and what I'm good at. I'm a teacher; this is how I learn. I'm just sharing what God is saying to me."
Agnew's music has a high level of Scripture content. "What God has to say is more interesting than what I have to say. Everybody asks about the next big song, will I do it again? But I really don't know," he laughs. "I thought about what God has taught me about worship, and finally thought to just read the Bible for what He says about worship." It is the beauty of "Reflection of Something." Todd Agnew lets his own comprehension of God flow unadulterated through songs offered up in sincere worship. Simple truth equals beauty.
