Give Yourself Away, the 16th recording from Grammy-nominated NewSong, signals a new era of music and ministry for the legendary group. After 28 years together, the November release is NewSong’s debut on its new imprint, His Honor Music. The project represents a series of firsts for the band, including an innovative marketing campaign in keeping with the album’s theme.
“We’ve had fantastic label partners in the past,” said NewSong founding member Eddie Carswell, “but this gives us even more flexibility to do things on occasion that are a little more radical.” Testing that statement, every Give Yourself Away CD sold will contain an extra copy of the album for giveaway. The campaign, Carswell hopes, will facilitate an act of ministry, enabling twice as many people to be impacted by the music.
Give Yourself Away finds NewSong partnering for the first time with one of Christian music’s most acclaimed and noted producers, Charlie Peacock, for 10 tracks that showcase the band’s modern pop sensibilities and tight harmonies. Longtime fans will be pleased to hear the soulful lead vocals of Russ Lee in the mix again, as the album marks his official return to the group following a successful solo career.
Carswell, Lee and Peacock are among the project’s key songwriters, but such writers as Matthew West and Sanctus Real’s Matt Hammitt also contribute to Give Yourself Away. The album’s debut single, “That’s What Mercy Is,” was penned by Carswell and West.
In recent years NewSong has carved a noteworthy niche in the touring market, with the group’s annual Winter Jam Tour Spectacular growing to become one of the largest tours in all the music industry. This year’s tour saw more than 60,000 decisions made for Christ. Hosted by NewSong, 2010’s Winter Jam Tour Spectacular will hit more than 40 cities, kicking off Jan. 8 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
When asked about the secret of his band’s longevity, Carswell said: “I attribute that to God having His hand on us and helping us in spite of ourselves. We’ve tried to be faithful to our mission—to tell people about our relationship with Christ—since the beginning. Even though we love the music, the ministry part of what we do is the main thing.”
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