Lindz West, frontman of EDM religion group LZ7, has spent years ministering to younger folks and sharing the Gospel in colleges. He’s set to launch a brand new album that guarantees to be a soundtrack for all times’s challenges and a supply of encouragement for listeners.
Christian In the present day spoke with Lindz to listen to extra a few new album within the works, his ideas on the evolution of gospel music during the last 20 years, and the way his music is impacting younger folks.
You’ve got a brand new album popping out quickly. What’s the inspiration behind it?
We went with a barely more durable sound this time as a result of I imagine the Gospel will not be a joke. After we do our college excursions and festivals we preach the Gospel to younger folks, they want one thing to remove in order that they too may be part of the change. The album touches on creation, figuring out who you’re, whose you’re, identification, anxiousness and the place you sit with Jesus. We additionally usher in our personal tales, our personal testimonies, and our personal journey of religion.
What do you hope folks will achieve out of your new music?
Music is a software that may take folks on a journey, like a navigation system that leads them to Jesus. For somebody who’s a Christian, I hope it evokes them and it provides their religion legs. I hope that people who find themselves not Christians hear it and are impacted by it. I would love it to play on mainstream radio stations. That’s the place we must be, as a result of Jesus says ‘you’re the gentle of the world.’ My hope is that it actually stretches far and extensive and it goes into the darkest locations and shines a lightweight.
You’ve got labored in music for the final 20 years. What vital adjustments have you ever seen within the gospel music scene throughout this time?
It’s powerful as a result of gospel music is so broad, however watching the journey Christian music has taken has been unimaginable to see. Folks like Brandon Lake, Martin Smith and Phil Wickham profitable Spotify #1 for streamed tune throughout all genres is unimaginable. For a Christian band to get such rankings was extraordinary 10 to fifteen years in the past.
I believe our music sits on a fantastic line between mainstream music and Christian music. Our final single was remixed by Charlie Hedges on Radio 1 and in consequence, I believe that after we go into secondary colleges younger folks acknowledge us. It reduces that feeling of reluctance to have interaction with the message we convey. We discuss to the younger folks about psychological well being, suicide, bullying and racism, and the music creates a platform to talk into it. I believe that’s barely totally different to the world of worship and gospel music in that we’re utilizing music as an evangelistic software to allow us to talk to tens of millions of younger folks.
You’ve got carried out for Prince Harry and Pope Francis. What have been these experiences like?
Pope Francis was doing a tour round Europe and he was reserving arenas in each soccer stadium. Younger folks from the stadiums have been going out onto the streets, inviting folks in who may not have heard of Jesus. We’d play a set and I might preach the Gospel in the course of it. We noticed seven to eight thousand folks on this enviornment and so they have been moved by it and it was unimaginable – music has acquired this lovely means of crossing all language limitations.
Two days later I attended the Wellchild Awards on the Royal Lancaster Lodge in London and Prince Harry was there. We carried out our single known as ‘Coronary heart Unchained’ with the London Group Gospel choir, which is a tune about dwelling free towards adversity. Harry loved it, he was clapping his palms and smiling, it was a extremely good time. The WellChild Awards celebrates younger those who have overcome adversity of their lives so it was an actual privilege to be a part of it.
You run the Illuminate Colleges tour to have interaction younger folks. Inform us extra about that and what reception you obtain once you go into colleges with the Gospel.
We converse to secondary college college students from ages 11 to 18 on points which may be affecting them, like psychological well being and bullying. We go to 5 colleges over 5 days and on the Friday night time we are going to ebook a venue and invite all of them to a gig and share our religion. We not too long ago visited Peterborough and did 4 days in a college, and 7 to eight hundred younger folks turned up. There was even a dad and mom space so that individuals may are available at no cost. We preached the Gospel and the entire place responded. We additionally work with Youth Alpha and begin a Youth Alpha session the next Friday and invited all of them to hitch. It was nice.
You’re a worship artist your self however which worship artists do you hearken to?
I hearken to a number of Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham and Maverick Metropolis. I wish to hearken to up tempo reward music, and listening to it in church is unimaginable because it units you up for the week. Then there are the pensive, reflective songs and I believe these allow you to really feel the Holy Spirit. I believe something that strikes you and your spirit is value listening to.
Lindz’s upcoming single ‘The Ship’ is about to be launched on March twenty first . The Ship Tour will launch in Glasgow on March twenty ninth. For extra data go to https://www.lz7.co.uk
