Worship Teams
Recording & Releasing a Live Album w/ Hope Darst
Hope Darst joined Loop Community Founder Matt McCoy to talk about her upcoming live album and tips for releasing worship music as a worship leader.
Live album vs Studio album
[Matt] Tell us about your upcoming album!
[Hope] My team and I feel like I really poured my heart and soul into this record, so we didn’t want to just throw it out. We’re going to slowly roll it out. We’ve never done this before, so it’s a different approach. Worship music takes longer to get to people. The exciting thing is I get to do a lot on the road, I’m touring a lot this fall. We’ve already been doing some and it’s the most incredible thing as a worship leader to write a song that’s for the church and to watch it come alive in the church the way you felt God give you vision for it. It’s one of the most incredible things.
[Matt] Do you think it’s easier or harder to do a live album?
[Hope] On a studio album, you can do anything until the last minute. You can make a million changes until the moment you think it’s done. But it’s harder as a worship leader to know if your instincts in the studio are going to translate live. It’s amazing how being in the studio can impact the sonic picture, and then you find yourself out on the road and it doesn’t work live. So, you find yourself reimagining those songs.
I would encourage worship leaders listening, just because you love a song and want to do it at your local church, doesn’t mean you have to do it how you heard on the record. Keep the chord structure of the song and the integrity of it that matters, but do what you need to do with that song that serves your church.
Releasing Your Own Songs
[Matt] If there’s a worship leader watching this that wants to release their own music, how would you recommend they get started?
[Hope] If you are a worship leader on a team or a worship pastor, I think first bring the song to your worship pastor or pastors. If they’re willing to give you a shot, try leading it at your church. It doesn’t have to be in the main service either. Lead it in the youth ministry, test it out. Do a good inventory of your own heart and ask yourself, what do I actually feel called to do? Do I feel called to be in local ministry who may have songs occasionally here or there, or do I have a desire to do this professionally?
Watch the full interview below!
Get the Master Tracks for all of Hope Darst’s songs on LoopCommunity.com.
