Tasha Cobbs Gives an Exclusive In-Depth Interview About "One Place Live"

The wait is just about over, as the new album from Tasha Cobbs - One Place Live - will be available online and in stores this Friday, August 21. The Motown Gospel release is one of the most talked about projects of the year. Tasha Cobbs won a Grammy Award, three Dove Awards and three Stellar Gospel Music Awards after only one nationally released album. That album, GRACE, remained at the top ofBillboard's Gospel sales charts for over a stunning two years after its 2013 release. Tasha Cobbs is a true praise and worship leader and also a mentor to praise and worship leaders around the world. 

Hallels:  Your previous album was a huge success, did you feel the pressure in recording this new album?

I really did not. I think of this new album as an extension of Grace. It's almost like "here's the rest of what I needed to say." I think all of my albums will be like that, a continuation of what was said before. When you think of it like that it releases the pressure of competition...every album builds on the last and presents more of what you need to say.

 Hallels:  I love your first single "Jesus Saves," which is already a big hit.  What was the inspiration behind the song? 

I struggled with depression and a spirit of rejection for a few years of my life, and God delivered me from both. When we think of how Jesus Saves, we usually go straight to the foundational, literal salvation, but Jesus Saves us and can save us from whatever we are overtaken by. After my father passed away, God gave me this song. God told me "this is the foundation of what we believe," the world needs to know that Jesus saves.  Every person that hears this song hears it from the perspective of their own personal testimony. 

Hallels:  On this new album, you've got quite a few guests singing with you, perhaps most personal is Pastor Bertha Cobbs.  For our readers who may not know, who is Pastor Bertha Cobbs? 

That is my MOMMY! J She introduced that song many years ago when I was a little girl. Seventeen years ago, she woke me and my family up in the middle of the night saying "God gave me a song..." and she sang just the beginning of "One Place." I knew that I wanted to finish that song and this year God finally gave me its completion.  It was so much fun and just a proud moment recording that song. My mother is my backbone. She is my greatest supporter and she always has been. There is no greater supporter than my Mom.

Hallels:  Another guest is Kierra Sheard.  How did you get to meet her?  And tell us about the song you have recorded with her.

I met Kierra a few years ago at a prayer conference -this was before anyone knew who I was. I always followed her ministry and I always kept her in prayer...and I told her at that conference. I told her 'I pray for you all the time.' We were labelmates when I first signed to emi...and we built a friendship from there.  She heard me singing that song ("Put a Praise on It") at my 2014 conference, the iLead Escape. She came to the conference just to support, but I ended up putting her on a panel.  I introduced that song for the first at that conference and Kierra LOVED it, so I asked her to record with me.

Hallels:  Jamie Grace also gets to sing with you on "Solid Rock."  Tell us more about working with Jamie.
 
Jamie is an absolute joy to work with. She is full of life, bubbly...and also a great talent. She is an amazing songwriter and amazing singer. I met her three years ago at a radio event, and she was in love with "Break Every Chain." We talked about working together and when I asked her to be on the project she was GEEKED. We wrote "Solid Rock" together.
 
Hallels:  This album was also recorded live, what was the night of the recording like?  What was most memorable about the recording?

It was exactly as I envisioned. Actually it was more, because God always does more than you think. I thought it was going to be 2,000 people, but my team always thought there would many more people than that. So, we campaigned about 3,000 and being "One of 3,0000." And, Lord, we got there and there were more than 5,000 people there!  People were EVERYWHERE. The church held 5,000 people and people who couldn't get in stayed on the church campus grounds to still hear the music and worship. It was heavenly - thousands of people singing worship songs to God.

The most memorable aspect of the night was "Christmas Praise", which is on the Deluxe Edition of the album.  I told the story of something that really happened, which is one night when my praise singers and I went absolutely wild and God said 'you just gave me a Christmas Praise." It's like when you have opened all of your Christmas presents and your mom says 'go outside, there's one more,' and you just lose it. I told that story, after we sang "Put a Praise On It" and the people went crazy and just lost their minds, giving God their best Christmas praise.  That praise moment went on for 20 minutes! We put it on the deluxe edition because we just had to capture that moment...it sparked something so amazing I don't think we could have NOT put it on the album, and it was definitely a highlight of the evening.

Hallels:  You are also touring this Fall, tell us what can our readers expect when they come to hear you?  And where can they find out about your touring info?

I will be touring and we will be announcing The One Place Live Tour, which will go out in the Fall. My prayer is that people can expect a life changing encounter with God. I don't ever want to sing just for the sake of singing; I want people's lives to be changed in some capacity during every experience.

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