Mark Bishop Forms A New Band "Forget the Sea"

By Timothy Yap Dec 14, 2015 04:10 AM EST

Singer and songwriter Mark Bishop, who was once part of the Southern Gospel group the Bishops, has formed his own band simply called "Mark Bishop and Forget the Sea." The team is led by Dove-Award winning artist Mark Bishop and his two daughters Courtney and Haley on vocals, John Isaacs on percussion, Josh Rison on guitar, Chris Withrow on bass and Russ Funk on keyboards.

What does "Forget the Sea" mean? Bishop explains: "With his eyes upon Jesus, Peter was able to accomplish the impossible. He walked on the water just as the Savior did. It was only when the winds and the waves distracted him that he began to sink. As believers, we too are distracted by the storms and the noise in our busy lives. Sometimes we take our eyes off of Jesus when truly, in those times when the wind howls the loudest, we should forget the storms, forget the waves, keep our eyes upon Jesus and forget the sea."

They are set to release their brand new album Mark Bishop and Forget the Sea on January 8th, 2016. The record will be released on Horizon Records produced by Bishop and the legendary Jeff Collins. All the songs on the album are written by by Mark Bishop, John Isaacs and Josh Rison. The music on this new album is described as acoustic Christian with influences ranging from folk, americana, southern gospel and acoustic praise and worship.

Bishop, shares a few thoughts about the formation of this new musical group and where they fit in across the vast musical landscape of Christian music. "I have been involved in Gospel Music for all of my adult life, first traveling and singing with my father and my brother in a Southern Gospel group for many years and then as a soloist. Anyone that knows and loves music knows that it is not a static thing. It is not a statue to be admired on a pedestal or a painting to be finished and hung on a museum wall. Music is a living and breathing thing that always moves and grows into something else. Music is also a gift from God and there is a reason that every church service around the world begins with the singing of songs and the playing of instruments. It can bring us into the presence of God!"

"My daughters have such beautiful voices and I love to sing with them. My son-in-law is an excellent musician and the other musicians are equally talented and are such good friends. We all share a love of not only making music, but of making music that God can use to heal hurting people... or music that can be their life soundtrack when they are celebrating! We are all called to tell the good news of Jesus. We all have unique talents and abilities, all of us, around the world. Our little band is unique and quirky yet we have a love of tradition. Our mountain heritage is also a part of who we are. We have never tried to categorize it or make it fit inside anyone's template. We just wanted to sing about our love for our Redeemer and to also be true to ourselves musically. It's more important to be uniquely you than to be what someone else thinks you should be. We believe that God makes us all different for a reason."

Song List:

You Love Me Anyway
Baptize Me In The Rain
Take To The Sky
The Son Is Shining
I Will Sing
Pick Me Up And Carry Me
You Are, You Are
Tinderbox
Sometimes God Whispers
Everything I Give
Ordinary Average Autumn