Quiet Science Talks About the New Album "The Rekindling of the Stars"

By Timothy Yap May 10, 2016 05:36 AM EDT

The Rekindling of the Stars is the third and the latest album by The Quiet Science. To celebrate, the band will be performing a free album release show at 7:00pm on May 29 at Georgianna United Methodist Church in Merritt Island, FL. The Rekindling of the Stars explores themes of hope, renewal and wonder, making the project the band's most lyrically worship-driven album. While staying true to their signature story-driven, ethereal landscapes, the songs have been crafted to find equal acceptance to those seeking a musical backdrop to their personal devotions as well as in a corporate church setting.

Q: So grateful for your time in doing this interview. Who is Quiet Science?

A: The Quiet Science is Nathan Walter, Daisy Walter, Josh Raucci, and Mark Nicks

Q: What's the significance behind your name "The Quiet Science"?

A: A quiet science is traditionally something of great importance that isn't given a lot of attention, or the attention it deserves. We thought that, in a spiritual sense, it is a very pertinent name when you consider the place we have given God in our lives and our society and the place He truly deserves.

Q: Congratulations on the release of your new album. This is your first album in 4 years. What happened in between albums?

A: On the personal side, Daisy and I had our first child, a son. In regards to the band, we really had to go back to the beginning. We lost some members and gained new ones, which meant we really had to figure each other out through the songwriting process. It definitely was our hardest album to create. There are so many things you have to think about when writing a worship album as compared to our earlier works. I usually like to tell stories through my lyrics that need to be figured out and I tend to sing in a higher register. When you are writing songs for people to worship to, they need to be in keys that people can sing and it was essential that everyone could understand and identify with the words they are singing. Some of these songs on the album are newer and some are 4 years old. I feel like God was just breaking us down and remaking us into the band He wanted us to be. It took 4 years.

Q: How would you describe your style of music as reflected on your brilliant new album "The Rekindling of the Stars"? Who would you say influenced your sound?

We have always just called it synth rock, but there are so many different elements to it. Daisy is really into film scores. She has been listening to Jeremy Soule (Skyrim) a lot. You can hear that influence in most of the string arrangements, and it really steps to the front in "The Rekindling.." and "You Only." While making this album, I was really into Peter Gabriel's older stuff, so I really wanted the pianos to be detuned a bit, like how they would sound on a record. I tried to do the same thing with guitar. We also spent a ton of time with various worship albums/artists to figure out what works in a corporate setting and what works in a more private setting. We spent a ton of time with all the popular worship albums of our time and, of course, Rich Mullins.

Q: Why did you entitle the album "The Rekindling of Stars"?

A: It's funny, we had that title before we even released our last album. Daisy came up with it. It's from Tolkien. It was the perfect title for this album. There is so much meaning behind it. I see it two ways:

1) When you realize that there is a God who created all this and He loves and desires a relationship with you, you can't help but see His hand and His beauty in the world around us. It makes the stars brighter. It's like falling more in love with the artist through His art.

2) In another sense, I imagine that we are the stars and we have grown dim. As we grow closer to Him, we reflect His light and we shine all the brighter for the world to see.

Q: In the recording of this new album, are there any stories of encouragement that you would like to share?

A: When we first felt God calling us to worship, everything kind of blew up. It felt impossible. It was just Daisy and I with no band and no money to make it happen. We just had the attitude of," God, if you want this, You are going to have to make it happen." We tried raising funds through crowd funding, and we had a ton of fans pitch in, but we didn't meet our goal and there was just no way it could done with what we had. At that point, Jonathan Gautier (at Sound House studios in Lakeland, Fl) wrote us and said He felt God tugging at him to record a song for us for free. I would have never done something like this with someone we didn't know, but God had broken us down so much at this point, we were up for anything. We recorded the song (Splendour) and released it to little or no fanfare. One of our friends, unbeknownst to us, showed it to our pastor. He got a hold of us and told us that the church had just bought an orphanage so they couldn't afford to pay for the album then, but if we could wait a year, the church would fund the entire album. That's another reason it took so long to make the album. I don't even know if Jonathan knows what all became of his small act of obedience, but we are here today because of it.

Q: I have read on your website that this new album speaks of restoration. In what ways do you think the songs here bring restoration to our lives?

A: I think anytime we come before the throne of God, in repentance, in worship or in praise, giving entirely of ourselves, we can be restored. The more we give of ourselves to Him, the more of Himself He gives to us. I think sometimes things happen that make us question God or His love for us, but it is only because of our limited understanding of His plan and His love. The more we get to know God, the more we realize that we may not know what He is doing, but we can be sure it is good. I think the lyrics in "The Restoration of All Things" are a great example of how we see things when we are in His presence.

"And in you presence, I remember tears that I'd forgotten over time, but You did not.

And in Your presence, I remember prayers that I gave up on over time, but You did not.

And in Your presence, I remember all the times I thought You left my side, but You did not."