Ben Smith of Worship Band Bread and Wine Shares Stories Behind the Making of "Two"

Bethel Atlanta Worship Pastors Ben and Kelly Smith who head up what has been described as the "intimate, spontaneous, anthemic and authentic" worship band Bread & Wine are excited to announce the release of their second album entitled TWO.  

TWO offers songs recorded live at Serenbe, co-written by Ben & Kelly Smith with friends such as Matt Redman ("10,000 Reasons"), Jason Upton ("In Your Presence"), Pat Barrett ("Good, Good Father") and Aaron Keyes ("Sovereign Over Us"). In addition, the project features a powerful new song, "Break Open This Box" which was recorded live at Bethel Atlanta (http://www.bethelatlanta.com), which is a dynamic church plant of Bethel Redding. 

Q:  Thanks for doing this interview with us.  Tell us who is Bread & Wine.  How did you start singing and recording?

Bread & Wine is a community formed by Kelly & I with a passion to see people experience deeper communion with God and one another.  I've traveled for 15 years in a worship band called Unhindered, and after we got married 7 years ago, we began singing, writing, and leading worship together.  

Q:  Why do you call yourselves Bread & Wine?  What's the significance of your name?

After we recorded our first live album, we felt like it was more than just a Kelly and I project...we sensed God had something beyond the two of us.  We prayed and the name Bread & Wine came to us after reviewing our history with God.  A few years ago, a man came up to us after we sang and said he could taste bread and wine in his mouth and sensed we would share communion through our songs and ministry in the future.  To us, bread &wi "ne is returning to the heart of worship...being connected with God in the ordinary, the everyday, in the simple elements, and truly learning to feast on his presence at all times.  

Q:  Congratulation on the release of TWO.  Why did you name this new album TWO?  Is it becuse this new album is meant to be a continuation of your first album?

We recorded album ONE and TWO the same night and could not fit all of the songs and spontaneous moments on one cd....so we decided to simply split that album into two parts and release them roughly 6 months apart.  

Q:  This new album finds you co-writing with Jason Upton, Daniel Bashta, Pat Barrett and Matt Redman.  Are there any exciting stories you can share while co-writing with such great scribes of Christian music?

Pat and I have been friends since middle school, and we were on a songwriting trip to London with our families about 5 years ago.  We were blessed with an opportunity to spend a few days with Matt Redman who is an absolute gem of a guy.  We shared with him a chorus we were working on, and he said it so connected with lyrics he was working on for another song that we decided to merge the tunes together.  We wrote the pre-chorus after someone hit a wrong note on the guitar and inspired a new melody.  It was a glorious time together that I'll never forget.  

Q:  If you have to pick two songs off the new album that have touched your own life, which would they be?  And why?

Oh Good God is a song written by Kelly after experiencing a miscarriage a few years ago.  It was a devastating time and brought her to a honest, raw, and real place with herself and God.  This is a song about experiencing heartbreak and reminding ourselves that God brings life even in the midst of great tragedy and pain.  

Break Open This Box is a song I wrote out of a spontaneous moment on a Sunday morning at Bethel Atlanta.  I believe God is breaking the boxes off our heads and our hearts, and he is revealing himself as a good Father beyond we can think or imagine.  

Q:  I believe you will be releasing an acoustic album in the fall.  Give us a sneak peak into this new album -- how is the sound and recording different from your two other albums?

The acoustic album will include meditations after each song for the listener to be invited into a deeper, more present relationship with God.  The sound is organic, raw, and has the violin (which is so refreshing!).  

Q:  Has touring, singing, recording, and worshipping with your wife helped in your own spiritual life?  If so, how? 

Being married and ministering together is such a gift and can be quite a challenge.  We thrive on being honest and authentic and not just putting on a false presentation.  I've really learned to listen to her sense and intuition on where to go with songs, with direction for a set, etc.  She is truly an inspiring Spirit lead woman, and I am SO honored to be with her as we share God's love through this ministry.   

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