Katy Crawford Shares "Our Love Story" in This Exclusive Interview

Worship leader and singer/songwriter Katy Crawford has released her debut full-length project,Our Love Story, to digital retailers worldwide. Produced by Michael Gomez, Our Love Story wraps melodies around the story of God and His deep love for His children, inviting listeners into an authentic relationship with their heavenly Father. Crawford penned all of the album's 10 original tracks, which showcase the purity of her formally-trained voice set against a backdrop that fuses intimate piano-based pop and sophisticated jazz 

Q:  Katy, so grateful for your time.  Tell us about your journey, how did the Lord lead you to record this new album? 

My journey has been a long one, it seems. I have been writing poetry since I was a kid and writing songs for close to 15 years. I began singing with our church worship team when I was 17 and offering my original praise and worship songs from that place of ministry. It was only in the past few years that the Lord put it on my heart to record some of the songs He has given me and opened doors to do so. 

Q:  You have a very unique sound of piano-based pop and jazz.  Is that how you describe your sound?  Who influenced in this regard? 

I would say that is a fair assessment of my sound. As a songwriter, one thing I try to do is to vary my styles. A lot of times, my songs end up leaning toward jazz, pop, and folk. My vocal coach, Andrea Wallace, who first inspired me to write songs, trained me in many different styles-jazz being one of my favorites. Training with her during my formative teenage years, she helped broaden my taste in music and my style in singing and writing. 

Q:  You also have a partnership of ministry with churches in France where you even recorded a French album.  Tell us more about this. 

The Lord definitely works in mysterious ways. None of my family ever expected for us to begin to minister in Europe, let alone in France. I happened to begin studying French when I was 8 years old in school, and nearly every school I attended taught French, which was a bit odd since I grew up in Texas, and Spanish would be the most logical language for those schools to offer. Years later, out of the blue, my dad was contacted by a French pastor and was invited to minister at his church outside of Paris. So, at 15 years old, being the only member of my family and church to actually have a working knowledge of French, I was on a plane headed to Paris with a ministry team. Over the years, I continued to study French and to travel with my dad and others to minister. The Lord grew our ministry in French-speaking countries such that we now hold conferences once a year in several of them.  

A number of years ago, I began to lead worship at those conferences. It also grieved me that many churches in France sing English songs in their worship services when many of their congregants do not even speak English. I felt very strongly that every time I led worship there, I needed to sing only in French. Recognizing the need for the light of the Lord in Europe and the deep thirst for worship music in France eventually led to me recording my French album as an offering to francophone believers all over the world.  

Q:  "Our Love Story," your new album, focuses mostly on our relationship with Christ as the unfolding of a love story.  How did this love story begin for you?  Such that how did you come to know Christ?  

I am a pastor's kid, so I grew up in a Christian household, filled with the love of God and the knowledge of who He is. In fact, I was the kid who would accept Jesus into my heart every time the congregation was called to the altar. I am so grateful to the Lord for placing me in a family where I could grow up knowing Him, surrounded by people who know and love Him as well. My sister and I both have been ministering in worship at our church since we were teens, and I think that training in worship helped guide me deeper into the heart of God. They say the best way to learn something is to teach it to others. In a similar way, having the responsibility of leading a congregation toward the Lord has helped me to become more skilled in seeking Him.  

Q:  What were some of the joys and challenges in the making of this album? 

I would say one of the joys of making this album is the wonderful people the Lord allowed me to work with. My knowledgeable and skilled producer, Michael Gomez, is a godsend. I am truly blessed that the Lord led me to reach out to him to record my French album, which led to this most recent album. Working with my sister, Kelly, who played piano on most of the tracks, was also a great blessing. I am so grateful to have such a gifted family. 

One challenge while working on this album was that for several months when we first started planning and recording, I battled major vocal issues, initiated by a bout of laryngitis. It took months for my singing voice to recover to a point where I could record the vocals for this album. It was pretty scary and was definitely a time where I had to just depend on the Lord for His restoration and strength.  

Q:  If you have to introduce a couple of your songs for our readers, which would you choose?  And why? 

Firstly, I would choose "Magnet," because I think it is rather relatable. It was written in one of (unfortunately) many times when I become so overextended with daily life that my spiritual health suffers. This song is about God's faithfulness to put me back together and draw me to Him. Despite our failings, His love is constant. 

Secondly, I would choose "Reflection," because it is very close to my heart. It is about the nature of having a relationship with the Lord, which is fueled by a love that is reciprocal, unceasing, and unconditional. 

Q:  For our readers who would like to know more about you and your music, where can they go?  

My website, katycrawfordmusic.com, is the best place to go for more information about me, my music, upcoming performances, and to link to any of my social media platforms.  

 

 

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