The Ruins on Origin of their Name & the Passion Behind their New EP

Following the announcement of signing to DREAM Records,  The Ruins' have announced that their debut EP will be releasing on February 1st.  The Atlanta-based group has begun taking pre-orders on iTunes, Amazon, and Apple Music now.  With the album's pre-order, fans will be able to buy / stream their first track "Run" now.  The 6 song EP also features their radio single, "Deliverance." 

Q:  Thanks for doing this interview with us.  Let's start with yourselves, who makes up Ruins?

We are a male/female duo based out of Atlanta. Debra Black and Victor Gonzalez

Q:  How did the two of you meet?  And how did the Lord confirm for the two of you to work together?

We actually met in our church. We were both leading worship together and had this way of singing/leading that people started speaking into and started the spark for a potential duo. Through prayer and the Lords leading we felt called to move forward together.

Q:  Why did you name yourselves the Ruins?  What is story behind the name?

This is a lengthy story so we will try to make it shorter. I ( Victor) was on a long term mission trip.  Debra was back here in the states. We knew when I got back that we would be heading straight to Nashville to write. We kept going back and forth on what we would want our name to be. I experienced a moment looking down over some ancient temple ruins and thought how these beautiful temples once were/looked. I remember sharing the story with Debra and the Lord began to develop this story for us to share through our name. 

We wanted to have a name that would be a catalyst  to paint a picture of the gospel.  I (Debra) cannot tell you how much the way Victor explained to me his experience of the beauty that those "ruined" temples had on him just resonated with me.  He said "they just were still beautiful." We both began to see such an amazing parallel.  Like us, those temples were made to look magnificent, to hold a specific purpose, but time or devastation affected their purpose/beauty. BUT people are still drawn to see them through a new lens, to see what is left standing. Now they stand as monuments to what life/brokenness has created over time. Yet people still travel to see them, they still have their own story and purpose that is powerful to see and hear. 

God created a beautiful world and set it in motion, but sin entered the story and painted a new picture. Through Jesus, He chooses to use the 'ruins' of our lives to draw people to who He is, if we let Him. He takes our 'ruins' and makes us monuments for His glory and Kingdom. Just because life hits us or sin has us ensnared doesn't mean our story is over and he can't use us. He loves us and offers restoration and healing through Him. We had a cool moment of coming to this name individually so we knew God chose it for us to tell HIS story through it. 

Q:  How would you describe the music of your upcoming EP?

It has a pop sound with some alternative elements. It was a fun one to record, we got to express a lot of ourselves through it.

Q:  Did you guys write the songs on this new EP?  What were some of the joys in making this record?

Yes we did. We spent time in Nashville writing aspects of what was going on in our lives at the time. It was amazing to write with just talented people.  People who encouraged us to not write for "radio" or for the "Christian industry" but just to write for us and what we felt led to share. It made the whole experience so much fun.

Q:  Talk to us about your single "Deliverance."  Why are you passionate about this song?

Ah! We LOVE this one. We love it because it actually was a song we were writing for TV/FILM. We were done writing for the EP and once this song developed and took form we knew this was special. We knew we wanted to be the ones to represent it. Victor had just lost his mom to cancer and was dealing with a lot of grief and I ( Debra) struggle with anxiety and depression and had been wrestling with that during the time frame. We all were able to come together with our own need of deliverance/freedom from those aspects of our lives.  We also love it because it really paints a descriptive picture of being trapped and needing to be freed. Our music video really showcases the imagery we meant to create through the words and musicality. 

Q:  How do you wish these songs would impact the lives of your listeners?

We always say we want to meet people where they are. We set out to write these songs so whether a Christian or someone who doesn't know the Lord who might be sitting in a car , we wanted to be able to meet them where they are, whether through the words of the songs or through the sound. We want people to know the Lord and enjoy some good music at the same time. We have always said our desire is for  our music to be the catalyst to tell the story of Jesus. We may not have the gospel written out in the song but through our music and our story we hope we would have a moment to introduce people to the hope we have in Jesus. 

Connect with The Ruins:

Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

 

Tags : the ruins the ruins interview the ruins new ep the ruins news dream records