LEELAND Talks About the Significance of their New Album Cover

LEELAND will be releasing  their new album City of God this Friday (March 10). The 11 new songs are centered around the thematic of Psalm 46 through thoughtful and innovative songwriting. Recorded in a live rehearsal room with no audience but special guest artists including TAYA, Charity Gayle, Rita Springer, Vanessa Hill, and Lauren Strahm (Fleurie), an expansive soundscape is captured on each of the new songs.

One of the album's highlights is its album cover which is a piece from 1595 by Abel Grimmer titled "The Tower Of Babel." Why this image for the cover? LEELAND has this to say, "I believe that we are moving slowly towards a modern day Babylon. That Babylon is as much or more a spirit than anything else. It says to itself, `Let us make for ourselves a name and a tower that reach the heavens.' In a sense, it is saying `let us become like God.'

"For most of human history human cultures have had a view of the supernatural. Whether it was one God or many gods.Now we have entered a very unique time, where we have the language of spirituality that permeates our culture, we even talk about ourselves and bodies as temples. But we as a culture have removed Christ off of the throne and placed ourself. Self is the new god. But we don't lose hope.

"Because God always has a Daniel in Babylon. He always has ambassadors for His Kingdom demonstrating His culture in their every day life as a witness to Babylon. His city, Gods city, isn't a place but a people. `You are a holy nation and a royal priesthood.'"

LEELAND hopes the songs on the new record will remind us of our mission. "I pray this album CITY OF GOD reminds each of us as little Christ like ones, that we are citizens of another kingdom. And that no matter what the times may look like, Jesus is still the King Of Kings, the government of heaven rests on His shoulders and of the increase of His Kingdom there will be no end. His will, will be done. But He is looking for His modern day Daniels to stand strong in His righteousness and Truth. That you and I by the spirit of God might be a witness to the world around us of a greater Kingdom and of a greater King."

The album's title refers to the Church, the people of God that make up his coming Kingdom and dwelling place in society here and now, pointing to the hope of the heavenly Jerusalem. LEELAND infuse beauty and truth into the culture through their new project, re-telling stories of old with sharp creative flair. They embody a priestly and innovative dynamic as "City of God" strikes the balance between a conceptual album and a trailblazing, congregational source of new songs for the Church of today.  

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