Getting Reacquainted with Natalie Grant

by Ken W.

Getting Back To the Business

While in college, Grant on a whim auditioned for musical group Truth. To her own surprise, the group accepted her, and so a professional music career was born. Grant toured with the group for two years, then struck out on her own and headed to Nashville.

Natalie's solo debut CD was released in 1999, and it produced two singles. Now with a new record company and a new team helping on "Stronger," Natalie feels like a new artist. Not necessarily starting over, but starting new and fresh. Much has changed for Natalie since her debut, "I feel when I first started, obviously I had big dreams and big stars in my eyes and it's going to be so great to be a Christian singer and make a record and this is going to be cool. I think I hold it a little looser, because it is fleeting." Natalie also stated that she now takes her platform more seriously than before, "I really want to be able to offer something of substance that has a lasting value and impact in the kingdom of God."

Natalie's return comes at time when female vocalists are abundant. With all the new artists emerging one would worry about the evils of competition. Natalie says that her feelings are more about "comparing" and not "competing." Natalie goes on to explain, "I want to have the production of my music to be exceptionally current, but there is a difference between being current and being trendy." She also said, "I think there is so much work to be done as far as even getting people to further the Christian music industry because there are still so many people that still don't even understand what it's about, that I have to keep the perspective that there is a lot of work to be done and it cannot be done by just one. There are a lot of us that are needed." Natalie also believes that her audience is more family orientated and she is seeing more young girls interested in her music. "I think that young girls are attracted just to the whole idea of the singer and that sort of a thing. I hope that I can continue attract the age group that looks to me as a role model, which is a big responsibility. I think it is an important one, especially since I have a niece that is 11 years old and I see the things that are out there grabbing for her attention and distracting her. It scares me. Hopefully I can continue to be an example for those young girls."

"Stronger" is full of songs that are lyrically encouraging and vocally challenging. Natalie stands up to the studio production on stage by delivering the highs with ease. This time around, Natalie was more involved in the entire project. "I was a part of every aspect, even the production. I have been a part of every last detail: the string arrangement, the string sessions, and the live bands. It makes me feel so much more connected to the material."

Natalie wrote "Whenever You Need Somebody" as a song of encouragement for a close friend. Natalie explains, "What is amazing is a girlfriend of mine. She and her husband were facing just a lot of different fertility issues. She had had four miscarriages, she had been trying to have a baby for 9 years. So, my girlfriends and I formed a prayer group for her and we would meet once a week and just pray for her and just to try to stand in the gap for her because she was really struggling with this issue. This song just burst out of that time and I wrote it for her just as an encouragement and a reminder that is what the family of God is for to stand in the gap for one another when we are weak." Natalie performed "Whenever You Need Somebody" with the members of Plus One.

Natalie had this to say about Plus One, "I love those guys. I pray that they can continue keep a strong testimony in the midst of what they are doing. They are going places that I will never go."

Many of the songs have the potential to cross over to the secular market. Natalie affirms that she is who she is, "I preach and I share a lot from the word of God and so I am not ever going to change who I am to try to fit some cross-over mold." However, she believes that many doors have been opened for her. Natalie said, "I am just going to walk through those doors and be who God has called me to be and I know that he will take care of the rest."

I asked Natalie to describe "Stronger" in two or three sentences. To which she replied, "It is from 1Peter 5:10-12. It says 'The God of all grace after you have suffered a while, he will strengthen, perfect, establish and settle you.' I think that kind of sums up my experience over the past couple of years. What God has brought me to, even making this project and where we all are as Christians, what our future is regardless of what we face, difficulties of life, our future in Christ is that he is building in us a firm foundation and that's becoming steadfast and livable."

Finally, I asked Natalie if she had a prayer request and she sincerely responded, "Always pray that the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing to the Lord, because as we travel we are tired. I think that makes us more susceptible to the enemy and especially now, because we are traveling nonstop and we are very tired and those moments when we are awake is when the enemy attacks the strongest, and that we would continue to maintain our testimony on and off the stage in every aspect of our lives."

Follow along with Natalie by browsing www.nataliegrant.com, and look for her upcoming tour with Anointed and Newsong.