'We want to love people well': Grammy-nominated group We The Kingdom on fostering unity
For Grammy-nominated multigenerational family band We The Kingdom, music is all about community and uniting people together at a particularly polarized time in history.
In an interview with The Christian Post, the band, consisting of music veteran brothers Ed Cash and Scott Cash, Ed's daughter Frannie, his son Martin, and their friend Andrew Bergthold, revealed that they believe their calling is to “love others well” through music.
“Community is such a part of our heart; we started out at a Young Life camp in Atlanta, and since then, we’ve always tried to go places around the Earth and serve others to the best of our ability,” Martin said.
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“We want to love people well and figure out how we can bring other people alongside us during this time of chaos and division," he added. "I think it's so important for the Church and for music to unite people and bring them together. I see a lot of people around us taking up arms and answering that call, so I'm really hopeful. We're excited to be a small part of it.”
The band’s rise to success has been nothing short of remarkable. Formed in 2018, We The Kingdom’s eight-week chart-topper, “Holy Water,” earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song,” and their debut full-length album, Holy Water, received a nod for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.”
The band told CP that they never expected the song “Holy Water,” written somewhat haphazardly, to find such success.
“We really procrastinated while writing the song, and I personally remember feeling like, ‘Wow, this song is pretty good and it’ll make the record,” Martin recalled. “But I never expected the nomination. It’s a song that's grown on us the more we’ve played it and the more people have responded to it. It's kind of fun, just like unwrapping gifts, seeing just a little bit more of each side of the song as time passes. It’s the idea that forgiveness is a messy process, but it's also an exciting one and one to be celebrated.”
Upon its release earlier this year, Holy Water landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart. Their second single, “God So Loved,” also reached the summit of Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart. They also recently collaborated with Chris Tomlin for the holiday song “Christmas Day.”
“Our sound is the combination of three different decades and five different tastes of music,” Martin said. “We all respect each other’s taste and really enjoy blending those together, and of course we love collaborating with other artists."
The band, which earned the prestigious title of New Artist of the Year at the 51st annual GMA Dove Awards, also has a deluxe album coming out in 2021.
Bergthold told CP that the band enjoys writing songs that "speak to different seasons of life and emotion, from the joy of forgiveness to the absolute sorrow of sin."
“On our album, I think we naturally told the story of the last few years of our lives together and the healing processes we’ve all been through,” he said. “It’s really cool to be on the other side and see how our songs connect with people because so many others have weathered the same kind of storms.”
Like other artists, We The Kingdom has faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. In March, they embarked on their first big concert tour, opening for CCM artist Zach Williams. But when the pandemic hit just a week later, the rest of the two-month tour was postponed.
“There was definitely a bit of disappointment,” Martin admitted. “We weren’t really able to experience our songs with people. But at the same time, it was for us to have some downtime and perfect our music. We’ve really appreciated the support of radio; we've heard so many stories about how our songs have impacted people and helped them this year."
"So there have been ups and downs, but we’re definitely hoping to get back on the road soon," he added.
To others experiencing setbacks or discouragement, Frannie offered the reminder that “God is in control,” regardless of what the new year presents.
“He is here and He is doing something,” she said. “Our hope is in the fact that Jesus is coming, and we're going get to be with Him one day. In the meantime, let’s just trust Him and lean into that promise that He's given us.”
“I love the Scripture that says that ‘all the promises of God are yes and Amen,’” she continued. “We know that one day we'll see all those promises fulfilled.”
