Finally! Glory Revealed II: The Word of God in Worship, the follow-up to the multiple Dove Award-winning 2007 release Glory Revealed, is hitting the shelves today. The album was written and recorded during a week long artist retreat and features 21 different artists including project leader Mac Powell (Third Day), Brandon Heath, Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), Shane & Shane, and many more! The music itself is a fusion of grass roots, folk, and rock music blended with the incredible vocal talents of Christian music’s top talent. Every song on the album is a toe-tapping, sing-along-out-loud blast of soul music. My favorites include, “Wake Up Oh Sleeper” and “Cup O’ Salvation.” Reminiscent of the City on a Hill series, Glory Revealed is not only getting artists to work on collaborative projects, but raising the bar on worship music.
I fell in love with Off the Ground at first listen. The extraordinarily talented artist behind the album happens to be Damien DeRose better known by his moniker “Peasant”. Not only does Peasant hail from the great state of Pennsylvania, his song “Raise Today” was featured on the season premiere of one of my favorite television shows, “Bones.” Off the Ground (Paper Garden), his sophomore offering to the world of acoustic folk, lulls listeners into a dream-like state of bliss. Simple, without being simplistic—I adore this beautifully mellow album. Naturally, I had to do a “Take 5” with Peasant, and he was kind enough to comply.
*Your birth name is Damien DeRose, but you go by the moniker “Peasant”—why is that?
It’s actually quite timely to be named Peasant these days, and it was something of a premonition. I really liked the lyric in John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero,” where he says “we’re all f**king peasant’s as far as I can see”, referencing the cycle of debt and other issues the common person deals with in our society. That said, it’s not just a socio-political assertion, I happen to believe that simple is beautiful, and I don’t really mind being a Peasant.
*You’ve been compared to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, famous for telling stories in their songs. What types of stories do your songs tell?
Well there are so many different kinds, the songs that are likened to other storytellers are usually about people, whether it’s a girlfriend, a friend who’s lost it all for some reason, a fake person who’s lost it all, you know, people make the best stories.
*”Raise Today” was feature on the season premiere of one my favorite shows, “Bones.” What‘s the background story on “Raise Today”?
The song was written when I was really examining myself and the person I was involved with at the time, I kind of got objective, which is difficult, but sometimes easy in music. The line “What is there missing from me, that I see in you?” describes the overall tone of the song I guess, and it’s about loving and losing people, and how it just happens as we grow, to be simple.
*Tell me about a special song from your latest album, “On the Ground.” (Come on, I know that every artist has one or two songs that are particularly special!)
Well, they are all special to me, not to be cheesy, but they really are, although you are right, at least for me, some songs are NOT as special to me. But my favorite at the moment would be “Birds.” Look for that sound in the future to be more what I’ll be doing. The song itself is a reference to a poem a friend of mine wrote me. She referred to me as a bird who should keep singing, and she was lonely and sad, so I wrote her that song about birds (and more!)
*You and I both hail from the state of Pennsylvania, which automatically makes it the best state of all. Why do you think that everyone should come visit your home state?
Ed Rendell says we have our own Grand Canyon. However, I think Pennsylvania is a truly diverse place, from Amish people to city folk, and it’s always done me well. Also, the greatest team in baseball–the Phillies–are from PA. What’s not to like?
"Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers." Isaac Asimov
Under the Hood
All About Amy
Amy Sondova is a writer specializing in media writing, including interviews and reviews, as well as blogging. Having interviewed over a gazillion of the top musicians, writers, and speakers in the Christian media, Amy has also written countless columns, reviews, and articles on various topics including mental illness, self-injury, working with teenagers, and Christianity. She is currently very involved with her church and her new passion, women's ministry. She lives with BFF Sarah and has a shih tzu named Maddy and a cockatiel named Kylie.
Finally! Glory Revealed II: The Word of God in Worship, the follow-up to the multiple Dove Award-winning 2007 release Glory Revealed, is hitting the shelves today. The album was written and recorded during a week long artist retreat and features 21 different artists including project leader Mac Powell (Third Day), Brandon Heath, Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), Shane & Shane, and many more! The music itself is a fusion of grass roots, folk, and rock music blended with the incredible vocal talents of Christian music’s top talent. Every song on the album is a toe-tapping, sing-along-out-loud blast of soul music. My favorites include, “Wake Up Oh Sleeper” and “Cup O’ Salvation.” Reminiscent of the City on a Hill series, Glory Revealed is not only getting artists to work on collaborative projects, but raising the bar on worship music.
HONK YER HORN