The "My Jesus" singer talks of overcoming tragedy with faith and music.

Dan MacIntosh (Songfacts): A lot of times, your songs seem to be speaking directly to skeptics of Christianity, who may not know about Jesus and might not understand what God can do. Is that something that goes through the back of your mind when you write some of your songs?

Anne Wilson: Yeah, absolutely. I know that every time I release a song, it's going to reach people that don't know God. Especially that more and more as I'm singing songs that sound country but have the lyrical content of a Christian song. These songs have a lot of potential to reach people that maybe don't even know Christian music and that haven't heard of the name of Jesus.

I just love to give people an encouraging message through songs that glorify the Lord and that help people believe and come to Jesus. So, that's definitely a passion of mine. I think it's really cool how music is really powerful, and it was created by God and it's something we can all have. Even people that don't know the Lord obviously experience music on a very deep level. To be able to write songs that hopefully encourage other people that don't know the Lord, is something that I love to do.

Songfacts: The song "My Jesus" has really taken off. I imagine you have heard stories from people where it really resonated with them. Are there any examples that come to mind as far as the reaction that you've gotten from people to that song?

Wilson: Yeah, I've had a lot of really incredible responses to that song. The ones that stand out are really stories of people saying they lost a loved one years ago, and that they turned away from the Lord and that they resented God. They were angry at Him, and when this song came out, they all of a sudden let go of their anger towards the Lord.

I think there's something really hard about losing a loved one. I lost my brother in a car accident, and that's how that song came about. When you lose a loved one, you have to learn how to trust God. This song, "My Jesus," is encouraging people to do that. It's just a really powerful thing for me.

Songfacts: The death of your brother inspired the song? Was he older or younger?

Wilson: He was older. He was 23. He had a car accident in 2017. It was so tragic. He was my best friend. That's actually how I started singing and how I got into music and that's why I wrote the song "My Jesus."

Songfacts: You mentioned country music and Christian music. When I hear you sing, I hear a lot of R&B and sort of a bluesy influence, which I like because so much of what is labeled Christian music is kind of vanilla, musically. It doesn't have a lot of soul to it. Who are some of your musical influences?

Wilson: I really love Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Those are the two artists, growing up, that were really important for me and have been really incredible influences – music-wise and lyrical-wise. They're just really incredible artists that I have always looked up to. I grew up listening to Christian music, but I also grew up on country music, so a lot of my songs have country influences. I like to pull from old lyrics by Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton and love to learn from them.

Songfacts: Do you ever cover any of their songs in concert?

Wilson: I do, actually. I'll sometimes do "Ain't No Grave" by Johnny Cash. And that's always a fun one to do.

Songfacts: Are there songs on the My Jesus album that you particularly like, and are there some that you may be releasing to country radio?

Wilson: I love the album so much! We've been working on it for two and a half years, writing over 130 songs for it. I spent a lot of time on this record, perfecting it and getting it exactly where I want it to be and also having to choose among 130 songs and narrowing it down to the 14 songs I want to release to the world. I spent a lot of time in prayer, "Lord, just show me, just reveal to me what 14 songs you want me to release," and these 14 that are coming are really the ones that He wants. These songs are really special to me. I love these songs. I love the heart behind them.

These songs have a lot of country bounce to them. We're not really sure on the country and if we're going to push it to country. But there is a song, specifically, that features Hillary Scott (of Lady A) called "Mamas." It's an incredible song and I'm so excited for everyone to hear it. That might reach the country audience because she's on the song. And I pray people would experience Jesus through listening to that song, and then eventually find the rest of my record and find more of Jesus there.

Songfacts: You said that you needed to narrow down a lot of songs. Are these mostly songs that you've written or songs that were pitched to you?

Wilson: I've never really had a song pitched to me that I've taken. I really think it's important that I'm a part of the song. A part of the writing process. There's never really been a song that I thought was mine. All of these 130 songs were written by me with other people and had cowrites for all of them. That's why it was two and a half years of writing working on this record to pick those 14 songs.

Songfacts: How far does that go back? Do some of these go back for years?

Wilson: Most of them were not written recently. Most of the songs were written pretty much at the end of 2019, up until November of 2021. So, a lot of the original songs from 2019 are not on this record but will probably be on the next one.

Songfacts: You must be a busy woman. Do you write every day?

Wilson: Right now, I'm on the road with Zach Williams, so I've been on the road full time pretty much since January, but I'll start writing again this summer for the next record. But I've taken a break from writing for this tour to allow myself to experience life on the road and get more ideas for songwriting.

Songfacts: Can you talk me through the process of writing songs?

Wilson: I like to start out with a song concept or song title idea, so that involves me spending time alone with the Lord. Normally we build the track around that concept. We start out with a melody, then add lyrics to it.

Songfacts: It doesn't sound like you have any issues with writer's block. Do you just feel like songs are constantly coming out of you?

Wilson: Honestly, not really. I love songwriting, but it's not something I get super excited over. I'm not one of those songwriters where songs just come out. For me, it's like actually something where you kind of have to work for a song. These 130 songs, they weren't all written in one day. Some went over a couple of days. I think it's an important process for me to learn how to write well and how to write frequently. And how to let concepts come into my mind and get them out in a song.

Songfacts: You mentioned that "My Jesus" was inspired by the untimely death of your brother. Are there any other songs on the album inspired by specific events?

Wilson: Every song has a different story behind it. Every song was written out of a real vulnerable place in my life where I had to walk through something difficult. There's a song called "Devil" that came out in April 2021 that's gonna be on the record. That song is really just an important reminder that the Lord brought life to us and death to the Devil, and we can stand firm knowing that the enemy has no hold over us.

That's a special song for me, and there's a song called "Closer To God" that's one of my favorite songs I have ever been a part of. It really speaks to the heart of what it looks like to grow closer to God in a season of really hard time. Like losing my brother. Different really hard seasons that I've been through. How to stand firm and just cling to God and just grow closer to him when you face trials and tribulations. So that's probably the song on the record I'm most excited for people to hear.

Songfacts: You mentioned Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Were there any contemporary Christian artists that had an impact on your development as an artist?

Wilson: I've always really loved Matthew West. Just the way he runs his ministry and his heart for the Lord. I've always loved that and found it very inspiring. I love Lauren Daigle. I love Casting Crowns. I love King & Country. There's just so many artists that I love.

Songfacts: When I listen to "Sunday Sermons," it reminds me of when I went to church growing up. My parents made me go, so I found myself sometimes daydreaming during the service. However, I'm thankful for all the good information I received. Is that a little how you were brought up?

Wilson: I grew up in church, but I did not know the Lord at all. I was not someone who was excited to go to church. Honestly, I would count the minutes until we would leave. I didn't want to be there. I just didn't know the Lord.

That's really what the whole concept is about. Growing up in church, but not knowing the Lord until much later in life but having those Sunday sermons to look back on. And I remember having a moment after I became a Christian and reflecting and realizing that God didn't waste those Sunday sermons and those church services, but He was planting seeds in me to really have a firm foundation and relationship with Him. So, that's really where the inspiration came from.

Songfacts: Did you sing in church?

Wilson: I actually didn't start singing until my brother passed away in a car accident. I grew up not really having any interest in being an artist. I didn't sing in front of people. I didn't sing at all, and it wasn't until my brother passed away and I actually sang at his funeral for the first time in front of anyone. My parents had never heard me sing. My sister had never heard me sing. So, that's a really big part of the story of how the Lord did a miracle in my life with my music. I started singing in church in the summer of 2017 after he passed away, and then just started getting involved a little bit in being an artist and singing. As the years went by, that's how I signed my record deal with Capitol Records and started to get plugged into Nashville and started to do music full time.

Songfacts: Well, then, that begs the question: What did you want to do when you grew up?

Wilson: I wanted to be an astronaut and work for NASA. Pretty seriously, actually. I met with NASA, and we talked about what it would look like to be an astronaut and what the path would be like. I always grew up loving space and loving the stars, so I really wanted to go to space and see it with my own eyes and experience all that.

Songfacts: Let's talk about the song "God Thing." Are there any examples where you have witnessed God things?

Wilson: There's a lot. The first one to come to mind is the fact that the Lord used the death of my brother to bring about my whole music career. I think getting the whole record deal was a God thing. Having the song "My Jesus" was a God thing. There are so many things in my music career that have been very evident that the Lord is in, and there's no other explanation.

Songfacts: What's the most unusual inspiration for a song that you can think of?

Wilson: Honestly, my songs just come from my journals. Sitting down at my brother's grave is one of my favorite places to find inspiration for a song. Some people might find that unusual, but it's where I go for inspiration for songs. At his grave, just spending time with him and the Lord. It's really that and my journals. Writing down life experiences and what the Lord is teaching me. It's all of those things. For the most part, people would find that unusual, sitting at a grave and finding inspiration there.

Songfacts: Was your brother musical or was anyone else in your family musical?

Wilson: No. My dad played piano and stuff like that and had that musical background. My mom wasn't musical. Jacob, me and my sister played piano. We all had piano lessons. But that was the extent of our musical ability until I started singing.

Songfacts: But I'll bet you're glad you did get those piano lessons because that's a good foundation for being a musician and a singer, right?

Wilson: Yes! Absolutely. It was very foundational.

Songfacts: So, let's say you're at a function where there's a piano, and someone says, "Anne, play something on the piano for us." What would you play?

Wilson: Honestly, I'd probably play a hymn. Probably "How Great Thou Art" or "Amazing Grace." Something like that. I love playing classical songs, as well. But I feel like a hymn would be my go-to for that.

Songfacts: Do you play piano on your recordings?

Wilson: I do not. I let the professionals do that. I play piano sometimes at shows. I play guitar at shows and stuff like that.

Songfacts: I imagine if you can play classical music, you're not just a novice. You do really know how to play.

Wilson: Yes, I do.

Songfacts: Are you the best player in your family among your siblings?

Wilson: I think my sister is a little bit more advanced because she took lessons a little bit longer than I did.

Songfacts: Do you play any other instruments?

Wilson: I play guitar. I've been playing guitar for about two years now.

Songfacts: Do you enjoy the musical side of things? Coming up with chords and melodies?

Wilson: I do. I love that. I think that's definitely where I can be the most creative.

April 19, 2022

Follow Anne Wilson on Instagram

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Matthew West
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Gary LeVox

Photos: Cameron Powell

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