We The Kingdom Reflects On Success of ‘Holy Water,’ GRAMMY Nominations & More

Contemporary Christian/Country band We The Kingdom just released a deluxe edition of their GRAMMY-nominated debut album, Holy Water.

Available now, the new release features 20 songs, including alternate versions of fan-favorite tracks as well as a brand new song called “Take Me On A Ride.” 

To celebrate the release and the group’s two recent GRAMMY nominations, we caught up with We The Kingdom to chat about their success, milestone moments and what 2021 has in store. Check out our Q&A below. 

Congratulations on your two GRAMMY nominations! Where were you when you heard the news?

Franni: I was just at home, I live on a little farm in Franklin and our manager just gave me a call. I was super surprised because it wasn’t something we were anticipating at all. So many artists released so many incredible records this year and we were just blown away that we were considered.

When you released your debut single “Holy Water” in 2019 did you ever anticipate this level of success?

Andrew: No, not at all. I think the beautiful thing about working with these guys and how I see it is we just love music. We love creating together and that is where our true joy is found. We appreciate the connection that people feel with our music, but the true joy is when I look around at everybody around me appreciating the music we’ve made together. We were just so honored that people felt that connection with the song. It’s a beautiful thing.

When you decided to start recording the album Holy Water how did you decide which songs would make the cut?

Scott: It was really hard. I mean I think we had written at least 50 to 70 pieces. We spent a lot of time talking through which songs best tell the story of the last several years of our lives. And those were the songs we wanted to make the record. And so I think the twelve songs are almost like twelve chapters in a book that tell a continuous story and it’s been so special to share those stories.

In a career of many impressive milestones, which three moments stand out to you the most?

Andrew: One of them would definitely be the first song we ever wrote together. We wrote it at a Young Life Camp, which is a summer camp for high schoolers. That was just a magical moment for us and where we felt led to form the band. Another great experience was touring and just spending time together in the car crammed in there with instruments driving down this road. But I think for me, the first time that we heard the final master of “Holy Water” was the best. We were checking the vocal harmony to make sure that they all blended well and that they were in-line timing wise that we selected the drum beat and the vocals, but it just hit me in a really powerful way. I just remember thinking, oh my gosh this feels really special. And I think we were all kind of giddy about the release. There are so many more milestones, but I think those are the milestones that first came to mind.

What impact did 2020 have on your music and relationships with each other and your fans?

Franni: That’s a great question. I think that releasing our debut record, listeners really got a taste of our music. Just sharing the love that we poured into this album, especially during the pandemic was so special because during a time of isolation, we could still feel that togetherness with listeners. We decided at the very beginning of forming the band that we want to do everything we can to make sure that we’re being proactive. We have good times where we just sit down together and ask, Hey what’s going on what’s going on in your heart? As a family, having that openness is so refreshing and inspirational. We hope that our listeners can feel the love in our songs as well. I mean we have been in the trenches together this year, it’s been hard for sure. But especially during the difficult year that was 2020, we wanted to use our joys and our pain to just make more music and connect with people because we’re all very personal people and we love building those relationships.

As we move into 2021, what goals do you hope to accomplish as a band?

Honestly, our goals are to hopefully get out and play a few shows if possible. We’re definitely going to be writing and crafting more music together as well. So with a new year brings lots of opportunities to grow and learn from one another.