Transforming Today's World Magazine - JAN 2014 Special Edition Vol 5 Issue 3 | Page 29

and I’d give you living water.’ She’s like, ‘what kind of water is this
that you’re speaking of?’ In other words, I’ve got my water that I’m
talking about. You’ve got your water you’re talking about.
We’re talking about two different
things, and he says to her, ‘well, if
you drink the water I have you’ll
never thirst again.’
Like Casting Crown’s previous
albums, “Come to the Well”
is filled with songs that both
challenge and encourage believers
in their walk. The lead single
‘Courageous,’ is showcased in
the Sherwood Pictures film of
the same title. The powerful
lyrics exhort men to lead bold,
uncompromising lives for the
Lord. “About four or five years
ago, I read a book called ‘Raising
A Modern Day Knight’ by
Robert Lewis, and it’s all about
manhood,” says Hall.

songs Hall ever wrote, and has long been one of his father’s favorites.
The song has a blue-grassy flavor unlike anything Casting Crowns has
ever done. On the other end of the musical spectrum, ‘My Own Worst
Enemy’ is an all-out rocker
about not falling back into past
behavior.

“When I look around I see people who are passionate
about the things that don’t matter and passive about
the things that matter most. We’re like followers instead of leaders. Somewhere along the line the warriors
have become watchers. I started challenging guys in
my youth group and now I’ve got high school guys
who are discipling the middle school guys once a week
because they are realizing there needs to be more to me
than just weight lifting.”

“When I look around I see people who are passionate about the
things that don’t matter and passive about the things that matter most.
We’re like followers instead of leaders. Somewhere along the line
the warriors have become watchers. I started challenging guys in my
youth group and now I’ve got high school guys who are discipling
the middle school guys once a week because they are realizing there
needs to be more to me than just weight lifting.” ‘Jesus, Friend of
Sinners’ urges open-hearted compassion while ‘Already There’ is a
potent treatise on God’s faithfulness. ‘Spirit Wind’ is one of the first

‘Come to the Well’ was
produced by Mark A. Miller,
who has produced the band
since they signed with his
Beach Street Records imprint
in 2003. “He is so awesome to
work with,” says Hall. “We just
start putting it together and he’s
really easy going. There’s never
any pressure.”

Hall, who has won two
‘Songwriter of the Year’ GMA
Dove Awards, collaborated with
some old friends in writing for
the new record, and also made
some new ones. He and Steven Curtis Chapman penned ‘So Far to
Find You’ about Mark’s adopted daughter Hope.
He co-wrote ‘Angel’ with writer/producer Bernie Herms and Matthew
West. The song is a beautiful tribute to Hall’s wife of 21 years,
Melanie. Hall co-wrote several songs, including the title track, with
Matthew West. “When I write a song, I story-board it,” Hall says,
explaining his creative process. “I like to put the chorus in a certain
place then move the things I want to say around the song layout.
Matthew West has always been a good buddy of mine so, I just called
him up and I said, ‘Dude, I am in the middle of this and everything in
the world is going on at Church and I have nine songs that are only
half done, will you sit down with me and help me get them out?’ So
that was when we started writing them out. It went really well.”
Hall also wrote for the first time with Tom Douglas, an awardwinning country songwriter who has penned numerous hits,
including Miranda Lambert’s ‘The House That Built Me’, Tim
McGraw’s ‘Grown Men Don’t Cry’, and Lady Antebellum’s
‘I Run to You’. Hall was working on ‘Just Another Birthday’
and was looking to get another writer’s input. Miller offered
to introduce him to Douglas. “He said, ‘Tom lives across the
street from me so why don’t you get with him,’” Hall says.

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