From Brit rock to bluegrass: new music from Josh White

BEC Recordings introduces the organic worship album, Achor, from Josh White.

The former lead singer of rock band Telecast is now a church planter and worship leader in Portland, Oregon, and set to offer fans his own unique collection of folk/bluegrass worship.

This week listeners can hear the fresh sounds the album in full at HearItFirst.com and JesusFreakHideout.com.

You can also get a free download for “You Amaze Me” here - a track for a tweet. The album releases on November 9th on BEC Recordings.

White’s church is located in the Hawthorne District of Southeast Portland, a Bohemian part of town, known more for its hippies and hipsters than churches.

“I met my wife Darcy in this neighborhood 14 years ago,” recounts White. “We know the culture and the people, which in turn fuels the heart and vision of the church: to preach the gospel to some of the most unchurched people in the country.”

The songs on Achor are the songs of White’s church, Door of Hope, and are used in its worship services. The meaning behind both the church name and the album title come from Hosea 2:15. The valley of Achor is the valley of trouble; so named after Achan’s sin was discovered and judged in the days of Joshua. The prophet Hosea proclaimed that the God’s restoration would transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope.

“Where I did the Brit rock sound with Telecast, these songs reflect the acoustic, folk music of Hawthorne. It’s a mix of folk and bluegrass in worship, almost like a Jesus Movement folk worship revival,” says White.

Produced by Sebastian Rogers, Achor took White down a new path of album recording. The freshness of recording reflects the content of the songs, which seek an intimate, new relationship with Christ. Josh White wants to see people come alive in Christ and believes Achor is but one piece contributing to this awakening.

“There is a prophetic element to worship; it is necessary and powerful. Hearts open through music, stirring emotions and inserting a message into hearts. These songs come out of what we’re experiencing at Door of Hope; they are part of a movement to turn this city upside down.”