Introducing Nick J Drake

Survivor Records have introduced a new signing to the family – Nick J Drake, worship pastor at St Paul’s, Hammersmith. As his new album – the excellent All For Christ – shows, Nick has a unique talent for drawing people in, for creating space and for getting out of the way to allow God in.

With his background in theology (a degree from Durham and an MA from King’s College, London), Nick comes to the table with a different set of credentials to most worship leaders. But does that make his songs read like a phd thesis?

“No. Worship has to be accessible – I learnt that from the year I spent at Trent Vineyard, Nottingham,” explains Nick. “But the content matters, and I want to take people on a journey into a deeper experience.”

It’s a theme that is familiar to all in his church – where Anglican tradition and charismatic worship sit side by side – and the album (produced by brothers Matt and Dan Weeks) scores big on space.

“That’s the sound of the album: organic – piano, drums – stripped back, simple, something that lets the music and instruments speak. Rather than turn out an iPod playlist of worship tracks we’re trying to take people somewhere. We wanted it to work as a journey, something that starts with an invite to worship and that then moves into a more reflective world. At the end we arrive at the destination: a beautiful old hymn that’s been re-worked.”

That first song and title track calls for complete surrender and is inspired by the classic ‘All For Jesus I Surrender’, Nick’s opener has all the hooks and musical topography to reach as high as any, while ‘His Name Shall Be honoured’ shares the sense of the whole congregation singing in unison.

“’Have Mercy On Me’ is a really personal worship song,” says Nick. “It’s based on the repentance of Psalm 51, but with a twist. It’s not all downbeat tones and introspection – the chorus becomes this really bold declaration.”

This album will released through Kingsway 15th March 2010