Martin Smith looks back over 17 years with Delirious?

|PIC1|CT: You did your last concert back in November. Was it sad saying goodbye to all your fans?
MS: It was very sad actually, sad and happy at the same. We have been together 17 years and it was very emotional for us all.

CT: What are you all planning to do right now?
MS: Tim (Jupp, keyboardist) has started a Big Church Day Out, which will be exciting, and two of the other guys started a band called One Sonic Society. I’m just going to kick back at home. I’ve got a studio here and I’m just going to create a bit and have a new season of just being at home.

CT: Why did you decide to end Delirious? after 17 years. Was it just to spend more time with the family?
MS: Yes, you just get a sense that it’s time, it’s really time to end something.

CT: Do you still see each other?
MS: Yes, we still go to the same church. We will spend Christmas together too so that’s great. It’s amazing that we have come across the finish line in one piece together.

CT: Going back to the beginning, how long have you been into Christian music?
MS: I suppose when I was a kid, learning guitar when I was 12, this was something that was going to be a part of me.

CT: Did you ever expect to come this far, like touring the world?
MS: No we didn’t believe that, but it is amazing that God gave us a chance to do that.

|PIC1|CT: It must have been a blessing to do that.
MS: Yes, it has been amazing and to know that the music has touched a lot of people is very humbling.

CT: So what was your deepest experience with God when making music?
MS: I think just playing in Asia and South America, seeing a lot of passion, seeing God really powerfully break into people’s lives, from a girl getting out of a wheelchair, to people's eyes opening, to people believing that they can be history makers. It has just been amazing.

CT: Has anyone come to you and saying how your music saved their lives?
MS: Yes, it’s remarkable how it happens. We had this amazing letter when we played with Bonjovi. This is a few years ago and someone came along and saw Bonjovi play and saw us come on before and found out we are Christians. They really enjoyed it, went on a website, talked to one of her friends at school about it and found out a little bit more, started going to church, and they wrote to us to say they had been baptised. And I think that’s an extraordinary story really that music can do that.

CT: What was the best experience for you as a band and as a person?
MS: I think when we played in India, we played one night where there were 400, 000 people. It was quite amazing and we got lots of children who were from a local slum to sing with us and that was beautiful. It was amazing to see people from different culture and ages and classes come together to sing. That was amazing and will always stick with me. I think India has a very special place in our heart.

CT: What is your favourite verse in the Bible?
MS: I think for me Psalm 24. It says: "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? ... He who has clean hands and a pure heart." I think we should always try to do the best we can.

CT: How hard was it spanning 17 years. Were there any difficulties?
MS: Yeah there have always been bumps in the road, there have always been difficult times. We’ve known that God has been in the middle of it all and we have been committed to it and we have managed to cross the finish line and we are very happy about that.

CT: Was there a moment when you felt you came closer to God through making music?
MS: I think it’s been a gradual thing, the older you get the more you become more appreciative of God’s grace and that has been a journey.

CT: Any future projects for next year?
MS: It will be songwriting for people, I’d like to get involved with some younger bands and artists, but just mostly resting. I have been given permission to do that and just sort of kick back and find out what the next job is.