Sanctus Real frontman Matt Hammit is just as committed to writing songs that inspire faith now as he was when the band first got together 16 years ago.
As they get ready for the release of their sixth studio album, Run, next February, Matt and the rest of the band are looking forward to seeing how it will impact the people who hear the songs.
"We've devoted the better part of our lives writing songs that we pray will matter," says Matt.
"Hearing countless stories of how God has used 'Lead Me' to heal brokenness in families has been both humbling and inspiring."
The band's lead guitarist, Chris Rohman, has the same enthusiasm for putting God at the heart of the music they make.
"Making music for the sake of making music never made sense to us," he says.
"Our mission was so clear at the beginning it was almost unspoken. It has been so natural for us to create music that reflects a life lived through faith in God."
The life of a music band may seem glamorous but it has its share of difficulties and the lead-up to the release of Run has seen a few trying moments, like when their tour bus burned to the ground at the side of the highway during the summer.
For Pete Prevost, Sanctus Real's guitarist/keyboardist, problems along the way are par for the course.
"Every album something always comes up," he shares. "Even though the fire was awful, it didn't really surprise us. It's amazing how God has given us this ability to keep going nonetheless."
But the struggles are not something they shy away from. Rather, they let them inspire their music and give hope to others.
It is this attitude that inspired the track "Promises", which reassures the listener to reach to God even when it gets difficult to believe in what you cannot see.
Similarly, the song "Nothing Between" was written not long after the bus fire and has at its heart the faith that whatever God tries to teach us, His intent is always to show us where He wants us to be—closer to Him.
Staying close to God is also a theme of the song "Pray", a reminder to make time for prayer. "Prayer is something that a lot of people, including myself, struggle to prioritise," Hammitt says. "Our hope is that this song encourages people to cry out to God about what's going on in their lives and in the world."
Drummer Mark Graalman concludes, "I believe Run is our most cohesive record to date. It really feels like a natural progression front to back that leads the listener on a search for truth."
