Stories from around the world inspire Matthew West's next album

Thousands of stories from the U.S. and 20 countries around the world were the source of motivation for Matthew West's fourth album "The Story of Your Life".

The album is set to release on October 5 via Sparrow Records.

In follow-up to the Grammy nominee’s success with his hit single “Motions”, the well-known singer/songwriter turned to his fans via the web and radio for songwriting material for his new album.

He asked them to submit their stories of restoration, celebration, pain, hope and more. One thousand responded in the first two days alone, leading to the thousands that answered from across the world. He then spent two months in a cabin outside of Nashville, Tennessee, reading every story and then transforming them into songs for the record. The songs range from joyful stories about adoption and victories over cancer, to heart-breaking letters of abuse and broken homes.

“As stories began to pour in by the thousands, I quickly sensed that not only was something special taking place, but that my life was about to change,” explains West. “During those months, my eyes were opened to see the world outside my door like I had never witnessed before.”

To see a video about West making the record, visit visit www.youtube.com/watch

West serves as a trusted storyteller for the 11-track album which was produced by the renowned Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W Smith) and Pete Kipley (MercyMe, David Crowder*Band).

For example, the song “Family Tree” tackles the issue of generational baggage inspired by a girl’s story. From another letter about the joys of adoption, West wrote the song “One Less”. “Broken Girl” was taken from a story of abuse.

The first single, “My Own Little World”, which is at radio now and will hit digital retailers on August 17, is a powerful release as it sets the stage for the remaining tracks.

Already, the single is the most added song at AC this week with 38 total stations playing the song, as well as debuting at No. 28 on AC indicator and New & Active on the AC Monitor chart. The single premiered exclusively on West’s Facebook page late last week where around 25,000 people listened to the song in only 24 hours.

In regards to “My Own Little World”, West says, “I first walked into the cabin with my own little world being ‘population me’, but with each new story, God began to change all that. This is the song that talks about how these thousands of stories opened my eyes and my heart to see the world outside my door through the eyes of my savior, through the eyes of compassion.”

West will embark on “The Story of Your Life Tour” this fall with special guests Jonny Diaz and Josh Wilson in partnership with Operation Christmas Child.

West catapulted onto the Christian music scene in 2003 with his debut single, “More”, the most played Christian AC song of 2003. The multi-Dove Award nominee has since released three critically-acclaimed recordings, Happy (2003), History (2005) and Something to Say (2008).