Sean Smith
Sean Smith is one of those people who manages to challenge you without even realizing it. When you come away from a conversation with him, there is the strange sense that you want to be a better person, to love God more, to put up a stronger fight against your own pride and sense of entitlement. Some would say it’s because Smith exhibits a genuine humility; Smith, on the other hand, would say it’s just God working in people’s hearts.
Just like the rest of us, Smith has played the game of tug-of-war with God. In 2005, he felt the call to full-time music. At that time he had a successful sales job and pursuing music seemed like a foolish thing to do, especially in light of supporting his wife and two young children. But God was persistent. “God has been so faithful throughout the entire process,” says Smith. “Even though we are heading into the unknown, because of His faithfulness in the past we can trust in the steps we take today and tomorrow.”
The songs on Smith’s debut album, REAL, tell a bit of that story. They’re songs of hope and faith and struggle. The second cut, “Called Because I Can”, speaks to the listener with words from the heart of God: Follow as you should / you weren’t called because you could / you were called because I can. And it’s just that type of lyric that illustrates the kind of man Smith is: he’s not flashy, not glitzy, there is nothing “rock star” about him—he’s just one man on a journey with God at the helm. He’s real. “You can’t help but be different after being exposed to the reality of our Heavenly Father,” says Smith. “You will never truly know the real you until you know the real Him.”
One of the paradoxes about Smith is that he views his career with such casual gravity. He realizes what a small role he plays in what God is doing, yet it’s easy for anyone to see that God is doing remarkable things. For instance, he’s an independent recording artist whose national debut release somehow managed to land the top-spot as LifeWay’s first #1 New Music Release of 2007, ahead of all the label artists whose songs play on every Christian radio station across America. This year, he’s been nominated for three Independent Christian Music Momentum Awards: Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Inspirational Artist of the Year. In 2006 he took home four Momentum awards, including Album of the Year for Real. That’s no small feat.
REAL was produced by Multi-Grammy/Dove award winner Phil Naish (Stephen Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace, Michael Card, David Phelps, Steve Green). “It was a joy working with Sean on this project,” says Naish. “Each song will impact the listener. Some will challenge you in your own Christian walk while others will touch your heart with extremely emotional stories from Sean’s life. REAL has a song and story for everyone.” Smith wrote or co-wrote nine of the 10 songs. Six of the songs were co-written with Naish and Lowell Alexander (Amy Grant, Point of Grace, 4 Him, Sandy Patti). For many years, Smith had dreamed of working with Naish, his favorite producer. One night after a concert, a woman approached Smith and said she felt the Lord directing her to contact a friend of hers about working with him. That friend was Phil Naish. “Looking back on how everything has come together, I’m humbled by the fact that Phil and Lowell have taken me under their wing. It’s such a ‘no doubt about it’ God story. Opportunities like this don’t just happen. The only reaction that makes sense is to look up and say, ‘Thank You!’”
It’s obvious that God’s hand is opening doors for Smith in the music industry. And Smith is a rarity in that world—an artist that feels more familiar than famous, no matter how many albums he sells or how many awards he wins. Thankfully, we serve a God who beat Smith at that game of tug-of-war… our ears and our hearts are all the better for it.
Smith will actually tell you that his ministry really has little to do with music. “Music is just the vehicle God has given me to communicate His truth. I want that truth to connect with people in a real way,” says Smith, “a way that is life changing.” |
