Jimmy Needham Speaks
08-23-2006
by Brenten Gilbert

With his new album, Speak, independent phenom Jimmy Needham joins the ranks at Inpop Records and offers a challenge to listeners, encouraging to boldly share their faith with others.

CMCentral.com caught up with this young artist and discussed the new album, signing to a label and much more. Below is the transcript from that conversation.

CMCentral.com (brenten gilbert): How did you end up getting signed with Inpop?

Jimmy Needham: It was actually a very neat, very Lord-lead thing. I had an acquaintance who happened to be a street-teamer for Inpop [Records] - I don't even think he really even knew it. He was like, "Yeah, Inpop called me. I'm on their street team." I was like, "Really?"

(laughs)

Inpop was putting out feelers. They went to ten major cities in the US and asked their teamers who were the artists that people were talking about and getting excited about? I think my name came up several times to one of the employees at Inpop and my buddy, the street teamer, put in a good word for me. So they actually looked at my MySpace, listened to the songs and I think that is how Dale, the president, got wind of it. I don't think the promo packet even got to them before they were interested in coming down. I was driving down the road and I get a call from my producer saying that he had gotten a call from the president of Inpop Records. I'm swerving all over the place, I don't know what's happening.

(laughs)

So the president came down to Houston and we talked and developed a relationship. One of my biggest fears about signing was that they are going to change my music style and they are going to change my ministry. I wanted to find a label that was alright with what I do ministry-wise and alright with what I do music-wise. It was cool to talk to them because they were like whatever you want to do in your music you go ahead and do it and we will support your ministry as well. That's exactly what I wanted. I signed on board and started getting a new album ready.

So how different is the new album going to be then the one you just released independently?

Well, [Speak] is like a pseudo-release. It's kind of like half re-release and half fresh [material]. We beefed them up the songs from the previous album called For Freedom. We brought in a real string section now that we actually have a budget, took off three of the old tracks and added three new tunes and the title of this album is Speak. I think it is far enough removed from the summer project that it deserves a new name. It's very fresh. I'm really proud of it in a not boastful way. I think the Lord is really going to use it. It's been cool to do for sure.

You mentoned your ministry. . . what is it that you do?

You teach with your lyrics or in between the songs?

With the lyrics, but in between the songs, too. I feel like if you come to a show and you don't walk away encouraged or challenged then I haven't done my job. I'll sit down to write a song and a lot of times, even though I'd really like to write a worship song, it comes out as a song to you or a lost person or something different. It's directed horizontally, but it's about the Lord. For example, I have a song called "Fence Riders." The content of [the song] is another challenge to people who have one foot in the world and one foot in heaven, thinking that it's all right. It's kind of like a call to them to wake up from their slumber by really planting their feet in the Lord's camp.

So what advice would you give to somebody who maybe wants to get involved with an evangelistic outreach like yours, but don't feel comfortable about it?

I'd say that the two most helpful things I've learned are that I need to have an eternal perspective and share the Biblical Gospel. By eternal perspective, I mean when we really start seeing things in the light of eternity and consider Heaven and Hell. If Heaven and Hell are real places - especially Hell - and we know even one person who doesn't know the Lord, that alone should really stir in us a desire to [witness]. In eternity, this is like a blip, but what we do here matters so much. That eternal perspective and my love for the Lord is what gives me an gumption to go. And the Biblical Gospel. . . In a sense, I think a lot of times we like to share a "Gospel" that makes you feel good. We like to say, "come to Jesus because He's going to improve your life." But the Bible explicitly states that anyone who desires to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. So how can I promise you that if you come to Jesus, you're just going to feel like a million bucks when Paul got his head lopped off and Peter was crucified upside down. I can't promise it. But what I can promise is that man is depraved. We are depraved and Jesus has come to set us free so that when we die, I get to stand before God and not have to perish in Hell. And that is something that people will cling to. If I promise something that they can't hold on to. . . Maybe that is why we have so many backsliding Christians, because they are being promised something that doesn't happen. But if you promise them the truth, that when you walk off of this planet, you will be with the Lord forever and fellowship with other believers, they can hold onto that. When persecution comes, that [will be] their hope.

That's cool. So what has been the biggest transition in all of this? Obviously splitting time between TX and recording out here is rough, right?

Right. I think it's been interesting to find the balance between school and music right now and to kind of put the icing on the cake I just recently got engaged.

Congratulations!

Thank you. But now, how do I maintain a decent GPA, tour places to play shows, have a functioning engagement and have a functioning marriage in August. That's a tough transition. I'm kind of looking at it coming up on the horizon. It'll be interesting to see how the Lord allows me to balance those three. But I know this, 2 Corinthians 9:8, I'll paraphrase, whatever the Lord calls you to do He'll give you grace. I know that He's called me to all three, so I'm not going to be afraid.

That's awesome. What are you going to college for? What's your major?

What AM I going to college for?

(laughs)

I'm a history major with a philosophy minor. History and philosophy have always been interesting to me. Obviously neither of them have anything to do with music, but I think they help me in my song writing a little bit. I basically went into college not wanting to be a musician but also not wanting to be a history teacher. I went into college with the mindset that I'm going to study what I enjoy studying and not what is going to get me a job. So, I just studied history. I don't plan on teaching it and I don't really plan on ever talking about it much, but for me it's something that I enjoy cracking a book open [and studying]. There is a lot of stuff that my school offers in the medical field and in the engineering field that I could do but I wouldn't enjoy and that would be a wasted four years in my mind.

It's tough to kind of sort through all the gifts and interests that you have and figure out which ones you really should focus on.

Exactly. I think the test to that is saying, "Lord, I'm going to take a step in one direction. You are either going to open or close the door." When I took a step in the music direction the Lord blew the doors open and that is how I knew that is what the Lord has for me. Most people have to figure that out.

Eventually, we all have to figure it out sometime. So how about a fun question?

How about one?

If you were an insect. . .

Oh man, I'm so much worse at these than the other ones. . .

If you were an insect what type of insect would that be and why?

That's easy. I saw a show on television that was talking about beetles. I would be a beetle. I don't know if you know this or not, but insects are way stronger than us. What they can carry versus what they weigh is unbelievable. This beetle was carrying something like 100 times it's weight on his back. Like, how could you even move with that much weight on your back? But it was walking on its little beetle treadmill with no problems. If I could do that, I think I'd be the coolest thing around, no doubt.

In a sense, we do that with all of the "baggage" that we do carry.

Yeah, and that can be heavier sometimes, too.

Anything else you want to talk about or say to the readers?

I would just say that, if you are a Christian, continue to seek first the kingdom of God. Don't be ashamed of what you are learning in Him or what's happening with you in Christ. Be an example because you don't know how many days you have left. Speak is a real testament to that call. It's a unique opportunity for people to get motivated to go and be examples for Christ. JimmyNeedham.com is the website where you can find updates and things like that.