About "Station Wagon", parenthood, and a good seed for the next generations

Online interview with singer-songwriter Sara Groves

(Deutsche Übersetzung hier...)

Monica Seidler: Your INO-release "The Other Side of Something" and the new independent parents' project "Station Wagon" are both thoughtful and very experimental in sound - and yet so different: the first more pop-rock; the latter roots-folk. You covered songs written by Chris Eaton and Steve Hindalong as well as songs by folk singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis and John Gorka. Where do you position yourself as a musician? What are your influences?

Sara Groves: When I first started doing music Troy [her husband] and I were at lunch with a friend and mentor and I spent an hour trying to describe to him what we were doing. At the end of my very detailed definition, he basically told us to not define ourselves. He said the hardest thing anyone can do is to keep from being labeled, to stay open to new ideas and to avoid being categorized. I know I am not revolutionary in any way, but I love creativity, and good music. I hope that is the common thread in all the albums.

My mom loved Barbra Streisand, and my dad loved Bebe King and John Sousa. I was born the summer of the Jesus Movement, so I grew up with Christian music as it was developing into what it has become. Amy Grant, Second Chapter of Acts and Russ Taff were staples for me. In high school I started listening to much more general market music and fell in love with Sting, Peter Gabriel, Billy Joel and the Beatles. In college I found folk rock. The Indigo Girls were a huge influence on me in college. I thought - I want to write with that level of honesty, from a Christian worldview.

Monica: What does music mean in your life?

Sara: Music is an unspeakable gift. It is still a great mystery to me, but there is so much power in combining words and music to tell a story. I have heard a lot of sermons and read a lot of books, but the songwriter has spoken to me in the most profound way, "Hold me Jesus, I'm shaking like a leaf. You have been king of my glory, won't you be my Prince of Peace." - Rich Mullins.
Everyone has a release valve. For me it is writing music. It is my therapy, so if I'm not doing it, then I get very stressed. So I'll be doing this if people are listening or not.

Monica: The new album with songs about (your) children and about being parents has been in your mind for years. And you wrote some beautiful songs about your marriage as well ("Fly", "Roll to the Middle", "Undone"). How do you manage to be a successful singer-songwriter and a wife and mother of two? Has being a mother influenced your artistry?

Sara: Manage is a good word for it, because that is exactly what we are doing. We are trying to be good stewards of time, gifts, money, and responsibility. Troy and I have made good choices and we have made selfish choices, but we keep checking in with each other and with God to make sure we are giving our marriage and our kids the attention they need to be whole. Early on we felt like God was telling us that he would define 'normal' in our lives. Now I'm finding that is true for everyone. I can not look to the left or the right at what other people are doing, but I have to move ahead with what I feel fits our family. The best part of this life and career is that we are all doing it together. Home is not a place, it is US.

Monica: Why the title "Station Wagon"?

Sara: Well, Carolyn Arends did an album called The Parenthood Project... it is a great album with really fun songs, and the perfect title. It was hard to define this album because it has songs for moms, songs for kids, and lullabies at the end. Carolyn's title was perfect, but taken, so we spent months trying to think of a word or phrase that summed up parenthood. We were at a hotel somewhere when Troy suggested we put a station wagon on the front cover. That was it, the symbol of parenthood, a big automobile. Our producer Don Chaffer wrote the song Station wagon to tie the title in, and it couldn't be a more true, precious snapshot of family life. We are already getting pictures from families of their station wagons.

Monica: In "Generations" you sing, "Remind me of this with every decision, generations will reap what I sow. I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know." The beautiful new song "A lot like me" tells about being a mom with weaknesses and about the need of God's grace and help in upbringing your children. What do you want to sow for the next generation? And does this task frighten you sometimes?

Sara: Frightened is an understatement. When I had Kirby four and a half years ago it sent me into a faith crisis. I had to examine everything I was believing or not believing in light of this new pupil that would learn about life from me. He exposed my unbelief in so many ways, and pushed me into a deeper study of what I know as truth. It was a painful, wonderful process that continues right now.

If I leave Kirby and his generation with any thought I want it to be that the gospel transcends this world. It transcends politics, denominations, cultures, man made religion, all human systems. I want him to be a walking representative for the kingdom of God, as I want to be. I don't want him to be afraid, defensive, proud, arrogant, fighting for a cause, but losing his heart of love for people. God is telling an amazing, huge story, and it is easy to sell our souls for small sub-stories. These sub-stories can be good, but can cause us to miss out on the BIGness of what God is trying to get across to us. I want Kirby to see the BIGness of God. I want him to get Jesus and what that means to follow him.

Monica: Your favorite bible verse at the moment?

Sara: My life verse is Is 41:9&10, but the verse that is haunting me now is 2Peter 1:5-8: "...make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Monica: Can you tell me anything about your next project with INO Records?

Sara: We will be recording in June or July for a fall release. The themes are along the lines of what I would like to teach Kirby... this great story that God is telling, the message and meaning of Jesus Christ, and what that looks like in our daily lives. There are a lot of Christians talking about what is wrong with the world, all the problems "out there", but I think the kingdom starts 'in here'. The kingdom starts when I speak respectfully to my husband, and build up my kids. Mother Teresa told a man who asked her how he could do great things,

»If you want to do great things,
don't try to do great things;
do small things
with great love.«

Monica: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us - and for taking the time to write them down.

... for more information about Sara Groves go to her official website.