Album Notes

Derek Johnson grew up submersed in the music world, playing his first set of drums at the tender age of 3 years. "He's always been a musician", friends and family would commonly say when asked of Derek. Born and raised in Indiana, he grew up playing in local bands, searching to find an outlet for the wealth of lyrics and sounds he had stored up in his head. Derek is a songwriter within and a poetic one at that. His songs are evidence of his ability to use lyrics to paint a picture and music to stir a passion. This album was the result of his quest to find a way to express his heart of worship without slapping the "in church only" label on it....and he has successfully done so. This album is a delightful union of praise and the real-life stuff we're made of, bringing one to dive deep and discover a new way to worship God. He ties in influences from the likes of Ryan Adams, John Mark McMillan, and Damien Rice, while infusing melodic influences of Death Cab for Cutie and Keane.

"Sinking In (Acoustic Sessions)" was birthed from a week of raw passion tethered to a desire for excellence. This CD has a beautiful range of heart-searching, prayer-like cries and brave-hearted, confident anthems. An experience with the heart of God led Derek to pour himself out so vulnerably into intimate songs like "As Beautiful". He calls the listener to see beyond the desperate conditions of the world in songs like "Arise" and "Lift My Eyes". Power and faith collide in the Spirit-inspired "Let the Lights Come Down". Finally, Derek reveals his heart to know truth in the ending track "Is This What You Call Love", which seals our experience of the album with a lingering hope that the feeling we felt surging through the tracks is ours and is real.