Israel Houghton Interview (2009) - Articles

Israel Houghton
Interview

Israel Houghton is steadily growing and expanding as an artist. He involves his wife in the writing process and even brings his children on tour. He is a devoted family man before all. But that's not what this interview is about. Israel drops his solo album, The Power Of One (read review), which is a mixture of the usual Israel vibe along with new elements of rock and pop.

He spoke with GOSPELflava.com about that, about New Breed and about touring with Chris Tomlin, and lots more.

GOSPELflava.com: You recorded solo, which is bit of a change for your fans. And there is somewhat a change in the style of music for The Power of One. Tell us why you went into more of a rock edge, which is definitely a part of you.

Israel Houghton: None of it was premeditated. We weren't saying that "we gotta do this or we gotta do that." It was just the season that I'm in and I'm doing my first solo record in like

12 years. It was just, "let me do what I feel."

With respect with to fanbase that we've built so far; we felt that there was enough [on the album] as a whole that certainly kept things stylistically where people are used to.

Anytime you go from a primarily live catalogue to a studio project, it changes things sonically. It sort of effects how you are going to approach the record and getting the song out. So for me, it was like, "let's just be true to who we are." This is what is true. I always make a joke about being half white, half black and raised in a Hispanic environment. That's very true and when I go to write and create; I'm sort of drawn from those different streams. In this project, I still believe that there is something in there for everyone, which has always been our heart.

GOSPELflava.com: You've got songs like "Power of One" which has a psychedelic 70's feel for part of it, and another song with a U2-Brit Pop vibe ("Redemption Song"). How did you and Tommy Sims and Aaron Lindsey create such a musically rich and diverse album?

Israel Houghton: It was sort of a three-headed effort, but there is a respect that Aaron and I have for Tommy where he becomes the lead guy. We knew what we wanted to say and we spent a good deal of time in San Diego writing. This was months before we started recording. Out of that session came a better overview of what we wanted to do.

What's funny is that people who've worked on the record said that I definitely took some twists and turns, but it never feels so far out that you feel like you've been thrown off the bus. I think that's because there is a common thread, both lyrically and melodically, from my other projects.

This is funny in the church world, but if you turn on MTV, they are going to take you in so many angles within a 30 minute period. I get it and I hope the church will. God bless the church, but the church world is so behind when it comes to these types of issues. What's happened in our political world is helping people get past the compartmentalized, segregated way of thinking.

Israel Houghton

GOSPELflava.com: Chris Tomlin is a writer of colossal songs and a powerful worship leader; he's also mostly heard on CCM radio. You've written some songs together and been on a few records together which is wonderful in itself. It was great to see the two of you hook up for his Hello Love tour. What impact are you hoping the Hello Love tour would make on the church world.

Israel Houghton: At the time of this interview, we are 12 shows into the tour and what I'm seeing is the beauty of the church coming together, regardless of color, style and musical preference. We [Israel and New Breed] spend the first 10 or 12 minutes warming ourselves to the audience because there is a large demographic that does not know us. They know our music, but they don't know us. So we are introducing ourselves to them. I'm having so much fun on this tour based on that. I feel like a new artist again. We've gained new fans and new relationships. That part has been great.

GOSPELflava.com: New Breed has had some changes in personel. With the release of this solo album, what direction is New Breed heading right now?

Israel Houghton: I've been asked a lot about the solo record and what's happening with New Breed. The truth of the matter is we're just expanding. We're not changing anything. We're just growing. New Breed was never designed to be my backup group. They were never designed to be the "and" to what I do. If anything, I was the "and" to what we're developing. So by God's grace, we've been able to develop great relationships with people like you and GOSPELflava.com and other publications, record labels and radio folks. We're doing that to build a ramp for Daniel Johnson, our folks at New Breed and the next generation that God is raising. I really honor and thank God for the first New Breed crew that helped establish it and did the heavy lifting. Many of them are getting married and working on solo records, building businesses. It was important that they understood that they were making way for the next generation and mentor some of the folks that are now with us. I'm so happy to see that happen with the mentoring because I have not seen a lot of that in our industry.

So I did the solo record and I also executively produced a live New Breed album that was recorded at the Deeper Level conference in September of '08. It's going to be called Generation, and it will be out in a couple of months. I am proud of Daniel Johnson and Buddy Strong who produced the record; and wrote and arranged a lot of it. They are excited. So this year we are spending more time getting them out. We are working on some tours where they are backing somebody else. In August of 2010, there will be a new Israel and New Breed record. It will be a double live CD from all over the world. And it will actually be called Live, From All Over the World.

GOSPELflava.com: With all these hits and this melting pot of music on the album, what is your favorite song on the solo project?

Israel Houghton: I think the record was put together around the title track, "Power of One". Because it's not a vertical, typical "How Great is Our God" song, I'm really liking it and how it's a charge to the church. Part of a revolution of changing the world is changing YOUR world. Most people think that have to cross the ocean to change the world. The truth is sometimes you gotta go across the room and show kindness to someone. Sometimes you have to cross your own living room and be kind to your family. Sometimes it starts in that nucleus. I said that some of the loneliest and hurting people I know actually sit on the same row with me in church.

We don't like to talk about that all the time, but these are good Christian folks who are hurting. It could be the economic upheaval or family upheaval or health issues. Whatever it is, it is found right in the church in addition to the expected slums, etc.

Now it depends on what day it is on what my favorite record is. People may not know that once I deliver a record and mix it, I don't listen to the record too much after that. I don't like hearing myself. My kids do so I have to listen to it anyway. Again, the Power of One is that message that I want the church and other people to get. And I will say that "Every Prayer" featuring Mary Mary is my current favorite.

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— interview by Dwayne Lacy —