This is the Uncut Interview Transcript with Amy Grant interviewed by Matt Turner from CCM magazine's May 2002 issue. Get a cup of coffee and enjoy reading :-)

Matt Turner: This is the official interview now (laughs). I went to see your Christmas show in D.C. That was fun. Amy Grant: Oh gosh, I gotta tell you. This year, you were there this year? I felt like everywhere we went there was just a heightened sense of patriotism. We had firefighters come to one show. I was so knocked out when the Bush’s came. Turner: Are you friends with the Bush’s? Grant: Well, I mean in a very casual sort of distant way. I had met President Bush, but when he lost against Clinton, he brought in all the people that had been supportive of his career to Camp David and he invited me to come and do the entertainment; to do a Saturday night show and to sing Sunday at this real casual church service. And that was just unbelievable, and then I’ve done several things. I’ve gone and sung at things where he’s been. Turner: And you knew his son? Grant: I have met him and had a few conversations with him, but I’ve never really socialized with him. And then they celebrated, George and Barbara, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary here in Nashville; big show out for country music/evening at the Grand Ole Opry, and about a dozen of us went out and played golf that day. And I played with Barbara. Turner: Is she good? Grant: No, but she’s fast. And she was so salty. I really liked her. And then when we were up at Camp David. We got there and we were kind of exhausted, and obviously Gary and I were doing it together and Sarah, our baby, was just like six weeks old and my mom had gone to help take care of Sarah. And Michael Omartian went to help, just kind of flesh-out the music. Michael and his wife Stormie. And we got there and Michael and Stormie didn’t want any dinner, so they said, "we’re just going to stay in our cabin." We just stayed at these little bungalow kind of things and the people told my mom and Gary and me, "hey if you’re hungry, go on down to such and such cabin and there’ll be food." Well we knocked on the door like in Jeans and sweats and George and Barbara opened the door. It was their cabin and we had dinner at a table with just the five of us. Then after dinner they said, "Hey do you all want to watch a movie?" and we watched that movie with Gary Sinise Of Mice and Men. Big screen comes down; we’re sitting on the sofa with the dog Millie and George. About toward the end of the movie... Barbara and (Inaudible) fell asleep. But I mean that was like the first time I’d really spent time with them and it was incredible. Turner: To lounge with the President and then you watch a movie, and then fall asleep on his couch, that’s pretty cool... Grant: Yes, and then talking all through dinner and I said "God, I’ve just got so many questions I’d love to ask." And Barbara said, "Ask away." I can’t remember now very many of them, you know, asking about weirdoes and security and I guess at that time she was the first First Lady to refuse FBI security after they got into office. I’m sure all that changed... Turner: Did you know the Clintons? Grant: I did a couple of things with Hilary that just had to do with children when she was the children’s (Inaudible) she’s been involved with long before Bill’s political career. And then there was a summit meeting or some kind of summit meeting in Colorado, and Chuck Berry, Lyle Lovett, me... the most bizarre musical entourage, and I took my daughter Millie. So we just entertained. Several different countries were there. But it was funny because afterwards Millie, she must have been like five or six at the time, we got back to the hotel room and she is such a funny little girl. Not like wild sense of humor, but just quirky in the way she thinks and the stuff she says. Really artistic and kind of just that sort of moody, artsy, dark writer kind of thing. We got back to the room and she couldn’t say her "R’s" yet and she said, "I don’t know what the big deal is, I mean he just rules people." I thought, this child is completely non-plused. You cannot impress her with anything. But you know what, I will tell you this. I was a Bush supporter, but I was bowled over with President Clinton’s personal magnetism when I met him. I was so not expecting that. He has amazing charisma. His charisma can stop a room. And it’s everything, it’s male...He’s just bigger than life. Very embracing, very warm. Turner: It’s interesting to see how ever since September 11 the respect of the President as he just walks into a situation you can’t help but tear up a little bit... I mean the pledge of allegiance means so much. It’s like we’re all these little babies again, and I don’t think it’s something that I’ve ever felt in my lifetime, being almost 30. I kind of sensed it a little bit when we were in the Gulf War, but loss of life tends to make us really experience patriotism a little bit differently... Grant: Sure. Last night Vince, he got this junior achievement award. And they have dinners and they honor somebody and it’s a fundraiser. But a lot of the emceeing and all the music was done by children, and a second grade girl walked out, she could have been on the Little Rascals, but she sang the national anthem and I mean it was unbelievable. You just wanted to laugh and cry it was very emotional and she was just... great delivery. Nobody kind of like rolls their eyes for the national anthem anymore. It’s kind of like "It’s the national anthem!" Turner: So do you still go to see Belmont basketball games ever? Grant: You know I haven’t this year. Vince goes to all of them, and they’re down at war memorial. Not war memorial. What’s the funky old downtown arena...? Turner: Is Vince still close to the coach? Good friends, plays golf and stuff? Grant: Yeah, Rick sat next to him last night at this thing. I loved the comments that Vince made, talking about friends and how two of his oldest friends from Nashville were there and you know, Rick’s like a brother to him. Turner: Did you know him (Vince) at all before 1994 when he sang with you? Grant: The first time I played in his basketball tournament... Turner:’93/’94? Grant: Well I was a coach before that, before women played. I guess it was 1991, and he said would you come. And during Desert Storm, we took a bus from Nashville and we drove to Fort Campbell and did a Christmas show. I guess that was the Christmas of ’91. And Rick Bryd was on that bus. But it wasn’t until the Christmas of ’93, and we went on those big three projects in one month together, that I just felt that I’d known him forever. Turner: I remember "House of Love", when I first heard it, it was a big secret who was doing the harmony vocal. I mean, no one was supposed to know. Everyone was like "who is that harmony vocal?" "Who is she singing it with?" Grant: Oh he’s a great singer. Not many people can "lay in the pocket" like he does. I’ll tell you the prettiest thing that I remember him singing in recent years, that totally took me by surprise was, it’s been a little over a year ago. He went out for the John Denver Games. They have a tribute to John Denver in Aspen every October and they actually raise money for this great thing called (Inaudible) which is a year-round outreach program for handicapped people of all ages. And Annie, John’s first wife, was there and his children. And it was all John’s old band and they had different people come out and be part of it. When Vince started singing Sunshine on my Shoulders I cannot explain. That song is so familiar, you know the bridge part, (she sings) his voice singing that. For one thing there are so many verses to that song. Anybody with a bad voice sings it and it’s like "somebody shoot ‘em." I mean it didn’t last long enough. It absolutely brought the house down and it was just unbelievable. It was neat. And then last night there were all these kids performing. And kind of during dinner music, there was this boy playing a Gustrum guitar, a classical guitar, playing all these songs. And of course Vince’s heart went out to him because people are eating during the performance, but he was background music. One of the songs he did on (Inaudible) and Vince did his whole acceptance speech. It was funny and wonderful, engaging and at the end, he said, "ask that young man...are you still here? Would you mind coming up and we can do that song together?" And this kid, oh he was so nervous. He couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve, and he had an unbelievable reach. He’s only been playing for a year. But his dad, he teaches at Belmont, his father is some, I don’t know what his nationality is, but he has a real kind of Spanish accent. Seems South American in some way and his mother has blonde hair and, anyway this kid was just playing like a (Inaudible) Turner: Ok, you wanna try that cake? Grant: Actually I gave up sugar for lent. Turner: Did you really? Grant: I try to give up something every year. Turner: That’s great Grant: In most cases, yes, I would not have turned you down. Turber: Well it’s not gonna last 40 days and 40 nights. Have you seen the movie preview with Joshua Hartnett? Grant: No, but my son... he’s seen everything. Gary takes him to everything. I see hardly anything, but I grew up with no brothers and Matt is our only son. And it just kind of freaks me out just how everything is just so geared toward that whole, you know just all... sex. We were talking the other night. He was walking up the stairs towards the hallway and I said, "Now you’ve gotta tell me Matt, is this a good outlet to...you know, ‘cause I’m assuming that as long as you possibly can stand it you will be respectful and tow the line and use a lot of self-control in your life." It was really neat. He and Gary talk a lot. Turner: How old is Matt now? Grant: He’s fourteen. He’s like an old fourteen. He’s so funny and so sharp and really his body’s not an old fourteen, it’s just average. But he’s wickedly funny and just way too slick for his own good. Turner: I think in one interview, you described him as serious. Is he still very serious? Amy Grant: Well he was mad for a few years. No, he’s not really serious anymore. He wrestled for two years and then he said, "I’m not mad anymore and there’s no point in getting out on that mat." So I thought that was kind of neat. But we were in the hallway, and we were talking about... just great, actually great sex talk. And at one point he was going "this is slightly weird just having this talk with you." It wasn’t about the facts of life; it was about the dynamics of... I was trying to fill him in on how girls view sex. How they can use it, and a guy doesn’t know they’re using it, and can suddenly, you know, the girl with the sure pay-off has pulled you into something and all, all playing fields level, he would have never picked her. The girl that you really like won’t ever get your attention because this girl over here has completely distracted you and you lose. But we were talking about the whole thing... anyway, I just said, "you saw this on movies, on this, on that, jokes, you know. All this kind of stuff." I said, "so you’re telling me your just thinking about this..." and he said, "24/7." "Ok, [laughing] I’ll be knocking loudly any time I approach an area where you are." Turner: That’s awesome. I think that’s just a guy thing. Turner: We have a theme each month, and the theme for May is "influence" and part of this interview I want to talk to you about you and what has influenced you, your influence on Christian music...How does it feel to be one of the most influential and popular Christians? Grant: I don’t really think that way. I think I inherited from my dad just a certain natural level of oblivion. I mean somebody’s got to really stick out in the crowd for me to notice that anybody is even noticing...It doesn’t occur to me that somebody would notice. And it sounds odd to comment on it, because it seems like if I have commentary on it, obviously I’ve thought about it. Turner: Is it awkward to think that people like myself may see you that way? Grant: I mean I guess it just is what it is. I’m not in your head, so I don’t really know what you’re thinking. And I guess when I meet you...this is all I’m thinking about. Just you and me and how good that corn chowder was and hearing about what...you know, that movie or...I don’t drag twenty-five years into the conversation. Turner: You’re very here and now. Grant: To a point. Turner: Do you ever feel the pressure of how somebody may see you, the world sees you, or your fans see you in the sense of this influential follower of Christ, or just this influential person. Do you ever feel the weight of how that plays out in your life? Grant: Well...I mean I think that I conduct myself in a way, I’m just...I’m conscious of the fact that my children watch me, but I just think it was the way I was raised. And I think my sisters are the same way. I might think of a hysterical, funny, nasty one-liner, but I’m not going to say it and it’s because of my raising. It’s not because I’m famous. And it’s just the way I was brought up. In fact, my friends tend to have much more edgy personalities. I’m very attracted to people who just say anything and do anything, but I think that my reserve has a lot more to do with my upbringing than with my job. Turner: In your life, who has most influenced you? Grant: Well, there’s too many to count. You know I’ve said this a million times, I feel like a broken record. But during the really influential years of my life, you know probably sixteen to... you know...that five years; sixteen to twenty-one, there were five generations alive in my family, starting with my great grandmother, all in Nashville. I mean I always felt loved, embraced, accepted, and being from a big family is such a buffer. This is not so much the influence thing as much as the being a public person, but any comment, criticism, critique, anything, was so far outside that inner ring it was just like "did you hear something?" I mean that’s how it felt. Influences? I mean my family is very influential. Several people specifically within my family. The only babysitter I ever had was an unmarried cousin who was a schoolteacher and she taught English in public schools, 7th & 8th grade, until she retired a few years ago. And she was like a nanny, but unpaid and it’s the only babysitter I ever had. And my sisters; I just thought they were the coolest things in the world. They were all beautiful and loving... (Inaudible). Turner: It’s so funny to hear you talk about how you see your own influence, because your actions are very influential in the sense of all the charities you’re involved with. And you have a spirit that tends to go out of its way to help somebody. I’ve heard in interviews in the past where you’ve said, "it’s one life at a time." Is that how you see your influence? Instead of seeing this big crowd, do you see the face in the front row, or do you see the one person who may talk to you at the end of the night? Or there’s a little kid at St. Judes that you got to know a little bit. Is that how influence plays out? Because some people see themselves as this big...they give these big speeches.... Grant: I think part of me laughs a little bit at that attitude about a human being, and in myself when I see it. You know, "gimme a break." Nobody is that influential. Jesus. But all of us are living our lives doing just the best we can. I think that probably all of us have the greatest influence when we’re completely oblivious to it. And it only happens in the moments when we don’t know that we’re being observed. And I think the times that we really are trying to make an impact, we probably have a much overblown sense of our own self-importance in those moments (Inaudible), because it’s self-aware. Do you know what I mean? And as far as the things that I do...I feel like what I’ve done is responded to the opportunities that have come my way. And something about making music and being exposed to corporations with deep pockets; adding the success that I’ve had...You have to be awfully cold-hearted to be exposed on a one to one...exposed in the way I have been, to need after need after need, and not respond. Anybody would respond. And I think what happens is I am continually being plucked out of my normal routine and being invited or escorted to or sent to this particular place in need, this particular hospital, this Habitat for Humanity bill. And it all happens because of my job. So what that’s done is, you get a steady diet of that by the time your sixteen years old, and now at forty-one, I go "well there’s just so much need in the world that..." I don’t know how I was going to finish that sentence. That really wasn’t where I was going, but my life is different from the lives of my sisters, even though we all have kids, we all live in Nashville, we all drive carpool, we all go to the grocery store. But I’ll have a plane waiting for me, and one morning at 5:00 AM I go to St. Judes, and I sing for the kids. Well of course I come home and I’m on the Internet talking to some girl that I met, and then I find out that her parents can’t pay their hospital bills and she died three weeks ago. And so, you know I call the foundation that I set up and say, "What can we do here?" I hear about this, I hear about that. I don’t know that I would’ve been that way if I hadn’t sung. I mean I would have done some things, but I’ve just been exposed to...I was invited to go to (Inaudible) Georgia years ago. And so I go down there and I meet all these people. I see the shacks that they used to live in and now where they live, and I understand the whole concept of (Inaudible). I go to church on Sunday morning, I meet Jim Carter and then I come back and I know what this organization does. I know what it means. So any time a lump of cash comes in for a group that’s needing someone to sponsor something, I’m telling Habitat for Humanity "I’m sending a check." Because I’ve seen it. I know I’m talking on and on, but I guess I’m just trying to say I don’t think that I...I wasn’t born any more or less altruistic than anybody else. I just keep being exposed in really vivid ways. Turner: Do you think you grasped the power that your name brings to a charity or an organization? Some people are willing to give more money when your name is tied to something. That in itself is influential, whether or not it’s acknowledged as influential... Grant: I guess influence is when you...I mean if I hear about a great sandwich in town and for some reason I wind up getting the Thai chicken pizza at Schlotsky’s deli, I’m gonna tell everybody to go to Schlotsky’s. "Oh my gosh don’t get the original sandwich, have you tried their Thai chicken pizza?" So that’s where I go. I’m not gonna assess, "gee I wonder how many people are going to get that Thai chicken pizza because I suggested it?" Does that make sense? It’s the same thing when it comes to charity. I think you just think that you think something’s good because it’s good. Beyond that, all you’re doing is giving your opinion just like everybody else. And I know there are ramifications attached to that, but I don’t sit around thinking about the ramifications. Turner: When you look at the Christian music industry, where do you see your influence most evident? Grant: I don’t know. I mean I think I’m still hoping that I’ve got my best songs ahead to write. Turner: Do you think that people see you as being influential because of what your music’s accomplished or do you think it’s just the longevity? Do you see yourself as a trailblazer? Grant: I don’t really know how to answer that. I think my expectation level has always been really low. Not my expectation level about just the pleasure of an experience, but as far as work goes. I mean I love the process. I love making a record. I love making the two records I’m doing right now. I don’t really let my mind go to what things I wish these records could accomplish and how many people I wish could hear these. I don’t let myself go there, because I think if you don’t have expectations of things that are beyond your control, then you’re not disappointed in those areas. I think when I’m walking through an airport I don’t expect anybody to recognize me. I think that feeling is consistent in my life. It doesn’t mean that I’m not fully invested in the moment or I’m going, "Oh gosh, I woke up this morning, the temperature, the sunshine, I’m heading for the country, I’m gonna saddle that stupid old horse." You know. I mean I have big expectations for the investment in a day, but I don’t...you know that’s why I’ll be talking to somebody and they’ll go, "Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was you." And I’ll go, " I didn’t expect you to know it was me." It sounds goofy to talk this way, but I’m trying to tell you, that’s really how I feel. And you know something else? If you live that way every day, then there’s never the let down of, "Hey life isn’t what it used to be." Turner: So do you ever struggle with pride? Grant: Yeah. Insecurity is a form of pride. I don’t think there’s anybody that does something artistic who doesn’t kind of go, when they’re asked to sing on somebody’s record, "Oh gosh do they know I only have a 12-note range?" "What if I get in there and I can’t do what they...." All that stuff, you know what I mean? So that’s kind of nerve-wracking. I struggle with deep levels of pride. Probably the worst ones are the ones I’m the most oblivious to. Turner: Do you ever think to yourself, "Oh gosh, I can’t believe I’m here and I look good..." Grant: Well I know what it feels like to feel pretty bad. From a girl’s standpoint, there are times that I have felt really beautiful and I didn’t grow up feeling like a pretty girl. I mean I just felt like "normal." But you get somebody with professional hair and make-up skills and they know how to dress you and how to make the most of what you bring to the table. Yeah I remember the first time I looked in the mirror and went, "I feel pretty." And I was pretty old the first time I felt that way. The sister two years older than me is knock-down-dead gorgeous and I was always the "imp." But I don’t think, the whole [laughing] "Own it, own it." I don’t feel that way. But yeah there are days I go, "Hey God, I feel pretty good about myself today." But it’s not, I don’t know. I like to blend. Turner: Can you believe you’ve been doing this for twenty-five years? Grant: No Turner: What’s been the one experience your like "I’m so glad I got to do that." Grant: (Inaudible). Unbelievable. Recording at Caribou Ranch. Unbelievable. I got to do that four times and it was amazing because it was rustic and elegant and the musical experience was just so rich. I was recording there. People that I thought had made great music had recorded Chicago, Elton John ... Anyway so doing that. Recording at Caribou. We’d go for two weeks at a time. First week we’d invite all the musicians and their families up. Second week invite my whole family up. Turner: Where’s Caribou? Grant: Right outside Nederland, Colarado, just a short drive from Boulder. Owned by Jim & Lucy Guercio and it’s just beautiful. We’d ride horses during the day, I was usually working, but hiking...we were there in snow, we were there in summer, we were there in spring. Anyway that was amazing. The first time I stood beside the conductor at Air Studios in London and heard (Inaudible) arrangements played by the orchestra, and I’d never...I mean I’d heard orchestras before, but never standing by the conductor. I could just feel the rosin. And again when we were recording the second Christmas album, and I’m trying to think of what song it was. Joy to the World. And it has the counter melody that comes in. I remember standing in that studio and a good friend of mine Bev Darnell next to me (Inaudible) and Ron Hubb. He writes all these arrangements, but he’s never (Inaudible). And they laid that down for the first time and all of us are just; tears streaming down our faces. So beautiful (Inaudible). So many great...so many great experiences. It is a neat thing. One thing I really appreciate about being married to Vince now, is even though we’re from different fields; he grew up singing in bars, I grew up singing in churches, it was definitely a grassroots beginning for both of us that lasted a long time. You know I didn’t have my first mainstream radio hit until I was thirty-one and I recorded my first album when I was sixteen. And so all of the five people showing up at a coffeehouse (Inaudible). But he does too. But now we have shared...we’ve been in so many of the same (Inaudible), you know all the catilion type places in Texas. All of the little hole in he wall...you know. And sometimes we’ll be sitting around and I’ll go, "Conquered pavilion, summer night full-moon. Do you remember one of those?" Conquered pavilions in (Inaudible) California. You had to drive, drive, drive and there’s just this outdoor pavilion and you know, the stage...a few seats are covered and beyond that it’s open-air. And I played there a couple of times on a full-moon night. It’s unbelievable. It feels amazing, you know and it’s neat to have so many similar memories. Turner: Is (Vince) more aware of his influence in his world than perhaps you are? Grant: Well I guess you’d have to ask him that. I think what he loves more than anything is his career from the standpoint of being musician. Which is a team player. And I think that, you know ...you need to ask him. He’s so normal. He just wants to be normal and we don’t let anything change. Turner: Looking back at the last twenty-five years, from a career standpoint, has there been anything that’s been disappointing that you wish you could have taken advantage of...? Grant: Well, I mean I don’t know. There are a lot of things I wish I’d done better. I mean mostly just, I guess if you feel anything it seems like you know it’s like; spring semester your senior year and you kind go, "I wish I’d (Inaudible). I wish I’d, you know...this was so great." You get so sentimental over everything about your college career, but only because you realize how special it was; "Gee I wish I’d studied harder and checked out better in my classes. I mean I have those same feelings about touring, "Why didn’t I work harder on my guitar playing?" You know Vince and I had this conversation last week and I said, " Why have I never (Inaudible) guitar?" He said, "I guess (Inaudible)." Turner: OK let’s shift gears a little bit and talk about the Hymns project. I understand that Vince is helping to produce it. Can you tell me about the process and how it came about...? Grant: It was Mike Wenton’s idea. And Mike Wenton, just for a little history, I’ve known him since I was a kid. And he and and Dan Harold started the Wenton/Harold Company years ago. The only Management Company I’ve ever had. Never signed a contract. It was a handshake. They lost their management company and (Inaudible) two years ago because they had sold the company to Gaylord. And Gaylord downsized some executive positions, which included the two guys I had worked with for twenty-plus years. I found that out the week that Vince and I, the month that Vince and I got married. So I called him he goes, (Inaudible) "very nice, but guess what? We’ve got some bad news for you." And there was just so much, just a lot of change personally, you know. I’m kind of starting with the history, and the people who had really been foundational people for me were gone. And come to think of it, it was probably not a bad thing to be starting a new home and a new marriage and then having two men that really have been my confidants for twenty years, in a sense be out of the picture, because I just was having to start a lot of history over again. But it was a really slow process. It was hard for me to write. It was hard for me to know what to say. I was trying to process the things that I was learning from my personal life and then I would scratch my head and go, "What am I learning?" And just pulling teeth little by little I finally started writing again. And then, low and behold, Gaylord decides to unload the entire Management Company and I was left with Chaz and Jennifer. And they’re wonderful. And in the last eight weeks Chaz and Jennifer were released from Gaylord and they reconnected with Mike and Dan, right as (Inaudible) almost finished with his (Inaudible) record. And it wouldn’t mean anything to anybody else, but having worked with Mike and Dan for twenty-five years, in that two-year period that I was having such a hard time finding my footing, I never did release anything. So while they were gone, it wasn’t like I had anything out there. The first time we sit down for sort of an organizational meeting Mike said, "Oh, I’m so glad you couldn’t find your footing. You didn’t do anything while you were gone!" But it was just so neat that we were all back together, because the fact was we all liked working together. Mike said, "In twenty-five years I can’t remember (Inaudible)." And Mike, who I’ve known since I was thirteen, said, "I know you’ve worked so hard on this studio album but...twenty-five years, it’s not like...nobody is even still there from the record company. One person. And he said, "This is nobody’s milestone, but ours." And he said, "Don’t you want to celebrate in some way different than just putting out a new record?" And I had no idea what he was talking about and I said, "What are you thinking?" And he said, "I think you oughta go back where you started. You’ve got one chance to celebrate twenty-five years, ‘cause God only knows we’re not going to be doing this in another twenty-five years." Somebody shoot us all [Laughing]. And he said, "Gosh Amy, just go back to your roots and do a Hymns record." And my first response was that I always fight, and it probably is pride; I fight being part of the trend. If something looks like a trend, I have a slight repulsion to it, because I feel like nothing new happens when everybody’s always responding to a trend. And about the time it’s in full swing, it’s developed into such yawn and although I know how viable worship projects are, but from a creative standpoint you kind of go, "Oh great. So the wave’s been rolling for nine months and now you want me to get on it?" He said, "I’m not talking about a Praise & Worship record, I’m talking about going back to your roots. Where are the songs..." And then I’m like, "Nobody even sings those songs." And if you will go and look through my bookshelves you can’t go... at least every other shelf there’s a Hymnal in every part of the house. I collect Hymnals. I love them. Phyllis, our nanny; she and I driving back from Destine, we’ll pull out a Hymnal; we’re singing harmonies. My children don’t even know these songs. But I grew up on them and they shaped my theology and I don’t remember any sermons growing up, but I remember a lot of times three or four verses to most of the hymns that I new. And so gosh I just got so excited when Mike was talking about it and I said as long as we don’t have to bump this (Inaudible) record, which is the one we cut, as long as we don’t have to bump it until ’03. If there’s any way to do both this year ‘cause at some point then that music becomes dated. Anyway, he said, "Well ok, I’ll go and talk to everybody." He went and talked, and Word and Lauren’s so nice. Of course Lauren’s not there anymore, but and he came back and he said, "You have whatever, 28 working days to get this done." (Inaudible) and then A&M was excited about it. Ron Thayer, who’s the new president of A&M said, "I’m gonna level with you. You know she has no momentum in her career right now, and the idea of having to start rolling the boulder from scratch...You know it would mean something to us for her to do something that she is interested in and (let) people know that she is still alive and kicking." But then the more they heard about it, they’re kind of going, "Gosh, twenty-five years is a long time and for somebody (Inaudible)..." celebrating my roots twenty-five years ago, and there’s meaning to that and so A&M came on board, they’re excited about it and every day is just like we can’t waste a minute. I mean I’m here right now and Vince is doing guitar parts and we had many late night meetings; we’d put the kids in bed (Inaudible) we’re like who can we call? The player list of who to call was so long, ‘cause we were basically saying, "Who’s available in three weeks?" And we got a great group of players cut the first wave of stuff. Turner: Can you give me a sample of some of the songs that you’re including on that? Grant: Softly and Tenderly, I really think is exquisite. And we almost didn’t do it because we couldn’t figure out, because of the success of some more acoustic music right now, everything from Nickel Creek to Oh Brother Where Art Thou? What I don’t want to do is turn these songs into rock songs. And when I go back to twenty-five years ago, and the way we listened to stuff, you know our hippie...you know I had dandelions in my hair and it all sounded like the Eagles. And so we thought about doing something really kind of acoustic almost like the Carter Family. Turner: Really.. Grant: I thought oh my gosh this is awful and with every song, you know we’d get in the studio and we’d go, "Ok Aliens have landed, they’ve never heard these songs and we’ve got one chance to catch their attention." And the thing that’s so beautiful about hymns is the poetry. Unbelievable. Chad Cromwell was the drummer on that session (Inaudible) and he just said, "There’s something here, there’s something here. You all just let me work on the drum sound and let’s go for the Carter Family approach on this song and just give me a minute. And we had changed instruments, (Inaudible) accordion. Everybody was like, "Try this." Pick up a mandolin. No put that down. Try this...try this... And Chad just told everybody to clear out. And he and the engineer just landed on a very haunting drum feel (Inaudible) a lot of echo and we all heard it and (Inaudible). That’s the whole point of buying a record. That’s the whole point of going to a concert you know. Everybody wants to be moved and music is the (Inaudible). Anyway so Softly and Tenderly... and I told Brown, "I feel like the whole record is worth that one track," because I find it’s so compelling. And Spare Us Lord Jesus is one that I know that a lot of people...that’s probably the most recorded hymn that we redid. We did (Inaudible), My Jesus I Love Thee, Be Still My Soul, This is my Father’s World. Turner: Are you keeping "I Can Only Imagine" on this record or is it going on the pop record? Grant: On this one. I Can Only Imagine. A song that Vince wrote called The River Keeps on Rolling. A song that I wrote called (Inaudible). Turner: Do you see this as a comeback or a reintroduction of Amy, because in some ways you’ve changed a lot in the last several years. The life around you has changed a lot. Grant: Oh yeah, I mean for everybody. I mean life just does that...morphs. I realize (Inaudible) but I do know that there was a time that I thought would this be the time to stop. And I made a very concerted effort to not say, "Oh I’ll just do a couple of kid’s projects and fade on into the sunset," but to say, "I am going to try and write the best songs I’ve written. Try and sing better than I’ve sung. Get on the blasted treadmill." I mean was 160 pounds after I had my fourth child at forty, and you just go, "Just somebody hand me a (Inaudible) and tell me that the pressure’s off." And at some point I thought, "dagumit, I can still make music." And I love...I just love being around music. I love going to other people’s shows. I love hearing records. I love hearing new songs and I love writing and singing. Turner: What’s your response to the fan, who feels like you’ve failed them in some way.? Grant: I mean if somebody came up and said something, the first thing I would say is "I’m sorry." How I have dealt with my own sense of failure? I don’t feel like rehashing that process in a public way. It’s just so private. It just feels like cheapening what I know, so far, have been the hardest years. I kind of go, "Does anything have to be said?" But I think I would say to somebody that came up and they were really distraught... I don’t know I’m just trying to picture the conversation, because I think what somebody might say around the dinner table or just the fascination of people talking about people is... I don’t think that that really...needs addressing. Grant: Yeah, I had some divorce picketers picket one of the Christmas shows and all I know...I guess all I know to say is that right or wrong, there wasn’t any decision that I made that...I guess I would just say that I did the best I could. And in some arenas my best was not good enough. And I’m sure I made some poorly timed choices and some bad choices. You know you can say something like that and I imagine he goes, "Well I know what the bad choice was." [Referring to Matt] and then I go, "You really don’t ever know what somebody is dealing with until you are living their life. Turner: Do you look back and say that being a follower of Christ is the most passionate side of my life, but dealing with the people that are following or supposed to be following, is hard? Grant: I often get on chat rooms and talk about what’s going on. I usually don’t read concert reviews, unless they Xerox it and put it on the mirror of my dressing room Turner: So won’t read my interview with you? Grant: No, I probably would, just because it’s different than something that I’m not a part of. That I’m not engaged in. But you know, I guess I just feel like I’m so grateful to be at this point in life and for all of the shortcomings and missteps, and just for all of that... all I can say is I felt lost for a long time and I don’t feel that way anymore. And that’s the only way that I can say it without involving anybody else’s story. That I personally did. And so I kind of go, "Well you had me on a pedestal but you didn’t really know how, if you had asked me, that I would have not opted to be there." And so you know I have, I’m sure I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; I think all of us... part of being a believer is that we live by a moral code. We live by a code of ethics and they’re based on scripture and life’s messy. And because life is messy, you don’t remove yourself from those codes but you don’t... you know I mean it sounds so flippant to say well that’s why we need Jesus, but that really is the truth and so I feel like when somebody is really just... has a real harsh reaction to something, a lot of times I just feel like it’s because either they haven’t lived long enough to make their own messes. Either that or I just go, "You know someday your daughter’s gonna come to you and she’s gonna wind up some place she never intended to be and when it’s a situation that close to home, you might not feel like this." You know distance tends to make people feel a lot more like they’ve got the aerial view on a situation (Inaudible) I always feel that I don’t ever feel totally comfortable talking because my whole extended family is very public. Turner: Are you and Gary friends? Grant: We’re respectful of each other. Turner: How are the kids? Grant: Right after I had moved out, Millie was in the third grade, she’s in the sixth grade now, and Gary and I went in for a conference with her teacher, a German woman, very eccentric. And she kind of gestured toward Gary and me and she said, "I’m so sorry about the two of you ‘cause your daughter’s (Inaudible)." And I thought back on that and I thought you know, I don’t think divorce is the answer really ever, but sometimes it really helps. And I’m not saying that it necessarily helps everybody. Turner: How is your faith? Has it remained constant? Grant: I think especially a divorce in a Christian setting, you know it’s like, if God can fix all this, why can’t he fix this? And that’s where I think there’s just really no way I can talk about this. Not about my faith. But it just is too (Inaudible). Do I feel like forgiveness means something now that it’s (Inaudible) mercy, those words are powerful. Turner: Do you understand the concept of grace better now than you did five years ago? Grant: Yeah, but I’ve had a lot of rough roads in my life that were not publicized and I’ve learned many times, because I have worked myself into some situation that was not a good one (Inaudible) I think I have never been in a situation that I knew...the ability to forgive yourself is probably the final hurdle. Turner: Have you forgiven yourself? Grant: I think for the most part yeah. And I also think (Inaudible) It’s so funny because like, I was really mean to a little girl in my neighborhood and I was not a mean person, I don’t think. But I was really cruel to her and it wasn’t ‘til I was grown that I really [and had children of my own] that I felt the impact. It’s like, "Why was I mean to her?" And that’s twenty years later and I think that probably twenty years from now I’ll feel in some new way the impact of some of my choices and how that played out in life and I’ll then have to forgive myself for you know (Inaudible) Turner: Are you nervous at all about going back in the spotlight? Grant: No Turner: So what are your goals for this project? Grant: The goals... That it sells ten million copies [Laughs] My goal is to recirculate some of these hymns. I don’t think that this is a radio record. I think that it would be a disservice to these hymns to go, "We’ve got to beef these up and energize them in a way so that they’re radio-ready." There might be one odd eclectic radio station that (Inaudible) but I just love to hear these songs. I love getting to hear them again and trying to breathe new life into them again. My parents are flipping over this record and my sisters and a lot of people I grew up with. And that’s enough for me. And also, you know what? I’ve kind of been hoping that people that I’ve met across the board in music genres; people that have made their lives making music... if they saw the album come out and we’d worked together on it or something, or been a part of it with me (Inaudible) legacy I wish somebody would pick it up and go, "Yeah her roots are gospel music. Like what kind of gospel music? What does that mean? She’s not black gospel, she’s not southern gospel." It’s that kind of odd offbeat quirky thing. They’ve imitated pop music but (Inaudible) I mean the real credibility of contemporary Christian music is that it grew out of church hymns and this is the first time I’ve had the chance to say, "He guess what? This is for real. My background... these are my roots and I think there are people that have never heard these hymns that will be as moved as I am. Turner: Do you think the timing is right, because there is a spiritual renewal of sorts since what we’ve experienced last September. The Oh brother where art tough has certainly brought spirituality back into the mainstream. You know everybody’s willing to say I believe in God, or I pray. Grant: It was just celebrating twenty-five years for us, and it was Mike’s idea. I really can’t take credit for any of that. We’re just doing this for the love of doing it. We really are. Even the way we’ve pitched songs. Nothing’s pitched really high. I mean I can’t sing that high anyway, but I could have sung some things higher, but then it would feel wrong to the performance. So we purposefully pitched things low so that they would just be less "performed". That’s the only way I know how to say it. And then Prepare us Lord Jesus is one that starts out slow. John Jarvis plays this really pretty piano part and again, this was just the neatest recording session. We had everybody in one room, (Inaudible) isolation booth. Chad Cromwell was playing just on his lap I think, Vince and who all was there? Was it Mac Macanally? Gordon Kennedy...we had kind of a revolving door of players. Oh Richard Bennett was one of the players. Maybe Richard Bennett, Gordon Kennedy and Vince, and they all sat closer to (Inaudible) room mikes; they were looking at each other and it’s the most joyful version of Prepare Us Lord Jesus and then I’m in there trying to sing it. I mean I sang a scratch vocal, but when I was doing the real vocal, there’s hardly room to breathe in a hymn. It’s awful. I think that’s why they get sung slowly just so you can gasp for breathe and I just yelled back over the top of the talk-back, "I am just, I’m so filled with joy and emotion and enthusiasm for this song and I can’t pitch love" I said "It’s not coming on tape, I can just tell it’s not coming on tape." And Vince hit the talkback and he said, "First off, you don’t have any idea of what’s going on the tape." He said, "Your face is so... I can’t remember exactly what he said but basically just (Inaudible) because I had such an emotional attachment to these songs I guess. I loved Jesus when I was a kid. I loved him. And that was when my track record was great. As you go back and sing these songs now, having lived a lot of life and having been through more (Inaudible) cries than I can count, recollecting myself and saying "Onward Christian Soldiers" [Laughing] We’re still going. Man his faithfulness is a sight to behold. But to go back and sing those songs. That’s probably why it’s so emotional for me, because when you are a child, well of course you’re gonna like...you know what I mean. Just that whole feeling toward life, you know and then you just get older and do the best you can and find your way out of a million dark forests and the path twists and turns. I sing all those songs with so much feeling. I was singing My Jesus I Love Thee and what’s the last verse of that one...[reciting verses] "I know though art mine for thee (Inaudible) if ever I loved thee my Jesus ‘tis now...and then the last verse "in mansions of glory, in endless delight, I’ll ever adore thee in heaven so bright, I’ll sing with the glittering crown..." You know you talk about somebody who’s endured some public shame (Inaudible) to the song and that’s the verse where Christ’s love compels us (Inaudible) I mean it’s that, you know, to stand there and... I was sitting there and going, "This is so ballsy of me to be singing at the top of my lungs, "I’ll sing with a glittering crown on my brow." I mean that’s the miracle of it all you know. And not in a cheap grace, but you know, to do the best you can and go, "Oh my best was not good enough."