Worshiper Anna Golden wants her new album to bring listeners to a 'meeting place' with God
Worship leader Anna Golden is making her entrance into Christian music with the debut album Peace: The Album, which was created with two distinct sides to reflect her own music playlist while also ushering people into a tangible encounter with God.
“It is a privilege creating and seeing people’s lives changed through the presence of God,” Golden told The Christian Post of leading worship and making songs that reflect her faith. Golden described the album as “truly one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Peace: The Albumfeatures 16-songs recorded both live and in the studio. The debut release is brought to listeners by TeeLee Records, an imprint launched by gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard in association with her label Motown Gospel, a division of Capitol CMG.
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Golden said she wants the album to “truly be a meeting place for you and the Lord, for whatever you may need.”
At 24, Golden is joining the ranks of some of her worship peers such as Maverick City, Hillsong Young & Free and Steffany Gretzinger in redefining the sound and style of worship music that can reach both inside and outside of the church. The album offers a side A and B that offers congregational live worship on one record and contemporary music on the other.
Her songs "Rushing In" featuring Tasha Cobbs Leonard and "All Things" are quickly gaining notoriety.
The following is an edited transcript of The Christian Post’s interview with Golden who shares her heart behind the new album. She also explained why she believes the songs will help people meet with God's presence.
CP: It's so rare to release multiple styles of records at once. Tell us about your experience with creating both a live worship album and an album with more of a contemporary sound?
Golden: It was super important to me to embody both sides because I wanted to create something that reflected my playlist, not only worship and not only contemporary music.
The creation of the record was super organic. I love both sides so much because it really captures my artistry as well. I’ll always be a worship leader, so I love creating songs for corporate worship that live within a church on Sunday morning. I’ll always love contemporary sounds, creative production, and artistic ways of bringing those faith-based principles to life.
CP: How did you team up with Tasha Cobbs? What impact has she had on you?
Golden: Tasha has been such a huge impact on my life even before we met. When I was 20 years old, I got an email from her out of the blue to be a part of her Heart Passion Pursuit record that she recorded in Atlanta. When we met, it was almost instantaneous that we felt called to each other.
Tasha has this incredible ability to see people in their purpose before they are walking in it. So even when I met her, then she saw me for who I was and who she knew I was called to be.
CP: What inspired the album title?
Golden: “Peace” is the title track of the album. This song truly inspired the entire premise of the record. With the single being out a bit before the album, I wanted to show that this was a collection under the umbrella of what was previously released. Hence, Peace: The Album.
CP: One of your goals is to redefine the sound of music both inside and outside the church. Can you tell us about that?
Golden: I don’t think it is necessarily redefining the sound that is already taking place, but maybe expanding a bit of the box that sometimes we are put in as Christian artists or worship leaders that you don’t have to be either/or.
I know so many worship leaders that are so creative and just have so many different facets and sides to what they create when their God-given talent is what they communicate through music. Take away the stigma that you have to be one thing all the time. That, for example, if you do a double-sided record that you are going to confuse your audience. To just show all the gifts that God has given you can all be put into play and you don’t have to sacrifice one to the other.
CP: Can you share your testimony with our audience who would love to know more about your journey?
Golden: I was born and raised in the church where both my parent were worship leaders. My whole family is musical, and we all began doing mainstream music at a very young age. But at the age of 14, I had my first internship at a church and by 16, I was offered a full-time position as a worship leader. By that time, I had chosen to be primarily a worship leader and felt called to do this and there was such peace and safety in leading others into the presence of God. I never looked back.
Now, almost 10 years of working in full-time ministry, I still love it as much as I did then. Of course, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly within the church, but I still believe in it and I love the local church. I love creating resources for the local church, and it's a privilege creating and seeing people’s lives changed through the presence of God. Truly one of the greatest honors of my life.
CP: What is your goal with this release?
Golden: When creating this record, my common prayer was that the Lord would put this global, supernatural translation on this record that it would be all things to all people at all times. To truly be a meeting place for you and the Lord for whatever you may need. If it's peace, freedom, comfort, to be seen, or to have an understanding or listening ear — that you’d find all these things on this record to be a foundational meeting place for you and the Lord. I believe in it so much, and I have seen it happen in my own life; I’m the prototype. There is peace, truth, healing weaved into this record.
Peace: The Albumis now available on all music streaming services. Golden urges listeners to tune in because, she said, “I believe the Lord wants to tell you something through the music.”
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: jeannie.law@christianpost.com Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
