Cory Asbury Shares Story Behind Country-Influenced Album ‘Pioneer’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Cory Asbury just released “Pioneer”—his first album in nearly three years—but the sound and stories told might surprise some listeners.
“Pioneer” is the culmination of the last three years of Asbury’s life. He has seen much change as his family moved from Michigan to a seven-acre farm in Nashville. He and his wife have also stepped away from full-time ministry for now—the first time they haven’t been on staff at a church in 19 years.
“We wanted to settle down somewhere for good,” Asbury told Relevant, explaining his family’s move. “I always dreamed of living in Nashville, because of the music scene. I finally convinced my wife to agree. We sold our house in Michigan in eight hours and bought a house here without seeing it in person. We saw it on Zillow, and we knew it was the one.”
Asbury and his wife had moved around a lot, and after five years in Michigan, the couple wanted to move somewhere warmer. Asbury was also eyeing Nashville because of the music that comes out of that city.
“I love organic instruments,” he said. “I love guitars and all kinds of stringed instruments. I think they’re beautiful. There’s something special about playing the instruments yourself. I think a lot of our music is processed. It’s made with synthesizers, keyboards, digital sounds and samples.”
“I love real music, and living in Nashville, you have access to so many incredible musicians. There are these instruments that bring so much emotion. Like the lap steel – it sounds like someone crying. It’s so evocative, emotional, unquantifiable,” he added.
While it has been a few years since Asbury released new music, he hasn’t slowed down when it comes to writing new songs. As he stepped away from full-time ministry, he and his wife took time to process and reflect on their time working at churches.
“There were some things that were difficult, some things that were painful about it. And we let God speak to those things and heal those places,” he said. “It’s been really beautiful. It’s been really powerful. We’re not bitter or angry at the church or anything like that. But there’s stuff that happens that’s real. And if you don’t deal with it and face it, you’ll end up living in bitterness and offense. And we didn’t want that.”
“We did the processing and God met us in the middle of that,” he continued. “It’s been really sweet.”
For Asbury, the best way to process is with a guitar.
“I wanted to do some deep heart work. And in the midst of that, I wrote a lot of music. So I didn’t stop doing that,” he explained. “I was always writing as a way of processing life. That’s my therapy.”
“In the middle of that there were so many songs that came to life and so many ideas that took shape that I think people will finally hear,” he continued. “But yeah, it was very much like going into a cave and just writing, but not releasing anything for three years.”
“Pioneer” tells Asbury’s stories. Rather than confine himself to typical Christian music sounds, Asbury explored the organic sounds he loves. While the album may not be what fans expect, it’s an authentic look into his life.
“Everyone’s saying on social media, ‘you’re Country Cory now,’ but it’s not fully in that lane,” he said. “And even if it was, I wouldn’t mind. But I think the beauty of that kind of music is that it’s very story-driven, very narrative-driven. And you know, that’s the tradition of country music. You’re telling a story, you’re bringing the listener in and hopefully, you’re giving them a lesson through this story.”
“Pioneer” is available now.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Singer-songwriter Cory Asbury, known for the hit song “Reckless Love,” recently announced the release date for his newest album “Pioneer.”
Asbury shared, “I’ll always be the ‘Reckless Love’ guy, but my art has evolved. I’ve changed. I’ve grown. And hopefully after more than 3 years, I’ve got something new to say. After all, that is the office of the artist—to give language to the things we all feel and experience.”
Asbury posted several photos of two singles he recently released, both of which will be on his new album.
The singer-songwriter shared the story behind his song “Kind,” saying, “If you’ve never seen the bottom of the barrel, this isn’t the song for you. If you’ve never experienced loss or addiction or heartbreak, this isn’t the song for you. If you think you’re doing just fine and you’ve got it all together on your own, this isn’t the song for you.”
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