Luke Smallbone remembers, “I require your prompt return home,” she expresses. “For what reason?” I inquired, and she responded, “I am unable to cease consuming these medications. They are necessary for me.”
He later stared home with frightened brown eyes. Luke Smallbone jumped into a car and sped to the airport, without stopping to say goodbye to his brother or the band.
On October 14th, the couple’s pivotal moment arrived as they toured the Ryman Auditorium to release their album “Burn Ships.” The album, which will be available in stores on October 5th, will bring out the bravery and determination in Courtney’s title track. As the Smallbone brothers began their work on the album, they recognized the brewing crisis they were facing, but their union only strengthened as they faced it together.
Until she successfully completed her first trimester, her healthcare provider consistently advised her to increase her medication dosage. The pills became less effective as her pregnancy advanced. Her physician prescribed her a well-known anti-nausea medication. Courtney Smallbone had experienced morning sickness throughout her pregnancy. His main concern was ensuring his wife’s well-being during the night, without needing to open the medication bottle, when Luke Smallbone returned home on that September night in 2014.
Luke Smallbone recalled, “I distinctly recollect pondering, ‘This is dependency.'” He added, “She would express, ‘I believe I simply require to ingest a pill,’ and then she would acknowledge, ‘I am aware that consuming the medication is not intended… But perhaps it’s their intention for me to gradually decrease my intake,’ as she distanced herself more and more from the previous occasion she had consumed a pill.”
If she couldn’t handle it, medical professionals ultimately concluded that she was grappling with severe anxiety regarding the potential outcomes. According to her, her symptoms closely resembled a dependency on the anti-nausea medication. The encounter resulted in her developing an anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Years prior, Courtney Smallbone managed to survive a life-threatening illness.
The next day, Luke Smallbone drove his wife to a residential psychiatric facility for an evaluation after two weeks of daily outpatient therapy. He missed picking her up every afternoon and driving her to the hospital every morning for two weeks, following the recommendation of the doctor. Later that year, Courtney flushed all the pills, including Tylenol and Benadryl, down the toilet at their home.
She stated, “I still possessed that urge within me that requires to deal with.” “I warranted to be entirely vibrant. Luke returned and expressed, ‘What are you engaging in?'” “I’m discarding all the tablets. He was sobbing. I was sobbing.” “I gazed at him and verbalized, ‘I wish to be entirely engaged in my existence, not desensitized. I’m not reverting. It’s a fresh day.'”
“Burn the Ships” was born in that moment. Courtney Smallbone burst into tears the first time she heard the song.
She expressed, “It seems as though the anthem of existence.” “Ignite the rubbish, ignite the former. I am completely protected by grace, and I experience complete vitality in my current existence. I believe you can only reach that state when you incinerate everything and commence anew.”
‘PRICELESS’: For King & Country address the issue of human trafficking with their ambitious new movie.
The novel “Priceless” was written and produced as a movie, aiming to raise awareness about human trafficking. They also wrote the book “Priceless”. The song “The Mission” marked the beginning of their mission to empower women. In the meantime, the brothers released a deluxe version of their album “Strong Love Free Live Wild, Run”, which included the duo’s hit No. 1 track “Priceless”. The first song to be completed for their fourth album, “Burn & King For”, was “Ships”.
The new single, “Knows Only God,” by Country & King For, made its debut with a visually striking music video. Choosing to find light in a world that spews negativity is the theme of the single, which is the lead track from the multi-week No. 1 album, “The Ships.” As the Smallbones brothers worked on making the album, their social consciousness drove them to create a cinematic experience similar to their previous work on “Priceless.”
The video follows a young woman throughout her day, showing how a personal interaction changed the intentions of a woman and saved her life, with the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255, clipped at the end. She jumps off a bridge, then meets friends for coffee. The video also features footage of the days after Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade killed themselves, set to the music of Country & King For.
Joel Smallbone said, “If this record encapsulates the deep purpose and heartfelt depth, and if it convinced me as I watched on the precipice, then I’m saying, ‘People are responding to us like we’ve never gotten before.’ I think it’s the most dramatic response we’ve ever received, as far as comments go.”
If members of the team feel depressed or at risk of harming themselves, they can reach out to fans by using a dedicated telephone number managed by a group of men.
Beverly Keel, the chair of Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Recording Industry, acknowledges the increasing popularity of faith-based songs in the music industry, including mentions of God by artists like The Weeknd, Kesha, and Drake. The secular radio has witnessed a growing trend of including songs like “joy” and “Knows Only God” in their playlists.
She expressed, “however, we must remember to be reminded that we can find joy in what upsets us. I think the message of Country & King resonates with me more than ever.” She shared, “both sides of the political spectrum have many questions, and people are turning to God for answers.”
Keel stated that their music “falls somewhere between Coldplay and Imagine Dragons.”
She stated, “We are not solitary and the melodies prompt us to ponder and recall that the words will resonate with us as individuals artistically, and the tunes will possess widespread appeal.”
The album “Burn the Ships” includes deeply personal songs such as “Control,” “Her,” “Hold on to Me,” “Fighter,” “Pioneer,” “Knows Only God,” and “Joy.” Joel Smallbone, who oversaw many details of the album, admits that when he heard the finished piece, it made him cry. The co-brothers Smallbone also wrote songs on the album, including “Burn the Ships.”
“Mission completed,” states Luke Smallbone: abundant with tunes that they’ll continue to be enthusiastic to execute for years to come, they desired the album to possess a personal and genuine touch.
Luke Smallbone said, “I think it’s a job to poke things that shouldn’t be poked. It’s provoking questions. I’m not alone in this, they can say ‘Man, can they put that on?’ I hope the album accompanies people on the journey of life. I think it highlights how many lonely people there are in today’s world, which is one of the greatest crimes. And I believe art helps bridge the gap.”