Forerunner Music Releases Jon Thurlow's 'Different Story'
In his first full-length album since 2013, longtime International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) worship leader and songwriter Jon Thurlow addresses themes of redemption, trial and hope on Different Story out now from Forerunner Music, IHOPKC’s official record label. The album is available for purchase now at iTunes, Amazon.com and other digital retailers internationally, as well as directly at the Forerunner Bookstore where an exclusive vinyl version of the record may also be purchased.
Following the release of his Forerunner Music debut, the live Stand in Awe album in 2013, as well as appearances on numerous Onething Live albums, Thurlow took some time to craft the songs for Different Story. The inspiration flowed from personal challenges and transitions that included the birth of his and his wife Kinsey’s first child, a daughter, in late 2016.
“With any birth, there’s challenge,” says Thurlow. “It’s intense, but so worth it. Like the birth of our daughter, the journey to this new album was intense, but it led to some beautiful music and inspired songs.”
The title track to Thurlow’s first-ever Nashville-based recording was influenced by his first time working with legendary multiple Grammy, Dove Award-winning producer Brown Bannister, and multi-talented Ben Shive (Laura Hackett Park, Brandon Heath, Bebo Norman, JJ Heller, Andrew Peterson.)
Thurlow recalls, “I had a melody and some lyrics, and was talking to Brown about how the Lord takes our messed up, broken stories and He redeems - He rewrites them through Jesus. It’s a very hopeful song, an anthem.”
Other album highlights include the first studio recording of “Shout Your Name,” title track to the 2015 Onething Live album, “Your Love is Better,” an IHOPKC prayer room favorite, and a full band version of “Still Looking Back at Me” from Thurlow’s Walking Through the Night EP. The latter song is sung from God’s perspective to a hurting woman who refuses to quit.
“My hope for listeners is that the songs be an on-ramp for them to connect to the Lord, whether in prayer or with the song coming from the Lord’s heart back to us,” shares Thurlow. “I want them to feel a pull back to Jesus - that it would be a connection point.”
