Interview: Daniel Lindahl
Daniel Lindahl is a Worship Pastor and Songwriter based near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Louder Than The Music chatted with him to find out how he started making music, and the story behind his brand new song 'YHWH'.
For those who haven't heard of you before, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved in making music?
My family is very musical. My mom and her brothers had a music ministry before I was born. I’ve been writing songs since I was 13 or 14 years old, but it really became a passion when I became a follower of Jesus at 17. I started leading worship around that age as well as playing in bands with my brothers and friends. I've been lucky enough to release a number of independent releases over the years, and hope to continue to do so!
Tell us about your new single 'YHWH' and what the inspiration behind it was?
I think cynicism towards my faith and feeling numb as a worship leader was the starting point. There are times when I get stuck in the religious and temporal and it hurts deeply. YHWH is about the wonder and majesty of God and who He is cuts through my cynicism like a hot knife to butter. If we could truly see Him as He truly is we would never be the same, never live the same, and never worship the same.
Do you have any plans to release more music in the near future?
Yes! I have a new song coming in the spring, and more on the way! Stay tuned!
What message would you like people to take from your music?
There is none like Jesus.
How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?
It’s kind of an ever changing list, but right now I’ll shout out Coin, Smallpools, and Citizens as major influences on my sound. Mix that sound with the wonderful worship music I've been exposed to all my life and that's kind of the sound I'm looking for.
If you could work with any songwriter, who would it be and why?
I’d love to write with Ed Cash. He’s been a part of a lot of awesome projects and worked with so many talented artists. There are so many other songwriters I’d love to work with as well! One of my great joys is working with my friend and producer Nate Yake.
How would you define success in your career as an artist?
Success is knowing Jesus. Success for me personally, is knowing Jesus and being able to sing about Him forever.
What is your favorite album of all time?
I don’t know if I have a singular favorite, but I'll shout out Citizens' album “Fear'.
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your phone. What track is it?
Worthy of It All - David Brymer. I will sing that song forever into eternity.
What does the next year hold for you?
Happily serving as the worship leader at Immanuel in Forest Lake. Writing songs about Jesus and releasing them! But mostly, just being a friend to anyone who needs one!
