Multi-Artist A New Heaven And A New Earth Album Features Intergenerational Participation
Along with the celebrated artists pouring into the multi-artist A New Heaven And A New Earth project slated to premiere June 2024, their children are conversant participants not only singing and playing instruments on select songs on the recording and at live performances, but also producing the project’s video content, social media posts and website.
To date, six singles from the A New Heaven And A New Earth album have been released, including “Arms Around The World” from iconic singer/songwriter Phil Joel (Newsboys) that features Joel’s 19-year-old son Eden on both guitar and drums and 22-year-old daughter Phynley on background vocals. Phynley is also an accomplished videographer and producer who directed the “Arms Around The World” video, the project’s “You Mean The World” from recording artist and actress MŌRIAH, a promotional sizzle reel and a short documentary of the project filmed primarily in Oslo, Norway.
“This is something that we see a lot of people in our generation care about,” Phynley says of the call to take care of Creation that is the driving force behind the A New Heaven And A New Earth project. “As Christians and people of faith, we care about the planet because it’s a gift that’s been given to us from God to take care and be good stewards of.”
Besides being director, editor and documentarian of the project, Phynley is also a background vocalist on “Our Common Home,” which is the A New Heaven And A New Earth single released in October that features Jason Roy (Building 429), Phil Joel and Don Chaffer (Waterdeep).
Like Phynley, Chaffer’s children, 19-year-old son Miles and 17-year-old daughter Ruby, are integrally involved in this project. Miles developed the project’s website (www.anewheavenandanewearth.org) and Ruby designed and co-curates the Instagram account at www.instagram.com/newheavennewearthsongs. She also played guitar and sang during A New Heaven And A New Earth events in Oslo, Norway and at the Vatican.
“My hope is that this project can provide people with a new lens, helping them see that there is a way to care about Creation that they might not have thought about before,” says Miles.
“The earth is a beautiful gift,” adds Ruby. “It makes sense to want to preserve that gift, taking care of it and embracing all the beautiful things this world has given us. I really hope that this project will spread that message.”
Along with his involvement in the “Our Common Home” single, GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Award-winning Building 429 lead vocalist Jason Roy contributed the lead track to A New Heaven And A New Earth, “It’s All Yours,” and has his 21-year-old son Avery involved in the project. Like Miles and Ruby, Avery attended the Vatican events in 2022, as well as accompanied his dad’s performance at the Vatican and plays drums on the “Our Common Home” recording.
“This project is not just about the current and next generation, it’s about the next 100 generations,” says Jason Roy.
In addition to “Our Common Home, singles by Roy, Joel and MŌRIAH, plus the track “Together” from two-time Dove Award-winning, three-time No.1 Billboard-charting, Stellar Award-nominated Aaron Cole and “So Will I” from chart-topping recording artist and songwriter Micah Tyler, more A New Heaven And A New Earth songs will be revealed in 2024. Each of these well-known Christian artists felt led to participate, responding to the call to write and record a song on taking care of Creation. The songs collectively cover rock, pop, hip hop, R&B, indie, folk/ Americana and more musical genres.
