Louder Than The Music

Worship leader Andy Cherry has just released his album 'Nothing Left To Fear'. Crafted alongside famed producer Jason Ingram the album follows Cherry as he grapples with the complexities of genuine faith. Having recently earned new fans while on tour with Matt Maher in the US, Andy's reputation has been steadily growing in recent months. LTTM decided to find out more about the singer.

Tell us a little bit about your new album 'Nothing Left To Fear' and what the inspiration behind it was?

My new album, Nothing Left to Fear is a collection of songs I wrote that I felt people needed to hear, and that people needed to sing. So often I think songs can be one or the other. I wanted to make an album that would have messages of hope for people when they were going through tough times, and also an album full of responses to God for the things he has done for us.

With that concept in mind, I found myself writing a lot of songs about fear, and how God wants us to live lives free from it. A lot of the songs come from situations in my life where I personally was dealing with a lot of fear. Through the writing and recording of this album I really feel like God was speaking a lot of peace in to my life. He reminded me that I didn't have to strive to gain his love, I don't have to work to gain his affection, I don't have to be afraid of the circumstances that I face. The scripture that really defines this album is found in 1 John chapter 4 where it says "Perfect Love drives out all fear". It would be easy to stop at that verse and not dig any deeper but if we press on in that passage we see that it says "Because fear has to do with punishment". My hope on this earth is found in the fact that all the punishment that was intended for me because of all of my failures and all of the mistakes that I've made was poured out on Jesus on the cross. Because of Jesus' sacrifice for us, when I accept that love I can truly live a life without fear.

Which is your favourite track on the album and why?

My favorite (favourite for my friends across the pond) track on "Nothing Left to Fear" I think has to be a song called "He Has Done it All". It comes out of a very intimate and vulnerable time I was having with the Lord on an early morning last spring. I just started writing in my journal, and the words that came out were the first lyrics to this song. They say this "Oh, my fear tells me, that I will always be trying to be redeemed. But Love tells me, stop striving. All your working finds you needing". The Chorus is a bold declaration of the power of the cross saying "It is Finished, He accomplished what no one could He Has Done it All" Those words serve as a reminder to me every day that its not the Lord that tells me that I have to keep striving. Fear does not come from God it comes from the enemy. I have to choose to accept what God's love tells me not the lies that fear tells me. That really is the theme of the record in two sentences. Jesus has done it all. I need to stop trying to do it all myself and let the power of God work in my life.

My favorite (favourite) song to play live is "To Follow You". Even us worship leaders like to rock out every once in a while.

What's your song writing process?

My song writing process really varies. Sometimes it will be a lyric that comes to me and I am scrambling to find a guitar to try and capture it with a melody. Other times its a situation where I feel like a lyric and melody come together in a neatly wrapped box like a Christmas gift from the Lord and all I have to do is be smart enough in that moment to write it down.

Several of the songs on "Nothing Left to Fear" were written with my producer and friend Jason Ingram. Jason is an extraordinary talent who really helped focus a lot of the songs I had that already existed and helped me start some from scratch. It was truly an honor to work with someone of his caliber.

If you could work with any song writer, who would it be and why?

I'd have to say the late Rich Mullins. He wrote in such a beautiful way that was bold, reverent, intimate, and huge all at the same time. I strive to have the kind of honesty and awe in my writing that he did.

How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?

My style of music comes from a wide variety of influences. I'm inspired by melody, so anything that has a beautiful melody will end up influencing me. I love artists like Jeff Buckley and Coldplay for their emotion and intensity. but am also really in to a lot of the music that comes from where I live in the states. The stripped down rawness of southern bluegrass sound really speaks to me.