What happens when you get a few Young Life musicians in the same room? You get not only some good music, but you get some music with depth! That’s exactly what happened when three amazing Young Life friends gathered together to create some accessible music for everyone around Young Life.
Big Water Collective (BWC) was formed by a desire to break down the barriers that many of us experience today through creation of a diverse group of musicians all striving for one goal: to encounter the Lord in a new way that is accessible to everyone.
With the original group comprised of Tyson Motsenbocker (San Diego, CA), Kaitlyn Danos (Young Life College @ LSU in Baton Rouge, LA), and Shua (San Diego, CA), Big Water Records blends notes of soul, indie, and worship into a scripturally-based EP from the book of Psalms—using common language that can used for club talks, content songs, leadership meetings, and worship.
The group came together for two days in San Diego to listen to God’s direction for the project, then used Switchfoot’s Melody League Studio to record the music live in one sitting. The collection consists of three original tunes, videos, and charts: Draw Me Close, Guiding Light, and Pick Me Up.
Draw Me Close is based around Psalm 23 and communicates that no matter how far we’ve gone or how long we’ve been drifting, God is always drawing us back to Himself. Guiding Light references Psalm 119, telling us that the Lord is not distant, but speaks to us in the here and now. Lastly, Pick Me Up depicts Absalom’s pursuit of David and speaks to the reality that God desires to find us in the midst of our battles, picking us up, and ultimately saving us.
Recently released on Spotify and YouTube, the project is accessible to anyone who is interested in connecting to God in an authentic and real way. In addition, by contacting Scott McClain (Ozark Bayou Region) at 225-364-8507, you can grab your own copies of the chords and lyrics to begin worshipping with us. In the next few weeks, all of our content will be uploaded to linktr.ee @Big_water_records.
Lastly, if you have any input on the EP or think you have an idea for a future song, we’d love to hear your thoughts. We will be having a writers workshop with Charlie Hall (Frontline Music) in early 2022 and recording our second EP this summer. Please feel free to reach out if we can answer any questions. (scottmcclainyl@icloud.com)
Links to each of the songs are below: