Needham’s obsession with music began as an adolescent studying musical theatre before he graduated to playing guitar in high school. However, it wasn’t until college that he began writing his own material—and in some ways the success that’s followed seems accidental…or inevitable, depending on how you look at it.

“My headspace at the time I was starting out was, ‘I don’t want to be the guy who tries to beat down doors to get into the industry,’ so I just decided to keep doing things my own way and if they didn’t pan out, I would be content being a history teacher.” Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. His father helped him fund his first record in 2005 and Needham was approached by Inpop records who signed him after hearing his music on MySpace. He released his first major studio album, Speak in 2006, and Not Without Love in 2008.

“Since I didn’t beat down doors to get this job, I can kind of hold it with an open hand,” Needham says. “So if God takes this away, I’m going to sleep like a baby because it’s never really defined me.”

Needham’s music may not define him, but it’s helping him gain a hardcore following of fans and the respect of the Christian music industry for this talented young man from Katy, Texas. While Nightlights is incredibly varied, at its core it’s just the next step in Needham’s musical evolution. Produced by Calvin Turner (known for his renowned work with Marc Broussard), the album sees Needham taking his love for classic soul artists like Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke and juxtaposing their influences to create his own distinctive sound. In fact, from funky gospels like “Moving To Zion” to soulful rockers like “Right Where You Are,” the album shows how much Needham has grown as a singer and songwriter over the past few years.

However, just when you think you have Needham figured out, he throws in one of Nighlights’ many sonic surprises. Most notably is the hip-hop, inflected neo-soul centerpiece “Grace Amazing.” “I listened to a lot of hip-hop growing up and I’ve always written with a fast-paced lyricism, so I thought we would take some chances with this record,” he says. “‘Grace Amazing’ is my favorite track on the album right now and it’s kind of got a Maroon Five/Michael Jackson meets straight hip-hop kind of feel,” he explains, while adding that the track was also inspired by other genre-melding collaborations between artists like Jay-Z and Linkin Park. “I just love playing that song live and the response has been great. I think that the audience really appreciates when an artist is willing to take risks instead of just writing the same type of song over and over again.”

Ultimately, if there was one word that could be used to best describe Needham after listening to Nightlights, it would be humble—and regardless of your religious preferences, that’s an emotion that everyone can relate to.

“I probably have more songs on this CD than any of my other ones that aren’t explicitly Christian,” he states. “We’ve heard from plenty of people that really dig my stuff and they don’t know anything about Christ. I want to reach the unchurched so I’m glad my music and lyrics are able to connect with anyone.”

This is my second chance / this is no song and dance / you came in and renewed a right spirit, Needham sings on the album’s debut single, “Yours To Take”—and that sentence is a pretty apt summarization of Nightlights’ overarching mission statement. Penned by Needham, the song has lyrical depth but is encased with a catchy pop sound that is already resonating with radio and listeners.

“The goal of this record is to musically breakdown walls and help me achieve the mission my lyrics hope to carry out,” Needham explains. “My hope is that people would be both challenged and impacted by the truth in these songs, and that’s all I can ask for.”

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William Lee Barefield III, better known as Trip Lee, was born and raised in Dallas, TX. As a child, Trip had dreams of being a professional athlete or famous rapper, so he began to hone his lyrical skills at the age of 12. “I rapped about random stuff—how hot I was or how many girls I could pull,” Trip says. But upon giving his life to Christ, at age 14, his focus changed from fortune, fame and women to serving and ministering the Gospel.

Trip slowly recognized that all of his life should be centered on Christ. “One day, I just decided I’m only doing Christian Hip Hop. Rappers like Ambassador and Da Truth helped provide a model for how I would begin to do that,” he says. He also had an immense desire to learn and teach the scripture, so he became a leader in his youth group and preached his first sermon at age 17.

In 2004, Trip met Lecrae at a concert; months later, after talking and building with each other, Lecrae began to disciple him. While still in high school, Trip was given the opportunity to pen a few devotionals for the Reach Records website that dealt with theological matters. Trip would then sign with Reach Records, and his debut album, If They Only Knew, hit stores nationwide a few days after his high school graduation. His first full-length album introduced hip-hop fans to his distinct southern sound, unique delivery and gospel-saturated lyrics. That same year, Trip was also featured on the Dove Award-nominated, timeless classic “Jesus Muzik” with label mate Lecrae.

His sophomore album, 20/20, was released in 2008 and garnered much success: breaking into the Billboard Top 200, reaching #11 on the Billboard Christian albums chart and landing at #4 on the Gospel chart. With his third studio album, Between Two Worlds, Trip offers a collection of reflections on life in a fallen world. Those reflections resonated with listeners as B2W debuted at #1 on the Christian and Gospel Billboard charts, #5 on the Hip Hop/Rap iTunes chart and #9 on the Top Albums iTunes chart. The album also received two Dove nominations and a Stellar Award for Best Gospel Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year.

Since his first album release, Trip has traveled the world performing for thousands of listeners. The Christ-centered hip-hop message he brings has also built a platform for him among churches and other Christian organizations, which has led to numerous opportunities to preach and teach at conferences and other events.

Trip now resides in Washington, DC with his wife and is finishing his Biblical and Theological Studies degree by distance with Boyce College. He is currently touring, working on his fourth album, blogging (bragonmylord.com) and aiming to author a few New York Times bestsellers. Trip’s unending desire is to proclaim the grace and beauty of Jesus Christ to anyone that will listen. Ultimately, he hopes this journey will someday lead to pastoring a church.

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“That was the moment where I thought, ‘OK, this is bigger than me, and I'd better get on board. I'd better hold on for dear life and follow wherever God leads me.”

You’ll sense the musical and spiritual growth Cherry’s been led toward in Nothing Left to Fear, which he created alongside highly regarded producer and five-time SESAC Christian songwriter of the year, Jason Ingram.

Stomping percussion underlines the celebratory refrain of “Rise with a shout, cry out, our God’s alive!” in leadoff single, “Our God’s Alive.” Gentle fingerpicked guitars lead through “Running to Our Savior,” an expression of God’s comfort in the face of loss. And “Nothing to Fear” -- with its refrain of "Why should I worry/ When Your love surrounds me?” -- grounds the album’s overarching sense of the comfort and hope that comes with faith, the knowledge that worry is needless, that God will sustain you.

But Cherry also funneled the struggle and uncertainty that lingers, and the honest questioning that comes with both, into Nothing Left to Fear.

Opening track “City of Light” -- a lush melodic rock anthem -- ended up a treatise to God that asks Him to awaken our hearts and for that to be recognized. It started as the expression of a personal breaking point, when Cherry was confused and lost and needed to be reminded that a new day would dawn. That song and others -- “He Has Done it All,” about how God has made us complete; “Beautiful Morning,” in which Cherry sings, “I need nothing, but Your love” -- aren’t just proclamations of devotion but reminders and sources of comfort to Cherry himself.

To Cherry, there’s strength -- and closeness to God -- in admitting that you haven’t figured it all out. Nothing Left to Fear is his admission, and his invitations to question, learn, grow and worship with him, together.

“The reason I do what I do is because I want to compel people to a deeper walk with God,” says Cherry.

“Through my work in churches, I’ve witnessed people – for whatever reasons – shy away from asking hard questions. I think this hesitancy, or fear, keep them from a closer relationship with God. Through these songs, I hope to help people work around that fear and find the love He intends for each us.”

He continues, “There's an understanding that comes when you start looking at yourself through God's eyes, and when you're finally able to communicate with Him on an honest level I think you're able to see yourself without a filter.”

He finds inspiration toward that intent in the “pretty extensive example of worship music” we have in Psalms. (He takes on a very famous hymn on Nothing Left to Fear -- “Nothing But the Blood” -- repackaging and modernizing it as a propulsive, layered sonic celebration.) Beyond the poetry and praise in the hymn, you also find real struggle -- and real honesty.

“I’m sure we’ve all had moments where we’ve felt like we’ve been attacked; even forsaken,” Cherry says. “The moments where you just want to say, ‘My life is really messed up, and I think You have let this happen to me.’ God can handle that -- He's got really broad shoulders and He handle your honesty and confusion – even your anger. His feelings aren't going to be hurt. He doesn't need us to sugarcoat things because He knows what we’re feeling. So when we dancing around what we're actually feeling towards Him I think we do ourselves a disservice. In my writing and playing, I hope to point people to a broader view of God; to encourage them to dialogue in honesty, like David did.”

Cherry’s drive toward holistic relationships extends to those between other people, too. In his career and in his life, he aims to be a uniter, to help bring together generations and denominations, to help draw people closer to God -- to live out John 17:11. ("And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given me, that they be one, even as we are one."

He finds various ways to express that desire, from concert stages to continuing to lead worship when he’s home in North Carolina, at weekly citywide church gathering Charlotte One. (About 60 percent of the songs on Nothing Left to Fear, too, are made for church settings.) Regardless of whether those concert stages grow with the release of Nothing Left to Fear, Cherry’s a lot more certain of his direction these days.

“If this record isn’t a success I don't think that's gonna change who I am,” he says. “It won't change what I'm passionate about, it won't change how I approach songwriting, it won't change how I approach God. It will just be the end of a really cool trip.”

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