Eddie Carswell, Billy Goodwin, Eddie Middleton, and Bobby Apon formed the Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) group NewSong in 1981 while attending Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Georgia.
Today, NewSong consists of founding members Carswell and Goodwin, along with Russ Lee, Jake Holman, Mark Clay, and Rico Thomas. NewSong has released 29 albums across more than 40 years. The band has also been nominated for a Grammy Award and received more than 10 Dove Award nominations.
During the mid-90s, NewSong started what is now known as the Winter Jam Tour. It is one of the largest annual Christian music tours in the world.
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ChurchLeaders sat down with Lee during Winter Jam’s stop in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss the secret to longevity of the tour, as well as his band.
“The focus of NewSong has never changed,” Lee said. NewSong’s “focus has always been to figure out a way to talk about the gospel and to use music as a tool.”
“I think that’s one of the reasons that God’s blessed it the way that he has,” he added. “One of the other things that has helped us, other than keeping the focus on the ministry, has been the fact that we’re all not just musicians and singers. We didn’t just find our niche, but we’re also all students of music. And we all are fans of music.”
That has allowed NewSong to evolve musically throughout its years, Lee explained. “We we like to listen to what’s current, and we like to write toward that…always learning, always seeking to keep Jesus first—Matthew 6:33: seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness. I think the Lord has just blessed that.”
Lee shared that NewSong is “excited about what God’s done, but we never rest there.” In fact, the band is finishing up a new record, which will include a new song that released on Jan. 31, titled “Church People.”
Lee said the band was inspired by artists like Crowder, Anne Wilson, and We The Kingdom to write an upbeat “call and response” style of song. That led NewSong to write the lyrics, “If you love my Jesus, then you won’t hold back. Tell me right now, where my church people at?”
The tour that is Winter Jam today began 30 years ago. Lee told ChurchLeaders that the only reason it is still a growing success is because of God.
“Every night is a step of faith,” Lee shared. “So when you do an event like this, you do a general donation at the door, a suggested donation, because if someone is outside and they don’t have $15 to donate, we still let them in.”
Lee emphasized, “We’re probably the only tour in the world that does that. We proudly do that. We don’t want anybody to be left outside who wants to come inside.”
Winter Jam Tour attendees understand the heart behind what NewSong has set out to accomplish. “They understand the heart of it. They understand that what we’re doing is Christ-centered,” he said, “and our efforts reflect the fact that we want anyone who wants to come to enjoy a night of worship, be encouraged, hear the gospel, and bring their friends to hear the gospel.”