‘Light a match, leave the past’

Joel and Luke Smallbone, the Australian brothers behind the music group For King and Country, have never shied away from the vulnerable and broken parts of their stories.

With the release of their third album, “Burn the Ships,” the duo has dug even deeper to reflect the hearts of both brothers in their current seasons of life – a step that wasn’t easy for Joel Smallbone.

“(Luke has) always shown up well, but I think I took it upon myself to show up and write more from my perspective,” Joel Smallbone said. “Songs like ‘Control’, ‘Fight On, Fighter,’ for me were songs that I gravitate towards, and (Luke) took more of a supportive role and helped pull the story out of me.”

Although Joel and Luke Smallbone act as support systems for each other, they consistently point to their wives, Moriah and Courtney, as the source of their greatest encouragement and inspiration. 

“Whenever you start out on a project, you’d be amazed at how strong the ‘wife test’ is,” Luke Smallbone said, laughing. 

Luke Smallbone explained that behind each song are hours of heart-to-heart conversations where Moriah and Courtney help to temper ideas and give insight into the concepts behind the music. On the latest album, Luke and Joel Smallbone even sing with their wives on a track called “Pioneers” – a song about traversing the challenges of marriage together.

“To be able to have both Moriah and Courtney sing on a song is really special because at the end of the day, they’re kind of the backbone behind what we do,” Luke Smallbone said. “Just to have that physically represented with a song where we’re all together is really sweet.”

In Joel Smallbone’s perspective, this third album was incredibly rewarding to write because it was a challenge of vulnerability that he navigated with his wife and his brother. In one of the more sobering songs, “God Only Knows,” the brothers address how the profound love of God is the only cure for deeply hidden hurt. Joel Smallbone explained that in a modern technological world, many people still experience loneliness.

“We’ve become more communicative than ever, but it seems like we’re not connecting as much,” Joel Smallbone said. 

In a time when suicide rates are higher than ever, Joel Smallbone emphasized that believers need to learn to love well and be present. This idea of letting God reconcile brokenness isn’t isolated. The song at the heart of the album, “Burn the Ships”, encourages listeners to leave behind the shame of the past and move towards a hopeful future.

“I think there are some themes in that song that really are kind of a through-road through a lot of the album,” Luke Smallbone said.

Luke Smallbone addressed his personal experience with this song as it tells the story of his wife’s accidental addiction to medication given to her during her pregnancy. 

“She said those pills represented too much shame, so much guilt, that she felt it was so important to flush those pills,” Luke Smallbone explained. “I think that moment represented her moment of ‘Burn the Ships’.”

More than moving on from shame, Joel Smallbone explained that the record represents marching into the unknown future with confidence. 

“It’s really a record of no-retreat, whether that’s from addiction, whether that’s relationally, whether that’s socially, and also very much spiritually,” Joel Smallbone said. 

As the duo attempts to live this out in their own lives, they explained the desire to connect with younger generation. Joel Smallbone sees youth looking for causes to get behind, and he wants to remind them that they are equipped with God-given gifts.

“I think our hope is … (for youth) to really chase after and aggressively pursue with no retreat the idea that you are unique, you were put here with a purpose,” Joel Smallbone said. “The world needs you. America needs you. The people need you.” 

Returning to Liberty University gives For King and Country the platform to drive this idea home. The brothers have previously performed at local events like Winterfest and raved about the support they always receive here.

“Since the beginning of the band, I feel like we’ve had a great relationship with Liberty,” Joel Smallbone said. “This area has been a real hub for who we are and what we do as a band.”

As For King and Country continues touring to promote “Burn the Ships”, they have found that releasing such a personal record has changed how they perceive
all music.  

“These songs mean a lot to us, but in some cases, music can be discarded,” Luke Smallbone said. “It’s actually a challenge to me to make sure when I’m listening to someone else’s music to listen (with) the same care that I hope people listen to our music.”

The brothers explained that there is always a risk when releasing music that is so vulnerable, but the desire for it to be well-received never leaves. For them, taking the leap of faith has been the most rewarding adventure.

“We spent a year and a half making this,” Luke Smallbone said. “There are many songs that have eight different versions. It wasn’t an easy process. No matter what happens, this was our best effort. These were the truest stories we could tell.”