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Who is your audience?

Phillips: GrassrootsMusic.com is a big promoter of my independent record, so that helps draw that indie crowd, which is often a college and young adult audience. People that tend to like more of the folk or acoustic rock are also in there.

But since we've been independent and get to do what we want, we also did any events from youth conferences to women's retreats to clubs and the rest of that whole gamut. I would hope that our music would reach a lot of different ages and not just one group.

The touring has also helped us learn not only who our audience is, but also what they want to hear and what touches them.

You're already a veteran in the industry. What would you have liked to have known years ago?

Phillips: The main thing I've learned is to appreciate what I do a lot more. Not that I didn't before, but the five years of touring as an indie artist gave us experience, and hopefully we're more mature. We're really passionate about writing—more than ever. I think we're more disciplined, with me being a mom. I'm much better about prioritizing the things that are important to me.

We take each record like it's our last. With the first Word release [her self-titled 1999 debut], we just assumed we'd do more of them. Then when we left, we realized we might not do a record ever again. It was a weird feeling but I wasn't freaked out about it. But I wished I'd thought that way when we went into our first record. Practically, that looks like really thinking about what we want to say, with what songs, and by determining what truly is important.

Another thing we want to do in our concerts is to create a sense of community with the audience instead of just putting on a show. And hopefully all that we've learned over the years makes us better songwriters, creating better records for our audience.

Expanding on that, what would you call "success" for yourself?

Phillips: For me, being successful is being content with what I have. I really have learned a lot about that over the years. We've been on this rollercoaster of a big label and a smaller thing. I wouldn't say we've mastered it, but I think we've learned a lot in how to be content in different circumstances-and I think we are.

My family and my marriage are success to me. That's what's important to me. If music left and for some reason no one wanted to hear what we have to say anymore, I would be okay with that. I would still do music in some form because I love music.

We don't have a drive to be famous. We do this because we love it.

We interviewed Jill before the release of her latest CD, Writing on the Wall (Fervent)—and before news broke about her husband Andy Gullahorn's arrest for "unlawful photography without consent" and violation of privacy. Gullahorn, who has confessed to the incident, was indicted in November by a Williamson County grand jury.

You can learn much more about Jill Phillips at our artist page for her, where you can read a review of her latest album. Visit Christianbook.com to listen to sound clips and buy her music.

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