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Carolyn Arends has been writing songs for a long time—professionally, for the better part of two decades. Always known for her insightful, intelligent lyrics, it's no surprise that Arends is also adept in other forms of writing—like her critically acclaimed book Wrestling With Angels (Harvest House/Conversant Life), her award-winning column in Christianity Today, and a bunch of well-written film reviews for CT (including last week's review of Where the Wild Things Are). It all adds up to what Arends sees as her role as a communicator, as she puts it, "about essential and ultimate things. … I'm just happy to be working with words and ideas and meaning." It's been a while since she last worked her lyrical magic on a new album—three and a half years, in fact. But it was worth the wait: The stellar Love Was Here First, Arends' 10th album, releases today. We talked to her about the album, the long delay between records, the somewhat "divinely inspired" songwriting process, and more.

Carolyn Arends

This is the longest you've gone between records, almost 3½ years since Pollyanna's Attic. Why so long?

Carolyn Arends: The first two years after Pollyanna's Attic were filled vocationally with lots of creative endeavors—some touring, an increasing amount of speaking and freelance (non-musical) writing, chipping away slowly at a (still in-process) master's degree in Theology, teaching music at a local Bible school, and a few other projects. And of course my roles as wife and mom [she and husband Mark have two children]. By the summer of 2008, I realized that two years had already gone by since my last release, and I got that creative itch to get going on a new recording. I did the basic tracks for a whole batch of new songs in August of 2008, and thought I'd finish by late fall, last year. And then life went a bit sideways.

I'm really close to my parents, and they both got critically ill. Between caring for them personally and trying to help keep their busy restaurant open while they've been out of commission, I've been really stretched this past year. I could only work at the album in spurts, until I was finally able to give it my focus this summer and get it ready for release this fall.As much as it's an honor to help my folks, it's also been really great to get back to the music this last while.

Pollyanna's Attic was a collection of darker material, what you jokingly called some of your "grumpy songs." What's the tone of the record?

Arends: I have a pal who can go from elation to sorrow in two seconds flat; I call her my "four seasons in one day" friend. I'd say Love Was Here First is a "four seasons in one day" record—from the buoyancy and humor of playful tracks like "Be Still" and "Roll It," to the more somber introspection of songs like "Willing" and "Never Say Goodbye." I'm glad that emotional range is there, because my life certainly has that range of emotion and experience, and I assume a lot of other people are living the same spectrum.

I think the thread that continues from Pollyanna's Attic is the desire to shoot straight from the hip. My co-producer says some of my "punchiest" lyrics ever are on this new record, and I think he's referring to my desire to explore quandaries (even theological ones) openly and honestly.

For example?

Arends: A song like "According to Plan" is controversial: It's my attempt to wrestle with issues of theodicy, and I know some of my listeners are going to strongly disagree with the conclusions I tentatively come to. [Lyrics include lines like "We say, 'There are no accidents' / But we can't account for all life's randomness / So maybe some things are not orchestrated." And the chorus: "I'm not sure that God moves everything / Like pawns in a chess game, or puppets on a string / And I can't determine just whether or not / He causes or troubles or He makes them stop."] But it was a song that literally wrestled me to the ground. I couldn't rest until I'd finished that one, and for reasons I can't even clearly articulate, I felt compelled to record it as well.

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