Though Steven Curtis Chapman's 18-year marriage with Mary Beth is certainly the inspiration behind his new recording, All About Love has much to say to everybody – young and old, married and single. People are clearly listening, with Steven's album at #12 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart during its first week, his strongest debut yet. Just before a stop on his busy promo tour, Steven took the time to talk with us about the inspiration and recording process behind All About Love.

Why did you decide to make this album about love and romance?

Steven: We hear songs all day long on the radio that talk about love. It doesn't matter who it is – N'Sync, Britney Spears, John Mayer, Matchbox Twenty, or others – they all sing songs about relationships and love, about having our hearts broken. They tell us what a great relationship should look like, and they tell us what a loving relationship should be.

I wanted my kids, their friends, and others to hear music about romance and passion from a Christian perspective. I wrote these songs with the thought that I want young people to hear godly, healthy ideas of what romance could and should be. I also wanted to portray some of the challenges and struggles.

What really birthed the idea is the fact that I really believe relationships are the greatest gifts God has given us. First and foremost, of course, is our relationship with him. It's the reason we live and breathe, and it's the ultimate purpose of why we're here. But he's also given us relationships with one another. I believe marriage is at the top of the list – the ultimate fruition – but all of our relationships are reflections of our relationship with him. And, if we're wise, we can learn that they teach us more about him.

Scripture tells us over and over again that our greatest calling is to love well those whom God has put in our lives. Jesus said that this is what it all comes down to – that we "love one another." That's why I decided to call the album All About Love and not All About Married Love or All About Marriage.

Do you have a specific example from the album that gives a healthy idea of romance?

Steven: I want young people – everyone, really – to understand the power of a kiss, for example. I talk about that in the song "Every Little Kiss." Why does a kiss have such an effect on us both physically and emotionally? I believe God created those feelings and wants us to experience them, and it's all a part of his plan and purpose for us. It's another example of the good gifts he has given us that are to be experienced and enjoyed.

What would you say to some who may be a little intimidated about buying the album because they're not married or in a loving relationship right now?

Steven: Well, there's a hidden bonus track called, "Love Stinks." No, I'm just kidding! That's actually an excellent question, one I was asked when I first talked about the project with the marketing department and some of the single people at Sparrow Records. They had the same concern, but after hearing the music they realized the album wasn't just about marriage; it's also about all kinds of relationships with others.

Has the music that has influenced you changed over the years as your sound has evolved?

Steven: I think the music I make is somewhat influenced by what my kids enjoy. I love to listen to music with them, and I take some of my musical cues from what I hear. Not so much with Shoie, because then I'd end up doing "Blue's Clues" songs! I want to speak their language musically.

There are aspects of the current music that I relate to and connect with. For example, I can't say I'm a huge Creed fan, but there are certain melodies and guitar sounds that I really dig. So, the trick is to find ways to plug that into my music while still being true to myself. I don't want to make records that sound like someone else, but sometimes someone's else's passion or energy, or perhaps a melody, helps me communicate a message in a way I haven't done before. So I intentionally keep myself tuned in to a lot of different music to help keep things fresh.

Was there a specific time when you knew that you would record this album?

Steven: I'd been talking about doing this record for about seven or eight years. I think the defining moment was when I was on the Live Out Loud tour. While on the road, I started writing songs for my wife, Mary Beth. I thought the album would be a compilation record of four or five songs I'd written for her earlier and four or five new songs. But I started thinking and praying about it, and I actually wrote out a three-page letter about why I wanted to make this record and what I felt its purpose was. I gave it to the people at my record company, and that really got me excited about the project

Writing and recording this album was done in a way you've never done it before. Can you explain that process?

Steven: While I'm on tour, it usually takes all my energy to stay focused on the concerts, interviews, and seeing what God wants me to do with that time. I don't usually think about the next project. But this time I wrote while on tour, and when I started, the songs just began to fall out of me.

I ended up writing eight or ten new songs in the course of a month. I came back from the tour and played them for the guys at the record label, for the producer, Brown Bannister, and, of course, for Mary Beth, and they all thought they were something special. Usually I spend five or six months making a record, but this one was essentially recorded in four days.

This might mean something only to musicians, but most of the time we cut our songs to a click track – a metronome. It establishes and keeps you tight with the tempo. Well, with these songs we didn't even use that. The drummer just counted it off and we started playing. It allowed us to be a lot freer and to move more with the emotion of the songs.

What did it mean to have your wife as the executive producer for this album?

Steven: An executive producer helps select the songs and guides the general direction of an album. Mary Beth laughs and says, "I'm not an executive producer – I don't even know what one does." But, actually, she was the one who really did steer this project. I wanted her to love this record. I told her I really didn't care so much if the company guys or my manager loved it – though that would be nice – but she just had to absolutely love it.

How do you think our emotions relate to relationships?

Steven: There's something special about the emotional aspect of our relationships. I tend to want to downplay emotions in this life because they can't be trusted. We all know that we walk by faith and not by sight – or by our emotions. But, it's also important to acknowledge that God gives us our emotions; they're gifts from him. It's a part of being human, and I believe God reveals part of himself through them. We read about God rejoicing over us and dancing and singing. God's not a passionless, emotionless God, and we're created in that same image.

What is one of the best parts of playing new songs for people after you've completed another album?

Steven: As listeners, we all sort of plug our own experiences into the songs we hear. Last night a lady came to me in tears after I sang a song called, "How Do I Love Her?" She told me, "I'm an adopted mom and I have a daughter who's rejecting my love right now." She said, "I'm in tears because that song you played tonight is the prayer of my heart." That wasn't how I wrote the song at all, but that's one of the neat things about music and how it can apply to all of our lives.

You can read more about Steven Curtis Chapman and his new album by visiting our artist page for him. Click here to read our review of All About Love, and pick up your own copy of it at Musicforce.com.

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