At 22, singer/songwriter/guitarist James Clay has already led a very full life. He's worked full-time since age 13, has been married three years, has two kids, and a recording contract with Inpop Records. But it's been a hard road to get there. When he was 10, Clay's mother took him and his siblings away from their dad to join a cult-like sect of families who interpreted the Bible legalistically. Though Clay's father tried to meet up with his kids soon after they left, he soon fell out of the picture as he spiraled into a long bout with depression. Here's more about Clay's tumultuous adolescence and his road to reconciliation, as reflected in a new self-titled CD comprised of gritty vocals, chunky guitars and expository lyrics.

What was family life for the Clays like before your parents parted ways?

James Clay: My dad was a great father, the kind of dad who understood so well what a young boy wanted to do because he loved his toys too! My mom and I had similar personalities, which caused us to butt heads a lot, and it made for an interesting dynamic. Everything she did was out of a deep personal conviction and I have to respect her for that, even if I didn't always agree. I still have to respect the fact that she stood up for her convictions and what she thought God wanted.

What were those convictions and how did they break your family apart?

Clay: My mom had been married before, when she was 17, for six months. Much later, after she married my dad, she felt—through reading the Word and teaching from others—that since she'd been married before, her second marriage was adultery. We'd gone to a faith-based church and I'd always believed the Bible for what it said, but this was such a sudden change. With her newfound conviction, I went from a normal kid who played video games and went to public school, to home schooling and the main focus of my life being on what the Bible said. We left home and stayed with another family that was of this same belief, and it was really odd because they took us in like "those poor kids don't have any father."

What was your dad's reaction during this period?

Clay: There was six months where there was no talking between either side, but then after six months, he came and visited us. But then, his parents—my grandparents—both died within months of each other, and his whole world came crashing down. It was a really hard time for my dad. He got very depressed and reclusive. He didn't reach out and try to contact us, and I was upset by it. I felt like not only was I taken away from him, but he didn't do enough to get a hold of me. I wanted him to come get me and take me back home. God had to heal me from being bitter against my dad. I was 16 or 17 and it was supernatural. I had to forgive him for not being there through some really through formative times. It was totally the God-given gift of forgiveness that brought us back together now.

What was your world like at that time away from him?

Clay: The trappings of dogmatic religion really turned me from God. I saw the Word used as a club rather than an encouragement. There were a lot of phases we went through, like not using electricity on Saturday, and obeying strict dietary laws: What the heck? I can't eat pepperoni on my pizza? It seemed so surreal for me, someone who's been eating pigs his whole life! The women covered their heads and wore long dresses. I like modesty, but I don't know if it's necessary to be so extreme in the way you make it. To them everything was a salvation issue. If you didn't use the name Yahweh or another Holy Name correctly, then it would be questioned. There were so many fights about pronunciation and all these dogmatic rules became points of isolation.

How were you able to dig yourself out of such darkness?

Clay: When I was 17, I moved out, that was the start. I wanted to leave on a good note with an "I love you" and provide closure to my life at that point, but my mom just didn't make that possible. She said I was going against God and even got to the point of saying, "God is on my side and you are wrong." There was not a lot of discourse and there still isn't—we didn't talk for a year after that—but it's amazing because God's healed it. My mom has always wanted to be a grandmother, and now that I have two babies, she is. And I see her regularly. My dad lives in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I live in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, so we don't get to see each other as often. He has since remarried and I love both of them very much.

How did you wind up meeting your wife?

Clay: I met her at my new church [when I moved out] where I was in a youth group and she was a drama director. We became close friends over about eight or nine months, started dating for six and then got married. She was a gift from God to me.

What type of background did she come from?

Clay: My wife has an equally odd upbringing. Her dad was an alcoholic, her parents divorced and her mom died in car accident when she was 14. She lived with her grandparents, but then they died as well and that's when she moved in with one of her friend's families and we met up at church.

Aside from being the place where you met your wife, your church also helped launch your music career.

Clay: I was working full time when I just moved out from home, and I was only going church about once a month and feeling kind of dry. But one day I felt led to tell my pastor, "Pastor, use me however you may need me." He had me sing and play guitar on the worship team. One day when I was leading worship and singing a song on what's now my record called "To Be With You," [Christian rock legend] Mylon LeFevre was due up next to speak. After the service, he said "Man, that was great. Do you have a CD?" I didn't, but got the funds together through gifts, the church and God's provision to cut one. By the next time he came to our church, I had one and passed it on.

What was the process of getting to Inpop from there?

Clay: [Inpop founder] Peter Furler from Newsboys is Mylon's son-in-law, and he was seeing him the next day. He wound up giving Peter the CD and Peter wound up calling me to tell me how much he liked it. It was a total God thing. I had been listening to "Not Ashamed" not all that long ago as a youth group kid and here we were talking music on the phone!

There are so many different elements to your record—rock, ballads, jams—and the lyrics really resonate your story. How did you pull all the elements together?

Clay: It basically came from talking a lot of it out. Phil Madeira produced the record and Peter executive produced it. Those guys are both so knowledgeable and talented at everything they do, and by just talking music—who we liked and what we wanted—we reached the conclusions. Aside from my own thoughts, they wanted me to throw in a cover, and that is the first single. It's "I Still Believe," which was first made famous by The Call, and it was just another one of Peter's suggestions that worked really well.

Considering all you've been through to get here, how do you keep your mind and spirit in balance?

Clay: My wife keeps me grounded and encouraged, and she is the beautiful woman I love. I have some scar tissue from the past, but that doesn't allow me to stop functioning. More than the music, my kids mean the world to me and I will always be there for them!

For more about James Clay, visit his artist page on our site. There you'll find find a review of his self-titled debut. Visit Christianbook.com to hear sound clips and buy his music.

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