1 of 3

When Bethany Dillon's self-titled debut—which would later earn three GMA Award nominations—came out in 2004, many marveled that the girl behind those wise-beyond-her-years lyrics was just 15. Same goes for her brand-new CD, Imagination (Sparrow). And the same goes for a conversation with Dillon, now 16, who handles herself with the composure of a seasoned veteran. Well, mostly. Sometimes, there are hints of the silliness you'd expect from a high school sophomore—especially when she giggles, her bright eyes squinting, full of mirth.

When we talked with Dillon about her new album, many of our questions were based on her song-by-song notes—her own descriptions of the story behind each song. We discussed the hard work of songwriting, and how producer Ed Cash and executive producer Brad O'Donnell—and even her family—helped with that process. We talked about her fears. We talked about her perceptions of God. And we talked about how she really feels about a certain magazine that pronounced her "the future" of Christian music.

One thing I noticed in your song-by-song notes is that you're saying good songwriting is hard work. Bono had a great quote about what it takes to move a very good song to a great one. He said, "Very good is the enemy of great. You think great is right next door; it's not. It's in another country."

Bethany Dillon I love that!

Tell me about your songwriting, and how you get from a good song to a great one.

Dillon I'm still growing as a songwriter, because I'm not even seventeen yet. So hanging around Ed and showing songs to people in Nashville is very scary for me, because a lot of times my idea for a song is a lot bigger than what the song ends up being. We had lyrics done on every song, and could have had the album ready in June. But Ed's line is always, "You have something better in you." Which I hate! I just want to stomp my foot and say, "Uh, I don't think so!"

Then when Ed and I were satisfied with a lyric, Brad would listen to it and say, "Guys, I think you're going to have to work on it tomorrow." And I felt like jumping off a cliff! It's so frustrating, but that's what makes you a better writer.

What other opinions do you seek when you're writing?

Dillon When I first write something, I play it for every member in my family and get their feedback.

Will they be honest with you?

Dillon Oh, yes! I played a rough version of "Airplane" [from the new album] for my mom, and she was like, "I really like that. Now go play it for your dad." So I play it for Dad and he goes, "I think it's lame." I just stared at him. I called for Mom: "M-o-o-o-o-m! Come back here! Is it lame?" She says, "No, I don't think it's lame." And Dad is like, "Beth, I don't like it at all."

I played it for Brad and Ed anyway, and they said, "We like it, but we agree with your dad. There's some stuff to work on." Now that it's finished on the record, Dad listens to it and kind of smirks. He's like, "Well, I always knew that one was a winner!" (laughs)

But somewhere along the line, you did the hard work of moving that song from good to great.

Dillon Totally. It's a journey, man. I love the process, but there are days when I hate the process. But it just makes it so much sweeter when it's finished. When I heard the final master of the album, I thought, Thank you, God, for surrounding me with people that just weren't satisfied.

next page... |  1 of 3

				Try 3 Issues of Christianity Today Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.

FREE Newsletter Sign up now for the Christian Music Today weekly newsletter:    RSS Feed   RSS Help