1 of 2

Genres and labels can be a help—or a hindrance. For a prime example, look no further than singer/songwriter Scott Krippayne, tagged "adult contemporary" with his Wild Imagination CD debut a decade ago. The tag still applied through the late '90s and early '00s, with hints of the "inspirational" label as well. So, what to do with Krippayne's new CD Gentle Revolution? Piano man Krippayne has evidently left those old labels behind, making an album that melds the explosive pop of Maroon 5 and Gavin DeGraw with famed ivory players Billy Joel and Elton John. After a recent concert (he's touring with Point of Grace and Charity Von), Krippayne talked about what it's like to break free from old preconceived notions—and the challenges that come along with the journey.

What was the musical climate like a decade ago when you first entered Christian music?

Scott Krippayne Point of Grace was out then, Cindy Morgan was doing a lot of stuff and Amy Grant's House of Love was big. My Utmost For His Highest also came out with Steven Curtis Chapman's "Sometimes He Comes in the Clouds," which was often confused with my first single "Sometimes He Calms the Storm."

What was it like to be a newcomer in the midst of such a surge of talent?

Krippayne I was very wide-eyed, and things moved very quickly for me early on. I moved to Nashville in 1993 and started delivering airline tickets, then writing songs and scoring a publishing deal. I was making $2,000 a year writing songs, which wasn't enough to live on, but at least they were paying me for what I loved. My deal with Word happened quickly from there and I remember talking with [producer] Charlie Peacock about getting in the studio to work on my debut. He had a very limited time frame, so we either had to do it right then, or nine months down the line. We wound up doing Wild Imagination right then—and that was before I even officially signed my deal. We actually inked it after the record was in stores and I didn't really know what to expect.

Any regrets about moving ahead so quickly?

Krippayne I listen to my vocal performances on that record and think, I'm so sorry, Mr. Peacock! I love a song like "Storm," but vocally I kind of sound dead singing it! I was a songwriter and I think I moved into the artist thing too quickly. I had done music ministry in Washington and Oregon in college, then moved to Nashville to be a better songwriter—and then I had a record out! In those early days I didn't know how to communicate with an audience effectively, especially at a venue. Back then, I would get out in front of in front of 2,000 people opening for Point of Grace, and I would close my eyes and sing three songs to tracks—and it didn't translate well.

What went wrong with your Word deal, and what led to your current deal with Spring Hill?

Krippayne The official term is that we fulfilled the contract. I had a record deal with options and signed a very fortunate deal, but unfortunately it didn't make financial sense for them to keep me. If I was a label, I wouldn't have done a third record on me! Who knows why nothing off my second record [More] didn't connect to the level that "Storm" did. But it got me to a point when I parted where I asked God if I should still do this. Maybe I should've gone back to more writing, maybe took on a church position or may reevaluate going to seminary. But with Spring Hill, I found a label that had the same vision as me.

next page... |  1 of 2

				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