After the Flood
Hurricane Katrina was just one of several big things that have shaped Jason Morant's life in recent years. And today, he won't write—or sing—worship music that's a lie.
by Andy Argyrakis | posted 6/19/2006
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Even though he's a relatively new worship artist, Jason Morant has never been one to cash in a fad or pad his lyrics with clichés. Instead the 24-year-old singer/songwriter has sought to relate, connect and challenge his mostly college-age crowd, while lifting up the Lord in the process. But much has happened since his 2004 debut, Abandon, including deaths in the family, marriage growing pains, a re-examination of his faith, and Hurricane Katrina. Morant and his wife Brianna were living in New Orleans when Katrina hit, forcing them to relocate—they moved to Nashville—and begin anew. Over pizza at Gino's East just outside of Chicago, Morant tells how those painful events shaped his latest record, Open, and how his songs go beyond the merely vertical, giving believers a wake-up call.
What's been up since your debut CD released?
Jason Morant There's been a lot since then—a lot of writing, a lot of touring, a lot of playing out, and a lot of life. There's been different experiences, personal painful experiences, a lot my wife and I have gone through. It's been a real roller coaster.
How has being young and married factored into your recording career?
Morant We were married at a young age, but it still feels new. To have started dating my wife around 19 and married at 20 have made the last four or five years insane but awesome. We've gotten to grow up with each other, but it's also very scary. As you grow up a lot of stuff comes out about you—especially when it comes to selfishness. I've basically learned I need a lot of help. Each person is whatever their life experience has made them to be, and things are very different from when we were 19 until now. Our minds have been shaping, ideas have been forming, and my dynamic and relationship with God is different.
In what way?
Morant It's a lot more peaceful and a lot more restful. I don't have this anxiousness, which is really weird because I am still so young. I read the book No Compromise by Keith Green and it was awesome. To those that knew him, he was a pain in the butt because he was always getting on people, and he was the first to admit it. But he just had really high expectations of himself and those around him.
I'm not built that way, but wanted to be. I went through a time when I was hard on the world and hard on myself. You don't really know who you are at 19, so I guess going through that with a partner has been grounding and good, because there's a person committed to me regardless of the stuff I go through, but also it's tough.
What are some of the challenges?
Morant Even though I've known my wife a long time, I didn't really know her till we were married. And until that point, I didn't really know myself. I surprise myself all the time—how I responded to her, how much of a jerk I can be, how gracious I can be when naturally I don't want to do something.
Also, it may sound weird, but through growth in my relationship with God, I'm becoming okay with the fact that I am flawed and okay when others are flawed. We are all flawed.
How did Katrina shake up all of this self-examination?
Morant The funny thing is, there were other experiences as well—my grandmother died, my wife and I had a miscarriage, and we had a situation at church with some politics. Then Katrina hit and we were like, "Oh, great!" Our life was like that movie ssThe Money Pit with all that was happening in our marriage. Shortly after [Katrina], my wife's grandmother died, who she was really close to, and then we moved up to Nashville.
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