Andrew Peterson: ”Most of my songs have some kind of story to tell.”
Andrew Peterson besökte Gullbrannafestivalen 2013. I år är det dags för ett återbesök.
How would your friends describe you?
I’m not sure, to be honest. I think they’d describe me as a broken person who has a hard time believing that I’m lovable. My best friends see beyond that, I hope, and instead see the work that Christ is doing in me—the way he overcomes that brokenness by giving me friends who are encouraging and kind and steadfast in spite of my failings.
How would you describe your music and texts?
Talking about my own music and texts is always tricky. I think my lyrics are confessional, which is to say as honest as I can make them. I have a tendency to be melancholy, so songwriting for me is a way of pushing through whatever sadness I experience to declare, to myself and to my listeners, a desperate hope that God is good and his kingdom is coming. As for the music, I usually say it’s “Guy-with-a-guitar” stuff. Most of my songs are the kind that I can play by myself, songs that have some kind of story to tell.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to your concert at Gullbrannafestivalen?
Playing in Sweden has been one of the greatest blessings in my career. I think it’s partly because Swedish audiences are good listeners, able and willing to think about the texts. It’s also because the lyrics are in English, which means the Swedes work a little bit harder to pay attention. Having the texts on the screen—which I don’t do in the U.S.—makes me very happy because I have the feeling in Sweden that the songs aren’t being listened to passively, but rather I sense an engagement with the songs that doesn’t always happen in America. Not only that, Sweden’s summers might be the most beautiful in the world.
What do you do when you not do music?
I write books, too. My fantasy series called The Wingfeather Saga is a big part of my life. I also love to keep bees and plant vegetables and take care of our family’s property in Nashville. I’m also a part of a community called the Rabbit Room, which exists to foster Christ-centered community and spiritual formation through story, art, and music.