The Asbury Worship Collective held the live recording of this year’s album on Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8. Over the course of two nights, nearly 200 students, faculty and community and family members filled the seats of the Luce Auditorium of the Shaw Collaborative Learning Center to worship along with the band.
Like previous live recordings held by the Worship Collective, the two nights were identical as the band played nine original songs and three covers, which included “Worthy,” “Breathe” and “I Will Exalt You.” Once the production process finishes, the album will be released including all 12 songs sometime in the summer of 2025.
In the auditorium, the eye of the audience was drawn to the center of the room, which had a chair on an elevated platform to emanate the theme of this album: Before the Throne. Around the room, there were interactive stations set up for everyone in the room. On one wall, the audience had the opportunity to write down prayer requests and praises. Throughout the rest of the room, artwork and lyrics the band had written were hanging on the walls. Bread and juice were available if anyone wanted to partake in Communion.
After the recordings finished, sophomore Noah Meyer reflected, “I was genuinely really sad when we finished the live nights. I really enjoy the team; I think we mesh really well, and I love all of them. I really love the attitude we bring: it’s very worshipful, like you know we’re there to worship, we’re not there for ourselves. It’s not anything about us.”
Meyer, one of the lead vocalists, originally began singing in seventh grade for worship at school and at church. He has been working on one of the songs, “Dwell,” since high school. Producer Laney Hill heard it and quickly asked if the band could sing it. After the group worked on it together, it was soon added to the setlist. Meyer also worked closely with sophomore Josh Rittgers who plays keyboard on the song “With Me.”
Though songs like “With Me” and “Dwell” were worked on more by some individuals, each member of the band had a hand in all of the songs.
Senior Levi Smith, who plays bass for the band and is the music director, said, “This is my third album that I’ve been a part of. The group this year has been smaller than in the past, which I think has helped a lot. Everyone is more involved in the making and recording of the songs, which feels a lot more collaborative.”
As music director, one thing Smith helps with is the arrangement aspect of the songwriting process. “My role mostly just had to do with arrangement – taking all the ideas that the other people would come up with and helping them fit together,” he noted. With the live recording, he played bass and directed via microphone. “My favorite part of the recordings was that there were a couple of songs where I took my in-ear monitors out and just listened to everybody singing the songs. Just having those moments and realizing that the people who are out there are actually connecting with the songs.”
The album will officially be released this summer on all streaming platforms. Updates will be available via email and Instagram (@asburyworshipcollective).
Photo courtesy of Max Bramer.
