Chris Estes: 0:06

okay, we're back for a power song story with james duke. If you didn't hear the last episode, um, we had a great conversation, good time, and now we're just gonna dive a little bit deeper into a particular song that's had a powerful impact and I'll let james take it away.

James Duke: 0:23

One of my favorite songs is is by one of my favorite artists, amanda Cook. Yep, and the first time I heard her song pieces was I was on tour with Jesus culture and we were playing the outcry, oh yeah, and Bethel was out, and so she was out for some of that. And I remember, after being like probably watching them for a little while in front of the house and she started that song and then I remember leaving and kind of go walk backstage and she started singing the chorus of that song and the way that song develops is so pretty and slow, just a slow burn obviously. But she started singing that chorus and I remember just I stopped and I was like what is she saying? And she's like you don't give yourself in pieces, you don't hide yourself to tease us. And I was like, oh my God, and the way she sings is always so incredible.

James Duke: 1:34

She's like the most artist artist in Christian music to me. I'm like the way she emotes, the way she performs, like everything is just so intense and vibey and awesome. I love her. Oh, she was my sister.

James Duke: 1:49

I feel like she is my sister, I tell her uh, but, um, I remember sitting there side stage listening to her sing that song and just being like, oh my god, I never heard a song like this. It went in and she her ability to communicate a song is so perfect and um and so from then I was just listening to that song all the time and you know, it's one of those songs that for me it's like different times in my life. I put it on when I needed to believe that, or when I'm just thankful that the Lord does that, or when I need to be like, hey, this is still true, right, and so this has been one of those songs for me. But I saw her. I got to bump in on this one tour. I was, I shot in to do this.

James Duke: 2:39

Mac Brock was out with United and she was also on that tour too and so I flew out for one night just to play, because Mac was filming his set and they needed to get so unprofessional.

Chris Estes: 2:49

There's Mac calling right now.

James Duke: 2:52

The ringer is never on, sorry. I was in Oakland, california, flew in, played Mac's set, then she goes and plays. By this time I love her. I don't even know her, really, I'm just the biggest fan. Played max set, then she goes and plays and I'm and I'm done by this time. I love her like yeah, um, and I don't even know where. Really I just I'm the biggest fan and so I'll watch the whole set from the front of house.

James Duke: 3:13

And that song came on and it, like the whole set, was amazing. But when she got to that song, it's like you look forward to it, like like the way that song develops. The little guitar part on the chorus on the first chorus, it's so beautiful and the band just goes and goes and goes and just turns into this fever pitch. And I remember sitting in front of the house and literally like tears are pouring out of my eyes and I was like looking around the arena. I was like I hope these people are listening to this. This is freaking crazy.

James Duke: 3:47

And and so she ended that song and that song is just for me, it's just one of those songs that has been a huge part of my life. But I remember as soon as she was done with that set, I walked backstage and she's like walking around and she walks up to say hi, and that literally might have been one of the first times we ever talked and like I couldn't talk, I was just like that was incredible and I just like stared at her and she was like really, I was like, yes, and that the next day I was still like that, like it was like it.

James Duke: 4:24

It blew me away, yeah, and there's like that song, especially that night, but like that's like a week I was like wrecked by that song and it's like I'd heard that song before, but it just got me all over again and so that's my, that's the song.

Chris Estes: 4:39

Something about live music too. When you, when you experience a song like that in live atmosphere, it just it can go from like a passive to an active listening situation. That song wrecked me too, man. It was crazy. It was going to be on a Bethel Music compilation album because usually those songs were not as artistry as that song was, although it's very worshipful.

Chris Estes: 5:02

But it's not like what you're going to sing on a normal Sunday morning and it was a song that she had. And when she did it on Brave New World that tour she did it with brave new world. Um, that tour she did it with stephanie in washington dc. Steph came out and uh, and they did it together and it was. I mean, I mean you talk about powerhouses, those two, you're doing a song like that. But super impactful song, man, um, and it's funny that you said that because that song is ministered to more worship leaders and more artists and more musicians and I think it's like one of those songs. It's never what you're going to hear someone sing on a Sunday and it wasn't even on radio, but it had such an impact and I've heard more artists and musicians say that song is killer. Bobby Strand on guitar man, that guy, he's incredible. He's an incredible guitar player too yeah well, thanks for sharing that man.

Chris Estes: 5:56

I'm gonna go listen to it again on the way, me too. Outro Music.