Thurane caught my attention last year with his energetic and high-powered EP ‘:authentic worship:‘. Based in Youngtown, Arizona, the musician is also a Worship Leader and a man of deep faith. With a love for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, yet also artists like Paul Baloche and Phil Wickham, I just knew Thurane would have an interesting backstory!
Excited that he agreed to an interview, the musician talks with us about his up-and-coming single, a cover of Hillsong UNITED’s ‘Lead Me To The Cross’. We also dive into what his songwriting process looks like, and which 3 albums he’d take with him to a deserted island! So…Without further ado, please give a big welcome to our friend Thurane!
Thurane’s latest single will be released on March 5th, 2024. While we cannot offer a preview at this time, you can pre-save and download the track for free at this link.
Hey Thurane, it’s so good to sit down and have a chat with you finally! I first discovered your music last year upon hearing the dynamic and high-octane EP ‘:authentic worship:’. But, for those who have yet to discover your musical prowess, who is Thurane and how would you describe your sound?
Yes, so great to do this – I genuinely appreciate it! I’d say that as a Worship Leader & Christian recording artist, I’m musically rooted in Paul Baloche, Phil Wickham, Chris Tomlin, etc – but I also have secular music roots from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & Led Zeppelin – with a little Van Halen & Aerosmith + ‘90’s alternative & grunge.
Accessing those musical elements and expressing them as Worship is such a natural thing as their influences are ingrained in my musical DNA.
I’ve been fortunate to get a sneak peek of your up-and-coming single, a cover version of Hillsong UNITED’s ‘Lead Me To The Cross’. It’s a powerful and heartfelt reinterpretation! What drew you to the tune?
As a Worship Leader, I’ve sung so many songs, it’s really like being in a top 40 cover band situation in a club or Holiday Inn – but in church.
‘LMTTC’ is such a great song written by Brooke Fraser-Ligertwood. She has written many other incredible songs of Worship to the Lord – a truly gifted talent. I’ve sung many of her songs in leading church Worship over the years, but ‘LMTTC’ is a favorite because it addresses the very real struggle of a self-focused life being willfully replaced by a Christ-centered one. Death to self, alive to Christ is the call of the true, believing Christian – ‘LMTTC’ emphasizes this great spiritual truth: to be a legitimate disciple of Jesus, one must deny himself, take up his cross daily & follow Him – Luke 9:23. ‘LMTTC’ epitomizes this perfectly.
While going about my business one day, I could hear ‘LMTTC’ in my head as if performed by Stone Temple Pilots & Metallica! When I asked my bandmates, Andy & Brad, if they would be into helping me create a Worship experience from that musical perspective, they enthusiastically said yes and here we are. I hope that Christians & Hillsong generally, and Brooke specifically, can Worship with us in this very different interpretation of her composition.
‘Redeemer’ was another track that really resonated with our team! Gabriel even described it as a “Holy Gem”! What does the song mean to you and do you remember its “birth” so to speak?
In going about my day-to-day Worship-leading responsibilities & running errands around town as a husband & stepdad, I couldn’t get that chorus out of my head – it just appeared one day, “You are my Redeemer…” I recorded it on my mobile phone & prayerfully went to work on it later.
It initially was inspired by Psalm 19:14 and the powerful vocals of Zach Williams on ‘Old Church Choir’ & ‘Chainbreaker’. I’d be honored if he’d cover ‘Redeemer’ or sing it as a featured artist with me. It also draws upon Fleetwood Mac & Led Zeppelin, with a little I Am They & We the Kingdom.
Having been so busy with life happening as it does, and especially with COVID slowing things down, I wasn’t able to get ‘Redeemer’ recorded until just last year. Finally releasing the ‘:authentic worship:’ EP in the heat of the COVID pandemic was a key holdback to recording & releasing the next Worship songs I’ve had on my heart.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Along with the aforementioned Paul Baloche, Phil Wickham & Chris Tomlin + Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Van Halen & Aerosmith – Pearl Jam & Nirvana also creep in musically – along with Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas and Peter, Paul & Mary harmonies!
What aspects of being a musician do you cherish most? And on the flip side of that, what would you say have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered?
Worshipping alone & in congregational settings, along with performing live & recording, fulfils me. Songwriting is also a very satisfying process when a new musical creation is realized.
Among the greatest challenges that I’ve had include (and remain) being taken seriously as an artist. In my circle of music business friends & contacts, a great travesty (to them) was when New Jerusalem got a record deal, then Kenyon Grey after that! Perhaps for me, albeit on a much smaller scale, it’s like Nirvana’s success in the nineties. I saw interviews with their peers in the Seattle music scene who said effectively that “Nirvana was a joke to us, we were all surprised by their success” (paraphrased).
Could you tell us a bit about your songwriting process? Not specifically for any song but just in general. How do you take an idea and turn it into a piece of music?
When an initial lyric, riff, chord change or other inspiration comes along, I’ll typically record it on something and get back to it later. I have songs that seemed to just flow out naturally like ‘You Are My Life’, but other than the chorus, ‘Redeemer’ took a lot of crafting to wind up with what it is now.
OK, Thurane – desert island time! You’re allowed to grab 3 albums before being stranded on an island. Which do you choose?
Not this! Ok:
Amy Grant – ‘The Collection’
Led Zeppelin – ‘IV (ZOSO)’
The Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’
Thanks a lot for chatting with us Thurane! It’s been great having you here! Do you have any words of wisdom that you’d like to leave us with?
It’s an honour to be interviewed, thank you! Here is a nugget of wisdom: “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens…” – Ecclesiastes 3
