Songwriter

As a young man with a newfound zeal for my faith, a burning desire to serve the Lord, and a never-ending thirst for playing music, I found a beautiful form of expression in songwriting. Strong feelings of teenage angst and love and joy and sorrow found a great home in some of the first songs that I wrote. You couldn’t pay me a million bucks to play one of those songs for you now, but they were a training ground. And the perfect outlet for everything I was feeling, learning and experiencing. I had some bangers: “Someone Like You” was a song about being “in love” at 14 years old. “You Stole My Heart (And Now You’re Gonna Break it)” was a song about being “in love” at 16 years old. Look, I eventually started writing about Jesus, ok? I just had to get through some things first.

I’m an introvert. I like to think that songwriting on your own is a musical journal, and songwriting collaboratively is a musical journey. I once went into a songwriting session with a song idea I thought was killer, and my co-writer said, “Bro, that’s such an intimate and personal idea, you should write that one on your own.” I think there’s a hard truth in that. Sometimes a songwriter needs to write on his own. Other times he should tag team. Both are important, but I will say some of my strongest songs (poetically and melodically) are the ones that I hashed out with others. Debating whether “so blessed” or “most blessed” is a better fit, makes the end result more precious, and really, just better. So, in a desire to be a better artist and composer, I try to make friends who I consider better than me at songwriting, and I write with them. Within a songwriting session, sometimes I just listen and respond gently and malleably, other times I insert my thoughts boldly and make a strong stand for a line I really believe in. I love the art of it. As with all things that we want to improve, we work hard to get better. I still do. I read (or let’s be honest, LISTEN to) books on songwriting, I make mental notes of how my collaborators work in a writing session, I listen to songs critically (sometimes - not all the time - that would be a terrible way to enjoy music) and ask myself why I like a song, or why I dislike a song. It’s hard work - and not a work I have perfected by any means. I think Picasso said it best, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

I remember the first time I really felt seen and understood by the church as a songwriter. It wasn’t when the music got published (although that was super cool, and still is.) It wasn’t any award or accolade that a song or album received. Rather, it was in the reading of a church document written by St. Pope John Paul II. He wrote a beautiful work called Letter to Artists in 1999. In it, he reminds us how the artist is acting in the image of The Creator when he makes something from nothing. In reading it for the first time, I felt seen by the Holy Father himself, and appreciated by the whole church. I had always known that the Lord gives us all gifts. I even felt confident that mine were centered around music and writing, but this was such a validation of the years of honing the craft of songwriting and recording, that I was moved to tears. I have read it many times since then, and it has been a lighthouse for me in dry spells and bouts of imposter syndrome. It is an absolute inspiration for anyone who is inclined to create.

The process from a blank page to a song that moves the listener has always been a mystery. (Although, there are some amazing songwriters who are a little closer to solving it than others.) However, for me there is joy in the process. My prayer is to continue making songs that the church can sing, but even more so, to encourage and lift up young songwriters who can keep the church singing for generations to come. Come, Holy Spirit! Find us working when you fill us with inspiration!

Here’s where we’ll be. If we’re in your area, come pray with us.

9/14-17: Writer’s Retreat (Oceanside, CA)

9/18: Duquesne University Worship Leaders Session (Pittsburg, PA)

9/19: FestPGH (Pittsburg, PA)

10/10: Night of Worship, Hope, and Healing with Jordan St. Cyr (Deville, LA)

10/12-16: RESOUND Worship Leader Training (St. Louis, MO)

11/14/2026: Cultura Vitae Fest (Schriever, LA)

11/29-12/20: Advent Tour with Tanner Kalina: dates available

For booking info or parish partnership inquiries, head to our website or email Caroline at info@joshblakesleymusic.com

Check out the new album “You are Lord” featuring my new song, “Freedom in His Name” and tell me what you think!

Below are a few pictures from our summer conferences, sound check and rehearsals, and my family vacation.