1122 TTribune/Sentinelribune/Sentinel EEntertainmentntertainment FFriday,riday, JJulyuly 31,31, 20202020 Rebecca St. James embraces the ‘Dawn’ New EP, podcast for returning singer BY JOSHUA MALONI Turning Point Media Relations, St. ful for the pain, because it led to just GM/Managing Editor James walked off stage with tears in total renewal. For three decades, Rebecca St. her eyes and said to Joel, “God just Q: With regard to the music, you James has lived her life based on the called me back to music.” know, I’m assuming, then, that you word of God. Slowly but steadily, St. James be- sort of said, “That’s done and over But for a period of time a decade gan to write new songs. Last year, with, that part of my life – I’m moving ago, she also found herself living out she began compiling music for an on to a different chapter.” a Tom Petty song. EP, and returned to Kingdom Bound When did that start to change? “The waiting is the hardest part,” to perform ahead of her headlining When did you start to think, “You know he famously said. “Every day you get brothers. what, maybe I’m going to get back into one more yard/You take it on faith, Though she had her own Grammy this? Maybe I can feel a different level you take it to the heart.” Award and Gold record sales under of comfort or something different than It was a song she recorded – and her belt for myriad Buffalo-area per- what I most recently experienced?” one St. James performed each night formances in the 1990s and 2000s, Rebecca St. James: I don’t think on stage – that was burdening her St. James was, at last, able to boast of it was anything that I sensed on the with unexpected pressure, trepida- something even better: her husband, horizon. When I retired seven years tion and ultimately fear. who performed with her on stage. ago, it was defi nitely with this sense On her 2000 album “Transform,” This spring, St. James debuted a of “I may never sing again, and I’m at St. James released “Wait for Me,” a podcast, “Rebecca St. James Friends peace about that, if that’s what God’s song on which she declared, “Dar- & Family,” on K-LOVE’s Accessmore plan is for me. I really am.” There’s ling did you know that I/I dream platform. To no one’s surprise, the also this element of I will never say about you/Waiting for the look in singer, actress, bestselling author, never, because I knew that God could your eyes/When we meet for the fi rst wife and mother is a natural on air, bring the kind of renewal that would time/Darling did you know that I/I as she doles out advice and shares be needed to do this again. So, I pray about you/Praying that you will stories with tried, true and trusted wasn’t ruling it out. hold on/And Keep your loving eyes guests. St. James is a smooth talker – But probably right before this really only for me/Cause I am waiting for/ that is, her conversation is crisp, witty transformative experience happened Praying for you, darling/Wait for me, and informative – and she could eas- with God in Alaska. I think around that too/Wait for me as I wait for you.” ily take this show to television. time I had this just growing sense that A young woman with fame, success Last Friday, she released “Dawn,” he was calling me on a purpose level, a six-song extended-play that has vin- and calling our family to something and beauty inside and out, St. James Rebecca St. James is back with brand-new music on “Dawn.” The six-song EP tage St. James qualities of encourage- more – that there was something surely thought her waiting wouldn’t features contributions from for KING & COUNTRY’s Luke Smallbone; Bethel ment, refl ection and body-bopping brewing. And it was more mission- last long. But when the calendar Music’s Josh Baldwin, Brandon Lake, Kristene DiMarco and Mia Fieldes; melodies. oriented, like serving God, serving turned to 2008, and she was still re- Tedd T.; Seth Mosley; and North Point Worship’s Seth Condrey and Heath It was also announced she is ex- people. It was like purpose-oriented. It peating these words to thousands of Balltzglier. “Dawn” is St. James’ debut for Heritage Music, an imprint of pecting her third child and fi rst boy. was like my heart was needing to be people (and, of course, none of them Bethel Music. (Image courtesy of Turning Point Media Relations) were judgmental), St. James began to In this edited Q&A, St. James able to give, you know, on a personal loathe stepping out on stage. shared details on overcoming her ing my most doubtful time, and just been able to devote time to. But at that level, and as a family, to something She “retired” from the music busi- pressure-packed “Wait,” and expand- struggling in kind of how to handle it. point, my breathing challenges from outside of just our little family. ness and relocated from Tennessee ing her voice within mainstream me- I think my goal has always been the stress of music were getting so bad There was that brewing, but I think – her home since moving to America dia. Read more at wnypapers.com. that when God brought my hus- that they were moving into my talking music, at that point, was still so threat- with her family and seven siblings from Q: You were here for a concert at band, that I would sing and start ability. So, literally, some kind of situa- ening that I didn’t think it would be Australia – to sunny California, intend- Artpark in 2007. And every time having kids. That would be just very tions where I’d be having a conversa- music (laughs). I was looking at other ing to focus on acting and writing. you’ve been in Western New York – ev- clean and tidy, and that was my plan. tion that was a little bit more emotion- things. But, then in Alaska, God just St. James landed the lead role in ery time you’ve worked with Kingdom And, as every year went by and I’m ally challenging, I struggled to breathe did such a radical transforming – like the feature fi lm “Sarah’s Choice.” Bound – it’s always been such a bless- still singing “Wait for Me” and talk- in that, as well – not just on stage. So, night and day, massive movement in More signifi cantly, she met Foster ing to the audience, and it’s always ing about this man that I pray will at that point I was like, “Man, I gotta do my heart. It was probably the most the People bassist/fi lm producer been a really positive thing. But some- come – but there’s no guarantees in something about this.” instantaneously lifechanging expe- Jacob “Cubbie” Fink, the man she thing I noticed about you at that time life that things will turn out the way That was a big change moving to rience of my life. Because so much would marry. was that you didn’t seem to be enjoying that we want. Even when we really California. Going into more acting pain fell away that had to do with mu- She gave birth to two daughters performing on stage as much as I had believe that they will, or that they’re than music was just a part of that. A sic, and I saw my journey with mu- and was enjoying family life when seen in the past. I’m wondering when meant to, it’s just there’s no guaran- part of just needing a big difference sic differently after that – and it was an unexpected invite came from and how did music start to become tees. I think my heart was just like – I in my life and big movement; and I’m literally just a couple songs on stage Grammy Award-winning for KING & threatening for you? mean, the Bible says, “Hope deferred so thankful that it happened – and that I was performing, and had this COUNTRY – her brothers Luke and Rebecca St. James: Yeah, yeah – makes the heart sick,” and I think in even how, like, kind of humiliating encounter with the Holy Spirit, that Joel Smallbone. and I have been more vocal in recent some ways my heart was sick. and challenging it was to not be able changed everything. Nine years after last performing years about how challenging that There’s also panic attacks happen- to breathe. It was really (laughs) – And the beautiful thing was God live, St. James sang two songs in front period was, because I think it was ing on stage where, depending on how it made me feel like a failure, really. changed my husband’s heart, too. of an audience. As she recounted to around that time that I was just hav- emotionally exhausted I was that day, How do you do what you do if you Because neither of us were open to would depend on how much I could can’t breathe as a singer? moving to Nashville prior to that breathe on stage – or not breathe on I’m thankful now for how painful point. He had seen a lot of my music stage. So, I think music just became that was, because it really did lead pain, and I don’t think he wanted that increasingly more threatening till me to move over there. And, I mean, I for me. So, God really had to change probably around 2008, when I moved may never have met my husband and both of our hearts to open us up to to California. And that was largely be- had this whole dreamy family life that this new season. cause I needed this (break). I have now had it not gotten that bad. To learn more about St. James, or to I got more into acting, and some of So, it was a long time coming, how fi nd “Dawn,” follow St. James on Face- the opportunities with that I hadn’t challenging it got, but I’m now thank- book, Instagram and Twitter.

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