From a young age, Christian contemporary music artist Josh Wilson knew he was destined to play music for the rest of his life. With a string of chart-topping hits, 155,000-plus likes on his Facebook page, more than 46,000 Twitter followers and a 2012 ASCAP award for Christian Songwriter/Artist of the Year, it’s apparent that people agree with his career choice.
His ability as not only a singer and guitarist, but also a pianist and drummer, started from an early age — a time when most kids would be more concerned with watching cartoons, playing baseball in the backyard or hanging out with their friends who lived in their neighborhood.
Born in El Dorado and raised in Lubbock, Texas, Wilson’s parents started him on his journey when he was in the fourth grade. He began on the piano, reading music and learning the basics while also learning diligence, determination and dedication to his craft.
Wilson’s mother and father are also musicians — his mother plays the piano and sings, and his father plays the guitar and sings, as well. Not only that, but his two sisters play piano and sing. With all that musical talent in the family, it’s a wonder that they didn’t set off across the country as the next Partridge Family or Jackson 5.
However, his father was focused on a higher power. He was a pastor of a church and was dedicated to his own calling. But it was this sort of faith-based background that influenced — and still influences — Wilson’s music to this day.
“Music was a very important part of my upbringing, and I’m so thankful for that,” Wilson says in an email interview. “I certainly write songs that don’t explicitly mention God, Jesus or faith by name, but everything I write is from a Christian worldview. Each song is about something that is experienced through my Christian lens.”
His first major album, 2008’s Trying to Fit the Ocean in A Cup, echoes this idea of a Christian worldview. Wilson says the inspiration for the title came from an old hymn titled “The Love of God.”
“Trying to Fit the Ocean in A Cup is essentially me trying to fit God into an album. It just can’t be done. Each song covers some life experience with or about God, but the title implies that I can’t even scratch the surface of who God is,” Wilson says.
His latest release, That Was Then, This Is Now, also touches on Wilson’s struggles as a Christian, living with doubt and uncertainty about the world around him.
“Don’t Let Go,” one of the singles from the album, focuses on his struggle with doubt in an open and honest way, Wilson says.
“One of my questions is, ‘If I was born in another country, would my belief system be different?’ The song asks that question when it says, ‘If I could start over again, and choose how I want to begin, what would I put my faith in, would it still be You?’ The chorus is a plea for God not to let go of me when I have questions, with an affirmation at the end that He indeed won’t let go.”
Wilson’s struggles do not affect just him; many other people of faith go through this same feeling of doubt and uncertainty. That’s one of the many motivations that makes him want to keep writing songs for others to hear. His songs aren’t just for others; they’re for him, too.
“I write about there being no condemnation in Christ Jesus because that’s something I need to hear,” Wilson says. “And if I need to hear that, other folks might, as well. I imagine that’s one reason the songs I write have played on the radio.”
From humble beginnings learning the basics of instrumentation to stages in front of thousands of fans singing worship songs in captivating unison, Wilson knows that his journey has been a blessed one, he says.
That’s never more apparent than when he shares the stage with a powerhouse band of the Christian contemporary industry for more than 10 years, Casting Crowns.
For the forthcoming Awake 2015 concert Saturday at the First Security Amphitheater, presented by Central Baptist College, Wilson joins headliners Casting Crowns for a night of praise and worship. This isn’t the first time he’s had the opportunity of sharing the stage with Crowns, though. Recently, Wilson spent a leg of a spring tour with them, and that inspired him to rethink the way he approaches touring.
“Amidst busy schedules and hectic days, [members of Casting Crowns] always have ‘tour church’ before the show starts, and I’ve carried that into my own touring,” Wilson says. “The Crown folks are the real deal, both on and off the stage, and I aspire to be same.”
Mark Hall, lead singer and founder of Casting Crowns, thinks highly of Wilson.
“Josh Wilson is a really cool guy who plays a high-impact type show,” Hall says. “I’ve known him for about three or four years and first met him at a concert we were both performing at. He’s a great person and a really encouraging guy.”
Christian electro-pop duo Capital Kings — think Owl City with more WUB WUB — and singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle, a young singer with an almost Adele-like timbre to her voice, will also be performing at Awake. Both artists are rising stars in Christian music and have had regular radio play on stations such as Air1 and K-LOVE.
Above all, Wilson wants concertgoers to be challenged and encouraged in their faith.
“I hope they are reminded of the freedom we have in Jesus Christ, and I hope they feel the true forgiveness and redemption that is offered by Him," he says. "But I also hope they have fun and are entertained. I want every one of my concerts to be uplifting and fun.”
Awake 2015 begins Saturday at 6 p.m. at the First Security Amphitheater in Riverfront Park in Little Rock. Lawn tickets are available for $10 in limited supply, and there are also discounted rates for large groups. Tickets can be bought online at itickets.com or by calling (800) 965-9324.