Chris Tomlin says his tour helps people connect to God through song.
With 10 albums, 12 No. 1 radio singles, a Grammy Award, three Billboard Music Awards, 21 Dove Awards, a platinum and four gold albums, Chris Tomlin is among the most well-known and influential artists. He continues his role as worship leader at Passion City Church in Atlanta in addition to touring and leading worship at Passion Conference gatherings worldwide. Tomlin’s Love Ran Red tour will hit the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Saturday.
Q: You have accomplished pretty much everything an artist sets out to do in a career, with millions of albums sold, world tours in the biggest venues and truckloads of awards. What is your motivation to continue working?
A: God wires everyone differently. He wired me as a very driven person. I love working, but I also feel like he gave me a gift to give to the church. I try to stay on that path and not get distracted. I still have a passion to write these songs, and I love getting to play them. The fact that I’ve been doing it for so long and can continue to do so is such a blessing. I’m a dad and husband now, so there are hard days when I have to be away from home, but we are learning how to balance that. My wife is so supportive of what we do.
Q: How does “Love Ran Red” stand out from your other projects?
A: So many people have told me that they felt it was my best yet. It really doesn’t matter what I think, I want to know that it’s making an impact with others. With
songs like “Almighty,” it speaks to the greatness of God. The piano part in that song sounds like a little piece of heaven to me. I didn’t write that part, so I feel like I can say that without bragging. And then a song like “Jesus Loves Me” that is so personal and talks about His grace. If I can do those two things well, I feel like I have done what I need to do with an album.
Q: Hearing the enthusiasm in your voice as you talk about these new songs makes me want to hear them live even more. Saturday is the day we get to see you face to face, and I’m bringing a few thousand friends with me. You might have the microphone, but we will try our best to out-sing you.
A: That’s what it’s about. It’s hard for people who don’t understand the church to get it. My concerts sound like thousands of people singing. The band is just there to help people connect to God through song. We want it to look good and sound good, but at the end of the day, it’s about the church gathering to worship.
Q: You are bringing your friends in Tenth Avenue North and the Rend Collective along. Do you hand-pick the bands you tour with?
A: I did ask them. … I wanted to bring bands together that I felt were making really amazing music and had a great connection with people. Any of these bands could be the headliner of the tour. From start to finish, it’s full of great music, and each band is so different from the others. Plus, Houston is the last night of the tour, so it will be very special.