The Wood Drake Sessions Releases First Full-Length Project in Four Years, 'East To West'

Audio By Carbonatix

NASHVILLE, Tenn.
East to West, the first full-length recording in four years from acclaimed worship duo The Wood Drake Sessions, will be available September 25. A multi-faceted exploration of God’s love designed both for corporate worship settings and daily listening, the highly anticipated project was produced by Lucas Morton (Sandra McCracken, Dave Barnes) and features guest turns from Skye Peterson, Andrew Osenga, Caroline Cobb, and Mission House, among others.

With 11 tracks co-penned by The Wood Drake Sessions’ Paul Ranheim and Kirk Sauers, East to West celebrates the fulfillment of love through Jesus’ death and resurrection; God’s comforting presence amidst our fears and struggles; His mercy through us to serve the marginalized and oppressed; and the power of Christ’s love to reshape our views of vocation, finances, relationships, and even death.

“I hope people will sense and rest in the love of God in new and deeply practical ways, discovering that His love was waiting for them in places they never expected,” shares The Wood Drake Sessions’ Paul Ranheim of the album's overarching intent. “At the same time, these songs aren't meant to stay trapped in our headphones. When we gather to sing together despite our differences and divides, may we discover how God’s love extends—and so should ours—to those we find undesirable, uninformed, and unlovable. I hope this record brings gospel healing both personally and socially as we behold and believe the boundless love of God.”

Album opener “Surely as the Morning” plots a confident course for the collection with its joyful proclamation of God’s steadfast love in every season. Additional highlights of East to West include the declarative “Doxology Creed,” a fresh expression for corporate worship featuring Mission House; the Andrew Osenga-led “Bless The Lord O My Hands,” an earnest plea for our actions to reflect His love; the thoughtful worship ballad “Working for Good,” showcasing Skye Peterson; and the project’s title cut, “East to West,” a poignant reiteration of the unfathomable depths of God’s love.

“Scripture reveals a love so grand that it compels us to see how His love is present in every facet and complexity of our lives,” says the duo’s Kirk Sauers. “East to West explores the love of God working itself into the experiences of our everyday. It’s a journey of God's love with us, active through the daily frustrations of work, anxious nights, battles with depression, fear of a fragile economy, and even the thought that sits deep inside our hearts that God might finally ‘kick me out of the house’ for my failures.”

“Our hope with East to West is to use songs as a prism to behold the brilliant spectrum of God’s love, from its most grand expressions to its most intimate details,” adds Ranheim. “Ultimately, this record explores how there is not one square inch of the universe where Jesus doesn't extend God’s love and the hope of redemption.”