Jonathan Cain is a brilliant musician and a kind person. He is one of the near prolific, influential, and skilled performers always, and he's back with new music, both equally a solo creative person and as a fellow member of Journeying. Today, Jon'due south new single, "Oh Lord Lead Usa," is available to buy and stream. And, on June 24, Journeying released the new single, "The Way We Used To Be," from its forthcoming new studio anthology. Jon was kind enough to speak with me at length nearly his new music, Journeying's new album, striking the road again, how the Lord inspires him, his married woman, Paula White-Cain, Steve Perry, and and so much more. I hope you enjoy our discussion, and make sure to buy and stream Jon'due south new single because it's excellent!

You have a new unmarried, "Oh Lord Lead Us." Tell me near the new song and how information technology came to be.

I was leading service for our church building, Urban center of Destiny, and I was looking for a song to celebrate the new year's day. I specifically wanted a Holy Spirit song for new year'south, and I noticed that there wasn't a lot addressing the new season and the idea of something new beingness born. I was looking in scripture, and I saw that in Second Chronicles there's a scripture that said, "Look to the Lord for strength, and seek his religion e'er." That triggered the idea for this song. God has a plan that nosotros're not even aware of. He'south leading us out of the darkness before we even get there.

I also thought most the thought of resetting later COVID, and things opening upward once more, and starting to live life again. I was looking for a hopeful song about request God for his leadership and vision. Information technology'south too virtually usa getting caught up in the world's means and we forget that someone much larger than us is in charge of everything. And then, I thought that song really fit the bill. It was but everything I'd been through that whole season that I wanted to put into a song for the new year. Something powerful that would resonate and that would also be reverent to what God has aligned for us.

I was instruction with Paula on commencement fruits and music is my gift from God, and it was my time to practise something. Upon writing that vocal, 2 or 3 others came quite quickly for me, so I went back into my studio and laid them down.

Had it been a long time since yous recorded new music?

I had taken a break from it all. I wasn't creating new music. But and then, all of a sudden, with "Oh Lord Lead Us," and these other songs, I got inspiration. Information technology was equally if God said, "Now!" Beingness the flavor of showtime fruit, I decided to be obedient to that. It had been a while since I felt like I could add together anything to what I've already done. I approximate I waited for that inspiration and permission. Yous desire to hear from God first. That vocal was really the get-go of me checking in with God again and him telling me, "Go!" And I did, and that's what I came up with.

Have you had a chance to perform this music live even so?

Yep, I did. I performed information technology at City of Destiny. The vocal really resonated with them. I tried information technology out on the congregation start. I exercise that with a lot of my music to make sure that it resonates in the sanctuary. People were singing it by the finish, so I knew I had something. And when the Praise Team said, "I really like that song, Jon," it'due south good. Even my characterization liked it.

Yous mentioned other songs. Are you lot going to put out a new anthology?

There'southward an EP that's just nigh done. I take some singles that I put out last year. They were lone singles, and I'thousand going to add them to the collection. So, maybe v or half dozen songs. And possibly an anthology by the end of the year.

Since you and I last spoke, y'all put out an anthology called Pianoforte Worship. Tell me most that.

At that place's another Piano Worship album in the works. Paula is always outlining her sermon or whatever she's pedagogy, and oftentimes I'd play pianoforte in the groundwork, going places I wouldn't become usually. Frequently, it was stream of consciousness. Nothing was preconceived. The music provides shades of emotions to outline her sermons. I put that anthology together considering information technology'south something different. What y'all hear on there is alive. Information technology's stream of consciousness. I never know what I'm playing or where I'grand going, and I've got another album of that kind of music coming that's quite good as well. I always, sort of, played piano for God, and this fourth dimension I captured it in a drove that I hope people use for their prayer life. It's soothing music.

I think it's really impressive. Y'all have a song on Piano Worship chosen "No Regrets" that runs for more than than eighteen minutes!

Yeah, it really goes. It was a sermon Paula was preaching, and I just kept playing. She moves into dissimilar colors and emotions with her sermon, and the piano takes its own place and does its thing.

Tell me about your unmarried "Freedom In Your Grace."

Yes, "Freedom In Your Grace" was written for the Fourth of July concluding yr, right after George Floyd'south death. Afterward all the riots and that stuff, I felt like our nation needed a song. I'grand happy with the way that came out.

Another swell slice of music y'all put out since we last spoke is "No One But You Jesus." How did that come together?

I worked with Ian Eskelin on that one. I wrote it with Ian; the guy I wrote "Wonder of Wonders" with. At that place'due south another melody I wrote for Paula's book called "Something Greater," which I call back came out really well. They're all signature songs that have my sound. I stay true to my signature and my audio.

What are your thoughts on how Paula's volume, Something Greater, turned out?

I think information technology turned out swell. It's actually an amazing story of victory, for sure.

Y'all likewise have new music with Journey. Yous guys take a new album coming out, and you released the starting time single, "The Way Nosotros Used To Be." What has that process been like?

Yeah, we've got new music coming out and we but dropped that new unmarried. Information technology was a lot of fun, and a good amount of that music was inspired by COVID. We had seen that a lot of relationships had been cleaved up because of COVID. The pandemic has really messed people up and gotten them discouraged. They're abode with each other and they want to walk away. The message of this new Journey music is to be grateful for what you've got. I just let the Lord pb me to wherever he takes me. I try to write what'south never been written.

I just finished a song about Pentecost chosen "The Upper Room," which I think is another dandy tune and worship music. You've got the stone band Journey, and then you've got the worship music. With those two things I go to fulfill the conversation I have in my centre with the Holy Spirit. It strengthens me to be the all-time I tin be with Journeying.

Pretty much all of the new Journey music was created during the pandemic. Neal sent me some instrumental music and said, "I don't call back it sounds like Journeying." And I said, "I recollect I might have a lyric for that." I had written this lyric almost getting dorsum to the way nosotros used to be, and I knew that this was certainly a Journey vocal and that Neal's music was the backing track. He was quite surprised when he heard what I had.

We've got a whole album coming. It'll be nigh 10 or 12 songs. It volition come out some fourth dimension in the fall. We don't know what we're going to call information technology still. We practise have a working title, merely it's also before long to say.

What was the process like recording this new Journey music during COVID?

Narada Michael Walden did a lot of producing for Arnel. I wrote a lot of the lyrics. The merely people that got to see each other during this recording procedure were Neal and Narada. They did a lot of that in the start. And then I did a lot of stuff in my studio. It was a long altitude record that was fabricated in multiple studios and and then brought together and mixed. Nosotros'd jump on the telephone a lot to go over things. I know Narada was on Zoom calls with Arnel in the Philippines that sometimes that would go until one or ii o'clock in the morning because of the time zone differences. Narada put a lot of work into it and he'southward a welcome add-on to the band.

I hope no i in your family unit has been straight affected by COVID.

No, not really. I came down with it in belatedly September last twelvemonth. I've had colds worse than that. I had a very mild case of information technology. I really finished several Journey songs while I had COVID. (laughs)

Narada Michael Walden and Randy Jackson are two new additions to the band, replacing Steve Smith and Ross Valory. What's that been like?

They're both bang-up! We've got history together. We've all jammed and played live together. Narada and I played together to open up Eric Clapton's Crossroads i twelvemonth, and that was fun. And, Randy has been on Journeying records and played live with us before, and then bringing him back into the fold made sense.

What exactly happened with Steve Smith and Ross Valory?

It'due south hard to say, honestly. They had expectations, I guess. And they left united states of america with no other choice than to burn down them. Information technology was disappointing for sure. It's a complicated situation that goes mode back. The owners of Journeying are Neal and I. And Arnel has been our lead singer for xiv years, and he'southward great. With Steve and Ross, it's been actually difficult. Like a matrimony, we had a lot of years together. In that location were a lot of misunderstandings, and things happened. People move on.

During the negotiations, I spoke with Steve and Ross. I don't have any sick volition toward anybody. Nosotros're just happy to movement forward and be Journey once more. Neal and I but want to get back on the road, play our music, and run across the fans once again. That'southward actually it.

Speaking of hitting the road again, Journey is about to practice just that. What has it been like getting ready to tour? I imagine you're very excited.

We're starting to ready. We've got rehearsals and some shows coming up in August. We're staying busy, man. Just trying to get dorsum to work, like everyone else. At that place'due south Las Vegas and a bunch of other dates coming up. I'chiliad sure we'll appreciate concerts even more, considering what the world has gone through.

In this era of COVID, how is Journeying going to handle meet and greets at concerts?

I have no idea what that's going to look like. I would think we'd probably abjure from that for a while, and I think everybody volition sympathize.

You besides did a Christmas concert, "Unsung Noel Alive." What was that like?

Information technology was tremendous to exist able to have people listen to an original Christmas anthology. It was just terrific! It was on Amazon Prime, and nosotros mixed information technology. I had injured ribs at that time, and I all the same wait back on it wondering how I got through information technology. Merely I was able to perform mightily. It was peachy to suit and play Christmas the manner I wanted to exercise information technology in my heart. Reimagining the nascency, writing a song almost Joseph and the manner he must've felt, and some other song almost Mary. In that location was a sermon by Baton Graham, and he said, "Christ is the heart of Christmas." And that really hit me and inspired me to write that album. I don't call back that album got the shot it deserved, but information technology's forever. I made a golden double-anthology version of information technology on vinyl that sounds extraordinary. When you write songs most your religion, they're forever. They don't become old. They still resonate. They still mean something. For the alive concert, nosotros had Neal Schon's son playing guitar and my brother on the drums. It was difficult to play live, but I'thousand glad with the way it turned out. Nosotros had a lot of fun with that project, for sure.

Last fourth dimension nosotros spoke, y'all mentioned wanting to write a cookbook. How'due south that coming forth?

I did first writing the volume. I just need to stop it. I wrote the introduction, and I have recipes in listen and a championship for it. I might get-go dropping recipes on Facebook and doing it that fashion. Maybe requite a recipe every other week. COVID really pushed the envelope for me. I was cooking every dark and trying to be creative with food. I was doing excotic dishes. Information technology was a boom. Give thanks God for the commitment people and grocery stores that stayed open during COVID. They're heroes in my listen.

Is your wife Paula working on anything new that you'd like to share?

She'due south writing a new book called Tabernacle. She's been teaching and studying that for over xx years, so it'southward really going to be an heart-opening volume for a lot of people. The Tabernacle frequently gets disregarded, so Paula's gone dorsum and mapped it out. It'south really a labor of honey.

For Paula's well-nigh contempo book, Something Greater, did she record the audiobook in your studio?

Yes, we did it in my studio. Information technology took her about the same amount of time as me with my audiobook. She had her producer on Zoom. Besides, I took the photo that'due south on the cover of her volume. They had a couple professional photographers take photos too, but they wound upwards choosing my photograph in the end. That'south another thing I like to do: photography. Taking photos of nature and all kinds of stuff.

How'd you lot come up with the name for your studio, Addiction Sound Studios?

It's called Habit because where the edifice is located used to be a drug rehab center. Information technology was called the Tennessee Drug Corruption Council. People would come there for meetings. We thought we'd proceed that same idea, and music is the only thing worth getting hooked on. (laughs)

Accept y'all had a hazard to listen to whatsoever of the music that Steve Perry has released over the past few years, and have you guys been in bear upon at all?

Steve Perry and I haven't been in bear upon since the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I have heard some of his music. It's good to hear him singing again in the studio. He should be singing. That's what he was fabricated to do. But, no, we don't talk. I wish him all the best.

Your wife is President Trump'southward spiritual advisor. How was that affected past the election?

They've been friends for 20 years, and she's been the pastor for him and his family for that long. They're still very close.