Smyth meets Smith

Here’s what happened when Chris Smyth, worship leader and creative director at member church New Community Church SE London, met one of his heroes Martin Smith, following the re-release of iconic Delirious? album Cutting Edge…

Smyth: 20 years on from the Cutting Edge albums, do ever find yourself listening back to them?

Smith: My head is into new music and I’m now concentrating on my own stuff. My head is in the future. I don’t think it’s normal for someone to sit down and listen to what they did 20 years ago, every now and again I hear something that’s been played and I think ‘wow that’s amazing, thank you God for that bit of the journey’. I think in general you’re proud of it but you move on, but I hope there are some people out there who can really enjoy this compilation.

Your sound has changed dramatically from then to now, talk us through the thought process behind it? 

Yes I think it has to be a natural thing, it has to be authentic if it is going to work. It has to come out of something deeper otherwise it’s going to be fake. We were on a journey for many years; every time we made a record we thought ‘OK what can we do?’ A lot of it comes from what songs come out, whatever songs you’re given will normally give taste to what you’re going to do and what sound you’re going to make. 

What would you say your big musical influences are? 

From a Christian music point of view a big influence would be Kevin Prosch. He became a friend and really gave me permission to be who I was, rather than copy anyone. There have been lots of influences over the years from Dire Straits to Sigur Ros, even hearing Firework by Katy Perry on the radio and going ‘wow what a great song’.

Listen to the whole interview - click on the audio player to the right