“Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you, for the days are certainly coming when I will restore the fortunes of My people.” - Jeremiah 30:2-3, HCBS

Jeremiah’s record is the story of apostasy and abandonment, disobedience and disaster, ruination and restoration. The weeping prophet forewarns the siege of Jerusalem while those around him assure safety. He foretells the yoke of Babylon that will hang around the nations’ neck, though others prophesy peace. He foresees the ransacking of Solomon’s Temple though the people chant “The Temple of the Lord” for their protection. He even forecasts the fall of the mighty Babylon and restoration of the remnant although all hope is shattered.

This album is Jeremiah’s record, the musical account of his people's pursuits as they discover the hardship that arrives after the departure of their God. The 12 vocal tracks follow the prophet’s unique perspective, the words spoken to Jeremiah from the Lord that bring context

to the historical account. Hear in these recordings more than just a narrative of the events of Jeremiah’s day, but feel the joy that departs, the unsettled grief and sickened heart of the Maker who reshapes his prized jar for another purpose. Now That I’m Gone: The Jeremiah Record unfolds with regular musical releases that bring the story home to a modern generation of listeners. Get ready to break the rules with prominent tritones, minor seconds, motion in fifths, modal mixture, 7/4 time and more.

Now That I’m Gone

"Now that the sky has turned to night...now that the signs are drawing nigh...now that the ram's horn sounded one last cry...now that I'm gone." These unsettling words were penned one cold morning last winter. Feeling under the weather, I picked up my guitar for some warmth and inspiration. As the strings began to vibrate, I noticed they were between two tunings I often use: Eb-Ab-Db-Eb-Bb-Eb. Rather than re-tune the instrument, I started strumming to see

what voicings I could come up with. The chords of the refrain came immediately. I opened up the book of Jeremiah where Pastor Mat Shockney was preaching, and the lyrics began writing themselves....

The inaugural title track of The Jeremiah Record begins with a series of rhetorical questions and ends in stark judgement with a surprise promise only realized at album's end. Nestled in the middle is the dual discovery that is Jeremiah’s record: the people are found out to be reveling in apostasy, but soon bemoan the estrangement with its toilsome wages. Now That I'm Gone sets the stage for the rest of the album, where refusing to serve the Lord means learning to serve a foreign king. [Jer. 2-10]

Turn Away from Me

The initial three vocal tracks function as movements within a greater form, the middle piece drawing its inspiration from the first of Jeremiah's five laments. It features a simple repetitive, yet changing chorus line following the sorrowful news of the city and its fallen warriors.

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