The pioneering Christian band that helped popularize modern worship and energetic hymns continues to sing about God’s love 25 years after its formation. Sonic FloodThe band, which formed in 1999 and won a Dove Award for Best Praise & Worship Album the following year, will embark on the “One Nation Under God” tour this fall, playing hits and new material in multiple cities.
The band performed and popularized some of the best-known songs in contemporary Christian music. I want to know you, I want to sing of your love, I want to open the eyes of my heart and let out a holy cryand I am here to worship.
Lead singer Rick Heile joined the band after leaving another CCM group, Big Tent Revival. Originally formed as a touring band opening for DC Talk, Sonic Flood quickly rose to prominence in the contemporary Christian music world.
“They made an album of covers of songs that were sung acoustically in church,” Heil told Crosswalk Headlines. “They were like, ‘We love rock ‘n’ roll, we got our act together with drums and big guitars,’ so they transformed it into the songs we listened to as kids.”
Heil said he grew up in a non-instrumental Christian church and didn’t develop a passion for contemporary hymns until he joined Big Tent Revival as bassist.
“I joined the Big Tent, I went on a journey, and God expanded my understanding of who He is in different denominations,” Heil said, “I didn’t look at denominations, I was just looking at the whole church — the church — around the world, and a paradigm shift happened.”
Heil learned that he could “combine my two loves together: music and worship.”
“And God uses that to glorify Himself and change people’s hearts. And music is such an amazing gift as a tool. … It gets that message past the brain and directly to the heart. … Any way to spread the message that God is hope and God is love needs to be aired.”
“God just kept opening doors.”
On this fall tour, 2 Chronicles 7:14 The theme is, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
“This nation needs healing through Jesus, and we believe the best way to facilitate that is through prayer and worship.”
Heil hopes the Sonic Flood tour will inspire Christians to be bold in their faith.
“Jesus is the way, the only way. … Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, immerse yourself in the Word and have your heart and mind changed,” he said. “…We have no time for casualness today. We need to know what the Word says and completely separate ourselves from the world. We can’t be dabbling in this and that. This is not the time to be neutral.”
Listen: “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever” by Sonicflood (with lyrics)
Photo credit: ©Sonicflood
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
