Seph Schlueter
Key Takeaways
Questioning one's faith is a natural part of the journey and can lead to a deeper understanding and personal relationship with Jesus.
Music can be a powerful tool for expressing one's faith and connecting with others.
Gratitude and thankfulness are important practices that can bring joy and perspective to life.
Balancing priorities and setting boundaries is crucial, especially as one's career and personal life grow.
Intentional rest and Sabbath can help maintain a healthy perspective and prevent burnout. Music has a powerful impact on people's hearts because it is deeply connected to our souls and our relationship with God.
As a Christian artist, it is important to be authentic and unashamed of the gospel, while also loving and relating to people.
Having a daily prayer life is crucial in navigating the secular culture and the pressures of self-promotion.
The fear of man should be replaced with the fear of God, and the desire to please God should outweigh the desire to please others.
Looking ahead, the artist is excited about being a father and designing tour experiences that create encounters with Jesus.
Episode Transcript
Caleb Gray (00:01.035)
All right, well, I'm here with Seph. Thanks so much for joining in this conversation on the Upside Down People podcast. How are you going today?
Seph Schlueter (00:09.486)
I'm going great man. Beautiful day. Always good day to be alive and pumped to be on the podcast. I love having conversations and talking through stuff. So this is super exciting.
Caleb Gray (00:19.499)
So good. Well, I'm so glad that yeah, you've carved out the time To have this conversation. You're just saying you're in Ohio. Is that right?
Seph Schlueter (00:29.198)
Yes, yeah, yeah, go to Ohio, Columbus, Ohio.
Caleb Gray (00:32.587)
Nice, what's the weather like there at the moment?
Seph Schlueter (00:35.982)
It's like 80 degrees, sunny. It's been beautiful lately. We've had some great, great summer weather. Not too hot, but enough that you can go outside, be really comfy, and you want to jump in a pool.
Caleb Gray (00:47.819)
Awesome. Yeah. Well, we sort of in heading into our winter, it's been a sort of delayed winter here in, in Perth, but it's getting a bit colder on these mornings. Now my wife's actually from Indiana, so not too far from Ohio.
Seph Schlueter (01:02.318)
Wow. What is cold for you guys though?
Caleb Gray (01:07.243)
Yeah, great question. Well, I'm trying to like work out the Fahrenheit Celsius difference, I think. So we had a pretty cold morning. I'd say it's very cold. It would be like maybe 44 degrees.
Seph Schlueter (01:22.158)
Okay, so that's pretty chilly.
Caleb Gray (01:24.235)
Yeah, pretty chilly. That's probably like, our extreme.
Seph Schlueter (01:25.742)
Our winter gets down to like, you know, 10 degrees, but like 44 is alright, you know?
Caleb Gray (01:31.563)
You
brilliant. Yeah, well, we could sit here and talk about the weather all day, but that's obviously not the conversation I want to have with you. Yeah, you're a musician, you're a creative, you're in that space. Maybe you can just, by means of putting a bit of flesh to who you are for our listeners who may not really know who you are, share something that people may find surprising about you. And then also, what's your faith journey been like?
Seph Schlueter (02:05.006)
Yeah, things people might find surprising. This is actually, this is really interesting because a lot of people don't know this. I'm actually born and raised Roman Catholic and still, still am practicing. So it's funny because a lot of people are like, wait, does that mean you're not Christian? It's like, no, I am Christian. Like, there are like different, different types of Christianity. So,
Caleb Gray (02:15.883)
Rides.
Caleb Gray (02:29.035)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (02:29.774)
That's something people might find surprising and that's actually kind of leads really well into my faith journey because I grew up, you know, my family's awesome. I have amazing parents. I'm one of six, so bigger family. And we prayed together as a family, like really, my parents were super intentional and like actually fostering a relationship with Jesus with us, like actually praying and talking about things and all that type of thing, which,
Caleb Gray (02:40.843)
Wow.
Seph Schlueter (02:56.366)
Sadly, isn't always very typical, especially in the Catholic world. I think it's a lot of, you know, go through the motions and do the right things, but I think a little less is on like the personal relationship with Jesus side of things. So.
Caleb Gray (03:03.403)
Surprise.
Seph Schlueter (03:09.23)
My parents were just awesome and I grew up in that place. But you know, I feel like everyone gets to the age where you kind of, if you were raised in the faith, you begin to question like, is this my thing or is this just my parents thing? You know, like, is this something that's really like, I believe it fully or have I just been doing it because it's what my parents have been saying? You know, and so I think for me, it was right around eighth grade where I really kind of began to start to ask some of those questions and say like, okay, you know, like, is this real? And as an eighth grader, you think you know everything, you know, you're like,
Caleb Gray (03:21.227)
Right.
Caleb Gray (03:38.475)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Seph Schlueter (03:39.662)
I don't think I'm eighth grade. I can for sure, you know, question all of these people that have, you know, been studying this for years and whatever. But yeah, really kind of that's where I began to kind of question and really, I mean, where I landed in the way that I viewed God was him as a watchmaker. So like a watchmaker is somebody who creates the watch, sets it in motion.
and just kind of lets it run. And every now and then they'll kind of come in and fix things up that need to be tweaked. But for the most part, like they're pretty much removed from the watch after they make it. And I felt like that was God to me. Like he's somebody who created the universe. I believe that he was real. Like I knew, I just knew he was real. It made sense that he was real. I believe he created the universe, he set it in motion. And every now and then throughout history would kind of come in and intervene. But for the most part was pretty...
far off, removed, not personal. And so when you don't feel like you have God's attention, you feel like you have to try to get everyone else's. And so that was just kind of a phase in my life where I was really trying to be the best at everything, trying to succeed in sports and school and music and all these different things. So I was like, I need to be seen because I didn't feel like I could have that like.
Caleb Gray (04:35.179)
Yeah, right.
Caleb Gray (04:41.707)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (04:56.558)
that level of being seen by God. And so, you know, but the more you get, the more you need, like it doesn't actually satisfy you when you're trying to get attention from earthly people. And so I remember just kind of being tired, being weary from it and being like, like this just feels exhausting. And just coming to prayer, I feel like for at least one of the first times in my life, like just.
Caleb Gray (05:04.587)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (05:17.326)
actually with like a real open heart and being like, God, I hear this thing about personal relationship with you. I hear this thing about how like, you know, John 10, 10, that you have an abundant life for us. Like I want to experience that. I don't want to just hear about it, but not have any experiential knowledge of it, you know? And I remember just going into prayer and opening the scripture and I remember just coming with a sense of peace and joy that I, and like just rest and contentment that I hadn't felt in a long time.
Caleb Gray (05:26.731)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (05:46.574)
And I think from that moment on, it was like, this is it. This is the real deal. I actually do believe that God wants a relationship with me, that He actually desires that. And so my whole life since then has been trying to share with people what I've found. That relationship with Jesus is everything. And it is the source of life that we get to live in. So that's kind of a brief summary of the faith journey.
Caleb Gray (05:51.563)
So good.
Caleb Gray (06:12.491)
Yeah, that's awesome. And obviously your music's like laced with that personable relationship that you have with Jesus. So how did you, what's your story with music then? How did you get involved in music and yeah, where you find yourself today?
Seph Schlueter (06:31.822)
Yeah, so as a little five year old, I watched a movie called Star Wars. And I love it. Right, it's always this dude, Star Wars. I wanted to be a Jedi before I wanted to be a musician, you know? And I was so enamored with it. And we had a piano that, you know, up to that point, I kind of pounded away on. My dad played music a little bit growing up. But I remember hearing the Star Wars theme, and I went to the...
Caleb Gray (06:37.739)
That's every musician's backstory.
Caleb Gray (06:44.715)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (07:01.262)
the piano as a little five year old and like figured out how to play, you know, that main artwork theme. And so I was like, this is so cool. And my parents are like, we should get you lessons. Like you just figure that out by ear. Like it was really impressive. So I ended up taking lessons. I took lessons for five years and just really kind of learned the classical piano thing. Stopped when I was 10, but still kept playing at that point. It was a lot more of like, you know, what kind of like,
Caleb Gray (07:04.331)
No way.
Seph Schlueter (07:30.574)
playing music that I really enjoyed as opposed to just classical music. You know, so like, here's this song, you know, I'm going to figure out how to play, I'm going to learn it, all that kind of, all that kind of thing. So at that point, then kind of began to self teach myself how to play like worship songs or how to play, you know, Ed Sheeran songs or things like that. And then picked up guitar in high school.
Caleb Gray (07:33.611)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (07:49.646)
And same story, I just kind of taught myself and figured out to play what I like to play around that time is when I really started kind of leading worship for the first time as well. So I started worship leading, which was awesome. And then right out of high school, I ended up joining a ministry called Damascus here in Ohio. And we, it's really, I began to worship lead a lot more. And that's really where I started to kind of song write. So started songwriting there and a couple songs that I wrote.
Caleb Gray (08:08.075)
Okay.
Seph Schlueter (08:19.6)
like really seemed to resonate. So I got them recorded and one of them that I recorded, I kind of sent it. I like, I DMed it to like a ton of people over Instagram. So I sent it to a ton of people over Instagram. Like, you know, yeah, like I'm trying to think who, like anyway, like some of the Bethel people, Hillsong people, you know, people that are just like big. Never met him before. I just sent him, I was basically like, Hey, I just, you're an inspiration to me. Here's this song I just released. Like I would love to hear what you think about it.
Caleb Gray (08:27.883)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (08:39.371)
Did you know these people or you just...
Caleb Gray (08:46.411)
Wow.
Seph Schlueter (08:49.486)
Like that was kind of the general gist of it. So I sent it to like a ton of these people and then also like I kind of stalked some people who, you know, some of these artists and they would tag people they worked with in their labels. And I didn't really know what a label quite was or how to like what they even really did or how to contact them. But I'm like, they're tagging a label. I should probably send it to the label. So I sent it, I sent my song just like, I mean, there's probably like 50, 60, you know, DMs that I sent out and two people responded. One of them was a guy named Phil Wickham.
Caleb Gray (09:08.971)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (09:19.019)
Wow.
Seph Schlueter (09:19.246)
And so we got in touch that way, which is just crazy. And got his email and we started talking a little bit. And then another was a guy named John Sell, who was working for one of the biggest record labels at the time called Capital. And he was working there and he's like, hey, this is really sweet. I like this. Like, let's, let's talk. So we started talking and then I came to, that was early 2020. And so he's like, let's get you to Nashville. This is going to be great. And then like literally two weeks later, COVID happened.
And he's like, all right, you're not coming to Nashville. You know, so it was kind of this waiting period, but we stayed in touch and I would kind of send him different things I was working on throughout that year. And then later that year ended up coming to Nashville for the first time. He's like, dude, just come stay at my house. I'll set up some rights for you. It'll be great. So I started writing with some people there and then just kind of came back and more and more labels started hearing about me and getting interested. And then John ended up leaving the label and becoming my manager. And so
Caleb Gray (09:49.643)
You
Caleb Gray (10:05.515)
Awesome.
Seph Schlueter (10:17.07)
And yeah, then really just kind of was at that time working on Italian music, ended up signing with the label and then here I am today.
Caleb Gray (10:24.267)
Man, that's what a, what a story during that time when COVID happened, what was the thoughts going through your mind? Were you nervous or scared or anxious about like, you've just got this huge open door, this opportunity. And now, now COVID comes in ruins a dream.
Seph Schlueter (10:38.542)
Yeah.
Right. Dude, I feel like I was in such a good place with it. So I, I had worked. So like I said, I left, I became a, joined this missionary program in the middle of nowhere, Ohio. and so it's a two year program and it's a lot of running retreats, running events, like all these different things, mostly at that time for middle scores and high scores, we kind of ventured to do more of like young adult adult retreats as well. but
Caleb Gray (10:46.059)
Awesome.
Seph Schlueter (11:08.302)
I feel like for so much of that, there's just so much character development and dying to yourself that happens. You're on stage leading worship one moment and the next moment you are counseling a group of middle school boys who just want to stay up till 2 a making fart jokes, you know? And then like you're cleaning the toilets after they leave. Like all the different things that just kind of really put your heart, I feel like, in a good place. And so at that point, 2020 came around. I just joined staff at this ministry. I was a worship coordinator there.
Caleb Gray (11:15.723)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (11:23.339)
You
Seph Schlueter (11:38.286)
which was like a brand new role and just kind of helping coordinate some of the worship things. And I really enjoyed the job. I really enjoyed what I was doing. And so all of a sudden this opportunity comes up and it was crazy, but also at the same time, I feel like there was a really good level of surrender too in my heart of like, God, like if this is you, awesome. And if it's not, then I'm okay. Cause like, I know your will is what's most important. And if you want it to happen, it's gonna happen. And if not, then.
I'm gonna be all right, you know? So I feel like just like I try to like hold things just like this, you know, like in my hands, like hands stretched out and if, just like palms open and it's like that allows me if someone puts something in my hand, I can easily, you know, I can hold onto it, but if they wanna take it away, it's very easy for it to be taken away too, you know? And so I feel like that's kind of was, it was really exciting. I was like, this is crazy. And then all of a sudden like.
Caleb Gray (12:27.467)
Yeah. Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (12:34.862)
it's like, all right, full stop. And I was like, it was a really cool period where I think the Lord used it to just test my heart and be like, do you want me more than you want a record deal? You know, and, and I was like, I really, I think it should have been a lot harder than it was. And, but for me, I was like, all right, cool. If this happens sweet. And if not, then I'm okay, you know.
Caleb Gray (12:53.323)
Yeah, such a, such a, I feel like it's a unique attitude to have, but I think, I think it's the right one, holding things loosely and just that surrender to, to allowing God to, to sort of take the, take the wheel. Have you found anything particularly challenging as you've gained popularity and a larger following and your music's like starting to, to blow up even more?
Seph Schlueter (13:08.59)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (13:19.758)
Yeah, I feel the biggest challenge that I'm working through is learning how to have like learning how to say no and have balance because as things get bigger so do the demands on your time you know and all of a sudden like you know a lot of people are asking for you and you needed to go
Caleb Gray (13:37.451)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (13:42.126)
do all these events, but then also you needed to come record more music and then you needed to do this meeting and that meeting and this like so many different things that just like place demands on your time. And really learning how to prioritize say yes, say no to the right things is really, really key, especially I just got married in September, which is like right around the time where, I mean, that was like two months after counting my busings came out, but it was right around the time it was starting to blow up. So it's coming kind of wild like.
Caleb Gray (13:59.819)
Congratulations, that's awesome.
Seph Schlueter (14:10.126)
two things kind of coinciding and then we have a baby due in December so also like that's crazy. So many things happening in this, I feel like I've lived like five lives and five years in the span of one year you know but yeah I mean so with all those things like time is just so important you know and learning like that's a cool opportunity but hey that'd actually be you know X amount of weekends in a row that I'd be gone.
Caleb Gray (14:15.755)
Dude, congrats, everything's happening.
Caleb Gray (14:23.883)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (14:30.123)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (14:38.99)
That just actually is a lot for my wife, you know, in my relationship because we actually still need time together. So like, I think that's been one of the biggest challenges as things kind of, it wasn't like, I feel like it wasn't as much of like a normal steady growth as, you know, a lot of other artists might have where it kind of starts small and gradually gets big. I feel like it kind of started small and then jumped to big real quick, you know? So I think it's just been figuring out like in a smaller period of time.
Caleb Gray (15:01.547)
Yeah. Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (15:08.046)
in all sense like, crazy increase of demand. Like, Lord, what are you wanting us to do? What boundaries are you wanting us to set? Where are you calling us to say yes and no? And how can we still keep first things first in this, you know?
Caleb Gray (15:16.363)
Hmm.
Caleb Gray (15:22.283)
Yeah. So I'm super curious. Like you've, you're wearing a whole bunch of different hats, husband, father, musician, and like, it's not just separate hats, but there's a lot happening in, in all of those as well. how, yeah, how have you learned to navigate the noise that's around and, and try and say like, no to the right things and sort of hone into where God's leading.
Seph Schlueter (15:50.862)
Yeah, no, that's a great, that's a really great question. I feel like so much of it is like learning. Like you kind of, you just like, you learn by making mistakes. Like you kind of like, crap, like, you know, we were, I'm going to be gone nine weeks in a row. Like that's probably, I didn't even realize that. And then all of a sudden you look at the calendar and you're like, wow, that filled up fast without even realizing it. And then you're kind of like, okay.
Caleb Gray (16:00.683)
Yeah
Caleb Gray (16:16.747)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (16:17.55)
next fall when you know similar things are coming in like how do we like that that wasn't good this year how do we how do we do that better next year but i think it's it really is like making sure obviously that god god is number one priority so am i actually asking am i actually having conversation with him about these things or am i just doing it because it looks good or doesn't look good so it's like you know i actually want to pray about it and see lord what is you know what's the most important thing here and how do we how do we do that
Caleb Gray (16:37.771)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (16:46.414)
with having a wife, you know, like everything gets processed with her. Like I'm not making decisions on my own anymore. It's like, okay, we're together in this, we're a team. We need to like, if we're committing to something, that's a sacrifice on both of our ends. It's a sacrifice for me to be gone and to travel and it's a sacrifice for you not to have your husband here, you know? And so like actually taking, like having those conversations together and like, and saying, Lord, like this is something we're bringing to you.
Caleb Gray (17:05.355)
Hmm.
Seph Schlueter (17:15.342)
what works best for our family, like how do we, is this something you're calling us to do or not? And every yes also means a no somewhere else. That's kind of one of the things too. So it's like, okay, I'm saying yes to a busy season of travel. That means I'm gonna have to say no maybe that next month to a lot of things because we need to rest and recover and like have a season where it's slower, you know? So like we've been in a little crazier season. And like next month, July for us, there's like a lot.
Caleb Gray (17:23.146)
Right.
Caleb Gray (17:36.203)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (17:43.854)
a lot slower, you know, and it's like, okay, great, we're gonna like slow down here. So I think just really, there's grace for anything, there's grace for everything the Lord calls you to. And also if I'm like, I'm in a place where I feel like there's not grace anymore, then maybe I'm stepping outside of God's call in that, you know, and I have to go back to Him and be like, God, is this, am I still following what you have laid out for me?
Caleb Gray (17:54.187)
Mm.
Caleb Gray (18:08.395)
Yeah, so good. And it's so true. Every opportunity you say yes to or every choice you say yes to, it's a thousand no's. So it makes a big difference. And that could be a negative thing as well. You could say yes to one thing and then it's saying no to all these like family or friends or relationship or even just time in that creative, spent in that creative process for yourself. Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (18:17.39)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (18:26.286)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (18:34.254)
Right. Well, one of the things that has been super helpful for us in just keeping priorities priority is having a Sabbath. Like we read the book Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Hummer. Yeah. And it was really impactful for me. I historically have always
Caleb Gray (18:42.763)
Awesome.
Caleb Gray (18:47.755)
Good old John Markheimer, I love it.
Seph Schlueter (18:57.166)
been on the side of busy, busy, have to be moving the ball forward on things, have to be accomplishing things, all these different things. And my wife has a lot higher value for rest. And so it's been kind of fun to re -read it during our engagement. And it was just a really good process for us to talk about things. And I've just found so much goodness and growth from having an intentional Sabbath. And it takes intentionality because a lot of times I will be traveling on a Sunday.
Caleb Gray (19:11.755)
guys.
Caleb Gray (19:21.291)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (19:25.902)
which is typically Sabbath day, you know? So then it's like, okay, great, let's look at our week and let's see where can we take a Sabbath together and slow down and be able to just rest with the Lord. Because I feel like that also just allows your heart to be more present throughout that week. You kind of have a moment where you can just stop, you can pause, and then all of a sudden you're not. You know, I've heard that if the devil can't make you sin, he'll make you busy. Because I feel like so often, busyness.
Caleb Gray (19:34.731)
Awesome.
Caleb Gray (19:53.899)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (19:56.11)
if you're not appropriately taking steps to counter it, it can damage your relationship with God, because all of a sudden you're focused, you're just so busy, busy, busy, you're not taking time to slow down and recognize the presence of God and where he's moving in your life. So Sabbath has also just been a huge key for us in dealing with that and learning how to just find the Lord in the day to day and make sure that the priorities are the priorities.
Caleb Gray (20:23.595)
That's brilliant. It's such a beautiful thing to practice. And like you said, you need to be intentional about the Sabbath as well, because the culture that we're in, I'm in Australia, you're in the US. The culture that we're in is very commercialized. It's busy. Fill up your schedule. There's no such thing as like lost time. You need to be productive. You need to be performing.
So it's very counter -cultural to actually be intentional about slowing down, right? Yeah. And it doesn't, life doesn't get any less busy, right? You get married, you start having kids, your music career continues to develop, all these added things. So man, how good that you're getting into that rhythm right now.
Seph Schlueter (21:02.83)
Right. yeah.
Seph Schlueter (21:17.934)
Yeah, we're super great. I mean, it's been so cool. We've had so many amazing...
couples that we're close with who we're able to kind of look to and see and get wisdom from and just making sure we're intentionally checking in with each other on a week. Well, we do it like a little nightly check -in and then we have like a weekly check -in and a monthly check -in and it helps us be able to be like, okay, here's where things are going well, here's where they're not going well, hey, we actually, we didn't have a Sabbath that week or hey, we didn't do this this week. Just having that kind of like...
I don't know, just those guidelines that allow us to really keep moving forward, keep loving each other and keep helping each other be the best that we're called to be is really, really awesome.
Caleb Gray (22:00.299)
Yeah, beautiful. So you mentioned before how, yeah, Counting My Blessings was released around the time you got married, blew up, and is still continuing to blow up as well. Why do you think it's resonated and impacted people the way it has?
Seph Schlueter (22:10.478)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (22:21.902)
I feel like there's such a desire for thankfulness that's written into our hearts.
And I think gratitude is something that every single person in the world can universally relate to. Like all of us can point to times that even every day that there's something we're grateful for, even in the midst of trouble, of heartache, of whatever might be going on, there's always things that we can look to to see like, wow, that's a gift. Hey, that's a blessing. I'm grateful for that. I'm thankful for this, you know? And so I feel like that, I feel like just that message has been so.
Caleb Gray (23:00.715)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (23:01.806)
beautiful
to like see how it's resonated with people because it is so just applicable. And I mean, I'll go on tour and I'll hire people. Like people come up afterwards to me. And it's funny because, you know, the song is all about blessings, but often more often than not, the testimonies of people who reach out to me or like who, who talked to me after shows or things. it's actually about them going through a heartache or like a trouble or something that's going on. And this song was like a lifeline for them because it reminded them even in the midst of that, there were so many things.
Caleb Gray (23:08.779)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (23:30.891)
Bye.
Seph Schlueter (23:34.094)
to be grateful for. I mean, I was just talking, I just literally two days ago, like someone came up to me whose husband died a couple months ago and literally in middle age person daughter with him husband died and just like in tears telling me how this song has just helped her like helped her like see that hey he's in a better place. Hey like he's you know he's still looking out for me like hey like God is still like good and all these things are the reasons why. So I feel like it's so cool because you know on like even on social media people are using it for
Caleb Gray (24:00.523)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (24:04.206)
Yeah, baby announcements for wedding videos, for all sorts of things. Even just two days ago, there was Gal Gadot, you know, the person who plays Wonder Woman in the Justice movies, whatever. She used it for like a birthday post for her husband. I'm like, this is crazy. Like, she's Jewish. Like she doesn't even like, you know, believe in the same things. I mean, some of the things, but I'd like, I don't even know if she's practicing. All these different Hollywood people have like used this song and it's like just this thing of.
Caleb Gray (24:13.995)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (24:19.851)
Second.
Caleb Gray (24:25.099)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (24:31.182)
gratitude that they can relate to. And then on the flip side, you're having people who are in pain and suffering and whatever also using it to express like, hey, I know God is still good. So I feel like it is just this great reminder of, hey, there are so many things to be grateful for. And I feel like everyone needs that reminder, which is part of the reason why the song has just, I think, exploded in the way it has, is just a very tangible reminder of those things.
Caleb Gray (24:49.675)
Mm.
Caleb Gray (24:56.619)
Yeah, that's awesome. So true. And what would you say, like, where did the song come from for yourself? Or what's the background of it?
Seph Schlueter (25:04.206)
Yeah, so me and two other writers named Jonathan Gamble and Jordan Sapp, we're in a room together. And Jonathan Gamble, I mean, they're both crazy talented. And Jonathan came in with this, like, he basically came in with almost the entirety of the chorus. He's like, hey, I had this idea, you know, God, I'm still counting my blood. Like just brought that in. And all of us were like, yeah, that, we're gonna write that, you know? But like, we start kind of talking about it, because you don't want to just write something that.
Caleb Gray (25:22.507)
Yeah.
You
Seph Schlueter (25:30.03)
that doesn't relate to you. But all of us were just like talking about being in a season of like things we had prayed for years ago, we were living in the answers to those prayers today. You know, like years ago we had prayed for this to happen in our job or this to happen with like a record label or this to happen with our families or this to happen in our relationship with God. And like we were living in that, but so often it's we get.
Caleb Gray (25:31.883)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (25:52.526)
sidetracked by looking at all the next things, all like what's coming up, what's next, what next dream, next goal, next whatever, which aren't bad things, but we forget to actually in the moment pause and just thank God for what he's done. And so the song really kind of then began to shape around that idea of like, let's just write a song that allows us to do that, to pause, to count our blessings, to like thank God. And so that the song really flowed from that place of just like, hey, let's give the Lord this gift of
Caleb Gray (25:59.211)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (26:22.48)
like, hey, you're worthy of us pausing and just thanking you for all the things that you've done. And so the song, yeah, just kind of flowed from there.
Caleb Gray (26:30.539)
Yeah, that's so good. And it's, I think I'm sort of hearing a theme in terms of just that intentional pausing, intentional resting, intentional allowing yourself space to actually think, coming through in terms of just the conversation, what, what you're saying. And maybe perhaps that's why people have resonated with it as well as because it does, like you're saying, allow you to intentionally reflect on your own life.
and see like, okay, where, where am I blessed in my life? Where, where does God's hand, where can I see it coming through? What can I put my hope in as well? so it's, yeah, it's that, that beautiful, beautiful theme coming through. I love it. What, what, what I'm curious to know your thoughts in terms of like music generally also plays a large role in people's emotions and affections and how they
Seph Schlueter (27:09.454)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (27:15.598)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (27:28.171)
relate to one another and then also more importantly how we relate to God. Why do you think music impacts people's hearts the way it does? So powerfully.
Seph Schlueter (27:39.118)
Yeah, I mean, I feel like there's so much.
like there's even really cool signs that comes out, you know, that's all about like vibrations and frequencies and like we're surrounded by music and even like every everything we see like physical matter is vibrating, you know, like there's like a frequency there's like devices that you can you can like scan over images and you'll hear the frequency it's vibrating at like, you know, light, you know, light is a certain frequency of sound waves as well. So like there's like everything around us isn't just light. It's also like sound, which is really neat that we're surrounded by
Caleb Gray (28:02.859)
Hello.
Seph Schlueter (28:12.88)
music in our world today. And you know, universe literally means one verse. Like, it's like everything is musical around us. And you even think about heaven, right? What does the Bible tell us heaven's gonna be like? It's gonna be musical. You know, like we're gonna be singing night and day before the Lord. Like there's music constantly 24 -7 happening in heaven. And so it's like this thing where, you know, for whatever reason, you know, I'm not God. Praise God.
Caleb Gray (28:27.691)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (28:42.67)
And like, I don't know why, but for whatever reason, he created it so that music has power. You know, like he likes it. I don't know why. You know, I'll use this analogy when I teach people, when I teach people like worship and like why we worship. And I'll talk about how, you know, my wife loves Earl Grey tea. It's like her favorite type of tea. She'll get it all the time. She'll make it daily. I feel like Earl Grey tea tastes like the color gray. Like to me, it's like if gray had a taste, it would be Earl Grey.
Caleb Gray (28:48.427)
Mm.
Caleb Gray (29:10.059)
I'm gonna break it.
Hehehe
Seph Schlueter (29:12.078)
it was appropriately named. I'm like, why do people like that? I don't understand why it's so liked. But the reality is my wife is loved by it. So I'm gonna make her Earl Grey tea or I'm gonna buy her Earl Grey tea or you know, like, I don't have to understand it in order to give it. And I feel like music is similar. Like I don't understand why it has an impact, but it does. I don't understand why God.
Caleb Gray (29:24.683)
for things.
Seph Schlueter (29:37.198)
like all throughout scriptures. And you have the longest book in the Bible is the Psalms, which literally were sung. It was music. Like, I don't get why.
Caleb Gray (29:44.427)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (29:45.71)
so many times it says sing to the Lord, lift your hands to the Lord, praise the Lord. I don't know why, but I do know that God made it that way. And so I, because I love God, I want to give it to him. And so I feel like there's just something in the way he designed us that music just has a power in. And I think people resonate, I know for myself, I fell in love with music early on because I felt like it, for whatever reason, just spoke to a part of my soul that I don't know why I had the words to fully express. And the melodies and the sound, it allows you to just
feel something that's so, that's different than what you can do just on words alone. Like there's a power behind it. And so I feel like, you know, I feel like when it comes to music, there's just, it allows, it connects to the heart. I feel like it kind of bypasses the brain a little bit and can get right to the heart. And I feel like that's why there's so much value in it and why, you know, why.
Caleb Gray (30:17.099)
Mm.
Caleb Gray (30:22.571)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (30:38.606)
the Lord is like loved by it and like that there's so much power in it and on the flip side it's super interesting you know Lucifer before he fell was was the head of the angelic choir you know like he he knows he knows the power of music and that's I feel like why he's you know he's distorted music in our in our world today so much to where it's like
He knows how powerful it is, so that's why he uses it to move us away from God, to teach us values of the world instead of values of the kingdom. Like all these different things, because there's power in it. You don't counterfeit one dollar bills, right? Because you counterfeit the bills, you counterfeit the things that matter the most. So it's like, all right, we see actually the enemy using music to bring people away from God. That means that actually must be a really valuable thing that can bring people to God.
Caleb Gray (31:03.883)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (31:29.003)
Yeah, I love that point that you're making. And one of the questions that I did have in my mind for you is, but it's sort of a two part question. One is how do you approach being explicitly, like explicitly in the Christian genre of music in this current culture that we find ourselves? And then the second one more related to what you're just saying is like, obviously it's so easy to get swept up in trends.
or unhelpful narratives within our culture. Like you're saying, if Lucifer, like, was, he knows music through and through, so it's something easily, a tool that he can easily use to distract and distort something beautiful. So how do you prevent this from happening with yourself? Or is there like a litmus test that you can do for your own heart?
Seph Schlueter (32:21.262)
Yeah, right. Those are great questions. Hitting the first one, remind me first question.
Caleb Gray (32:28.747)
So first question was being explicitly a Christian artist. Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (32:33.774)
So I feel like for me, dude, it's so funny because I think you have this problem that can happen in our world today where you have Christian people who don't want to associate me Christian artists and as a result,
I feel like they're trying to be cool with the world. And as a result, I feel like slowly the value can begin to compromise. Like it's kind of, I want to be like the world, so I'm not going to be as explicit about this. I'm going to kind of softball this. And slowly it kind of begins at the point where you're like, I don't even know this is Christian anymore. And then on the flip side, you have just very explicitly Christian things.
Caleb Gray (33:04.811)
Hmm.
Caleb Gray (33:10.539)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (33:15.918)
but sometimes it's so in your face, Christian, that it has a trouble, like the world can't even relate to it anymore. And I feel like what I try to do is just be authentically me in everything. And so I'm not trying to hide anything or I'm not trying to put on a persona. I'm trying to be the realist me that God has created me to be. And that is someone that is totally in love with Jesus. I don't have to try to like low ball.
Caleb Gray (33:21.771)
Mmm, yeah.
Seph Schlueter (33:41.166)
or like downplay my love for my wife. That'd be unhealthy if I did. You know where it's like, yeah, she's all right. I kind of like her, but like.
Caleb Gray (33:44.331)
Yeah.
Right.
Seph Schlueter (33:51.342)
Look, she's you know, it's cool like that's like red flags all over the place But we do that with I feel like so often it's easy to do that with God and we kind of like Yeah, like I like Jesus, you know But like, you know like and then we kind of like have a but this like sort of thing with it I kind of make it more accessible. I don't know like I feel like that That's something that can happen in our world today But I'm like for me I love Jesus and so I'm gonna talk about him like we talk about what we love So I don't want to I don't want to downplay my relationship with Jesus and I also love people So I also don't want to downplay
Caleb Gray (33:58.123)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (34:04.427)
Thank you.
Caleb Gray (34:14.283)
Awesome.
Seph Schlueter (34:21.296)
play my relationship with people. And I think both of them can exist, can coexist. That I should love Jesus so much that it's evident that I like, I am a Christian and I'm for him. Like nobody should ever have to question if I'm Christian or not. And at the same time, I should love people so much that it makes them question like...
like, wow, he like loves people so much and he's relatable and he's fun and he's engaging and you know, like there's these things about him that are actually really neat and he loves God. Like, I haven't witnessed that or maybe is that coming from God? Like I wanted to bring them to ask questions about my faith and that's the cool thing about kind of my blessings and how many people it's reached because I'll have stories of people who aren't Christian who hear it, love the lyrics, love the words, follow me on social media and are like, wait, you're like, you like say things or you do
Caleb Gray (34:52.395)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (35:08.688)
things that I'm really interested by and I'm really not interested in your faith. It kind of leads to one thing, but at no point in the process was it ever a question of, is he Christian? You know?
Caleb Gray (35:10.891)
Hmm.
Caleb Gray (35:17.611)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (35:18.382)
And so I feel like for me, that's been kind of the cool thing about being an explicitly Christian person is, one of my favorite passages of all time is Romans 1 -16, you know, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of Christ for the salvation of all who believe. And I just like, I don't want to ever live ashamed of the gospel. And I want people to know like, hey, I love the gospel of Jesus. It set me free and has the power to set you free. And I love that I can just explicitly say that and not compromise on that. And at the same time as Christians, like we should,
We should be the most joyful, hope -filled people on the planet because of who we carry and because of what we hope for in heaven, right? And so that should cause people to be like, I'm interested in this. So I think that's kind of the cool thing about just being explicitly a Christian artist. And then that second part, I don't know if you wanted to say something.
Caleb Gray (35:56.491)
Very good.
Caleb Gray (36:07.627)
Yeah. Yeah. so, yeah. So I was just going to say, so then with the second part, like being in a culture that is secular, and then also a culture that sort of tries to either distort the truths of God or just the example I'm thinking of is like how we find hope, we find joy in Jesus. The culture sort of sells the story that
Seph Schlueter (36:19.31)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (36:36.715)
self -help is where we find our hope, where we find our joy, we look internally. And so it's like, it's, it's sort of like, you, you read a self -help narrative and you're like, that seems all right. Like it seems like they're one of the best for people. but it's distorted something that is beautiful. So in terms of relating it to music, yeah, there's obviously cultural trends and things that try and, pressures that come that
try and distract the narrative or the story that you're trying to tell. How do you navigate that? Or is there a litmus test that you can do in your heart to just make sure you're steering on the right path, if you know what I mean.
Seph Schlueter (37:13.486)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (37:22.766)
Right. Yeah, totally. I feel like it's always, well, one thing that's been, I think, the biggest lifeline for me is having a daily prayer life. Because if I'm seeking God daily and actually carving out that intentional time with Him, He loves to correct me in a good, healthy way. But I genuinely believe, I feel like every time I go into prayer, God...
God is challenging me or encouraging me, you know, pruning me, because that's what he said he would do, you know? And it's so good because it feels loving, you know? It doesn't feel like, I'm the worst and I can't keep, like, every time it's like, hey, like, you did that event and you actually weren't really that connected to me. You're like, hey, you took up this decision, but you didn't like talk to me about it. Or like, like just like those little things, not in like a judgment or like a condemning sense, but just, I feel like he's, I feel like just having that daily prayer is a great way that God continually
checks in on my heart and I'm able to very easily see like, I've stopped making it about him and I've made it about me or, I'm relying on myself and I'm not relying on him. Like, I feel like just that daily prayer life has been so important to me because every time I go into prayer, I should look a little bit more like Jesus afterwards, you know, because that's the goal. Like Jesus wants us to look like him, to be united like more with him. That's why he covered us with his blood.
Caleb Gray (38:44.843)
Hmm.
Seph Schlueter (38:51.696)
you know, and so.
just to be able to do that and wanting to walk away more like Jesus is so helpful. And in that process, I feel like he gradually just begins, things of the world just begin to lose a lot more of their attractiveness. Or they'll bother me. I'll be listening to a song and all of a sudden it'll bother me. It didn't used to bother me. But it's like a secular song and there's some questionable lyrics and then nothing too bad, but it's like all of a sudden I start to get bothered. And I'm like, that's the Holy Spirit prompting me that actually,
Caleb Gray (39:07.691)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (39:24.496)
I shouldn't be listening to this or watching this or whatever it might be like there's just something about that not that it's like bad like it's not like immoral to watch it or to listen to this but it's like I feel like God's actually calling me to become more like him in this place and and less like the world in this place you know and so I think a big way a big way that's continually applicable is social media you know like social media is such like a it's so funny things you can say about social media
Caleb Gray (39:35.147)
Hmm.
Caleb Gray (39:41.803)
Awesome.
Caleb Gray (39:47.371)
Right.
Caleb Gray (39:51.947)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's get into it.
Seph Schlueter (39:53.838)
And it's like this thing where I feel like it's so hard to have a good balance with, especially as an artist. If I wasn't an artist and didn't feel like I needed it for my job, I would probably try to just...
get rid of all of it because I just there's so many dangers to it there's so much distraction it's the thing that will constantly distract me it's the thing that I feel like pulls away from me talking to God more throughout the day like there's so many things about it and I'm like and so sometimes I'll just I'll take a week off or take a day off or take even longer off sometimes like just to just to like reconnect with with God in that way but that is like the lure of the world like you need more likes you need more posts or that person got more people at their concert than you did or you like
the different things that begin like the enemy uses that in so many ways and so for me i feel like social media is always something i'm processing with the lord because i feel like that's the area where i do get pulled mostly into the world's narrative without even realizing it like all of a sudden i've been scrolling forever long and i'm like i don't feel good like i don't feel connected there are very few times i could probably listen on one hand you know where i left social media feeling better than i got on you know what i mean like we turn to it we turn to it for comfort but i don't think any of us actually
Caleb Gray (41:00.299)
Right, yeah, yeah.
Caleb Gray (41:05.355)
You
Caleb Gray (41:09.131)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (41:12.912)
it's over I feel like wow I feel so comforted you know I think most we feel more distracted we feel more like there's like a deeper ache in our hearts so I think just that's even something I'm continuing to to work with because it's alright you know you got to post the things you have to promote the things you have to build a following but what is the good balance there and I think that's something I'm always continually trying to figure out and learn
Caleb Gray (41:15.755)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (41:36.267)
Yeah, I think that's something a lot of creatives are wrestling with is that very question as well. That, that, that tension between self -promotion and then also this sort of device that is really hard, why to suck your life out, to drain your attention, to, to say it in a, in a very like negative way, but it is, it's, it's there to distract us, to gain our attention, take our attention off of.
Seph Schlueter (41:52.494)
Right. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (42:06.091)
what's around us, but then it's this necessity, like necessary evil, like you're saying. So it's, I do, yeah, I do sympathize with you and with that wrestle that you have to go through in terms of learning how it fits into your life and learning how you can be the master of it and not the servant to it. Yeah. So super fascinating conversation that one. I'm also curious, have you,
Seph Schlueter (42:11.822)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (42:25.518)
Right? Right. Totally.
Caleb Gray (42:35.947)
How to, like, even with that social media thing, cause I'm sure you'd come across critics or people that would like just sort of throw a spanner in the works. I don't know how you're wired if, if you're like more inclined to people please and want to get recognition and affirmation, but how do you navigate feelings of self -doubt or that inner critic as you create your music?
Seph Schlueter (43:04.238)
Yeah, I feel like I was listening to this book, this audio book the other day, it was called Courage to be Disliked. And it's a super interesting book and it's really interesting the way it's framed too, because it's basically just conversations between like an older philosopher and like a younger philosopher about the meaning of life and how we can change, all sorts of things.
I would say kind of the thesis point of it was really true freedom lies in the ability to be disliked. And I feel like that's just really, there's, I mean, obviously true freedom lies in Jesus Christ. You know, that there's more from like a intellectual philosophical standpoint. But there's real of like, and Jesus talked about that, like, Hey, you're going to be like, the world will hate you. Like you're going to be persecuted. But like that there's a freedom that comes from you doing what you know, you're called to do.
Caleb Gray (43:36.523)
Wow.
Caleb Gray (43:41.718)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fill this up, yeah.
Seph Schlueter (43:58.734)
and not worrying what other people think about it. And I feel like more and more I'm just learning that, especially I think as like, as you know, I've become a husband, as a father, as like you really learn what's important and what's not. It's kind of like, hey, like I know I'm going to...
Caleb Gray (44:10.091)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (44:16.366)
disappoint people. I know I'm gonna like some people are like not gonna like me for whatever reason like you know I know that I'm not gonna have that same you know experience that this person had or the same money that this person has or lives in the same thing what like all the different things and it's like that's okay you know like I I'm learning the reality that that Jesus really does he when you have Jesus that's all you really need and so learning to make things
Caleb Gray (44:42.987)
Mm.
Seph Schlueter (44:46.638)
Like learning to create from a place of being seen by him and not trying to be seen by others is just like so important. You know, I heard someone say once, like when they were writing a song, they felt like the Lord said like, hey, if no one on earth heard this, but all of heaven sang it, would that be enough for you? You know, and it's like that reality of like...
Caleb Gray (44:54.667)
Beautiful.
Caleb Gray (45:04.459)
Hmm.
Seph Schlueter (45:08.206)
I wanna do what I wanna do because I don't wanna create a fake version of me that then I have to uphold and maintain throughout my whole career because I try to people please and be like, you know, I'd rather do this, but this is what the people want, so I'm gonna do that. Then all of a sudden, I'm lying to myself every day. And that's just gonna take you out, man. That's gonna wreck you real quick when you have to lie to yourself every day because you're like, I wanna do this, but I can't because this is what people think. So I've been like more and more in my life, I'm learning.
Caleb Gray (45:23.467)
Hmm.
Caleb Gray (45:27.115)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (45:37.71)
It's okay for people to not like you and not like in a mean way of like I'm gonna be I'm gonna just be like an absolute like Guy like like that's not at all what I'm saying like I'm saying like You're called to live in the person that Jesus created you to be and that person is going to maybe make some people Dislike it and that's okay like me saying no to some events that people want me to go to is maybe some people might dislike that but actually I know that that's like
Caleb Gray (45:44.651)
Right.
Yeah
Seph Schlueter (46:04.654)
I'm doing that for my family and for myself. I can't say yes to everything, you know, going back to that. Or like, you know, people really want me to make, this is total hypothetical, but let's say all my fans wanted me to make EDM music or rap music or something. And I'm like, that's not me. And so like, you can dislike me for that, but I'm, I'm going to be who I'm called to be. And I'm not going to, I'm not worried about like what other people like think when it comes to, if I'm, if I'm genuinely following what the Lord is calling me to do, I'm not going to compromise that to try to.
Caleb Gray (46:10.123)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (46:18.411)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (46:34.478)
to please man. Cause you know, they say like, if you live for them, you're gonna like, what's the phrase? If you live for their approval, you'll die by their criticism or something along the sense of that, you know? So I think that's like really where just trying to like, learning more and more how to be authentically me and that that might mean letting some people down in some ways. And that actually that's a sign of true freedom of me living in the reality of who God made me to be that I'm actually looking
Caleb Gray (46:44.683)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (47:04.432)
more to please God and not to please man.
Caleb Gray (47:07.563)
Brilliant. I love it. And I think that's, that's a brilliant insight and perspective that if we can like shift our attention to, to God, to look for our affirmation, it reminds me of, I've just recently been going through, John Mark Comer's new book actually. And in it, he, he talks about, he tells a story about like a, I think it's an old farmer or a peasant who
Seph Schlueter (47:28.046)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (47:35.915)
goes into this Catholic church every single day, just sits in the pews for hours. And then the priest eventually asks him, like, what are you doing? And he just like says with a smile on his face, like, I'm looking at the Father God who's looking at me lovingly and we enjoy each other or something along those lines. And it's just that place that if we can reach that place of looking at God, realize he's looking back at us with love, with kindness, with...
Seph Schlueter (47:53.998)
Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (48:04.843)
with all these emotions, that's all that really matters. Then all these things of the world, the criticism or people wanting us to steer us with ulterior motives or wanting us to create EDM music, whatever it may be, sort of drifts away. And it's like, I don't have to put that pressure on myself because his yoke is easy, his burden is light. And it's just this place of rest, contentment, peace and love. I love it.
Seph Schlueter (48:28.238)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (48:32.142)
Right. Because in that place, it's, you know, fear of man. Like, you get free of fear of man. And that's really what I'm saying is like, like, we're supposed to have a fear of God, not fear of man. We should be more scared of, of, we should have more of like a desire in our heart to not do anything that would, you know, that would damage our relationship with God.
Caleb Gray (48:37.515)
Right.
Seph Schlueter (48:55.342)
You know, we should be more concerned with that than we should like what's going to damage my relationship with other people, you know, like that's fear of man. I feel like there's such a huge problem with it in our world today. We're so scared of what other people think of us. We're so scared of how they perceive us. We're so scared of all these things. And we stop to forget or we don't forget. We stop thinking about what does God think about this? Does God think about me? All those things.
Caleb Gray (49:00.875)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (49:20.291)
Yeah. Yeah, I love it. Just one sort of last thought, obviously thinking about the future, what are you looking forward to or what are you hopeful about in what lies ahead for you? Obviously being a, I was gonna say, obviously being a father is gonna be a huge one. man, I can guarantee you that's one of the life's greatest, greatest joys.
Seph Schlueter (49:33.166)
Yeah. I'm excited to be a dad. Yeah, that's the biggest one.
Caleb Gray (49:46.635)
I became a father about two years ago for the first time and so such a beautiful privilege and just to experience that gift that God just gives us and entrusts in our hands is just so beautiful. But yeah, besides being a father.
Seph Schlueter (49:49.07)
amazing.
Seph Schlueter (49:56.718)
Yes.
Yeah. So excited for that. I think, dude, I'm excited. one of the, I would say one of the things I'm really excited for is like touring, but specifically for the day when like I can, I'll have my own tours. I love, it's been a blast being with people and I'm sure I will continue to love doing that. But I think just to be able to like design a tour experience, like a night experience that is just, like to do whatever it is I feel called to do in that place, you know, like.
Caleb Gray (50:14.571)
causing.
Seph Schlueter (50:29.518)
to have prayer ministry, to be able to preach the gospel, to pray with people, to just worship the Lord, have fun. I love just creating an environment where people feel welcomed and loved in an environment where the Lord can just move. And so I think that's really one of the biggest things I'm excited for is just like, all right, what would a Sepsulite tour look like?
And, you know, like just being able to design that in a way that's just all about bringing an encounter to Jesus is something that gets me really, really excited thinking about, because I think that's just like, I'm like, I want people, I want souls for Jesus. You know, like that's why I'm in this, like, how do we do that? Let's go, let's go all in. So that's really fun. I think I'm really excited also just for writing and releasing music. It's funny, like all the stuff that I've written or all the stuff that's come out so far were things that were written, you know, two plus years ago.
Caleb Gray (51:04.491)
Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (51:20.75)
just because of the slow pace of label land and things like that. It just takes a little while. So I'm excited. I'm going to Nashville in July to record some new stuff and I'm really excited about the new stuff that's coming out. I feel like it feels more current to where my heart is at, which is exciting. And just for...
Caleb Gray (51:21.227)
Right.
Caleb Gray (51:42.987)
Cool.
Seph Schlueter (51:46.03)
you know, all the things that, that, that God has been doing and me just being able to release that. So I'm really excited for those two things. Just the touring side of it and the music side of it, are things that just really, really get me, get me, like, let's go, you know.
Caleb Gray (51:59.179)
Get you pumped. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love it. Well, yeah, hopefully, hopefully when you design that tour, it's a part of it's a world tour as well. And you can come across to the other side of the pond.
Seph Schlueter (52:09.582)
Yes. I want to, bro. I actually funny story in high school. I had someone ask me if I was Australian once because they said I looked Australian. I don't know what that means. But and so I all through high school, I would pretend that I was adopted from Australia and I would get people to believe it. Like it was like this this like running bit that went on for years where like people, yeah, he's actually adopted from Australia, like whatever. And and and then finally I told people I wasn't.
Caleb Gray (52:19.595)
Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (52:36.427)
Second.
Seph Schlueter (52:38.51)
And then they're like, no, you're like, then they didn't believe me that I wasn't. They were like telling me that, no, you are though. And I'm like, no, I'm not. I'm telling you, I'm not like, no, you're lying to me. I'm like, no, I was lying to you. I'm telling you the truth. I was like, I had a whole backstory. I had parent names. I had like, you know, my parents are both musicians that met and like, and then like had to give up the baby. Like all this difference. Like it was like actually crazy. That's crazy.
Caleb Gray (52:46.315)
How deep did you go into that? What was your backstory? Where did you come from?
Caleb Gray (53:03.787)
man.
Seph Schlueter (53:07.15)
And then, and so it was funny because I feel like people are like, remember when you used to pretend to be Australian? I'm like, I am Australian. So I gotta actually go there so I can relive my fake glory days.
Caleb Gray (53:13.675)
Yeah, yeah.
Caleb Gray (53:20.107)
Exactly, yeah, and maybe find out if your parents actually did come from you, who knows? Yeah.
Seph Schlueter (53:24.654)
Yeah, right. I did do one of those genetic test things not too long ago and I was really hoping that like there'd be some part of me that was Australian and it just didn't show up. So it was really sad.
Caleb Gray (53:36.139)
It didn't. Well, the door is always open over here in WA in Perth. So feel free to come here whenever you are. Yeah. And I'm usually in the States every couple of years visiting my wife's family over in Indiana. So I'll give you a call if I'm ever close by.
Seph Schlueter (53:45.838)
Alright.
Seph Schlueter (53:57.102)
Yeah, hit me up, bro. That'd be great.
Caleb Gray (53:59.083)
Yeah, cool. Well, been so good chatting, Seth. Yeah, really enjoyed the conversation, your heart. And yeah, there's just a real sense of joy and hopefulness and like that hopeful anticipation that God's going to do a good work through the music that he's gifted you in and placed on your heart. And it's already impacted so many people. So I'm excited to see how, yeah.
how he continues to work through you in this space. Thanks so much for sharing openly and vulnerably and yeah, just carving out the time in your insanely busy life at the moment.
Seph Schlueter (54:31.566)
Thanks, man.
Seph Schlueter (54:40.654)
Yeah, man. Well, thank you for having me. Like I said, I've been praying about saying yes to things before I do it and just definitely felt the Lord say yes to this. And so grateful for the ask and to be on and just share some things.
