Showcasing the beauty of simplicity in popular modern worship anthems including “My Savior, My God” and “To God Alone,” Aaron Shust thinks a song is best when it’s stripped to its bare bones and exposed with nothing to hide behind.
His new song, "God of Brilliant Lights," off his upcoming album Morning Rises (July 16, 2013), is a great reminder of one of God's promises to his children. "It makes me think of the passage James 1:17, where it says, 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,'" the singer explains."What an incredible promise! Every good and perfect gift comes from the God of heavenly lights! The God of love is going to shine down on us. He is light and He is life. Our God shines over us."
The uplifting album Morning Rises chronicles some tough obstacles Aaron experienced over this last year. “This is an album about how God is faithful. God is steadfast. God is the same,” he says. “Whenever our life goes crazy we can say, ‘God is faithful.’ If you believe the verses that we memorized as kids or in our early Christian lives, that He has a plan for us, that He’s never going to leave us, that He’s never going to forsake us, then that rings true. You need those truths in the dark hours. That’s what this album hopefully covers. Morning Rises represents hope. Morning Rises represents promise.”
Aaron started writing tracks as he led worship at Perimeter Church in Duluth, Georgia, and as a result recorded his first independent album, Nothing Worth Saying in 2004. After attracting some attention because of his God-given talents, Aaron signed a record deal and suddenly airwaves were flooded with his breakout hit, “My Savior, My God,” which was the most-played song in 2006.
Following Aaron’s success, a slew of touring and promotional appearances would follow, providing a proper introduction to the artist who was always a little more comfortable being “underground” before.
Once the tour was a wrap, however, Aaron was determined not to simply ride the coattails of “My Savior, My God”. He returned to the studio a year later to record his much-anticipated second album, Whispered and Shouted. Fueled by a desire to write music that ministered to people outside the comfy confines of the church, Aaron penned 12 songs that were both challenging and worshipful.
Aaron has recently had to deal with the sickness of his son, Nicky. Nicky has been diagnosed with Eoniophilic Esophogitis and is only able to consume food through a feeding tube. For more information or to find out how to pray for the Shust family, visit their blog.
Shust's project, This Is What We Believe- featuring the song "We Are Free-" is an album about the journey back to the roots of artist's faith, “Over the years, I’ve written a lot of songs speaking to my own soul the way David did in the Psalms: ‘Why are you downcast? Put your hope in God.’ But these new songs are a much bolder declaration," Aaron says, “They come out of a difficult season, and these are declarations about who God is and who we are in Him because of His great love for us. This whole project is really about praising him simply for who he is.”
"We are free to go above and beyond, we are free to love as God has loved us, we are free to forgive others as he has forgiven us, and that's the freedom that we have in Christ."