“We’ve never done THIS before!”

What could a well-established, veteran group that has sold over 4 million records

(including 2 Gold Albums), won 11 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and

has over 900 million streams across all digital music platforms do for their next

project to keep things interesting for themselves and their listeners? This was the

question that Todd Smith, Amy Perry, and Allan Hall pondered as they began work on their 22nd album.

Allan eventually hit upon an interesting idea that the group realized they had

never done in their 27-year career: for this album, EVERY song would be written,

co-written, or spoken into by at least one group member! The three had certainly

written songs for Selah albums before, but those original compositions were

always accompanied on their album projects by covers of classic Gospel and

CCM songs, original songs by other songwriters, and Selah’s own arrangements of powerful hymns of

the Christian faith.

The fresh concept resonated strongly with Todd and Amy and the timing was

good, especially since the two previous albums had covered Selah’s more

“traditional” side. In 2022, Selah released a long-awaited new Christmas album,

At This Table. It had been 20 years since the release of their first Christmas

album, Rose of Bethlehem, back in 2002, and fans were excited to have new

Christmas music. That same year, Selah celebrated their 25th anniversary as a

group. To commemorate the occasion, the trio recorded a simple hymns project

very much in the style of their debut album from 1997, Be Still My Soul. They felt

the new hymns album, simply titled Greatest Hymns, Vol. 3 would be a nice

“bookend” with the first album and a fitting tribute to their first 25 years in the music industry.

With the two “traditional” albums completed and released in 2022, attention

turned to the next project and what could be done to differentiate it from the

previous albums. The group decided to head in a more contemporary direction

for the new album, and the idea for every song to be an original sparked strong creativity and energy.

The timing of an “all-original songs” album ended up working out well, as each

member of the group had been walking through various situations in their own lives.

The poignant, bittersweet song “The Rock Is My Foundation” addresses how,

when life doesn’t go as expected and events turn out differently than we planned,

we have a promise from our Lord that He is our refuge in difficult times, seeing

the full picture and knowing what’s best for us even when we can’t see it

ourselves. This song was born out of Allan’s profound sense of loss and the

struggle to find hope amidst grief as he dealt with major personal tragedies over

the past four years with the deaths of numerous friends and family, sadly

culminating with the passing of his mother in October 2023.

Amy and her husband, Jake, were on an incredibly challenging foster care

journey — the young child that was placed into their home had severe multiple

trauma issues, and after several years of loving on the child and doing their best

to bring love, peace, and healing to him, God revealed to Amy and Jake that they

would not be his “forever family.” This was devastating to them, and they

continue to navigate this heartbreaking situation as they trust God’s wisdom and

leading. Out of this wrenchingly emotional experience flowed the songs “He Is

Still” and “You Don’t Leave Me,” anchored by Amy’s powerful and deeply felt vocal performances.

Todd, as he kept deepening his study of the Bible, was becoming more and more

aware of spiritual warfare and how the topic oftentimes seemed to be “glossed

over” or outright ignored in the modern church. Todd wanted to write songs that

let Christians know that they are ALREADY conquerors because of the power of

Jesus Christ, and that Christians need to root themselves boldly in that fact and

act from a place of power and authority in their lives. The songs “Victory” and

“Higher Name” in particular speak to this. As always, music would be the avenue

for Selah to bare their hearts and souls and invite listeners to join them on the

journey of LIFE — with all of its ups and downs and joys and sorrows.

The November 1, 2024 release of the new album, Higher Name, represents more

than just a collection of songs; it’s a reflection of Selah’s journey, both individually

and as a group. What sets this album apart is the depth of emotion and

vulnerability that permeates every note. Each track is a testament to life — faith,hope, struggle,

heartbreak, disappointment, victory, triumph, joy — all woven

together with the threads of Selah’s signature melody and harmony.

From personal experiences of love and loss, to the themes of God’s great

strength, authority, and redemptive power, this collection of new songs speaks

about the journey of life and humanity’s relationship to God in all of its complexity

and beauty. The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which our lives are

built, the guiding light that illuminates our path, and our source of strength in

times of trial. He is indeed the “Higher Name.”