Don't Give Up (On Me)

Out November 11! Don’t Give Up is our latest single, listen on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you like to get your music

We were able to record a video of the live / acoustic version of the song, watch it here:

Sometimes you write a song about one thing and at some point it starts to mean many things. Hopefully you will be able to hear yourself in this one. Your friendships, families, communities, marriages.

For me I’ve seen a lot more of my connection to God in my connection to others lately. And so maybe there’s a bit of that here as well. The first lyric began with processing the pain of not sharing the same views as someone you love. When we stair at a painting it can translate many different ways. All meaningful. that’s how I approach this tune.

- Will

Don’t Give Up, United Pursuit & Will Reagan

“Don’t give up on me
I won’t give up on you
You don’t have to freeze
I don’t have to lose you

And when I have to speak
And don’t want to hear
You might think I’m weak
But I’m trying to be clear

Tell me what you see
I just need you to hear it
I can’t let you leave
Have I lost you friend
The pieces keep falling
But I can’t seem to grieve

Meet me in between
The silence and the scream
When we wrestle with the fire theres always something to redeem

I might not be right
But could you even try
And maybe just maybe
We will be alright

All the things we’ve done
Through miles and miles
Together we’ve come
Every seed we’ve sown
I see you
I see you
I need you to know
Even if you go
Broken pieces
Take them with me

Every story has a purpose
Memories like fabric
Woven together then tear us apart
We felt it from the start

Every lover had a family
Someone to remind me
We’re woven together then tear us apart
You’ll find who you are
See whats buried inside

Through the making and breaking
The waiting and changing
And fading and faking
And raising and aching
The feeling reeling
Don’t give up on me
Don’t give up on me

Could I be your prayer
I know that you are mine
Maybe just maybe
We will be alright”

— Will Reagan

The story behind The Gate

Today we released "The Gate" from Brandon Hampton. Below Brandon shares some of his thoughts on the origin and meaning of the song.

"This song The Gate was actually written in several parts throughout a 1-2 year period back in 2009. I was sitting at a beautiful, haunting grand piano that belonged to my friend's grandmother before she passed. It was in the hills of Missoula Montana, and I began to picture myself and friends of mine who previously had such high hopes for love and yet found themselves feeling the failure of it not working out. The looming question that I had to ask myself in the aftermath of failed relationship was “what’s wrong with me?”

The song begins by identifying that something is held back or hasn’t been broken through yet. The sense of losing in love can lead to a feeling of having given the best parts of ourselves to no reward. That it was for lost when the relationship failed. But I wanted to tell myself and others that the best parts, the precious parts are not lost, but rather hidden until real love has been able to scale the gate of our hearts and call it out of us.

In full vulnerability, I had no idea that the day I walked in to begin recording this song, that would be the same day my Fiancé at the time would call off our engagement. I wondered if I could even be present enough to get anything done, but of all the songs to record, this one was invading my life at the most seemingly bizarre intersection of time. A song that was written in 2009 now had new meaning and I wasn’t sure I could bear the weight of that new meaning, let alone try and attempt to capture it.

But I sang it anyway, almost as if I had to tell myself it wasn’t over for me… that I could still carry on. We thought about re-recording the vocals, (that’s usually what happens in the studio, you do a quick pass or two and then later really execute the vocals), but everyone in the room agreed that there was no way we could recapture the vulnerability that came across the mic in those moments: me wrestling with this new meaning in my life.

The process of trying and failing, and trying again, and over time feeling like there’s not much left to give, can cause the heart to become hard. So, this is where the parallel between our relationship with each other and The Lord scaling our gates comes in.

You can’t move a heart when it’s already hard, but I’m holding on to who you are. I know you (God) are for me, and you're after the best parts that haven’t come out from hiding yet.

“And with eyes like a child I will see you again” I can learn to trust and risk and forgive. “Believe and I’ll follow, alive again." That there can be resurrection from death and loss. And pain doesn’t always or fully leave, but it begins to feel purposeful unto something beautiful, not just a dead end.  If you feel, broken, fragmented, or unwhole, remember: “You have not given all of your love away, still better parts of your heart none of us have seen.” - Brandon

“To spite the best 
of all your efforts 
To give your love 

How it falls victim 
Unto a gate 

No one has entered 
until the day true love is here 

But you have not given all 
Of your love away 

Still precious parts of your heart 
none of us have seen 
you can’t move a heart 
when it’s already hard 

But I’m holding on 
To who you are 

And with eyes like a child I will see you again 

Believe and I’ll follow 
Alive from the dead

no you can’t move heart 
if its already hard

But I’m holding on 
To who you are

And with eyes like a child I will see you again
Believe and I’ll follow 

Alive again
I will love you

With all I was made to 
I will carry on 

Carry on 
In all I do 
I will love you ”

— Brandon Hampton

Why we've decided to release some of our most rough recordings

‌Since 2013 we haven’t been able to get over the original raw (and mostly spontaneous) recordings that inspired the studio album Garden. These songs have circulated in our community for years. They've become little bits of our history albeit unbeknownst to most of our listeners. Our Monthly EP subscribers helped us see this as they celebrated and encouraged us to share these with the rest of our world. These are again our fishes and loaves that we hope will become more than just songs but journeys into the Presence, into Love, and into more clearer seeing.

We picked 12 songs for this release, all 9 of the original "Garden songs," plus 3 new ones that we liked. All the songs will be out tomorrow.

We’re excited about these versions. They’re pretty vulnerable and rough, but they feel right. The timing feels right and we're excited to share them with you.

These songs don’t exist because we decided to sit down and write them but only because our community floundered collectively until we had words that made sense for the moment. These songs are prayers, they are reminders, they are intercession for ourselves and for each other. A huge thank you goes to everyone who showed up, participated and contributed their voice. These songs are for you, they are for our families, they are for those moments when we need to remember a little bit of deep truth. Our gratitude, respect and love is with each of you.

Take a listen to the album

*Edited with new links for album release on 11/30 and added new section
 

Be Still My Soul, out today

As promised, today we have a live 3 track EP out. These songs are part of a 12 track collection that will be released fully on November 30th as Garden (Live). They are the original early recordings of the choruses and spontaneous melodies that became the studio version of Garden. We love these raw, sort of unfinished versions and felt that it was important to release them.

Something New Coming Nov 9th

Artwork for our upcoming 3 song ep, be still my soul

We have a live project coming out this month! On Nov 9th we’ll start with a 3 song teaser EP, out on Spotify, Apple Music and elsewhere. These live tracks are what we call the ‘spontaneous origins’ of our last album Garden. More to come, but keep your eyes peeled for first a 3 song EP and then a 12 song live album a few weeks after. Track list for the EP includes live versions of: Be Still My Soul, All My Love, One and Only.

Mystery Album: FOUND

You may have noticed a new album pop up on our Spotify or Apple Music artist profile.. So we thought we'd ask, wondering where the new mystery album "Found" came from?

Some of you already know this but Found was a project we released in 2011 under the artist name "Iris Ministries / United Pursuit" for that reason it was difficult to find (no pun intended) and had a very small circulation with our listeners. Those who did find it shared their love for it and convinced us to finally re-release it under our regular artist name. Although this is not NEW music, it has found a new audience. We hope you enjoy it!

Garden Lyric Videos (collection)

Video 9 of 9 – We're putting together 9 unique lyric videos to accompany the release of Garden, our new album available now. 

⛳️ 🎥 If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel. We put a lot of love into it and we don't want you to miss out on any of it.

Since there are many videos coming out, we'll collect them all here in one place and update this post to make sure you can find them all. 

GARDEN

Our next album entitled Garden is now up for iTunes Pre-order. It will be available for streaming everywhere on Jun 22. Learn more about Garden.