The Rock Music Reflects on 20 Years of Ministry and the Story Behind “amazed again”

After two decades of creating uncompromising Christ-centered music in one of America's least evangelical regions, Utah-based collective The Rock Music continues to expand its mission with the release of "amazed again," a reflective new single created alongside Caleb Yetton.

Arriving June 12, the song captures the tension between pride and surrender, inviting listeners into a quiet moment of awe before God. Blending atmospheric indie textures inspired by The Gray Havens and Lewis Capaldi, the track highlights the group's ongoing passion for creating music that is both artistically compelling and spiritually grounded.

Known for charting on Billboard's new release charts and contributing music to films including God's Not Dead 3 and Samson, The Rock Music has built a reputation for pairing honest songwriting with a heart for ministry. In this conversation, the band opens up about the spiritual inspiration behind "amazed again," the creative influences shaping its cinematic sound, and why humility, worship, and the presence of God remain central to everything they create. 

Q: For readers discovering The Rock Music for the first time, can you share the heart and vision behind the ministry after two decades of creating Christ-centered music in Utah?

The Rock Music is an independent movement of music working as a collaboration of musicians who are dedicated to writing, recording, and performing relevant Christ-centered music without compromise. Same church, but not the same sound.

The heart of The Rock Music is to Love God, Bless the Saints and Win the Lost. We desire to be among the best bands known for loving Jesus. We want to bless our local church here in Utah, and we aim to use the talents God has given us in a way that reaches the world around us and draws people closer to Jesus. We feel uniquely called to help reach our neighbors here in Utah (the least evangelical state in the country) for the Gospel of grace.

Q: "amazed again" explores humility, surrender, and the tension between pride and grace. What personal or spiritual experiences first sparked the idea for this song?

The initial spark for this song came the day before the co-write. Steele and I were at a different co-write with our new friend Ryan Hall ("Worthy Of It All"), talking about his ministry at the Franklin Prayer House. He said something that got my mind racing-that they invite worship leaders to the Prayer House who sometimes just need to sit before the Lord, not even knowing what is on their heart to say.

That night, after Ryan's comment, I was strumming my guitar, working through an old melody and progression I had been tinkering with, trying to sit before the Lord and understand what was on my heart to say. The words, "I come into this place, again I am amazed," just spilled out of me. Then an unfinished version of the chorus melody followed with the words, "Praise to You alone," which we refined the next day with Ryan and our other new friend, Kevin Embleton, to "Praise is Yours alone."

The truth is that whenever I come into God's presence, the first thing I'm reminded of is His goodness and His worthiness. He is the only one who deserves and possesses true glory and praise, and even still, He so freely shows us His goodness, grace, and love.

Q: The production draws inspiration from The Gray Havens' "Anywhere" and Lewis Capaldi's "Something in the Heavens." How did those influences help shape the atmosphere and emotional direction of the track?

I absolutely love these songs and had them on repeat in the weeks leading up to writing and recording this track. I think the production of "Anywhere" is nearly perfect-the space it creates, the way it slowly builds with the strings, and the restraint shown in the rest of the instrumentation just gets me. It allows the lyrics to really shine. We took a lot of inspiration from that song in shaping the instrumentation and overall production.

During the co-write, there were all sorts of harmonies and additional vocal layers being thrown out by the other guys. It felt like a really special moment because I love building harmonies and layering vocals. We were also living in a falsetto range for the melody, which made me think of "Something in the Heavens." I think the vocals on that Capaldi track are perfect-the harmony layers are so subtle in where they sit in the mix, yet they support the melody in a way that creates a broad dynamic. We drew heavily from that song in shaping the vocal treatment in the production.

Q: Your music has appeared in films like God's Not Dead 3 and Samson. How has seeing your songs connected to storytelling on screen impacted the way you approach songwriting and ministry?

It has been an honor to be asked to write music for specific films. Music has a unique ability to heighten emotion while also conveying the truth and hope of Scripture.

More recently, we've been collaborating with television and streaming media studios, partnering with them to support their storytelling as well.

Our prayer is that our music would bring Jesus glory-both through our songs and through the stories they accompany.

Q: What do you hope listeners walk away with after hearing "amazed again," especially those who may be wrestling with pride, uncertainty, or the need to let go of control?

I hope listeners walk away with a sense of peace that comes from sitting before the Lord. In His presence, there is fullness of joy, and for me, joy brings a deep sense of peace. Even in writing the chorus, "Praise is Yours alone," there's an acknowledgment that I so often long for others to give me praise as I seek to praise God-to notice how well I'm doing at leading and pointing others to Christ. It shines a light on my prideful heart, even in wanting to do what is right and what I was created to do in glorifying God.

That tension informs the very next line, "So I'll sing of Your wonders." He is the Wonderful One, not me. Even as I wrestle to fully and humbly empty myself before God, He knows me and understands me. So the next best thing for me to do is to remain obedient in worshiping Him. There is no better place-and no better person-to wrestle through pride, doubt, fear, or any other struggle than with Jesus Christ Himself. He can handle it, and He is the One who holds what is good for me. Being in His presence is the best place to be in the midst of that struggle, continuing to praise Him despite my shortcomings.

Q: Looking ahead, what's next for The Rock Music following the release of "amazed again"? Can fans expect more new music, collaborations, or a larger upcoming project?

We have a lot more music coming this year from the various bands and sounds within The Rock Music. Again, we are the same church, not the same sound. We see this as a strength that allows us to connect with a wide range of audiences.

In July, one of our youth bands will be releasing a split single featuring two of Steele's kids, offering their fresh take on some TRM originals from the past, Acts 29 and Sing Your Praise.

In August, we're planning to release an EP that will include several of Steele and Caleb's singles from the past year, along with two new, unreleased original songs.

Then this fall, we're planning a special project to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of one of our cornerstone songs from the last decade, "Your Beauty," originally released on our 2016 full-length album Awakened By Hope. This project will feature a number of different versions of "Your Beauty" that we're excited to share. This worship song has meant so much to our local church, and we're hopeful it will reach and bless even more people beyond our church. 

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