Q&A-Singer-songwriter Chapman living in the 'Moment'

By Deborah Evans Price

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - As Christian music's most awarded artist -- with 51 Gospel Music Assn. Dove Awards and five Grammy Awards to his credit -- Steven Curtis Chapman could well afford to rest on his laurels, but complacency isn't in the veteran singer-songwriter's vocabulary.

On October 23, longtime label home Sparrow Records released "This Moment," Chapman's 16th studio album and his first new project in three years.

In the midst of a fall tour, Chapman chatted with Billboard about his new release and his 20th anniversary in Christian music.

Q: When you went in to record "This Moment," what did you want to say at this point in your career?

Chapman: "I wanted to be as honest as I've ever been about everything -- about where I am personally, where I am in my career. The message that came to the surface, the common thread, was you really can't do anything about the future, and you actually can't do anything about the past. Let it rest in God's hands."

Q: After having won 51 Dove Awards, is there a lot of pressure when you make a new album?

Chapman: "Honestly, there was a tremendous amount of pressure, (but) not being put on me from record company people. It was just what I imposed on myself. There were times where it almost shut me down. I was so analytical. Verses of scripture really inspire a lot of my music, and there's one verse in particular, Revelation 1:19, that said, 'Write therefore the things that are seen.' I felt like God was saying, 'Here's really what you need to do -- just write about the things you've seen."'

Q: How does it feel to be taking on a mentor role with new artists?