Music: Savior To Me

ABOUT KERRIE ROBERTS

Even at the age of five, Kerrie Roberts stunned crowds with her vocals, singing solos with her church choir. “I was so small, they had me stand on a milk crate so the congregation could see me,” she laughs. Today when you hear Kerrie’s huge voice, it is clear there’s much more going on here than just enormous vocal talent. Dynamic yet intimate, uniquely emotive and soulful, the 10 songs on Kerrie’s self-titled debut, Kerrie Roberts (Reunion Records/Provident Label Group), are defined by empathy and openness.

For this we can thank her devoted family, and the time she spent as a part of her father’s ministry.

“My father is a pastor, so my whole family has been shaped by the church,” explains Kerrie. “Growing up, I saw my parents ‘on call’ 24/7 as a support in times of grief, despair and other unexpected turns. They consistently taught me to reach out to the broken and to those who need encouragement and hope. That’s something that resonates in me and something I love being a part of and healing.”

This passion for authentic faith permeates Kerrie’s songwriting, informing every topic. Consider the emotively grand “Take You Away.” With her dynamic vocal range and power on full display, Kerrie’s unusual empathy not only beckons the wounded, it serves as a moving wake-up call to the church. She says, “If you’re someone who’s hurting, sometimes the local church is the last place you would want people to know the brokenness in your life, your weaknesses, or the mistakes you’ve made. Yet, despite the religious pretending that goes on sometimes, everyone has things they’re struggling with. Your church should be your family, where you can go and be safe, vulnerable, and taken care of. A healthy church is a church for the broken.”

If there’s one song on the album that sums up Kerrie’s life-long philosophy, it’s the beautiful and intense “This Love Doesn’t Run.” She explains, “For me, this is the theme song for my life. Often, we pour so much of ourselves into other people and relationships, or chasing after personal goals. Yet so much of what you give away to those things you can lose. God’s love is the one thing that will never run from you.” Kerrie then quotes part of the song’s second verse, “’You’re the only one I can live for and I’ll never have to be afraid of losing what I gave.’ That says it all for my whole life.”

The artist’s versatile voice and tastes are further displayed with “Keep Breathing,” a moody, soul-flavored dose of encouragement. Kerrie penned the song almost three years ago. She reveals, “I would wake up every morning with that feeling of ‘Why is my life not what I know it should be? I know something so clear, and yet I’m going to go do accounting today. What am I doing wrong?’ Every day in my journal, I told myself to ‘keep breathing.’ This has been the song from my past that family and friends have told me, ‘I listen to it every day when I drive to work and it helps me get through.’”

More at Kerrie's website



Savior To Me - Kerrie Roberts (Runtime: 4:15)