ABOUT SELAH

“We’ve never done THIS before!” For a well-established veteran group with more than 4 million records sold, including 2 Gold Albums, 11 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and over 900 million streams across all digital music platforms, the question for Todd Smith, Amy Perry, and Allan Hall was what Selah could do next to keep things fresh for themselves and their listeners as they began work on their 22nd album. Allan eventually landed on an idea the group realized they had never attempted in their 27-year career: every song on the album would be written, co-written, or spoken into by at least one group member. While the trio had written songs for previous Selah albums, those originals had always appeared alongside classic Gospel and CCM covers, songs by other writers, and Selah’s own arrangements of powerful Christian hymns. 
 
The concept resonated strongly with Todd and Amy, and the timing felt right. Selah’s two previous albums had highlighted the group’s more traditional side. In 2022, they released the long-awaited Christmas album “At This Table,” their first new Christmas project since “Rose of Bethlehem” in 2002. That same year, Selah celebrated their 25th anniversary with “Greatest Hymns, Vol. 3,” a simple hymns project in the spirit of their 1997 debut, “Be Still My Soul.” The album served as a meaningful bookend to their first release and a fitting tribute to their first 25 years in music. With those two traditional projects completed, the group turned toward a more contemporary direction, and the idea of an all-original album sparked renewed creativity and energy. 
 
The timing of an “all-original songs” album also aligned with deeply personal seasons in each member’s life. The poignant, bittersweet song “The Rock Is My Foundation” grew out of Allan’s profound grief after the deaths of numerous friends and family members over the past four years, culminating in the loss of his mother in October 2023. The song reflects the promise that when life does not go as expected, the Lord remains our refuge, seeing the full picture and knowing what is best even when we cannot. Amy and her husband, Jake, were walking through an incredibly challenging foster care journey with a young child who had severe trauma issues. After years of loving him and trying to bring peace and healing, they sensed God revealing that they would not be his “forever family.” From that heartbreaking experience came “He Is Still” and “You Don’t Leave Me,” anchored by Amy’s powerful and deeply felt vocal performances. 
 
Todd, meanwhile, was deepening his study of the Bible and becoming increasingly aware of spiritual warfare, a topic he felt was often glossed over or ignored in the modern church. He wanted to write songs reminding Christians that they are already conquerors through the power of Jesus Christ and can live boldly from a place of power and authority. “Victory” and “Higher Name” speak especially clearly to that message. Released November 1, 2024, “Higher Name” is more than a collection of songs; it is a reflection of Selah’s journey both individually and as a group. Marked by emotion, vulnerability, faith, hope, struggle, heartbreak, disappointment, victory, triumph, and joy, the album carries Selah’s signature melody and harmony while exploring life, humanity’s relationship with God, and the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation of our lives, the light that guides our path, and our source of strength in times of trial. He is indeed the “Higher Name.”