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Ginny Owens - Something More

Gotta be something more than running circles for a living
Gotta be something better than just trying to survive
Gotta be some important puzzle piece that I am missing
Gotta be something more to life

The highly anticipated second album from Ginny Owens is Something More, a timely collection of songs affirming a timeless message of love and hope. It carries a theme borne out of the wonders and worries of an instantly flourishing career, thanks to her 1999 breakout debut Without Condition, which brought extensive press, three No. 1 songs and paved the way to Owens being tapped New Artist of the Year at the 31st Annual Dove Awards in April 2000.

Misplacing some of herself in the chaos brought on by the first album's red-hot success, Ginny had to learn there's more to life than what sits immediately before us. Simplicity and the idea of "first things first" struck a chord. "I had to go back to that very first common denominator of realizing what initially inspired me to write. That inspiration came from my faith in Jesus Christ and the gift of life He had given me."

In her charming, dry-witted manner, Ginny admits the emotional capital spent building momentum was more than she anticipated. "I think the interpersonal journey of that for me was diving into this business and suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. The result is that I was getting burned out quickly."

Considering the broad-based acceptance brought by Without Condition, it becomes easy to understand how Owens responded to her new professional pressures. Not only was she openly embraced by the Christian music community, but she found general market audiences also quickly got onboard, offering Owens opportunities typically rare for a new artist. She was selected from 300 local entries to represent Nashville during a July 1999 Music City tour stop for Lilith Fair, Sarah McLachlan's popular celebration of women in music. Ginny also performed at the 2000 Sundance Film festival and appeared on "Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee" as well as CNN's "Worldbeat."

Reflecting on the career demands of being an artist, Ginny notes, "I learned that I was not just responsible for sharing the gospel, but that I also needed to be seeking to understand the gospel in my own life, too. The gospel must be something that impacts me every day."

It was that desire to get back to the basics that led to the unexpected interval between albums. While her sophomore project comes nearly three years after the debut's release, it's clearly been a much-needed and well-deserved season of renewal. It's also been time well spent, as this talented singer/songwriter discovered the unbound passion of Something More. "The songs are about a hope and a love that is bigger and stronger than we are. They point out that this life will not always make sense, but that is ok."

With the March 19, 2002 release of her sophomore effort, Owens hopes her songs can continue to reach and impact critics and music fans alike. "My first job out there is to play good music, music that's fun to listen to and must that is interesting and artistic. I like to do that. But also I certainly have an agenda of telling people about the most awesome gift or the most awesome peace I can imagine having. For me, that peace and hope and sense of being comes from a relationship with Christ."

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