Jonathan Sexton is overflowing with big ideas of universal love and good vibes
along with a great set of chops! – Knoxville New Sentinel
Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Choir
TAKE THESE DAYS
TAKE THESE DAYS, the latest project from Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Choir, reflects the passion and personal vision of a musician who brings all he has to every song, every performance: “We’re a band, playing over 100 shows last year, putting our sweat into each song, each show. There’s no fluff. We can be upbeat, we can be introspective – but it’s always pretty dynamic!” laughs Jonathan.
“Dynamic” is a word that fans and critics often use when describing Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Choir, an engaging, vibrant band of musicians hailing from Knoxville, TN. The Knoxville News Sentinel‘s Wayne Bledsoe has said that “it would be hard not to smile when Jonathan Sexton takes the stage. The sense of goodwill and community is so infused in his music that it’s undeniable, whichever genre he’s performing in or band configuration he’s working with. You get the sense that success is not measured in how much money the show is going to make, but making sure somebody out there feels the connection.”
Jonathan himself describes the band’s sound as “electric and high-energy. I guess you could call it pop rock with depth – lots of hooks and melodies, but rich in content.”
“Springtime,” one of the tracks on the new 4-song EP, TAKE THESE DAYS, reflects that richness: “I wrote this song when my son was born and it has a few central themes,” explains Jonathan. “The lyrics ‘take these days and make some memories’ is a double message. The first is that you only live once, so make sure to make time for the things that are really important. The other message is almost a call to arms. ‘Take these days’ means not to sit around and wait or let the world go by you, but act on this world and literally create the life that you want – no one is going to do it for you. “
“Ultimately, sometimes things don’t work out the way that you’d prefer,” Jonathan points out. “But as I heard a wise man say once, ‘the un-aimed arrow never misses‘… so know what you want and be open to how it can arrive.”
Jonathan extends this same openness to the songwriting process: “All emotions trigger me to write – any emotion, on any given day. My music is melody-based – generally, I start with the feeling. Then I find the melody and move on from there. Maybe it’s me singing in the car, or I’m at the piano – I’m just at the mercy at whatever’s in my brain or my heart!“
It was Jonathan’s heart that led him to team up with mammoth music festival Bonnaroo last year to break the Guinness World Record for the most hugs in a single day – giving out more than 7,800 of them! – to raise funds for Nashville flood relief. “I believe in the inherit goodness of people -100,000 fans can get along!” said Jonathan. “In fact, great things happen when big groups get together. It was amazing to have been part of something like that.”
The songwriter’s deep desire to connect and relate with others is apparent in all aspects of the insightful, highly relatable new project TAKE THESE DAYS. And Jonathan Sexton has a suggestion for those who experience the 4-song EP: “Listen to it, take it to heart,” suggests the charismatic performer. “I’m figuring out this life thing as I go and documenting it . . . My journey is there for others to use, too.”