Tim Livingston Offers "Inside Information" to His New Album

Tim Livingston's much-anticipated project, Inside Information, has been released. The first radio release, "Table of a King," has already hit the airwaves all across the country. 

This stellar project was recorded in Nashville, TN and was produced by award-winning producer Les Butler.  Along with an A-list of Nashville's best musicians, incredible harmonies were provided by Joyce Martin Sanders, Randy Kohrs and Monty Lane Allen.  

Tim Livingston is no stranger to the Southern Gospel industry.  As an accomplished songwriter and award-winning artist, his songs have consistently topped the charts.  Tim's last CD,"I Just Miss You," produced 10 Top 40 songs on multiple Southern Gospel charts including the Singing News and SGN Scoops, with 6 songs landing in the Top 10.

Q: Tim, thanks for doing this interview with us.  It's been 5 or 6 years since the release of your last album "I Just Miss You."  What has had been taking up your time in between your album releases?

A: Besides being involved in music as an songwriter/singer, I'm also in Radio Broadcasting as a owner/operator of several Gospel radio stations. While I love what I do it can fill up my days. However, the "I Just Miss You" album was really received well by the DJs. So as it turned out we released 10 radio singles off that project. Several #1 & Top 10's including all 10 singles off that album landed in the Singing News Top 40.   

Q:  Congratulations on the release of your new record "Inside Information."  Did you approach the making the album any differently compared to your previous album?

I think every Artist prays & works hard that every new recording is better than the last. I was so very blessed that the last project by far was the most successful in my music career. So my approach was really a simple one with me and my Producer Les Butler, and that was strive to capture in the studio my style with fresh new original songs. Lots of time goes into writing and recording demos. Then my hardest moment is to pick which songs I've written that actually makes the album or not. 

Q:  I really love the way you write -- the way you use rhymes, metaphors and also stories.  What or who inspires you to write?

I appreciate that, I believe I write to the style that I most enjoy. I love songs that tell a story. So when I write a song, it's a goal to take the listener on a 3-4 minute journey and tell that story. And it's very important to me to not use illustrations or words that will fail in connecting to the everyday life of the listener. The great songwriter Ronny Hinson once told me that you don't write a song to someone, you write it for someone. 

Q:  Does song writing come easy for you?  What was the most difficult song on the album to write?

For me it's the good songs that come easier, it's my bad ones that take a lot of time. I'm not kidding, if you have a great hook & melody, it just starts to develop and I still get a thrill when God drops those moments on me. I'm so thankful for the way the Lord inspires the song & it can happen at any moment. 

Q:  On this new album, you have a few co-writes with Wayne Haun.  How did you get to work with Wayne?  What was it like working with him?

Wayne is a super guy in general. I've know him for decades but we never had written together. One day he brought up that we should write a song sometime. Something that gets said a lot between Artists. However, it wasn't long before Wayne was going to be traveling through my area and we carved out a writing session. We wrote our first song together "Heading Home" and enjoyed writing it. 

Q:  Let's talk about the album's lead single "Table of a King."  How did this song come about for you?

"Table of a King" is such a special song to me. It's inspired by the story of Mephibosheth & King David in 2 Samuel chapter 9. One of the greatest stories of Grace in the entire Bible. So without saying his name I was blessed to tell his story. However, I quickly realized that his story is everybody's story. 

Q:  "Heading Home" must be a very special song for you because it contains a clip of your dad.  Tell us a little about your dad.

As I mentioned earlier to you I'm in Radio as a career. I've worked on air for over 40 years. So as the song unfolds, it begins with a prodigal son type heading the wrong direction in life scans the radio dial. It's a moment  I've seen time and time again over the years.  When the message from a preacher or singer reaches the seeker. So I wrote the first verse with that visual. So when the song was completed I had the idea to use a clip from one of my dad's broadcasts as the radio preacher In a special version at the beginning of "Heading Home". 

Q:  On the title cut "Inside Information" you got to co-write with Gerald Crabb.  Tell us more about the writing experience of this cut.

First off what an honor. Gerald and I have known each other close to 30 years. We've work together on concert stages time and time again but never had written together.  I had the idea of "Inside Information" and had the chorus written & melody when I pulled Gerald in on it. It felt like a Gerald Crabb-ish tune. Turned out to be the title of the album. 

Q:   In the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, what words of encouragement do you have for our readers?

One of my favorite songs on this new record is "When You Said Peace" The lyrics of this song is the words of encouragement and I would give to the world.  If I could be anywhere else but in the storm I would, if I can look beyond this dark and sky and see daylight that would be good. The only thing right now bringing me through. Are all those precious promises my faith is anchored to. Lord I believe you're walking on the waves, I know that it's you I feel your grace.  At your command it would all have to cease but this time when you said peace you spoke it to me" 

 

 

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