Ben McDonald has been writing, recording, releasing, and performing songs about hope for nearly 25 years. Almost half of that time, he and his wife Carie were experiencing the very absence of it as they tried again and again unsuccessfully to have children. These days, the McDonalds are a family of three, but the shadows that loomed over so many years are still informing the present.

On this episode of The Deepest Cut, we sat down with McDonald, a founding member of Sidewalk Prophets, to hear more about “I Believe It Now,” a song born in the darker moments of waiting.

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In this episode of The Deepest Cut, Andrew Peterson reflects on the painful experiences that shaped his song "The Rain Keeps Falling." He shares the loneliness behind its creation and pushes back on what it means for art to be “honest,”—giving all of us a reason to think more about the ways that beauty invades the spaces we inhabit. Known for his work as an award-winning author, songwriter, filmmaker, and founder of the Rabbit Room, Andrew’s insight offers a fresh perspective on how beauty emerges from hardship.

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Singer-songwriter Zach Winters says the most difficult song from his newest album, Shade of Indigo, is “When it Falls Apart,” a song that took considerable time to finish because he knew he had to thread the needle carefully when figuring out what to say. It’s a song that carries the grief of a friend and even offers up a response, and with that comes a very real responsibility to offer something substantive.

If you’re familiar with Zach’s music, you know this isn’t much of a problem. Zach is a gifted poet and wordsmith whose compositions feel like the sort of cinematic melodies in which you can truly lose yourself. They’re thoughtful and beautiful and this song is no exception, a gift offered in grace to someone mired in grief.

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