CHURCH FRIENDS

WRITING CAMP

CREATIVE BRIEF

First off, thank you for taking the time to come write with us. We’re incredibly grateful for the chance to create together and honored you’d lend your talent to this project.

The heart behind Church Friends is simple: we want to make music that boldly carries the message of the Gospel, but in a way that feels authentic, timeless, and relatable to everyday people.

Sonically, the lane we love sits somewhere between 70s rock, gospel, and country soul — music that feels raw, organic, and alive.

We’re especially drawn to songs that feel like they could be played by a band sitting together in a living room or on a front porch. Big melodies, strong hooks, memorable riffs, and songs that build dynamically tend to resonate with us. Vocally, we love chanty choruses, group vocals, and communal moments that feel like a room full of people singing together.

Lyrically, we want the Gospel message to be clear, but not overly literal or “on the nose.” Metaphor, imagery, storytelling, and poetic phrasing tend to land best. Some of our favorite songs communicate big spiritual truths through simple pictures and relatable language.

Most importantly, we want to write songs that feel real — songs that could reach someone who might never walk into a church or listen to K-Love.

We’ve included a list of reference songs below that help capture the sound, feel, and lyrical approach we’re drawn to.

We’re excited to see what we create together.

BIG PICTURE SUMMARY

If we had to describe the creative target in a few quick phrases:

  • 70s rock meets gospel

  • Front porch gospel rock

  • Revival energy

  • Retro but timeless

  • Not modern CCM — more Creedence, Stapleton, and old gospel

CREATIVE GUARDRAILS

These aren’t strict rules — just a few guideposts to help keep us in the lane that feels most authentic for Church Friends.

Avoid Typical CCM Language

Avoid Being Too “On the Nose”

We love songs that communicate big spiritual truths through imagery, metaphor, and storytelling rather than stating things directly.

Keep the Sound Organic

We gravitate toward songs that feel raw, loose, and human. Think:

  • band in a room

  • live instrumentation

  • groove and feel over perfection

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE BOLD

We love songs that feel honest, gritty, and full of conviction — songs that wrestle with themes like redemption, salvation, spiritual warfare, hope, and grace.

MUSICAL REFERENCES

We tend to gravitate toward simple but powerful chord progressions, with a big open feel. And we’re not afraid of dark, minor keys. Songs that grow dynamically are a big win.

Took A Walk

  • Great slow build

  • Powerful melody and chords

  • Payoff moment around 3:00

The Blade

  • Another slow burn that grows beautifully

  • Strong chord movement

Mine

  • Great example of major chords in an upbeat feel

Fortunate Son

  • Simple chords that hit hard

  • Unique guitar riff

Gimme Shelter

  • Love these chords

  • Leaves space for instrumental moments

  • Guitar solo reference around 2:00

The Well

  • Excellent chord progression and melody

  • Incredible build

Everlasting Lover

  • Big gospel-style chords

  • Chorus reference around 2:05

GROOVE & PRODUCTION FEEL

We love music that feels organic, retro, and human — not overly polished or locked to a grid.

Up All Night

  • Big vocals and catchy melody

  • Feels like musicians playing together in a room

Don’t Stop

  • Incredible groove

  • Instruments blend together while still standing out

Heat Above

  • Great instrumentation

  • Guitar, organ, drum tone, strings working together

Bad to the Bone

  • Rockier than our typical lane

  • But the energy and production feel are incredible

  • Distorted harmonica moments around 0:39 and 0:45

GOSPEL & SOUL INFLUENCE

We love Gospel inspiration that feels authentic, soulful, and communal.

Oh Happy Day

  • Classic gospel feel

  • Big choir chants

  • Repetition works great in this style

Satan, We’re Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down

  • Slave-chant / soulful energy

  • Minor bluesy chords

  • Raw and powerful

Joy to the World

  • Unique arrangement

  • Chant-driven chorus

  • Big choir moment around 2:29

Jesus’ Fault

  • Country gospel feel

  • Chant-style chorus melody

  • Big vocal moments

LYRICAL STYLE

We love lyrics that communicate Gospel themes without being overly literal.

Broken Halos

  • Heavy theme handled with subtle writing

Shaky Bridges

  • Conversational lyric style

  • Natural storytelling

Mine

  • Lyrics fit the cadence of the melody perfectly

The Blade

  • Another example of lyrics that flow naturally with the music

GOSPEL THEMES DONE CREATIVELY

Some songs communicate Biblical themes in a way that feels bold and powerful.

God’s Gonna Cut You Down

  • Incredible example of a Biblical theme hitting hard

  • Legendary hook:
    “You can run on for a long time… sooner or later God’ll cut you down.”

The Well

  • Great metaphor writing

  • Lines we love:

    • “If you want a drink of water, gotta go to the well”

    • “There’s only one thing that sets your soul free”

STORYTELLING & UNIQUE THEMES

Songs with strong imagery, characters, or sense of place tend to stand out.

Bottomland

  • Simple song about home

  • Strong sense of place

Grandma’s Hands

  • Unique perspective

  • Chant-like intro feel

Momma Loves Me

  • Theme of hardship that lands on forgiveness

  • Hook points to being loved and born again

  • Feels like front porch picking from the hills

My Rifle, My Pony, and Me

  • Cowboy / western storytelling

  • Melody masterclass

  • Extremely catchy verses and chorus

BIG CHORUS ENERGY

We love memorable hooks and communal chorus moments.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

  • Huge chorus with choir energy

  • Repetition works well

Joy to the World

  • Chanty, communal chorus

Everlasting Lover

  • Gospel choir chorus energy