Recorded live at Bethel Church, Wild marks Sean Feucht’s first release as a Bethel Music artist and his 16th career release to date. Expanding on Jesus as the Wild One, this album thematically depicts how He modeled a life of radical obedience and holy boldness. Igniting mission movements around the world, Feucht’s heart is reflected in songs such as “Till the Whole Earth Looks Like Heaven,” “Heart and Hands” and “Wild One.” Feucht has forged these songs through personal experience, bringing the joy- filled gospel into uncharted regions of the world, from war-torn areas in Iraq to the underground church in China. The album echoes this sentiment in its diverse sonic landscape, ranging from joyful anthems to intimate prayers.
CHARISMA NEWS: What is your heart behind this project?
Our heart is to create a soundtrack for a movement of Wild followers of Jesus who are willing to go into any war zone, red light district, people group, nation and sphere of society to follow the Wild one. It is more of a commissioning sound than ever before. It is a clarion call to move beyond the bounds of “safe” Christianity and out into the borders and margins where God is.
What role did prophecy play in writing these songs?
So many of these songs were birthed from places of prophetic intercession and worship over the nations. One of the album songs, “Praise Is the Highway,” was actually finished in a refugee camp when we were faced with a shortage of food because the number of refugees needing aid had grown beyond our expectation. As we began to sing the song, we watched God perform a “loaves and fishes” miracle before our eyes, and every refugee left with their needs fully met.
That song carries authority because it represents a prophetic moment. There are so many other examples like this on the album!
How has missions affected your music?
It has become the why for what we sing about. The entire sound God has called me to release is missional in nature. It’s to press into His presence, discover His beauty, become consumed by His love and then compelled to share it with the world.
What do you hope the Holy Spirit will accomplish through this album?
My prayer is that it ignites a fire in the hearts of the listeners to become the heart and hands of Jesus to the world. That they can be transformed by the encounter, listening to these songs on their headphones, in their car—and be completely blindsided with the power of the gospel and God’s eternal optimism to touch and change the world around them. I pray it will breathe courage and strength into every heart and break cycles of fear, depression, suicide and anxiety.
What has the Holy Spirit told you about this music?
This is my 16th album (over the course of 15 years). I’ve been pretty busy, ha! But I have never created a project just to sell for hits, charts or downloads. It has always been a word of the Lord in that specific season, and I’ve always tried to follow the Holy Spirit on who is to help me curate and shape that sound. This project is no different, and you can see the work of the Holy Spirit from the beginning to the end with production, musicians, marketing and even a documentary film from our time in Iraq that will be a part of the release process of the next few months. We absolutely depend on and need the direction of the Holy Spirit to accomplish anything!
What is it like to become a Bethel artist?
It has been amazing to join an incredible team at Bethel Music who carry the spirit of excellence and the prophetic foresight to speak, see and declare what God is doing and saying through their songs. I’ve never felt so supported and encouraged as an artist as I am right now. I feel like I am carrying something that can benefit that community of artists, musicians and creatives as well with the mission and justice piece. I brought a team of 15 of our creatives to Iraq a few months ago, and we look forward to much more partnership like that.
How does this spiritual climate affect your music?
I travel so much into so many different nations and spiritual climates (20-30 per year) that it actually doesn’t affect as much as maybe people would think. That does not mean I don’t sense or feel heaviness when I am in places like North Korea, but it just means I try and think of worshippers as thermostats and not thermometers. We actually carry the grace and power to shift the atmosphere and not succumb to it. So I really try and come with that mindset wherever the Lord sends us and whatever He calls us to sing.
Anything else you’d like to add?
There is a ton of amazing music out there—maybe more than there has ever been. So much good worship music, and I am thankful for all those creating it right now. I do feel God has released and ordained something specific on this project and album, though. It represents more than just another collection of musical songs. but carries the heart of the movement with it!
It’s time for us to move past complacent, boring and apathetic Christianity back into the wildness of chasing God and living out the true adventure of the gospel. Let’s do this!
Feucht answers more questions on his podcast with Charisma publisher Dr. Steve Greene. Listen below!
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