Amy Grant, 'How Mercy Looks From Here': Talks About New Album, Personal Views, Politics And More

In a recent interview with Soundcheck, Amy Grant discussed her newest album, 'How Mercy Looks From Here,' as well as certain aspects of her personal and political views.

Grant, 52, explained that over they years she has gone through cycles and changes in her faith that have brought her to the place where she is today. "I think that the great thing about living a long time is, at least in my life, I found myself having a really vibrant faith and then feeling like I was just hanging on by a toenail and then coming back around, and I think that cycle happens over and over again," she said. "You know, life throws so many curveballs and we change and how we believe changes, and hopefully it's all in a process of becoming more authentic."

She wrote her newest album, 'How Mercy Looks From Here,' released on May 14, as a reflection on the existence of mercy and beauty in an often difficult world. "I don't know if I'm trying to remind other people [about mercy] as much as I'm just in awe of the experience of, in the worst scenarios, finding there's something beautiful," Grant said.

She first grappled with this idea when she was watching daytime TV after the Tsunami hit. "I don't even know his last name, but a dear friend of Oprah Winfrey's was on, his name was Nate and his partner had been killed in the tsunami. And he was sitting there, he is a beautiful man, tears streaming down his face talking about his personal devastation and, in the same sentence he said, 'And yet there was so much beauty there,' it brought out the beautiful side of humanity," she said. Grant explained that, as a musician, she has learned other people's stories and has often found a common theme of hope in amongst a world of despair.

Grant's new album features great musicians including James Taylor, Carole King, Sheryl Crow, Eric Paslay, Will Hoge and her husband, Vince Gill. She said that she used to listen to some of the older musicians featured on her album growing up, as well as a number of other musicians. "I loved them," she said. "I was born in 1960, so the Beatles, Elvis Presley and then I always loved any woman that was making music, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, of course Carol King, Judy Collins, because, I mean, I wanted to hear their story. And then, really any records that were owned by my three older sisters, once I had my own turn table, I would sneak in and just listen to that, everything from Jeth Rotull to Emerson Lake & Palmer, it was the 70s."

In her interview with Soundcheck, Grant also addressed the fact that she has had a pretty loyal following in the gay community since High School. "I've felt like music should always welcome people. I feel like faith and love should always be very welcoming. Unfortunately, the church has not been very good at bridge building, but I think because my personal feeling has always been, hey, the table's set, the food's laid out, come eat, get filled up -- hopefully that's why everybody feels welcome," she said. "And, it's fun, I mean golly, if we all in each of our communities that we lived in lived a vibrant, merciful, loving existence to all other people, then the more communities the better that are engaged in that kind of living."

Overall, there has been kind of a shift in the U.S. in the popular opinion about gay marriage and gay rights in general. However, Grant says that she finds that her opinions are always changing. "People ask my opinion about one thing or another, and at 52, I can honestly say, there are opinions that I have held at one or other times in life that I felt so strongly about, and then something would happen, some life experience -- and I know what it feels like to move 180 degrees," she said. "And now, when people ask my opinion, I go, it's not that my opinion doesn't matter, but I don't know over a lifetime if it will remain the same. And so, that's just life lessons for everybody."

Grant is generally classified as a Christian Artist, however, she has dabbled in other genres of music as well, such as pop music. She says that she does not miss the hurried lifestyle of working in pop music, however, she does respect those who currently find themselves in the pop music scene.

"There's a pretty vibrant pop scene with a lot of great young artists, Katy Perry, Rihanna, " she said. "And it's funny, I was at a benefit where Katy, we were both honoring Carol King, and she looked so exhausted, and happy, but exhausted and rushed in and rushed out, and I thought, I remember those sleep deprivation years, and I even was pregnant three times during my crazy early 90s."

Those years are behind her, however. Now, Grant tends to focus more on authenticity in her music and speaking to an audience that is open to hearing what she has to say. "Whoever I can sing to now is good enough for me," she said.

Grant also performed some of the music from her new album during her interview with Soundcheck.