joey witham(The Great Homesickness in stores now!)

Music:

Member Since: 31/05/2005
Band Website: (new site coming soon!)"www.joeywitham.com
(new site coming soon!)
Band Members: ENTER TO WIN PRIZES AND MERCH!

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Joey Witham

Andrew Davies

Jp Morgan

Luke Moseley

Steven Robertson

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Reviews/Articles:

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Christian Music Fan Magazine

I’ve been listening to Joey Witham’s “Great Homesickness” CD now for a number of months. I’ve been meaning to get a review up but I keep listening to it over and over trying to think of more great things to say about it. The problem is the music just speaks for itself. He’s got a great talent for leading you through his lyrics and tying you into the music through the entire journey. He reminds me a little bit of Mat Kearney and maybe a little Chris Daughtry on his rocking songs.

The “Great Homesickness” album is a collection of eights tracks that combine some very mellow chords in “Speaks Aloud” to the more upbeat and contemporary “Call Out” and “Spirit Bound”. I’ve got to say that “Speaks Aloud” is probably my favorite song on the entire album. I’m going to play it for our worship leader and see if we could add it into our worships sets coming up…. ”let the whole world sing…”.

The full track listing on the album includes: 1. Call Out 2. Spirit Bound 3. Great Homesickness 4. Lose Control 5. Send Your Glory 6. Coldplay and Stars 7. Face of Grace 8. Speaks Aloud

If you’d like to get your hands on a great album from a new up and coming artist, give Joey Witham a shot with this “Great Homesickness” album. I don’t think you’ll be surprised by how much you find yourself coming back to it over and over again in your rotation of albums and playlists as the days roll on.

It hits stores and itunes on March 17, 2009.

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Issue 19.30 :: 02/20/2008 - 02/26/2008 Joey Witham "Great Homesickness"
BY RICH MCCRACKEN II

Joey Witham "Great Homesickness" www.joeywitham.com AUGUSTA, GA.

The musical artist Joey Witham has a unique individual sound that seems to be a blend of Christian Rock and contemporary POP/Rock. You can hear influences of other bands such as U2 and Coldplay. The overall sound is the contemporary sound that is being played on many radio stations. The tempos of the songs vary, which is cool. And, the tunes sound different from one another. Every single song is different from the next. Not one sounds the same. The song called "Call Out" is a catchy tune with a sped-up tempo and riffing similar to the band U2. Maybe it's the delay being used on the guitar. It sounds like an Electro-Harmonix Memory-Man or something similar. The drumbeat is also kind of different. It helps give this tune character. There seems to be some double-tracking effects on the vocals that lend ambiance to this tune. This is definitely a radio-friendly song that should be on the radio dial. The song called "Lose Control" has a strange choice of chords. When music is being listened to and reviewed, my focus is really the sound of the band, the singer, and instruments. This is how my interpretation of new bands and sounds are gathered together. This song is good, and has an almost Tom Petty-quality to it, which is cool. You can hear acoustic guitars, panning-delayed electric guitars, and electric piano. The lyrics are cool, and the guitar effects and singing add depth to this track. A good tune with a strong melody.

If you're a fan of Christian Rock and contemporary pop/rock, listen to and purchase "Great Homesickness, " available at your local music stores March 17, 2009.

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Artist: Joey Witham Title: Great Homesickness Website: http://www.joeywitham.com MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joeywitham Style: Worship/Rock Rating: 8.8 out of 10 www.christianrockersonline.com

Besides being a singer/songwriter Joey has also been leading worship on a full time basis for nine years. On his MySpace page Joey list Coldplay, Switchfoot, Phil Wickham, Jason Morant, Mute Math, Radiohead, Robbie Seay Band, Hillsong United, sufjan stevens, Jeff Buckley, the Beatles, Travis, and Derek Webb as his musical influences.

Great Homesicknessis the 3rd release from this Dallas, Texas artist, on it you'll find 8 songs featuring various musical styles. The first two tracks, "Call Out, " and Spirit Bound" are full blown upbeat rockers. Tracks 3 and 4, "Great Homesickness, " and "Lose Control" are more melodic but still feature some steady drumbeats in them. Track-5 "Send Your Glory, " and track-8 "Speaks Aloud" are corporate worship songs. While tracks 6, "Coldplay and Stars, " and track-7, "Face of Grace" have a medium pop/rock beat found on them.

The CD's title, Great Homesickness, is in reference to the feeling Christians have in their heart longing for that day when we get to our eternal home with the Lord in heaven. The great thing that comes across in Joey's vocals is the fact that he's a man whose interest is in sharing God's love with the world. Joey says that, "Writing and leading is a huge passion of mine. God has given me a gift and I seek to use it to bless people, and lead them to His throne."

Great Homesickness is a rock solid third musical effort from Joey that deserves your attention. Coming to store near you soon. Release date: March 17th, 2009.

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alphaomeganews.org - Joey Witham Great Homesickness Independent Grade - B

Worship leader Joey Witham has an extensive background in the worship music genre, with twelve total years writing and seven years leading worship full-time. His latest album is titled “Great Homesickness” and on it you will find a catchy combination of pop and worship. It has been noted that the CD is two tracks short of the standard 10. However, the eight tracks are original and I found the overall sound to be pleasing. In some ways it is more edgy than congregational worship, but at the same time I could imaging singing a few of the tracks on Sunday morning. Such is the case with “Speaks So Loud, ” which sings triumphantly “worthy is the Lord!” Other tracks would be more fitting for an evening concert event , like “Face of Grace” which is laden with cool guitar leads and an upbeat melodic rock beat. My favorite song is “Cold Play and Stars, ” a song that Witham wrote for his wife. I love my wife and only wish I could write her such poetry!

I do not know the exact meaning behind the title itself, but I do believe there is a bit of homesickness missing in the church today regards to waiting with patient eagerness for Christ to return. Either way, “The Great Homesickness” is a worthy choice for praise and worship fans. You can check out Joey Witham and listen to songs samples on his official website: www.joeywitham.com and myspace: myspace.com/joeywitham - Ken W.

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The last album of Joey Witham, Taste and see? was reviewed by Kaj and he found the album a bit too nice and was hoping for a bit more edge in the production. Well the question is: did Joey take any notice of this commentary. Well it seems as if he actually did! The songs are matured since the last album and the production is much better and crispier than on Taste and see.

Songs like Call out, the cool Spirit bound, the beautiful Send Your glory and the best song Face of grace are the evidence of the real progression Joey has made. Even his vocal performance has become better. There are 8 songs on this album so I don't know if you can call this a full-length cd or an extended EP, but better 8 good songs than a 12 song cd with some fillers. Joey is doing a good job and maybe the next one will be a real hit. His new album hits the streets March 17th, 2009! Tracklist: 1. Call out 2. Spirit bound* 3. Great homesickness 4. Lose control 5. Send Your glory* 6. Coldplay and stars 7. Face of grace* 8. Speaks aloud

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Local musician releases third album March 17th, 2009 By Katy Moore, Staff Writer

When Carrollton native Joey Witham first picked up a guitar at age 16, he didn’t imagine he would one day be releasing his third full-length album of praise and worship music. Witham, now 31, said he began playing the guitar on a whim, initially. He took lessons for about three months and then began playing as often as he had a free moment. Eventually, he said playing the guitar became second nature, something he always did and couldn’t put down. Now, 15 years later, Witham will now release his third album, “The Great Homesickness, ” and has lined up a full-time position as a worship leader at Second Baptist Church in Houston.

The album is a collection of praise and worship songs he has written and recorded at Valve Studios in Dallas. The songs are his own work, and Witham handles vocals and electric and acoustic guitar with support from a band of four musicians handling the other aspects of the album. Prior to this third effort, Witham released “A New Beginning” and “Taste and See, ” both recorded in the Metroplex. Witham grew up in Carrollton. He attended First Baptist Church of Carrollton on Josey Lane across the street from Newman Smith High School and says he spent most of his time in high school between those two locations. He remembered teachers and administrators who still work at the school and cited his high school days in Carrollton as formative years. An avid athlete, Witham played soccer at Newman Smith for four years, and, with his twin brother Jerry, earned a soccer scholarship to Marshall University upon graduation in 1996. After a mere two years at Marshall, Witham said he had grown tired of the lifestyle he found around him as a college athlete. Convinced he wanted to be a part of a ministry, he left Marshall and returned to the Metroplex, enrolling at Dallas Baptist University in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Soon after enrolling at DBU, Witham said he and three friends started a band called the Screwtape Letters, named for C.S. Lewis’ classic collection of letters between an apprentice demon and his Uncle Screwtape. “We were trying to be for those people who would go into clubs to hear music, ” Witham said. “People asked questions about the band and its name.” Witham said the group toured for a few months at the end of their tenure as a band which was when he learned some of the members weren’t living a lifestyle he agreed with. The band members went their separate ways, and Witham struck out on his own. The release of the band’s first album, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” in 2001 nearly coincided with the release of his own debut effort, “A New Beginning, ” which alluded to the parting of ways he experienced with his fellow Screwtape Letters band members. Simultaneously with the release of that album and the tour on which he learned some intimate details about his band mates, Witham said he was leading worship on his own at various churches and youth camps. “God was opening my eyes to what was going around, ” he said, explaining how he previously hadn’t pictured himself as a church musician. Witham said he pictured himself playing music for people who weren’t religious and helping them connect spiritual dots in their own lives. Instead, he said he oddly finds himself drawn to leading worship in Christian churches, which he has decided may just be his niche. Though he says he eventually may try to make a go of a full-time music career without a position leading worship for a church, for now he wants to be in a church community. In a few months, he will be leading worship as a staff member at The Ridge, formerly Rosemeade Baptist Church, at its new location at Parker Road and Josey Lane in Carrollton. “I don’t really think you could take the worship leader out of me or the song writer out of me, ” he said of future music business plans. “I’d rather just be an outlet to speak to that person who is driving in the car or at home as long as my music is relevant to them.” Contact staff writer Katy Moore at [email protected] or at 972-628-4087.

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Joey Witham - Leading Worship by Leann Callaway for Christian Activities 8/2/2005 Dallas, TX

Whether he is leading worship for traditional or modern worship services, Joey Witham seeks to minister to all ages and worship styles. Since establishing a full-time ministry four years ago, Witham has become a sought-after worship leader for several North Texas churches. In addition, he maintains a busy schedule leading worship at numerous Disciple Now weekends, conferences, camps and retreats. He has also worked with Baptist Student Ministries, iWitness Ministries, Metro Bible study and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This summer and fall, Witham's band is leading worship at several of the Yada Yada Conferences presented by Virtuous Reality Ministries. On Saturday nights, Witham is a regular worship leader for "Empower, " a Bible study for Singles at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. "Joey Witham leads worship out of the integrity of his life and overflow of his heart, " said Jarrett Stephens, minister to singles (ages 18-29) at Prestonwood Baptist Church. "If I was beginning a ministry tomorrow, he would be the one that I would take with me. Joey is one of the best worship leaders that I've worked with, because he really does view what he does as a ministry. His desire to lead people to Christ is enormous. It's not just through his music, it's the way he leads by example. His openness and willingness to do whatever is asked of him -- that's what distinguishes him between anyone else that I've ever worked with. He wants to know, 'Hey, what can I do to make it better? What can I do to make things go smoother?' I can't say enough good things about him." During his travels, Witham enjoys spending time off the platform, meeting people and hearing stories about how God is working in their lives. He constantly exceeds expectations by taking time to build relationships and minister off stage at concerts and ministry events. "I have a heart for kids and missions, " he said. "I feel there are kids in our society blinded by what's around them, and they have no idea what they are searching for. As Christians in this generation, we must relate to kids and give them a solid foundation, Jesus Christ. In missions, it's the same way. Whether it be locally or abroad, there are simply people lost and empty." While working with student ministries, Witham has found that the walls holding some students away from worship can be attributed to the "busyness" of their everyday lives. "I'll often notice that some kids aren't really focusing on worshipping God, " Witham said. "Some people might say that a lot of these kids have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). But I think they're so cluttered with what's going on in their lives, with sports, school and other stuff, that church becomes another 'thing' for them to check off. When they come to church, they don't know how to relax and just to be receptive to the Holy Spirit, and we're talking about Christian kids here. I think a lot of it is the distractions that they're faced with. I don't think we can blame parents, schools, our world, etc., because that conveys an attitude of giving up." His desire is to bring students back to the heart of worship and to help them understand what that entails. "I think the kids in this generation are wired different, and we need to be more creative in finding ways to reach them in transitioning to an attitude of worship. For a lot of kids, I don't think they've been taught what worship really means or they don't really understand what it means and that God is the audience. We have a great obligation to youth, and to leave them a legacy which conveys the attitude of worship. "Students have so much thrown at them daily, and I have a desire for them to rest in Christ and his love. He is the ultimate Father and lover of our souls. My prayer is for a generation that would chase after and worship our Holy and Righteous God." For more information about Joey Witham, please visit www.joeywitham.com

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Worship Leader Joey Witham by Leann Callaway for Christian Activities 3/22/2005 Dallas, TX

Joey Witham is bringing a new face to the Christian music scene and a fresh passion to worship. Whether performing his original songs or leading in authentic worship, Witham seeks to bring people into closer intimacy with God. Witham's musical roots can be traced back to First Baptist Church of Carrollton, Texas. While growing up, he and his twin brother Jerry (who is the pastor of Vista Ridge Baptist Church in Carrollton) were actively involved in various ministries. "I always had a drive to be involved in church, " Witham said. "Growing up, I was always the musical one in the family that performed in front of my parents. I sang in the choir at church. When I was 16, I started playing the guitar and writing songs. "After college, I wanted to play soccer. However, God put me in a position where I was leading worship from the get-go. I think God just got a hold of me and said, 'I've given you this gift, and you have a passion for me -- so get out there and use it.' I started out by myself doing small things, and then the last five years, I've been with the band." Today, Witham and his band maintain a busy schedule. Witham leads worship for the youth ministry at Irving Bible Church, and he also leads worship for "Empower, " a Bible study for Singles at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. In addition, he is involved in numerous DiscipleNow weekends, camps, conferences and retreats. When preparing for an event, Witham carefully selects songs he feels will best suit the targeted audience, with the goal of leading others to Christ. "First and foremost, we make sure that our goal is to lead people to the throne of God, " he said. "Worship is our response to God, for who he is and what he has done in our lives. When we're really approaching worship and our time with God the way we're supposed to, it opens us up to express our love, praise and thanksgiving to God. Music can also be the gateway to listening to God, as we open our ears, minds and hearts." In preparation to lead worship, Witham spends time reading the Bible and praying for God's direction. "One of my favorite Scriptures is Ephesians 2:10, 'For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.' I think about that all the time, because you've got to work at what you're doing as a worship leader. You have to practice, become familiar with Scripture and always ask God for direction." During his travels, Witham says, he loves spending time off the platform, interacting with people and hearing about what God is doing in their lives. "One time, a church group at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Encampment asked our band to spend time with them after the worship service. When we met with them, students shared things that were going on in their lives. We prayed with them about those things and worshipped with them. There were about 25 students, and it was one of the most amazing times of worship that I've ever had. The times when I get to really spend time with these kids and see their adoration for God is incredible." Witham has two worship CDs available through www.independentbands.com. His original songs have opened up many doors to minister to non-Christians. "I received an e-mail from a girl that said, 'I'm not a Christian, but I wanted to tell you that I've been listening to your CD, and one of the songs is really speaking to me.' Five weeks later, she wrote back and said, 'I'm now a Christian, and I want to thank you.'"

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Joey Witham "Taste and see" (Independent, 2004) Producer: Joey Witham and David Parker Style: Christian Rock Format: Album Website: www.joeywitham.com Reviewed by: Kaj Roth - Melodic.net

"Taste and see" is the second album from worship artist Joey Witham. He’s from Dallas, TX and has been writing, performing, and leading worship on a fulltime basis for only 4 years but sounds like he’s got experience of a lifetime. We’re talking contemporary and well produced pop/rock in the same vein as Jeff Deyo, Matt Redman and Paul Colman to name a few - Joey Witham has a nice voice and is a good songwriter coz many of these songs on his 2004 effort sure has a relaxing effect on the ears. The up tempo and catchy "Fire away" has become a small fave of mine and even if I think he doesn’t get stuck in the ballad vein which is a good thing - I miss a little edge in the production instead. A nice album it is but perhaps just a little too nice!

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Reference Statements:

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I love Joey Witham. It has been my pleasure to work with him for the past two years. He leads worship out of the integrity of his life and overflow of his heart. His excellence in music is second, only to his desire to serve Christ and lead others into a worship experience with Him. I've worked with many worship leaders through the years and Joey is by far the most genuine and easiest to work with. If I had to begin a ministry tomorrow and needed one worship leader to take us to the next level, Joey is who I would call.

-Jarrett Stephens, Prestonwood Baptist Church - Singles Minister, Metro Bible Study

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Joey Witham will capture you and your student's desire to worship a Holy and Righteous God. As a student pastor I find it hard at times to blindly lead my students to a worship leader that I do not know. Because, if my students are going to take the time to seek God I want to make sure that the people leading them have a pure heart. Joey has a heart of gold.....and by the way he is really GOOD.

-Donnie Smith, Student Pastor at FBC - O'Fallon, MO., Hot Hearts Conferences

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Joey Witham and his band are unusually humble, authentic and reverent in their approach to music and leading others in a worship experience. It can be difficult these days to find artists who chase after God as much as they pursue a platform for themselves, and Joey's outstanding writing, performing and leadership is a by-product of a heart that seeks God first, not fame. It is my prayer that God would continue to raise worship leaders and artists like Joey to lead this generation to the truth, while experiencing the freedom that only God's Spirit can provide.

-Brad Cardwell, Iwitness Ministries

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The task for the church is to make the Gospel message relevant to today. I believe God is using Joey Witham in great and mighty ways to accomplish this purpose. In my mind, Joey

Joey Witham is a man after God's own heart. It is evident in the lyrics that he sings on this CD. Not only is Joey a great musician and songwriter, he is a great friend and brother in Jesus. I have the pleasure of calling him my friend and partner in ministry. I encourage everyone to grab a copy of Joey's Album and hear the heart of a man seeking the heart of His Father. Be blessed

-Rob Loomis of Jacob’s Well, Worship Leader – Seattle, Washington

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Joey is a great guy. He is anointed to lead people in worship. I have used him with my students, and will continue to because God uses him to bring people to the throne. Thank you Joey for submitting to Christ.

-John Bodine, Youth Pastor - First Baptist Lake Charles

Influences: Coldplay, Switchfoot, Phil Wickham, Jason Morant, Mute Math, Radiohead, Robbie Seay Band, Hillsong United, sufjan stevens, Jeff Buckley, the Beatles, Travis, Derek Webb..........
Sounds Like: great question...ummm = melolic christian rock...put the blender on mix and add coldplay, U2, switchfoot, Jeff Buckley, Travis - then add your essential vitamins - two carrots and then you might have it.
Record Label: South Pawl Records/MMG - Nashville, Tennessee
Type of Label: Indie