Phoenix-based singer/songwriter Kelly Mack's compelling debut Take Me With You (VSR Music Group/EMI-CMG distribution) is sure to strike a chord with listeners and leave them wanting more. Expounding the intricacies of faith with beauty and charm, Mack delivers an 11-track project that resonates with decidedly intimate warmth and deeply reverential timbre. The project was released on October 14th, 2008.
Already, Mack's radio single "The Only One," a song that conveys God's passionate love for His children, is garnering significant buzz on Christian radio. Produced by music industry veteran Ken Mary (The Beach Boys, LaRue, Alice Cooper), Take Me With You showcases Mack's incandescent vocals, lilting melodies and enduring spiritual themes like God's grace, goodness and everlasting promises.
From the album's first note, Mack's soothing voice calls to mind the likes of Enya, Dido and Sixpence None the Richer's Leigh Nash. "I have a wide range of influences, from worship band 100 Portraits to indie-artist Sia to bluegrass singer Alison Krauss," the effervescent 24-year-old artist reveals. Throughout the disc, Mack's songs reflect the heart of a humble, devoted servant and worshiper.
Since her early high school days of playing guitar and singing at church, Mack has crafted an engaging style that is deeply rooted in praise and worship. "My songs generally originate from the Psalms, which contain such amazing poetry," she explains. Buoyant tracks like "Sing Unto Thee" and "Call My Name" point listeners toward a God worthy of all honor and adoration. Elsewhere, the unassuming acoustic title track relies simply on Mack's spine-tingling vocals to generate the disc's most exquisite moment.
Whenever she's not singing, Mack enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Greg, whom she married in October 2007. She also relishes opportunities to tutor kids in math and science. "I try to mentor them spiritually as well," she says.
Mack also holds a special place in her heart for a ministry called Hand and Cloth . The organization helps women in other cultures break free from the sex trade by providing practical vocational training. "Women in places like India create blankets from recycled sari material," she explains. "I try to buy the blankets and sell them at my shows. This is a great cause, and every blanket that sells helps empower these women to better their lives."
With wisdom and maturity that belies her age, Mack is forthright about her calling in life. "My passion is encouraging people," she says emphatically. "I'm just amazed at how God is using me to help people glorify and connect with Him."
