One of the coolest parts about participating in this crazy musical journey (getting signed, releasing albums, participating in events) is that I get to meet tremendously gifted individuals.

If I were to ask you to conjure up in your imagination your version of "the east" I might get a different response depending on who you are. Some of my chinese friends might speak of their origins in the "far east". My baltic friends might mention the eastern block. To me, the first thing that pops to the front of my thoughts is Canada's east coast.

Ahhh, the maritimes. There's nothing like the salt air and constant breeze of the east coast. If you've never been to any of the maritime provinces in Canada, you owe it to yourself to make the trip. There's a tangible difference in the way people interact here. The speediness of city life gives way to a much broader stroke of the brush. In this particular instant, Halifax Nova-Scotia is our stop - and we'll be here a few extra days to take in the sights and sounds of the ocean with close friends who have moved here recently.

I have a fondness for the east as this is where I decided life could no ... Read More »

Last week I had the opportunity to travel back to my home town of Espanola, Ontario, to do a concert for the towns 50th anniversary and to play at the Light House church.  I had such an incredible time celebrating with the people of Espanola, my band and with all of my family members that travelled back for the town's celebration. I rarely get to see my family. I get to travel around a lot with music and my facebook business, but I do miss my family a lot. I have a large family. 6 brothers, 4 sisters, 2 parents, 18 nieces and nephews (and counting)  :)  And although we're spread out geographically, I always relish the times we have together. I guess I feel like God has knit us together. Made of the same fabric - sometimes running in different directions, but always from the same roll. Every time I leave Espanola, I feel like I haven't done enough to let people there know just how much I've appreciated them. When you grow up, you're bound to make mistakes. Life doesn't happe Read More »

Michelle (my wife) and I were recently in New York City working with Leslie and Brad Taylor of Big Machine Media on a press day with several different websites/services/outlets. One thing that blew me away was the openness of mainstream media to communicate so openly with me about my journey with Jesus. It’s pretty amazing. I didn’t need to be defensive. I didn’t have to hide what I believe. I didn’t have to put my guard up. I just spoke about my walk and how Jesus is impacting me and my art. I talked about how natural it is to have someone you’re committed to, who’s part of your daily life, affect the way you write and think and love. Isn’t it amazing to think that we have a part to play in the lives of those around us who may or may not know Jesus, and that we’d be his light in their lives? It blows me away. Michelle and I had a blast, (although we’re tired), and are looking forward to a long and winding road.

Glory Glory exists for one reason alone - to bring people together in unity to give God the glory He is due. Now, although that seems like it could be the vision statement for every single congregational worship song ever crafted, in this case, it's the truth :) Glory Glory is a declarative response to God romancing us. He loves us in such an immense fashion. His desires for us are great. The length to which He goes to make His love for us known is endless. He deserves this song and, gosh-darn-it, it's a fun song to jump to!

What would you do if Jesus called you out of the boat and onto the water? Personally, my mind would be instantaneously blown. A thin layer of water tension holding you up defies everything we understand about physics and the distribution of weight and the notions of reality - and yet, that's exactly what happened - and by more than one account. In the song "On The Blue" I don't really answer any of the relational/situational questions I ask. I guess it's because I hate to pretend that I know everything, and I want the person who is listening to the song to ask themselves the same questions - and answer their way. I do mention where my trust lies though... It lies squarely on Jesus. "I still so believe that You would never let me down". Trust in any strong relationship is not simple. It takes time. It demands some self-evaluation, forethought, and afterthought. The tensions we stand on daily require a trust in Jesus, and a consistent dialogue if we are to be his ambassadors in this ... Read More »

Joel Auge plays a solo set at 10PM this Friday at The Rutledge in Nashville (410 4th Ave South), as part of the ALL ABOUT MUSIC film/TV showcases.

Edited to add the following info:

Tonight at 10PM Central, You will be able to catch Joel Augé -Live in Nashville - just by following this link:

therutledgelmv.com

Hope you'll catch the show!

Spread the word...

Call On Me came to me after a conversation with my youngest little brother Pierre. He was training in the military at that time. I had just lost a cousin to a suicide bomber in Afghanistan and was thinking a lot about how even in the midst of the harshest of human situations, if you call on Jesus, He is the only one who cares enough about you to find you no matter what. I won’t pretend that I have a full understanding of what it means to be a soldier. Neither do I comprehend the tearing of the deepest of connections when a mother looses their child to war. I can however,  clearly say that it’s hard to justify war as a Christian. Especially when Jesus says stuff like in Luke 6: 27-28;
 
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

I think it’s clear to everyone who spe ... Read More »

Stephen Leiweke (my producer) and I were playing catch in the yard of his East Nashville home on the last day of tracking for the album. We had hit a wall. A song called “Tidal Wave” was just not fitting the rest of the project. The dilemma was that we’d already had the session guys come and play their parts, and we only had nine songs, so the record was already in danger of not being a full-length record. We couldn’t however, let ourselves put something that was mediocre (at best) onto the project that we’d spent so much time working on. So, we decided to scrap it. At the very last moment, before the delete button was pushed and all the recording data was gone, I asked Stephen to put the drums for the song onto his iPod and give me a bit of time. Even the Rocks was written in about 20 minutes at his kitchen table that day. I brought it back upstairs and to both our delight, we had a song. We worked through to the early morning hours, kept and re-cut the drums to fit the arrangement of the new song, ... Read More »

Miracle Love is among my favorite songs on the “On The Blue” project.  It has a british Beatle-esque progression at the end of the chorus. This allows my musical ego to feel fulfilled :) At the time of writing, I was afraid of congregational songs. I was actively doing everything I could to NOT write a normal worship song; and yet write a song that could still be vertical and sung in the congregation (You tell me. Did I succeed?). Lyrically I was fascinated by the philosophical idea of a universe that might contain an immovable object and an unstoppable force, which anyone can logically discern can’t exist since the presence of one eliminates the possibility of the other. But what if “universe” is still too small a term for the vastness of our God. In an existence beyond our logic, maybe He is both the immovable and unstoppable force. All this to say, I was interested in writing a song around it. It’s a Miracle that we can, as image-bearers of God, move His heart. He is THAT interested in us ... Read More »