Andrew Peterson's Busy Life
Talented Singer Songwriter Adds Author to Resume
Andrew Peterson talks about his annual Christmas concert and discusses his upcoming book, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness.
In an exclusive Suite101 interview with Andrew Peterson, he discusses his annual Christmas tour called Behold the Lamb of God.
He also introduces his newest project: Peterson will be a new author. His first book, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, will be out March 18th. This is the first of a 3-part fantasy series.
Suite: What made you decide to take BTLOG on the road?
Andrew: It was on the road for years before the record was ever made. The album is secondary in some ways to the live show, because my goal from the beginning was to tell the story, which is to say that I wanted to engage in the real-time process of singing this tale to listeners. As much as I love making albums, and as important as it is to be able to take music home and listen to it again and again, the experience of a live show is superior, unique. It's something that both we and the audience are caught up in for a few hours, and you can't quite replicate that with a pair of headphones.
Suite: When did you start doing the BTLOG tour?
Andrew: In 2000.
Suite: Another big project you are taking on is writing a 3-part fantasy series. How do you balance between your music, your books and your family?
Andrew: That's a very good question. I don't know. I have a very patient, strong wife who will tell me when I've sunk too deep into my work. She also believes in my gift more than I do myself, and she encourages me like no one else. We homeschool our kids and I often work here at home so even though I'm working a lot, we're together almost all the time. The only problem is that I have a hard time getting anything done until late at night when the house is quiet. I'm usually up until 3 or 4 am.
Suite: The Igiby children, the main characters in the book, happen to be two brothers and their little sister. How much of your own 3 children are reflected in the Igiby kids?
Andrew: There's quite a bit of them in there, but within the first 2 chapters the Igiby children started doing and saying things that I didn't expect. I'm careful to make sure my children know that I don't think of the Igibys as little Peterson clones. I hope that when they read the book for themselves they forget the comparison and just enjoy the tale.
For the first part of the interview read "Andrew Peterson Talks Music"
For the second part of the interview read "Andrew Peterson Christmas Tour"
For the fourth par of the interview read "Andrew Peterson's Now an Author"
