When Amanda Janson began planning the song list for her new album, “Sinner to Saint,” she related it to a popular dining experience. “In my first meeting talking about the record with my label team, I said, ‘I want this to be a buffet,’” she told The Epoch Times. The emotionally resonant album covers multiple seasons of Janson’s life, so she knew it would have a little something for everyone by the time the last recording session was completed.
She shared that the album is for those who have reached mountaintops in life and those who need support while navigating a valley. “It tells a story,” she said of her latest release. “Every part of this record tells my story, but it’s also for the listener.”
Recording “Sinner to Saint” was cathartic for Janson, but the whole time she kept her audience in mind. She shared, “It’s just as much for other people as it was for me.”
‘Album Fuel’
Janson and her family live outside of Nashville, and the area’s rolling hills often leave her inspired. “You could go on a drive anywhere and just be surrounded by creation and beauty,” the musician said.
A mother to three children, she not only finds inspiration in nature, but also while driving. “I am the most creative when I’m in the car,” she shared. “It’s kind of like my area of solitude.” The peace and quiet allow the Christian artist to focus on her connection to her faith, and those precious moments are often filled with divine inspiration. “I would bring those song-starts to [writing sessions] with people that I know and love and trust with my story and with my heart. You gotta go deep in these writes and peel back the onion layers.”
Her faith and Tennessee’s natural beauty inspire her songs, but coffee keeps her going in the studio during sessions, which can last for several hours. She calls coffee her “album fuel,” and sends samples of her favorite blends to those she works with in the music industry as tokens of her gratitude. This year, she has even more to be thankful for: Her “Sinner to Saint” record is officially out.
The album’s title track focuses on redemption, as she shares her spiritual transformation and the deepening of her faith through life’s ups and downs. She describes the tracks “No Dark Corners” and “Where The Warfare Ends” as “sister songs” written during a trying time in her life. Janson’s bravery in tackling tough subject matter is well-balanced by messages of hope. One of those messages comes in the form of a song on the album dedicated to her husband, Eric.
‘The Song of My Soul’
“Soul Song” chronicles Eric’s spiritual experience while living with chronic pain for years and being given diagnoses that left more questions than answers. “There was one day, in particular, I was going to a write for this album. And it was with one of my songwriting heroes, and I was so nervous,” Janson said.
“I pulled up to the studio, and I remember calling [Eric] and feeling so anxious about where I was and what I was about to step into. I said, ‘Eric, I don’t think I can do this. I’m so nervous.’” As she talked to him and he offered advice, she could tell by the sound of his voice he was having a particularly hard day dealing with the pain and it caused her to ask a question: “How do you do it?” She wondered how he lived each day waiting for a miracle while not wavering in his faith. His answer would be the catalyst for one of the record’s signature songs.
“It’s the song of my soul,” he replied. Her husband’s heartfelt response opened the floodgates to creativity for Janson, and she once again found herself divinely inspired. “Soul Song” delves into this emotional time in the Jansons’ lives, with the message of hope for anyone navigating pain at its core. Just one week after the tune was written and a surgery later, Eric was finally on the path to recovery—a path they both agree was a miracle they will always remember. The night of the album release party for “Sinner to Saint,” Janson played “Soul Song” live and Eric shared his story on stage. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Amanda said.
A Story-filled Record
For those listening to “Sinner to Saint” for the first time, Janson recommends experiencing the album from start to finish. “Don’t skip around just yet,” she said. In the days of standalone singles, an album with a narrative quality offers a refreshing experience for fans of soulful music and messages of hope and faith. “I think if you’ve got a story to tell, you can’t really do that in just a couple of singles,” she said regarding creative types. “And I had a lot to say for this album,” she joked.
When she’s not in the studio or working on new music, she joins in on a favorite activity for family time—motocross. “Our son … is really just a natural talent on a bike. [We’ve] fallen in love with the sport, from watching the pros every Saturday to going riding at the track as a family. We all love it,” she shared.
But after a day at the track, it doesn’t take long for Janson to get back to the business of art. She said, “Music is something that I live and breathe.”
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