Has Amy sold out or sold in? To find out Thorn Grainger spoke to AMY GRANT at her Nashville home.

Amy: "Last summer we were home off the road, and Gary and I were asked if we would allow our home to be the host house for a Christian youth counselling group. We wouldn't be involved; the kids would just meet here. But we were here many of those nights and loved being around the kids and seeing the walls come down, so to speak.

The group was about friendships and taking risks, and its motto was, "One Life Touching Another." I was so affected by the youth group I was in during high school, it radically changed my life forever, and when you've had an experience like that, you're always drawn to hearing about other kids' experiences.

Well, there was only one more week of the "Thursday Night Thing," as they called it, and Gary and I thought that we should just continue it and add more of a Christian focus, and ask our friends to come and sing for them. We told them it was going to happen, and then we were committed to pray about it.

That's the point, really - you make a commitment and then pray like wild man for God to be there. Gary and I can get in just as much of rut as anyone else, and I really think that the things that pump energy into our lives are the ones where we step out of our routine and say,"Yeah, I'll commit to that." And for however long that commitment lasts, it becomes the hub of your life - which The Loft was for us last fall. We closed the album with its "theme song" ("Hope Set High")."

Thorn: Back to the album - as we've said already, it's relationship oriented - but it doesn't seem like the double interpretations possible on the songs from Unguarded are even offered in these songs.

Amy: "I'll dispel all doubt - these songs are about people for people. Unguarded had songs like "Everywhere I Go," which spoke about Jesus in very human terms. This album is about life experience without any hidden spiritual agenda. I've spent all my songwriting energy up until now doing the devotional - and that's vital - but I also think that to back up and take a fresh approach is important.

Thorn: Every youth pastor recognises that it's not the volume of devotional time that impacts kids, it's the whole body of experiences together: the hayride, the carwash, the mountain climbing, the retreat. Then at that prime moment, you say to them, "What does it all mean?"

Amy: What about the music on this album? You've mentioned that you want kids to like it. Do you like the results as much as the music on Lead Me On, for example?
"Believe it or not, 'Lead Me On' was really Gary's music. I have always loved uptempo pop music, and 'Unguarded' is really the truest album I've made to this point, of the music I love. But for anybody who cares to know, Gary and I went through horrendous marital problems after 'Unguarded', and out of a real dry time - no songs, marital counselling - he and I tried to be the most attached to the hip we had been in a long time by writing together and allowing Gary's music to come forth.

The interesting thing was, after we weathered the storms and the dust settled, we were finally able to look each other in the eye and say, "You know, our musical tastes are very different." but I love 'Lead Me On', because the lyrics were soul-searching for me.

This is the first album in a long time without Gary as an executive producer; he was not involved with the album and he may not play in the band on the tour. He's involved with his publishing company, developing new writers and artists and keeping real busy."

Thorn: This is the first time you've worked with other producers besides Brown Bannister on one of your albums. Was it difficult breaking that mold, and how was it working with Michael Omartian and Keith Thomas?

Amy: It was tough making the decision to work with other producers, but Brown was a prince about it. It was a blast, really! I spent the most time with Michael Omartian, and I was so impressed with his discipline regarding his time in the studio and his family priorities. I'm used to working all night on something, and it shocked me to see him quit at the end of the day to go have dinner with his wife and kids. His maturity is real obvious, and real refreshing.

Keith is a real spark plug in the studio. He dances constantly while he's working, and I just had to get over the silly grins watching him so I could work! He sings every lick better than I could, and the two vocals he produced for the album really stretched me (which was a bit embarrassing), but I realised instantly he was going to teach me a lot."

Thorn: Back to your personal life, why do you involve yourself with so many local causes and the like here in Nashville?