Chris Mountford spoke at length to Lindz West of dance music doyens LZ7

Lindz West

Over the years LZ7 have become the best-selling act in British Christian music history. Their frontman, rapper, singer and songwriter Lindz West spoke about their 20+ years in mission.

Chris: Lindz, it's hard to believe that 'Ruckus' came out 20 years ago!

Lindz: I know - where's that time gone? Since then, I've had two kids, moved to London, travelled hundreds of thousands of miles, and seen just as many young people encounter Jesus. It's been an amazing journey.

Chris: And LZ7 continues to grow and evolve.

Lindz: Definitely. We left The Message Trust in 2010 to start our own organisation, Light Music, and launched the Illuminate schools tour - out of the House of Lords, believe it or not! It's grown into something huge: schools tours, festivals, gigs, and now working out of London full-time. It's been really fruitful.

Chris: Do you still feel that same sense of vision and calling that started all this?

Lindz: Yeah, absolutely. Music has that universal wave - it crosses every boundary and evolves constantly. When we made ''Ruckus, I'd been watching bands like The Prodigy and Jay-Z / Linkin Park at the MEN Arena, just taking in that wall of sound. I remember thinking, how do we create that kind of impact, but with hope at the centre? The first LZ7 album had that rap-rock energy, then we shifted toward an EDM and DJ-led sound that still carried a message. Now, this next album brings us back to our roots - heavy basslines, drum and bass vibes, very '90s-inspired. It's a new era, but authentically us.

Chris: Let's talk about your single, "Rewind".

Lindz: "Rewind" came from the idea of wanting to go back to that moment when someone first connects with Jesus - that powerful point where you say, "My past is done; my future's in His hands." It's inspired by artists like Chase & Status and Wilkinson, but lyrically it's all about that transformative moment of faith. When we do school lessons, we often see kids standing up saying, "I want to be part of the change." Teachers cry, bullies apologise, students hug each other. Those are Rewind moments - when the Holy Spirit clearly moves. I wanted to capture that in a song.

Chris: You literally launched it in a chip shop, didn't you?

Lindz: (laughs) Yeah! When I moved to London about 18 months ago, I started partnering with Youth Alpha so that after kids respond in schools, we can invite them straight into discipleship the next week. My local chip shop owner became a mate - great fish and chips, by the way - and one night I just said, "We should do a rave in here." He loved it! We cleared out the back room, packed in 80 people, gave away free fish and chips, and launched "Rewind". It was boiling hot, packed, and completely wild - chips flying, people dancing, total chaos but such joy. We even did a short gospel talk in the middle. There were barbers, bartenders, even some local dealers there. It was all about hope. And now people stop me in the street asking, "When's the next one?" We're planning the next launch there soon.

Chris: You clearly see music as mission.

Lindz: Exactly. LZ7 has always been about changing lives through music. The stage is just the platform for the Gospel. Music breaks barriers - backgrounds, stereotypes, histories. It's the universal language God keeps using to open hearts.

Chris: You've worked with the producer Solomon Olds (from Family Force 5) again on this single, right?

Lindz: Yeah, I love that guy. I first met him at Flevo Festival back in 2010, just as we were stepping out of The Message. He came on stage with those massive Hulk hands and just exploded with energy! I went backstage, said, "We've got to work together," and he came over for two weeks. We rented a barn, turned it into a studio, and wrote songs like "Elevator", "Movie" and "Next Level". He's full of creativity - just electric. For "Rewind", I sent him this very UK-flavoured beat, and he was straight in: "I'm all over that!" His vocals take the track to another level.

Chris: As well as making amazing records LZ7 are very much club guys, not pop singers. Live gigs are still crucial in what you do.

Lindz: It's funny - a lot of students now have never been to a live gig because of COVID. We'll go into a school and they don't know how to react at first! But once the music hits, something unlocks. Music still has that universal language, but young people are looking for one key thing - authenticity. A survey of 30,000 under-18s said 82% wanted role models who are authentic. If your faith is real, that's what connects.