Jordan Riley Interview: Singer Talks About "Do You See What I See" Video and Life as "More Than Music"

Jordan Riley's life is about "more than just music." The phrase is more than some catchy slogan or gimmick. It speaks to who Jordan is a person, artist and son of God. "I want people to know me as an artist who doesn't just sing to his audience but stands with them and by them through what they are experiencing in life."

After releasing his music video for "Do You See What I See" to very favorable reviews, the singer has been building a loyal, devoted fan base city-by-city, show-by-show. Somewhere between writing new songs and touring, the recent Modern Ministry Records signee found some time to sit down with BREATHEcast and answer a few questions.

How would you describe your music?

I would say that versatility best describes my music. I grew up with many different influences and bits and pieces of each of them seem to come out in my music. My music ranges from an upbeat top 40 feel to pop/rock sound that will move you and make you smile at the same time.

You're a high-energy guy; describe how your personality influences your fast-paced stage performances.

Yes some people would say that I have a touch of ADHD and that I don't sit still very well. This plays very well into how I perform on stage. Many singers like to stand behind their mic stand and sing to the crowd, where as I like to have a wireless mic and prefer to move freely about the entire stage. I feel that my high energy allows the fans to see that I am not only having fun doing what I do, but that I believe in what I am writing about in each song.

When did you know you wanted to sing about God's praise?

My first time singing in public was at church at the age of 3 when I sang Away in a manger at our local Christmas Pageant.  Although I grew up very introverted and was shy I knew deep down that I wanted to use my voice to praise God and share His love with people.

Take me through your songwriting process. Where do you find inspiration?

Many times when I write a song, my inspiration comes from an event or something that occurs in my life or the life of a friend. I feel that I have been called to use my talents to be a voice not only to help others but to point people to Christ. Once I discover a concept that I am passionate about or feel that I can help bring light to I begin to write down thoughts, feelings and one-liners to how I feel about that thought or concept. I then begin to craft a story line to build the song. Many times when I write songs I visualize the song as a music video first and as it plays over and over in my head I begin to write the ideas and verses that help best describe what I am seeing. Finally I will bring these concepts and song ideas to my team to help iron out any rough spots and finalize it.

How did you celebrate when you signed with Modern Ministry Records?

When I signed with Modern Ministry Records, first I called my parents and let them know what happened and then I took my excitement and shared it with my fans. I had pictures taken of me signing the record deal and posted it to all 3 of my Facebook pages and tweeted about it. The response from everyone was overwhelming and was so much fun. 

I love your video for "Do You See What I See". What was it like seeing the finished product? Did you come up with the concept for the video?

I was so excited to see the finished music video. I worked closely with Children International and their team to come up with the concept for my music video. They did an amazing job and this video has done a lot of good for a lot of people as it has been used around the world to bring attention to the issue of poverty and hunger.

Are you planning a tour, if so, when will it kick off?

Yes, I recently signed with the Reach Out Agency and along with Modern Ministry Records they are working on my new WHAT DO YOU SEE tour. We hope to start doing dates around the United States by the end of spring or early summer.