The journey to the production of this EP started a really long time back. 2016 to be precise. After I recorded my debut album, I didn’t want to record music anymore. Why? Because I felt that the reason why I was recording was done and dusted, which was to record the special songs I had sung in church. I remember mid-2016, my best friend and I were going through some rough time that made us question the direction of our lives and they just happened to say to me so confidently, “you’re going to record more music”. I laughed and brushed them off. Music wasn’t something I really wanted to get into. Just something I did during a holiday in uni. And the music business in Malawi is not something you get into to make money. I wasn’t keen on the idea to be honest.

I continued with my undergrad, went on to graduate and searched for a job to do with Social Science. In July, 2017, I got a job as a research assistant and I went on to work in Lilongwe for about 4 months. While I was in Lilongwe, I missed singing. I missed it so much, I would record minute acapella covers using my phone and post them on social media; I would sing in the morning before the car came to pick us up to go to the field. I sung when we were back from the field, before bed. Joan (my roommate and teammate) and I were a match made in heaven. She loved to hear me sing. She said it helped her fall asleep. So you can imagine how much noise I was making every night.

As time went by, I started to fall ill often. But because I had nothing else to do back home, I forced myself to work. I was admitted over 3 times, was on so many doses and had to endure the pain of countless needles. Eventually, I fell so ill that I would wake up in the middle of night screaming, because my sides hurt. I quit my job and came back home, in Zomba.

It turns out I had a bad case of pneumonia and because I had delayed in seeking the right medical attention, half of my right lung was almost gone. I was admitted again, and battled for life for over a fortnight. As I was laying in hospital, coughing and gasping for breath, I wished I had recorded music. I wish I had done what I really love. I prayed to God and told him if I came out of the hospital alive, I would go and record music. By the grace of God, I recovered. And soon as I was back on my feet, my brother, King David, took me to a studio here in Zomba that had just recently opened.

I told my parents, “I’m not hunting for a job anymore. I want to record music.” I’m so glad God gave me very understanding parents. They told me to go ahead and supported me every mile of the way. From borrowing their car to go to the studio, eating their food when we have a practice session here at home, to being the first critics when the songs were done. They didn’t nag me to get a job and were kind enough to share me ndalama yogulila bundle ya pa net (money to buy internet bundles). It hasn’t been easy, but I have done a lot of learning through this little project.

Peace of Loving You track list:

Known- I loved the vocals in this song. It started as a little experiment to see whether I can actually sing because I was so intimidated by the vocals at first. Tauren Wells did an absolutely beautiful job with this one. This song reminds me of how far I have come in my Christian journey, how He picked me up and how He still loves even though I go astray here and there. I truly can’t explain why he gives me so much!

Peace of Loving You- This was the first song Chipiliro suggested we record. Initially, we were just gonna record one song. I have sung this song a couple of times in church. Many people asked me to record it, and well, here it is guys. This is actually my favourite track in the EP, because of the struggles I went through to come up with this EP. I was usually frustrated, discouraged and several times, I wanted to throw the whole EP away. But in whatever I was going through, my God managed to help me through and he gave me so much peace just when I needed it. I don’t think there could quite possibly be a better friend, Saviour and Lord like Jesus Christ. And with my final breath, I want to praise Him. Always and Forever.

Oh what a friend- the way I came to include this track is odd. It came to me after a day in the field, dragging my dusty feet in the room, trying to heat water to tidy up. I started singing the song and although I had heard it so many times (actually, since my childhood), I fell in love. Then I forgot about it. One day, while Enoch and I were ‘jamming’ at my grandmother’s house, I started to sing this song. I loved how his guitar sounded, and we both just agreed, “Yup, this is going in the EP”.

Yimbirani Chikondi cha Yesu/When We All Get to Heaven- This song also came in the craziest way. We were on our way to the field and the cars were being refuelled at Kaunda Road Puma Filling Station. I went and sat on the curb and it was windy that day. I’m sure this song was carried to me by the wind lol, because I started to sing it and tried to use the Chichewa tune on the English version. It worked! And immediately, I wanted to record it! I even tried it on the acapella app and I loved the sound. Enoch did a great job with the guitar in this one. I remember him saying he would work on it that night, and then we went straight to record it the next day.

Here are some pictures of some studio sessions at ICP studio in Mulunguzi:

A biiig shout out to Dean Dembo and Emmanuel Phiri who produced this EP. These guys were so patient with us, and were very accommodating of our ideas.  I can say with my whole heart, I had so much fun recording these songs and I made this place my home.

Another person that helped me a lot along the way is Elijah Saidi, who made the cover art and all the countdown posters. There was a day that I sat down and actually saw the amount of work that goes into graphic designing, I was so drained at the end of the day! I’m so grateful for the amazing work you did, Elijah.

I pray that you may be blessed with these songs. I wish I recorded more, but time, money and other factors beyond my control did not allow me to do so. I even wish I gave this EP away for free, but I have to pay for the studio, transport and many other costs I incurred along the way. I want to assure you that the money I make off selling my songs is reinvested into making more music. It is my goal to make beautiful, high quality music, and my ultimate goal is to sing His bride a song and bring all the glory to His name.

This EP is me fulfilling the promise I made on that hospital bed. This is a testimony of how good God has been to me. This is me saying THANK YOU! For this chance to do what I absolutely love. For life. For His grace. And for the assurance that I will get to heaven and SING, SING AND SIIIING! I cannot wait!

Here’s to recording more songs for the glory of the King!

May you be blessed.

P/S: You can send me a message if you would like a copy of the EP, or purchase it here. Register, then add the 4 songs to cart.

–Well, I tell you, you—you certainly are blessed with some real good singing. I like good singing. I just love real good singing. I’ve always said, when I get to Heaven I want to get where they’re singing, and listen. I never could get my fill of singing. You know, singing gives courage. You know that, don’t you? The soldiers, when they’re going to battle, you know what they do? They play music and sing, and things to give them courage. 

65-1031A – Leadership. Rev. William Marrion Branham

I usually don’t do a month catch up, or something regular to talk about how my life is going (because I don’t want to commit to something I won’t follow through. I also don’t have an exciting life to keep that running), but hey, I think I need to sit down, breathe, and talk about this year so far.

Things have been confusing, painfully slow, difficult and wow, I just sat down recently and thought, “God trusts me too much with these tests.” The dreams I’ve been trying to chase seem so empty, far-fetched and bleak. Everything seems to be going the other way. The plans I had in my head and what is actually happening on the ground are just two extremely different things and that just demotivates me further. Most of my days comprise me of going where the wind is blowing. I feel like I’m not in control of my life, and I am like a leaf being tossed in a wild storm.

Then come the sad times, when all I do is sit and think about how useless I am feeling because time is going by so fast and I don’t seem to have accomplished much (no, the solution isn’t simply, “stop being sad”). Lately, I have seen myself get to a place I have been before, a dark dark place I have been running from since my teenage years where I feel so anxious, depressed and well, hopeless. Getting out of bed seems like such a huge task and eating is forced on me by my close friends. I am always feeling tired, I can hardly focus and eventually, I miss out on important deadlines. I just sigh and say, “Mulungu, mubwela liti? Dziko latopetsa ili.”

Yesterday morning was a bit different for me. As I was praying, I focused my prayer on being thankful: for life, for how far He has taken me, for my beautiful family and friends; and most importantly, for the challenges that I am facing that are making me a better Christian. I got to a place where I just laid everything on the table, and said, “God, I need you. I can’t seem to figure things out” and I poured my heart out. For one, I saw that there’s so much to be grateful for that the sadness blinded me to. I also felt such a sense of peace after that, and the strength to complete tasks I’ve been putting off for too long. If there’s one thing that I am holding on to, it’s that God is not blind to my problems and that every prayer I’ve prayed, He has heard. I will simply choose to trust in Him.

I wish I was writing this in a much much better place, but I am not. I don’t want to pretend to be someone who has it all together because I am still fighting battles. And I know that I am not alone. So this post is for anyone else feeling stuck, and the pressure from chasing your wild dreams has left you feeling drained. This is for you who also desperately needs grace to stay afloat. Remember that when something big is about to happen in your life, the devil tries all he can to get in the way. But here’s a spoiler: We. Will. Get. Through. This.

I don’t know how. I don’t know when. But hold on. When you hit rock bottom, the only other place you can head is up. I am proud of you for being strong, for being the miracle that you are, and for getting up and showing up when all you feel inside is heaviness-that is amazing! You are AMAZING! I am already proud of what you are about to accomplish and the testimony that will come out of it. Here’s to you and all your awesomeness!

All my love,

Fellow Rock-Bottom-But-On-Our-Way-To-A-Breakthrough

P/S: Here’s a quote someone sent me via Instagram that lifted me up:

“Maybe He let this slump come, call, come in here, just to find out what you’ll do. That’s the way He does it, to prove your faith, see what you’ll do. Run away? Don’t the Bible say, “All things will work together for good to them that love Him”?” William Marrion Branham, 63-1130E Go Awake Jesus