He’s a pastor, a singer, a songwriter and an amazingly gifted vocalist…Randy Seedorff has been on a roll since the release of the first single from his “Begin Again” album release. “Family Tree” topped international iTunes charts and earned him recognition at the world’s largest indie awards ceremony. With the release of his latest single, “Dream,” Randy is in for the long haul and showing know signs of slowing down. We caught up with him for this exclusive interview…
Congratulations on the release of your latest single, “Dream.” What inspired you to record a Blue Sky Riders song?
I found out about the Blue Sky Riders from a longtime friend. He called me and said you have to listen to this music. When I saw that Kenny Loggins was one of the principal song writers I knew I had to give their music a listen. Georgia Middleman, Gary Burr and Kenny Loggins have a room full of song writing awards and gold records. They have a spark of creativity between them that is evident when you listen to their work. The reason that I decided to record the song Dream was because of its story. The major thread in the song is that you are never ever too old to give up on your dreams. As long as you have breath in your lungs you can keep your heart open to something new and creative. Besides having a great melody it is a rockin song! We are never too old to Dream!
Besides being a very talented songwriter you are also a pastor. How do you find balance between the two?
Pastoral ministry has a definite rhythm that goes along with it. As a bivocational pastor you must quickly learn to adapt to change when one phone call can change your entire week. I have always made my ministry as a pastor my priority when it comes to scheduling. Writing songs to record and perform is something that I have a passion for. In 2017 I released a worship album “Elevate.” Several of those songs ended up becoming part of the worship rotation at my church. Being a pastor is a vocation and songwriting is a passion; sometimes they cross paths in my life.
Were you involved with music as a teenager? Did you play in any bands back then? How did you get started?
I started getting interested in music at a young age. I was 11 years old when my mother loaned me one of her guitars so I could learn to play. When I got into my teenage years I collaborated with some friends that were promising singer songwriters. I played in a duo with a friend for a couple of years performing singer songwriter covers and original tunes doing open mic appearances at local clubs. I would say that during those years we were progressing and maturing as songwriters and guitarists. Those times provided some valuable experience on stage in front of a live audience. I think the only way you really grow as a live performer is to go out and do it
How would you describe your brand of music to someone who has never heard of Randy Seedorff?
Our music is high energy and authentic. We love to get the audience involved and singing along.
How would you describe a Randy Seedorff fan?
A great number of our fans are Christ followers and passionate about their faith. We are so fortunate to have a group of people that follow our activities and enjoy our original music. We appreciate their love and support so much!!
What gives you the most joy when you are on stage?
Songwriters are trying to tell a story in their songs. We spend a lot of time on our craft trying to communicate our thoughts and ideas through music and lyrics. What gives me joy is when I see the expressions on people’s faces like, “I get it!” That moment when you can sense that the audience understands the meaning and message of the song brings me great joy.
Tell us about your best performance you’ve ever had? How about the worst?
There have been a few times on stage when everything seemed just excellent. The sound was just right, the vibe and the environment was great, and the audience was receptive and wonderful. I think some of the best performances for me however have been during worship. Being sensitive to and flowing with the Holy Spirit in worship is an honor and a privilege to take part in. It is special every single time I get the opportunity to lead others in worship.
I think probably every artist that has spent any time on stage has a highlight reel of performance and equipment fails. One of the most memorable was when I was in front of a rather large audience at an event and someone unplugged my rig backstage so they could plug in a fan. Everything went silent until I was able to get someone’s attention and regain electrical power. Those moments are part of the fun of adapting on the fly when stuff happens in real time on stage.
What is the highlight of your music career, so far?
That is a great question! I think I will answer that by saying that the highlight of my career has been its longevity. I started playing and singing really young, so my life has been filled with the joy of music. I find it humorous when I read that someone was an overnight success. Truth be told I think that rarely happens. In reality most that you see having emerging music careers have a long history of hard work and many, many hours of practice on their instrument, songwriting, and singing. My highlights have come in the context of trying to grow as a musician and a songwriter.
What does Randy Seedorff like to do when he’s not making music?
Reading is relaxing and enjoyable for me. I think the best songwriters are well read and are lifetime learners so it is also preparation for songwriting. I enjoy spending time with my wife Maria and working around our home. We have 5 children and 10 ornery grandchildren that we love and spend as much time as we can with.
What is up next for you in 2021?
We are shifting gears in 2021 and beginning a new phase in our musical journey. There will be a greater emphasis in 2021 toward music evangelism for us and our band. We will be taking our band Soul Purpose out to do a series of concerts for the incarcerated. We are also beginning to book outdoor events and festivals for the summer and fall schedule as they begin to open up. I have started the writing for my next project which I hope to record this winter.
