As someone who has always been reluctant to declare my religious beliefs or ideas, I never imagined writing a song about God, religion, or anything spiritual, but after being thrust into the most challenging decade of my life and somehow coming out the other side with little idea how, I felt that there was a higher power that guided me through this time of my life.

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In 2013, I witnessed my partner take her own life, and six years later I was charged with her murder. it was while I was sitting in a prison cell for ten days awaiting my bail application, that I mumbled possibly the first real prayer of my life. I said, “God. If you’re real, give me a sign.” I know this seems cliche, but as a novice, i had no idea how to pray.

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Not even five minutes after my disjointed prayer, the cell door opened and an older man said “Hi. I’m Alan. I’m from the local gospel church. Fancy a chat?” 

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My initial thoughts were “well played God (You smart-ass)”

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The following day I was released on bail, and six years later all charged against me were dropped, but that might set me on a journey that led to this song being created. 

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I’ve always had a fascination for discovering the true meaning behind song lyrics, so when it came time for me to pen a song with a religious theme, I wanted to make sure that even though the theme was more subtle, that I expressed the real meaning behind the lyrics for others to relate to.

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Typically, Christian music gets pigeon-holed and rarely sees airtime on commercial radio or in the mainstream charts due to the stigma some have with the openly outward “preaching” nature of the genre, so when it came time to write Guide me Home, I wanted the overarching theme to be one that was universal. The type of song that each person listening to it could relate to it based on their own beliefs and not those of mine.

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Two of my favourite songs about religion are songs that many people may not even relate to God or spirituality. “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood and “Kyrie” by Mr Mister sit in rare space in that while they are religious songs, to most people, they are just classic hits.

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This is what I set out to achieve when writing “Guide me Home.” I wanted to convey a message that, for those looking deeper could discover the song’s true meaning, while also just punching out an inspirational anthem that people could enjoy regardless of their beliefs.