Luke Smallbone of the Grammy award-winning duo for King & Country chatted about the new film “Unsung Hero” and “The Inspired by Soundtrack” album for the project.
The film stars his brother Joel Smallbone (who directed and co-wrote it), Daisy Betts, Kirrilee Berger, Candace Cameron Bure, and Jonathan Jackson, among others.
‘Unsung Hero’ movie
On his family biopic film, he said, “It was a fantastic experience to be a part of this movie. We are proud of it. This film showcases the power of family, and hopefully, it can inspire people to dream big dreams, and they can go and do different and extraordinary things no matter how old or how young you are.”
“We have this film coming out on April 26th, and we have this ‘Inspired By’ project that comes out on the same day, which is filled with a few originals and cover songs,” he said.
“This was a lot of work and very different than music. We are thrilled and excited. We are ready for it to come out,” he added.
Soundtrack album
The duo’s (Joel and Luke Smallbone) latest track “Crazy” features the Smallbones and Grammy winner (and sister) Rebecca St. James, along with a soundtrack version of the title song, “Unsung Hero” from their current Grammy- nominated and AMA, Billboard and Dove award-winning album, “What Are We Waiting For?”
The soundtrack album will be available in conjunction with the film that releases same day in theaters nationwide (on April 26). The movie stars Joel Smallbone who also co-wrote the film, and it is his directorial debut.
The soundtrack includes recently released singles, “Place In This World” featuring Michael W. Smith, “Checking In” with Lee Brice, and “Lead Me On” featuring Amy Grant, among others.
The music soundtrack is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his music and songwriting inspirations, Luke said, “For music, I try to write songs and make music about what is going on in my life, really. I want my music to feel real, authentic, and passionate.”
“Obviously, at the end of the day, the things that are nearest to me are God and my family. Those end up being the themes that we end up writing about,” he added
Working with Candace Cameron Bure
On working with Candace Cameron Bure on “Unsung Hero,” Luke said, “Candace is incredibly kind. We got to know her when she hosted ‘The View’ many years ago, and we were a part of her 40th birthday celebration on ‘The View’.”
“We came up and surprised her with a song called ‘Priceless.’ We have had a friendship that has been ongoing for a lot of years, so to be able to work with her in this capacity (making movies) was a lot of fun. Candace is a great person,” he acknowledged.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Luke said, “In some cases, I don’t even know life before it. Streaming may not have been as big of a deal when we first started but social media was. Our career, for the most part, has been built from developing these different business avenues and things.”
“Streaming has changed the music business a lot. Oftentimes, I think streaming has changed it for the better since it makes music more accessible to people,” he added.
Future plans
Regarding his future plans, Luke said, “We go to Australia next month, and then we go to New Zealand. After that, we will take a few months off, and in the fall, we will do a pretty big tour, and somewhere in that time, we will be working on new music as well.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Luke said, “Family.” “Most of what we are doing is being surrounded by faith and family. I have four kids,” he said.
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be “flying,” especially since “it would be fun and it could you to places pretty quick, so that would be nice.”
Dream duet choice in music: Bono of U2
He listed Bono of U2 as his dream collaboration choice in music. “Honestly, that would be fun to experience but it remains to be seen,” Luke said.
Favorite motto to live by
On his favorite motto to live by, he shared, “If you can learn to overcome disappoint, then the sky’s the limit.”
Success
Regarding his definition of success, he said, “Success means being a good husband and father. If I can get those two things right, the sky’s the limit. Success is having a successful marriage and being a successful father.”
Message for the fans and supporters
For the fans and supporters, Luke said, “At the end of the day, the fans and people are the ones that give me a job, so I am very grateful to them. Hopefully, they will listen to our music with their hearts open. We hope that we can be a soundtrack to their lives.”
To learn more about for King & Country, check out their official website, and follow the duo on Instagram.
