Ray Dean Reese of the Kingsmen On Keeping Their Songs Fresh on Their New Album

The Kingsmen return with They Don't Know, the  legendary Gospel quartet's  first new album since their highly acclaimed 2014 release Battle Cry. This compelling album offers messages of hope, songs of faith and answers to life's questions through powerful lyrics and arrangements that  are strong and clear.

In classic Kingsmen style, there is something for every fan. The freshness of the title tune  "They Don't Know" and the meaningful ballad "The Evidence I Need" prove the Kingsmen are not stuck in the past idea of "three chords  and a cloud of dust." With the vocal abilities of Bob Sellers, Randy Crawford, and the newest member Joshua Horrell,  every song is delivered with conviction that matches the lyrics written by some of Gospel  Music's best songwriters.

These include Kenna West, Regina Walden, Sandy Knight and Jason Cox among others. Of course, you cannot have a Kingsmen album without the low notes provided by one of the most respected men in the industry, Ray Dean Reese. Ray shines on the traditional Southern Gospel tunes, "I'll Sail Away Home" and "Don't Underestimate God's Grace." They Don't Know is the  continuation of a great legacy  in Gospel music. Sixty-One years later, there are still new people discovering the Kingsmen, and They Don't Know the message. The Kingsmen are making sure that they hear it.

Q: Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. Congratulations of adding Joshua Horrell into your team, what do you most appreciate about Josh?

Thank you, Josh has been a wonderful addition to the Kingsmen. I appreciate most his spirit, dedication and the fresh energy that he brings not only to our quartet but to our industry.

Q: Your previous album "Battle Cry" has been hailed as one of your best albums to date, did you feel the pressure when you were recording this new album?

Yes and No....Yes, you want each project to be a success and the best work that you can do. No, in the sense that each project has it's own personality and message. God has a way of bringing the right songs to us at the right time.

Q Did you approach the making this album any different? What are your hopes for this record?

We try to approach each recording with a selection of songs that we feel will best bring the message that we are trying to convey. The title of this project was "They Don't Know"...it reminds us that we need to get out every day and tell people about our Lord. So many really don't know and are troubled in these times that we are living in...They need the message that God is in control and they need to know Him.

Q: In your press release, you mentioned that you don't want your music to be "stuck in the past idea of three chords and a cloud of dust." How then do you keep your music fresh?

We, along with our recording company, are constantly listening to new writers along with those that we have used in the past. Our audiences appreciate our old music as well as the new so we try to do a good mix reflecting our heritage of 61 years and bringing along new music for variety.

Q: When you are looking for songs to record, what qualities do you look out for in a song?

First and foremost: The message of the song...Secondly, we try to keep within the frame of our musical style of delivery.

Q: What are you most excited about this new record?

As earlier mentioned, this will be the first Kingsmen project with Josh. The songs are fresh and new and we hope that they will touch all of our audiences as a spiritual encouragement.

Q: One of your new songs is entitled "Legacy." What is the kind of legacy you want Kingsmen to leave behind?

As many of you know, my wife Carolyn passed away in October of 2016. This brought to our minds the very real question of what do we intend to leave behind. As the song says, we want to leave a legacy of faith that points to Jesus Christ. We want there to be no doubt of our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation and for folks to know that we stood true to His Word and our God to the end. 

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