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God continually unveils his glory to those who seek Him. For worship leader, songwriter and modern worship pioneer Jeff Deyo (pronounced: ‘DEE-oh’), seeing God’s glory revealed has become his life pursuit, his life’s passion. Now, with UNVEIL, his forth solo album and first venture in a new partnership with Indelible Creative Group, Deyo’s music takes on a more organic rock sound, and an urgent, amped-up reflection of personal as well as musical transparency. Eleven powerful anthems that journey beyond where 2005’s live Surrender CD and 2004’s acclaimed Light CD left off: a bold statement about tenacious seeking aimed at encountering and knowing God Almighty.
“The heart behind this record is that unveiling the eyes of our hearts is a process,” he says. “It’s a personal journey that never ends. This past year, my journey was especially intense as I’ve intentionally and purposely pursued God’s true vision for my life. You can’t chase after that unless you’re willing to get real. And the more you know of God, the more of him you realize you don’t know.”
Produced by newcomer Josh “The Kurnoll” Deane, and recorded primarily by Jeff’s band, UNVEIL marks a fresh beginning for this founding member of SONICFLOOd, a Dove Award-winning, Grammy nominated group with more than one million albums sold.
“I was looking for something fresh, a completely different take,” Deyo says of the approach to UNVEIL. “I wanted someone who could understand the parameters of modern worship but with no preconceived notions beyond that. The Kurnoll had produced mostly independent music, so he came to this project with more of a rock edge than would normally be expected from me. What he brought melded more of a modern electric guitar sound with the ambient pop/rock I’m accustomed to.” The result, Deyo says, is definitely his most musically ambitious release thus far.
UNVEIL also reveals Deyo’s most personal worship lyrics to date. Powerful yet simple and singable, the lyrics reflect his personal journey and desire to see others intentionally pursuing God. “I’ve wrestled with these songs for two and a half years, just really wanting to communicate what I’ve experienced on this journey,” he says. “We started with 40 or 50 songs and, over time, whittled it down to those I felt would best help connect people to God. I really love it when people approach me and say, ‘When I worship God with your songs, you help me say things that I have wanted to say but didn’t know how to say.’ So when I write, I try to ask the questions and share the emotions that we often can’t find words for; the things we try hardest to hide.”
Deyo rediscovered the song “Unveil” at a time when he was seeking to find an answer to the question, “What next?” “I’d been fasting and praying for a week,” he says, “just trying to get some clarity on the road ahead when God reminded me of ‘Unveil,’ a song I had co-written with fellow worship leader, Jonathan Lee a couple years back. It was His way of saying, ‘This is what I want to do in your life, to deepen the unveiling process in you, and then through you help people know me more deeply.”
“It’s my way of asking just as Moses did, ‘God I want to see your glory; I want to see who you are. As much as you will allow me to handle today, as much as I can take, I want to see you. I feel like the closer we can get to that place with God, the more understanding we will have of His desires for us in this world.”
“Glory,” an anthemic look ahead to the day when the final veil will be lifted, is a song that holds special meaning for Deyo. Looking for something that would encapsulate the other songs on UNVEIL, he wrote this simple, childlike anthem in 15 minutes, playing the upright piano his wife had given him as a birthday gift. “One day, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess and at that moment, nobody is going to care about radio singles or success or money or fame. The absolute greatest thing on earth will not matter. Only God will matter. This song is about that day, when heaven and earth collide, where the reality of the spirit realm suddenly and violently comes crashing into our reality and we stand completely unveiled before a holy God. I want to live in the knowledge of that day now, seeing the glory of God in my life now, knowing that He is the ultimate reason why I, why we, get up in the morning.”
For Jeff Deyo, that is the focus of life—taking people beyond the music—together with his band, Lou Santiago Jr. (drums), Chad Carouthers (bass), Trent Swartzentruber (guitar), and Josh Brewer (keys). A former Youth For Christ missionary in Singapore, Deyo’s WorshipCityMinistries is the umbrella under which he creates, serves and participates in a plethora of ministries worldwide. From teaching at conferences to leading worship for events with Josh McDowell, Luis Palau, John Bevere, John Maxwell, Max Lucado, Louie Giglio, Tommy Tenney, Willow Creek, Saddleback and others, Deyo’s music exists to serve the Kingdom of God by helping people connect with and know their Creator.
“I’m crazy enough to believe that if I can help people get into the transforming presence of God, their eyes are going to be unveiled to who God is, who they are in Christ and what their purpose in life is,” Deyo says. “That is my heart, and UNVEIL plays a tremendous role in taking us there.”
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