Over a year in the making, this cross-generational alliance between Gaither Management Group and McKeehan's Gotee Records sprang from a youth pastor's challenge to Gotee's Joey Elwood to create songs that young people could sing on Sunday in church. While Gotee (home to such artist as Jennifer Knapp, Out of Eden, Grits and The Katinas) creates music with mass appeal, McKeehan said this label will specifically serve the church.
The goal of 40 Records, Elwood noted, is to stretch the boundary of worship music. "We want to give a youthful spirit to worship music for any denomination, any race. It's a new generation of music, a new song."
"We're thrilled for the opportunity to join forces with Toby, Joey, and Todd [Collins, Gotee's vice president of A&R]," Gaither added. "I view building bridges of understanding of different cultures and philosophical points of view as part of my calling. Unity does not depend on our consensus of opinion, but on our unity in Christ."
McKeehan emphasized the label's focus on facilitating musical gifts already in use. "We want to take some bands that are focused on worship [music] in their local churches and have written effective songs for their youth groups and share those with the community of believers. That, to me, is our vision."
Sam Chappell, president of 40 Records, said a commitment to a local church fellowship will be important criteria for the label's artists. "In order to have an influence in the church [as a whole], the artists are going to need to be influenced by, and influences in, thier own local church."
The first artist signed to 40 Records is Three Strand, a sibling trio of musicians from New Song Christian Fellowship in Nashville whose debut project is slated to hit shelves next month. Mark Maxwell, 40 Records' vice president and general manager, said another artist is expected to be signed by year-end: "[We] have at least three people we are interested in, but no one is committed yet."
The label plans to utilize the ability of the Gaither team, which is widely known for the "Homecoming" video series, to stage large worship events. Chappell said the first worship event is tentatively scheduled to be held in conjunction with the Gaithers' annual November "Praise Gathering" in Indianapolis.
"We are attempting to use the Friday night of 'Praise Gathering' as a time to have a youth praise and worship [event] in a ballroom in the convention center," Chappell said, adding that the event may serve as a prototype for putting together such programs in other regions. According to Chappell, artist who could potentially be involved in the night include Three Strand and The Katinas, as well as other undetermined artists. "We want to invite local Indianapolis-area youth to come. We will open it up to the public as well as any other youth who will be there with their families."