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The son of a preacher man who had always dreamed of a career in music, new artist Ben Glover is now finding his dreams come true. His debut album, 26 Letters, features reflective lyrics and pop-influenced, guitar-based style, the album touches on topics from finding hope in the midst of darkness ("Hope Will Be My Song") to the dangers of temptation ("Dancing With Cactus"). Ben spoke with FamilyChristian.com about his father's example, his first album and his first tour.

FamilyChristian.com: When did you come to faith in Christ?

Ben: I was five. I've been at this little 150-member church my whole life in Loveland, Colorado. I remember it was a Sunday night and I vaguely remember what [the sermon] was about. I just remember that it prompted me. I knew I needed to become a Christian. My dad has been in the ministry for as long as I've been alive so it was cool for him. I came home that night and said, "I want to become a Christian." I remember my mom and dad and I praying in the basement of my house.

FamilyChristian.com: When did you begin writing songs?

Ben: When I was in high school. I played the piano before I ever played the guitar. I was taking care of my neighbor's house. It was Thanksgiving and I remember sitting down at their piano and coming up with my first song ever. I was all excited about it and came home and played it for my parents.

FamilyChristian.com: The lyrics of your songs really struck me as I listened to your album. What inspires you?

Ben: There are a lot of things. I used to write instrumental music because I didn't think I could write lyrics. The first song with lyrics I ever wrote was called "Timothy." It was so bad. I wouldn't play it for anybody. In college, something happened [and] I thought, "You know what? I can try this."

I guess for me, as far as the inspiration goes, a rainy day will make me depressed but it will be a good kind of depression. I've never been really able to explain that. It's just kind of a melancholy that happens and a lot of good songs come out of that. Sometimes you'll see a movie that just hits you in the wrong way or the right way and you write a song about it.

FamilyChristian.com: What's in your CD player? Who do you like to listen to?

Ben: I have Switchfoot in there: Learning to Breathe and New Way to Be Human. I've got Steven Curtis Chapman's Speechless. I have Jonatha Brooke's new CD. She just came out with a new one in February called Steady Pull. I have Wayne Kirkpatrick's CD [The Maple Room] in there. I wrote one of the songs on [my album] with him and he gave me his CD. He gave it to me in August and it's still in my car.

FamilyChristian.com: Are you a reader? What are you reading now?

Ben: I am reading two books. It's a problem because I start to read one and then another one gets my attention so I always end up reading two. I'm reading Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel. And then I'm reading Ravi Zacharias' Can Man Live Without God? That actually inspired a tune on the record—"Too Many Miracles."

FamilyChristian.com: You have a pretty unique story about how your record deal came about. Tell me about that.

Ben: I drove out to do a showcase thing [and was] going to be in [Nashville] for two days. Right before I left Colorado, Chaz Corzine [Co-President of GET Management, home to Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and Rachael Lampa] contacted me because he had gotten a hold of my independent record. I didn't really know how big a deal that was. I didn't know who he was. I said, "Okay, great. That's cool. We'll meet when I come into town."

So I took off, drove out, and then my transmission stopped working-both my engine and transmission. I had to get the whole engine replaced and the transmission repaired. I ended up stranded here for two and half weeks. During that time, Chaz gave my independent record to Brad O'Donnell at Myrrh [now Word Records]. He called me and we ended up hooking up over coffee. We hit off a great relationship during that time. It just felt God-breathed. It became clear to me that that's where God wanted me.

Now Brad is a real close friend. We hang out and have coffee and still focus on the friendship side more than the business side. I really appreciate him and I really appreciate Chaz too, who has provided me with more opportunities than I even know.

FamilyChristian.com: If you were going to write a review for 26 Letters, how would you describe it?

Ben: I've got influences from Jars of Clay and Steven Curtis Chapman on there, as well as lyrical influences of Nichole Nordeman and Chris Rice. It's a pop-rock record.

FamilyChristian.com: One of the most touching songs on your album is "Man I Want to Be," which you wrote for your dad. What do you admire most about him?

Ben: The thing I admire most is that he's a teachable man. He has a teachable spirit. The one thing he's told me my whole life is, "You'll go far if you're teachable."

FamilyChristian.com: Would you consider yourself teachable?

Ben: I try to be. I look at my dad and say, "Man, I've got a long way to go." There are always new things you can learn about yourself that you can change or do better. So many people think, "When I arrive…" I think the key is that you never really arrive. The goal is the process, not the end result.

26 Letters by Ben Glover

FamilyChristian.com: Another song inspired by your dad is "Hope Will Be My Song." How did that song come about?

Ben: [My dad] was going through kind of a rough time. We've got this small church and there were some things at the church that were kind of shaky. He'd always been the ballast holding it all together when it was like that. It was just a real discouraging time [for him]. At the same time I was discouraged about a lot of things. I was about 19, I think, when I wrote it and I was lonely because I'd only gone to [college] for a year and then I came home. My friends were at school. I didn't know what God had for me in life. I knew I wanted to do music but I didn't know what that entailed.

I was thinking about him and thinking about being discouraged in general. It was one of those songs that happens in the middle of the night and happens pretty fast. That's when you know you have a little bit of help. You wake up the next morning and say, "Was that a dream?" Those songs usually feel the best for some reason.

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