Arden, North Carolina — Some collaborations are the result of deliberate planning, or even calculation, while others take shape on the spur of the moment. In the case of Lauren, Amber & Kenna — that’s Southern Gospel stars Lauren Talley, 11th Hour’s Amber Eppinette Saunders, and singer-songwriter Kenna Turner West — joining their talents in the studio came about in an unforeseen and organic manner more than two years ago, when an informal video of them harmonizing while traveling together was offhandedly posted to social media — and promptly went viral. After reconciling tour schedules, writing songs, and bringing Lauren’s father, acclaimed producer and artist Roger Talley, on board, the trio entered the studio to create a series of singles that have now been gathered up into a dazzling, multi-faceted collection for Horizon Records: A Little Bit of Heaven. The album is now available for pre-save/add ahead of its October 4 release.
“Who would have thought a Facebook video of three friends singing together in the car would have ended up here?!” says Lauren Talley, who took the lead on the title track. “We’ve all been friends for a long time, we sing, we write, and now we’ve put it all together in a powerful way.”
“Wow!! What can I say but just that,” adds Amber Eppinette Saunders. “I’m getting to sing with two of my best friends — friends that have loved me in the midst of my triumphs and even my tragedies. These precious ladies are being used mightily, and bless so many, including me, with their ministries. I can’t wait to see what God does through us together as one.”
With three strong singers as adept at harmonizing as they are at taking the lead, a varied track list that includes contributions from each (including three written by all of the women together), and arrangements that bring each song’s distinctive elements to the fore, A Little Bit of Heaven is a collection whose whole is not greater than the sum of its parts, but rather a revelation of how those parts fit seamlessly together. From the smooth syncopation and wordless harmonies of the title track’s opening to the closing of the set’s previously unreleased “That Kind of Friend,” with its stirring characterization of Christ:
Everybody needs a friend who’s willing
Willing to go the extra mile
Willing to stand there right beside us
In the middle of the flood, the middle of the fire
Someone you can count on
To be there ‘til the end
Everybody needs that kind of friend
…
That’s the kind of friend He is
Lauren, Amber & Kenna emphasize the positive, encouraging, inspirational sides of the Gospel, bringing messages of hope and salvation to their listeners in a compelling musical offering.
“I’ve wanted to do something like this for years, and to be able to sing with two of my best friends — I’m truly blown away,” enthuses Kenna Turner West. “We each come at this with unique gifts and unique platforms of ministry, and when it all comes together, what we have collectively is something very special. We can’t thank Horizon Records enough for this extraordinary opportunity!”
Pre-save/add A Little Bit of Heaven HERE.
Find Southern Gospel News In Your Inbox Here
