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Biography (courtesy of INO Records)

Derek Webb doesn't have anything to say about the songs on his new album.

This will come as a surprise to those familiar with this founding member of Caedmon's Call who is rarely at a loss for words. A solo artist since early 2003, Webb has strong opinions founded on steely convictions and he shares them freely. Attend one of his past live shows and you've likely heard as much teaching as singing. And we're not talking about devotional fluff meant to make fans feel warm and fuzzy as they head for the door. He has a library that would rival many theologians and he puts it to good use, researching and wrestling over issues, then passing on what he's learned with the fervor of a modern-day Martin Luther.

His solo debut on INO Records, She Must and Shall Go Free, caught some people off guard with its frank language and candid assessment of where we, as the Church, have gone off track. It was more than just a record; it was a thesis. Those who took the time to really listen also found a thoughtful, fluid collection of songs that were more personal confession than pointing finger.

So it may seem odd that Webb is clamming up when it comes to his new disc, I See Things Upside Down, due in stores November 9. It's not that he's not proud of the project. On the contrary, this time around the songs are so complete that Webb, for once, finds himself with nothing left to say.

"I think a lot of the songs I've written over the years needed explanation. That's why I got in the habit of talking so much," Webb explains. "But this group of songs communicates just what I intended, and when I've tried explaining them, it's taken away from them."

It's no wonder this album speaks for itself so naturally. The songs were snatched directly from Webb's own life. Whether it's a misunderstanding with his wife ("Reputation"), a look at modern Christianity ("T-Shirts") or a personal confession ("I Repent"), Webb is not afraid to lay himself bare in a lyric, to hold up his own life for inspection through personal vignettes offered to us for artistic interpretation.

With I See Things Upside Down, Webb says he was really just trying to make good art for art's sake, a topic he's happy to talk about. "I believe that it's by way of the arts that the church gets in on the major worldview discussions that are happening in our world. As Christian artists we must make art that is relevant in the way that it respectfully engages culture by way of its great beauty, and therefore like creation itself, is both beautiful and functional."

As a result, Webb was as concerned with the quality of the art he was making as he was with the worldview behind it. To combat that sterile studio feel, more than half of the record was made at home. It allowed Webb to wait until the mood was right—often in the middle of the night—to lay down his vocals. There also wasn't a producer hovering around on this project. Instead, Webb chose players he trusted and told them, "When you're happy with your performance, then I'm happy with it." As a result, the credits simply read: "This record was made by Derek Webb, Cason Cooley, Matt Pierson, Will Sayles, Justin Loucks, Paul Moak, and Kenny Meeks"

While Webb realizes not everyone sees things from his perspective, he doesn't tire of fighting the good fight. "I think I'm in a peculiar time in history and I have particular opportunities to go and bring these issues up," he says. "This is exactly where I'm supposed to be."

Derek Webb—Facts, Figures and Formidable Thoughts

The Road So Far
• Derek Webb honed his skills as a founding member of Caedmon's Call for nearly a decade. He was one of the primary songwriters for the group, which sold more than a million units during his tenure with the band.

• Webb's solo releases include 2003's She Must and Shall Go Free and the 2004 live project, The House Show, both on INO Records.

• Webb married fellow artist Sandra McCracken in 2001, after relocating to Nashville from his native Texas.

• Webb has spent much of the last 18 months doing "house shows," intimate living room gatherings of 20-30 people that are part concert, part teaching time. "Maybe it's a matter of me just still sorting out my gifts, trying to figure out what I'm made to be and what I'm good at and what I should focus on as an artist. I enjoy seeing people hear things for the first time that are sort of radical for them, and I enjoy being the one that gets to say it to them—maybe a little more than I should."

What's In a Name?
As for the title of I See Things Upside Down, Webb admits it's confessional and that he wrestles with the idols most performers confront: fame, fortune, artistic respect, influence. "That's evidence of the fact that I see things upside down," Webb explains. "And that's why my life is frustrating a lot of the time. If I could see things right side up and put real Kingdom value on things, I would have the faith to say in certain situations, 'this thing that's going to sabotage my career, sabotage my reputation, sabotage whatever, I will truly count it as a blessing because my faith in God doesn't rise and fall on Him making me comfortable.'"

Seeing Success Upside Down
"I went from being in a band that sold a million records over the past 10 years and playing for 2,000 people a night to playing in people's living rooms for about 20 people a night, and I don't think that I'm failing," Webb says. "I think this is success because I think there's Kingdom value in it. You just have to have the eyes to see it. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be and this is success for me."

Of Music and Mystery
"My favorite records are the ones that tell me the least about what they're about, from packaging to lyrics to the song titles. We have a really bad habit of over-explaining everything in Christian art. There's no mystery anymore. But those questions make me go read a book or do some research on the Internet, so I wrote some mystery into this new record. There are some things I don't want people to be able to figure out. That's what's cool about art: It's up for interpretation."

Behind the Music
What makes this album Christian? It's a question many artists who sing about life outside of church get. To answer, Webb says, "'Christian art' should never be based on content, but rather on the heart of the artist. There's a lot of 'Christian art' that gets praised for being mediocre yet explicit, and a lot of great art being made by Christians that gets ignored because it's not explicit or easy to categorize. Based on this framework, I don't really believe that there can be 'Christian' and 'secular' art. There are only 'Christian' and 'secular' people."