Singled Out: Anchor & Braille's Sweet Jesus Knows

06-02-2025

Anchor & Braille, solo project from rock vocalist Stephen Christian, is gearing to release his new album, "New Mexico", on July 25 and to celebrate we asked him to tell us about his new single "Sweet Jesus Knows". Here is the story:

"Sweet Jesus Knows" is one of those songs that arrived like a lightning bolt-sudden, jarring, and impossible to ignore. I was in a place emotionally where everything felt like survival. Not just physically, but spiritually and relationally too. I was living in New Mexico at the time, and the desert has this way of exposing everything. There's no noise to hide behind. No distractions. Just you, your thoughts, and the silence.

Producer Chad Carothers sings with me throughout the verses. I wanted an Elvis Costello/Punk rock vibe. He tried to cut out his parts, but I thought they only added to the vibe and had him turn them up!

One of my favorite parts of this song is that 'Drive' segways perfectly right into this song, in that song, my Dad (a huge fan of western movies) did a monologue setting up the entire record. It is one of those musical moments I will cherish forever, my dad, on vinyl, with me.

The line "We only kill when we need / We only eat what we kill" came from that primal headspace. It's not about violence-it's about instinct. About doing what you have to do to keep going. It's about the moments when you feel like you're barely hanging on, but you keep moving because you have no other choice.

But even in that rawness, there's a thread of grace. The title itself-"Sweet Jesus Knows"-is a reminder that even when we're at our most desperate, we're not unseen. It's inspired by the idea of El Roi, the God who sees us, just like when He saw Nathanael under the fig tree before Philip called him (John 1:48) . It's a confession and a comfort.

Lyrically, the line 'Rich in Relationships' comes from my good friend Joel Marion's podcast called Born To Impact, he says it on there, and I stole it.

Musically, this track is more electric and urgent than some of my past Anchor & Braille work. It's gritty, pulsing, and a bit chaotic-because that's what life felt like. It's a raw, electric journey that dives into the chaos of fleeting moments and high-stakes connections. But within that chaos, there's a heartbeat of hope. A reminder that even in our most unfiltered moments, we're still known.

If you're in a place where everything feels like too much, I hope this song meets you there, not with easy answers, but with the assurance that you're not alone. That someone sees you. And that's enough to keep going.

*Final note: last night my wife said that there were moments that sounded like Nirvana to me, and now I want to have her baby, that was the greatest compliment she's ever given me, ha.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here