"For five years now I have opened the first quarter with a campaign for my music; This year has to be the most busy."
THIS INTANGIBLE EXISTENCE is the words and music of Terrell Brinlee. The project started in 2010 almost mistakenly, "I was renting a room in the Humble area, and I started blogging. I titled the blog This Intangible Existence, and it just stuck from there." The title expresses the idea of the spirit or inner man; the reality of each human's intangible self.
"I've always wanted to be a musician, and a singer/songwriter. I feel like this year is the first time that I actually believe that I am." Since 2012, Terrell has been gathering his musical catalog, recording intimate solo performances of works that he began writing 2007. "Right after high school I got really serious about writing my mantra. I don't feel like I knew exactly what that was at the time, but on this side of it, I feel like I was really being guided to say things I have."
"I met Richard Savercool in 2011, and he really encouraged me to start working towards a more professional high end sound. We worked together for a short time on Campaign One;, and soon after that I started my solo work with Billy Hillman."
Each collection of songs produced annually have their own flavor, their own time stamp, and own narrative. Not all have been original compositions, as with this year. The newest record, That You Are Mindful of Him, will be released in February, and is a distilled and airy interpretation of praise and worship music. "Just because you don't have anything to say, it doesn't mean that you should be saying anything. The majority of my work is Christ-centered, and being a church musician, it's important for me to display this part of my work in my recordings. Aside from the great commission, I have a calling on my life to sing the gospel."
The new record features songs from artists like Aaron Shust, Soweto Gospel Choir, and Keith Green, who has been a big inspiration for Terrell over the past two years. "Keith Green was an innovator in his time, and his music is so wholesome and uncompromising when it comes to talking about Jesus. That kind of boldness is something I would like in my own work."
"I wanted to pick songs that were a bit dated and obscure. Even though I didn't write the music, I wanted it to be perceived that it was original work." But the ending track, "Good Good Father" made popular by Chris Tomlin would give it all away. "The record needed to be a bit recognizable; I want people to sing along. Initially I was going to do "Your Great Name", but after the recording I had to boot it. It was too vocally demanding the way I wanted it presented, and at the end of recording, I knew it was too poor of a performance."
The new record, That You Are Mindful of Him, will be available on February 15 in all major digital outlets including , and will be the fifth studio recording for This Intangible Existence. Be sure to catch Terrell and the rest of the band at WareHouse Live in Houston on March 25, for tickets click here.
