Two-time Grammy and Billboard Award winner, Jonas Myrin, recently released his new song, “Mountains”, with Capitol CMG, available across all streaming platforms. The universal anthem of hope features string arrangements by the Stockholm Symphony and was written by Myrin and Daniel James (Hayley Williams, Paramore). In support of the new release, Myrin recorded the official music video for “Mountains” in the epic landscape of the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua. In this TCB Exclusive, Myrin reflects on what inspired the writing of “Mountains,” he recalls the unique journey to recording the music video and shares how he will define success for this song.
Do you recall when you first had the idea for what would become “Mountains”?
I remember sitting in the studio with my friend, Daniel James, in Nashville and this chorus kind of just came through us, not from us – it kind of wrote itself the song and I remember having a feeling of ‘wow this is really helping me in my own challenges and mountains that I was facing singing out that truth… that if you have faith, like the size of a mustard seed you can speak to the mountains and say ‘move’ and they shall be moved like it says in Matthew.’ And every time I sang the song and listened back to it, I was reminded and felt this spirit of faith and strength in my heart. And I’m so excited that this song is out now and that it’s doing the same to other people out there. It’s been such an incredible response and I’m just so encouraged by all the messages just coming through from people around the world. That it’s speaking to people in their real-life circumstances and challenges and inspiring and uplifting hearts out there.
Is there anything that stands out specifically for you personally from the writing / recording process?
Yeah, what was really special with the recording process of this song was that I got to collaborate with the Stockholm Symphony. I grew up listening to them in Stockholm and I’ve always been a fan of strings and these beautiful and magnificent moments of music that an orchestra can bring it’s somehow just feels like a little glimpse of heaven and it was a huge honor to have them play on “Mountains” and it was a real childhood dream to be able to collaborate with them so I feel very grateful.
How will you be looking to define success with the impact of this single?
I think success for me has always been not about charts, but reaching hearts. To me, success is touching a life and making a real difference in someone’s world and if that is one person or 10 million it doesn’t matter. To me, success is doing what you feel in your heart called to do and being faithful with whatever has been put in your hand and I feel so excited that “Mountains” is out now and that it is making a difference in people’s lives.
In addition to the recording you also filmed a music video. Can you share about that experience?
Yeah, it was incredible to film the music video in one of the most epic mountain landscapes in the world. We filmed the video in the northern parts of Mexico in a place called Copper Canyon and this is one of the most deep and high mountain ranges in the world and the music video director had this idea for us to go out and film for a whole week in this incredible place. It was a real journey to get there, it took me two plane rides, hours in a car and then we had to take a train for hours called the Chepe Express and you can only get to some of these places by train and it’s one of the most epic train rides I’ve ever been on in my life. The train took us through and up the mountains and we stopped at different stations where we went off to do filming and it was just wild and so incredible to sing and proclaim this truth standing on that mountain top knowing that with faith and love in our hearts we can move mountains.
You’ve collaborated and worked with many artists in the music industry. Why is that an important piece of your journey and how do you feel collaboration enhances the artistic process and result?
I’ve always been a massive fan of collaboration and I was working with Barbra Streisand and she always used to say “Teamwork makes the dream work.” I love that because it’s really true and to see your dreams fulfilled, we need each other to remind us and to help us carry what’s in our hearts into fruition. I have loved serving others through songwriting for many years and helping their dreams and the songs that they long to sing, help them write them and it’s been an incredible privilege to collaborate with artists like Barbra Streisand to Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion, Chris Tomlin, Lauren Daigle, Matt Redman and many others and now to be able to own my own voice and to really release and express the songs that I’ve carried in my heart from my personal journey has been a beautiful experience. It’s a powerful process to dare to step out and shine the light not just in the studio but also on the stage.
What are you most expectant for the remainder of 2022?
I’m mostly expecting, I think, of taking this message of “Mountains” out into the world. I’ve just got done with a promo tour in Mexico which was incredible. Some amazing doors opened there with big TV shows and I’m off next to Europe. “Mountains” is already taking off on the radio over in Europe. I’m going out there to share this message of faith. I think especially after everything we’ve gone through the last few years, with everything that’s happening in the world, we need songs of hope and faith more than ever just to remind our soul to look up and look inside and be reminded that all it takes it’s just faith like a mustard seed and anything can change, we can move mountains.
