Renowned Christian music artist and songwriter Micah Tyler can now add author to his accolades. In partnership with K-LOVE Books, Tyler announces the release of his first book, Walking Free: Taking Small Steps To A Big God. Officially releasing January 24, 2023, the pre-order for Micah’s debut book is now underway. It is Tyler’s hope that Walking Free: Taking Small Steps to a Big God, inspired by Tyler’s hit song of the same name, will uplift the readers with the truth that God will always walk with us and never leave us behind. In this TCB Exclusive, Micah shares how his original vision for this project evolved with time and how this book continues the story of his hit song. Additionally, Tyler previews his plans for new music and touring in 2023.
Congratulations on the upcoming release of Walking Free: Taking Small Steps to a Big God! When did you first have the vision to capture everything in writing in this form?
I actually didn’t have the first vision for it to be in this form. The original plan was to do a 7 day YouVersion app thing. I actually had an idea for a kid’s book with a buddy of mine, and I went to my management and told them I didn’t know where to start. So they went and talked to a publisher. And I told them I also had this idea of a 7 day, 7 step thing. I was getting ready to leave out on tour and came in a couple of hours early to talk to a publisher. I walk into the meeting and the publisher hands me an outline for a Walking Free book. I was so confused, but they asked me to pray and think about this idea. And the more I thought about it, I realized there was something here. I couldn’t have done it without Robert Noland, who I wrote the book with. He helped me through the whole process. When it came time to write the book, it just overflowed with what God has been doing in my life. Sitting back and looking at it now, it’s wild that it all came from trying to write a 7 day online thing. And when the book was done, the publisher asked for a 7 day app thing, to go along with the study. So I had to write a book to get this 7 day thing.
You’ve seen a lot of success with your track of the same name. You’ve heard and seen how this has impacted the lives of others. How has this book continued the story for you?
In a song, you have 3.5 minutes to get everything across. A lot goes into 3.5 minutes, but you are a bit restricted. I get really jealous of hip-hop artists because they can put so many more words in a song. When I get on stage, I’m trying to figure out a way to set these songs up and tell more of the story. When this song came out, I heard so many stories of how this song met others. With a book, you get to explore the space and stretch your legs a little. When I say the line “to the one walking wounded and the one with regret”, I get to say that in three pages and what that idea looks like. And so that’s been very exciting for me because it really takes off some of the limitations of two verses and a chorus.
In preparing for the release, has there been a passage, or section, that you anticipate being impactful for readers?
There’s a couple. One that really gets me is talking about the concept of the sower and seed. For the book, the idea is that it is spread out over six days as a step away from something and to something – for example away from control and into connection with God. Away from fear and into faith to sustain us. Then on the seventh day, we go back and retrace our steps. Different steps are going to hit people in different ways. But one of my favorite passages is from a message I heard from Zane Black that has affected me since I heard it. Jesus tells the story of the farmer who tosses seed and it lands on different soil. My idea was that you always had to protect the seed because it is very precious and you needed to find the good soil for it. But what’s crazy is that this farmer is throwing seed everywhere. It would look crazy for this farmer to be walking through Times Square or a desert and be throwing seeds on the sidewalk. Some would say the farmer is reckless, but if we look at it through the eyes of believers, we have this Gospel. The farmer isn’t reckless; the farmer is relentless – wanting to see something grow no matter the circumstance. The Gospel does not return back void.
How did you approach this differently, or the same, as your music creative process? What did you learn about yourself through this process?
When it comes to a song, you have to be very precise. You can’t waste a word in a song. So when I go into a session, you’re trying to find the most succinct and targeted way in trying to thread the needle for the lyric. I could write a 20 minute song, but no one would listen to it. But I will say one thing that I did learn is that I’ve given myself two rules when I write music. Rule number one, every song you ever hear from me has been sifted through Scripture. It lines up with God’s word. I don’t want to offer something to someone that doesn’t. So for me, I bring my songs to pastors and friends who know God’s word and ask them to challenge me if something sticks out. Rule number two, God gave me these eyes to see the world, these feet to walk the streets and this heart to love the things around me. I try to make sure that when I listen to my music, I can’t tell you what I ate for lunch that day or what I was wearing, but I know what God was showing and teaching me on that day. So what is crazy is that when you’re writing a book, all the same rules can apply. I’m trying to make sure that every chapter lines up with God’s word. Annie F. Downs, who wrote the forward for the book, read the book and said she wrote the forward because she agreed. And I’m not necessarily looking for agreement, but affirmation that Scripture is being upheld. Sciprture is all the same for all of us, but our experiences can be different as we walk this world.
It was also announced somewhat recently that you will be joining MercyMe as a special guest (with TAYA) for their spring 2023 tour. Have you started to think about what you want to share during those nights?
January is when the book comes out, so I’m fired up about that. February is when the new album comes out with six new songs. And then in March, we head out with MercyMe and TAYA, so for me I’ve got to do some self-editing because I have so much I want to share with people, but I’m going to have 30 minutes on a stage. It’s been a tough, exciting, vulnerable, and beautiful season we’ve walked through. I get to see what all this hard work has done.
With your new EP due in February, can you share why this collection of songs stands out to you?
I look at these six songs and every one of them has been a time capsule over the last year and a half of writing this album. When I put out ‘Different,’ it was five years ago, and there is a lot about God’s faithfulness on that album because of the season I was in. With this album, there is a love song for my wife, a song that talks about the mistakes I’ve made and the shame but now I see the grace of God. There’s a song called “People Like Us” – I travel the world and see people all the time, and when I was shut down for a year, I missed seeing people. I love my people! But the thing is that no matter where I go, I learn that if God can love someone like me, He can love anybody. The Gospel is worth throwing a seed out to anyone. My brother is on his third battle with cancer, so there is some vulnerability in this. There is a song called “Nothing Too Broken,” where we affirm what the Scripture says.
What are you most expectant for looking to 2023?
I could answer that question a lot better in the next couple of weeks. I’ve never been the guy to have a word for the year, but God put the word “rest” on my heart in 2020. So I really had to learn to be still and know that He is God. In 2022, I had the word “healthy” – mental, spiritual, physical. I lost 75 pounds this year. We tried to make sure we spent really good quality time as a family. My goal for the next couple weeks is to find this for 2023.
