Since then Jason Castro has been on a several music tours, and a personal journey that has been just as exciting. Currently touring with the largest Christian concert America has come to love. So much that fans stand outside for hours in rain, sleet and snow to see the great artists that Winter Jam Tour has to offer. That is however, if you are able to be one of the lucky thousands to get a ten dollar seat at the venue.
I had the opportunity to speak with Jason about his musical journey, his family and his new release Only A Mountain. For Jason music has given him opportunities that many people do not get the chance to experience.
However, when you are born with a gift like Jason, blessings come to those who use that gift to glorify the one who places it within our hearts to begin with. That gift began to shine through as Americans tuned into American Idol in 2008, where Jason left the show in fourth place.
Jason - “You know it’s always encouraging when I run into people and they tell me how they were voting for me that season. Everyone who continues to support me has no idea how much I appreciate that.”
Before the tour with AI began, Jason was able to go home for a few weeks and spend time with his family. At that time there were several people contacting him trying to get him to make appearances or do interviews. However, there was one invitation that Jason felt compelled to get involved with after a man approached his father at church.
Jason - “I had been home a few weeks, and maybe some people assumed I was a Christian while I was on the show; but I never really had a chance to say, ‘Hey this is why I am the way I am’. After my Father was approached by the team of the I Am Second movement my interest was stirred. I began to look into it further. I was blown away by the concept of the movement. It was an outlet for me to finally share with others what I believed.”
This movement has now become a massive tool used as an outreach to share amazing testimonies that others have experienced through a relationship with Christ. Jason will be joining them this summer on a mission trip and he plans to take along his guitar. I asked Jason if he had ever been to a Winter Jam concert before actually participating in the tour.
Jason - “No, I never really had a chance to go when I was younger. They never came out to the Dallas area before. The tour is going great though, every show has been sold out and it’s an amazing thing to be a part of. The crowds are amazing and all the people that wait in the lines to get in; they really don’t know how much that means to us. It’s also great to hear people express how our songs have helped them with something they have been struggling with.”
Jason hopes that by sharing music from personal experiences and situations that touch his heart it might help others through struggles of their own and encourage them in their faith.
Jason- “I really feel this CD has progressed both musically and in the message that I share. One of my favorite songs is Same Kind Of Broken, which is a duet I do with Moriah Peters who is a great new artist.”
Released January 15, 2013, Only A Mountain is the third studio production from Jason and from what I have heard will be one of many more to follow. Produced by Matt Bronleewe, Ben Glover and David Garcia the eleven tracks all of which were written or co-written by Jason will have you singing along to the chorus the first time you listen to it.
If I had listened to the song that was written for his daughter I would have already known that answer. However, even though Jason wrote the song Enough for Madeline I believe God was using him in a mighty way to deliver a bigger message. Lyrically this is a love song to one’s child. Since we are all children of God, I believe God wants us to know that this is exactly how He feels about us as well. “I want to tell you something I want to tell you that you’re beautiful. Not lost in a sea of souls. I want to tell you something you’re more important than you’ll ever know. Just look around you. Do you know that you’re loved? Do you know that you are enough?” There are so many people out there who do not realize how special and unique they are to God and I really think this song will bless them.
For those struggling through a time of darkness or in the midnight hour, I Believe is sure to reach a place in their heart that will encourage them they are not alone. This song made me question Jason’s musical inspirations because I heard a very pleasant resemblance to a massive Christian artist by the name of Michael W Smith. I hope both of them take that is a compliment, because that is how it is meant.
If it’s Love, was written from Jason’s heart, expressing the difficult times of touring and being away from your family and the late nights. Musicians sacrifice many things to follow their dreams and do what they feel God is calling them to do. I believe this song will minister to couples who are fighting for their marriages whether they are musicians or not.
Being complacent or broken in life is a position no one should be in. Stay This Way, calls us to step out in faith and realize that grace has set us free to move forward. “Just because you’re broken doesn’t mean you’re hopeless. Go ahead and turn the page, don’t be afraid of better days. Put the past behind you, grace has redefined you.”
Same Kind of Broken is a beautiful duet that compares the likeness of all of us. We all have things we are not proud of in our past. Each and every one of us can recall someone who has hurt us or a time in life where we felt broken. “We all come alive, we all fall apart. We all need someone to love us where we are.” It’s a call to reach out to someone who might be in a place where you once was before God sent someone to help pull you out. It’s truly a remarkable message and beautifully orchestrated.
Inspired by an event to raise money for a safe house built in Texas to help victims of sex trafficking, Safe House was penned by Jason to bring awareness to a larger group. I didn’t know the history of the song at first but after learning the inspiration it changed the meaning for me. It made it more profound and emotional because this is such a huge problem in our world and I respect Jason for sharing this on his album and his story. “What if you’re her only shot, what if I’m the last she’s got? What if tomorrow it’s too late? We can’t wait, we can’t wait. You might be her only shot. I might be the last she’s got. Don’t let tomorrow be too late. We can’t wait, we can’t wait.”
Runaway is one of the best vocally performed tracks on the album. You can definitely hear the maturity as an artist birthing in this number. Jason claims this song is his anthem and an invitation to his brothers and sisters in Christ to join him. “I could never stay once I had a taste of Heaven, so you want to be free, be a runaway!”
Sometimes in life the only thing we have the strength to do is just to wake up and open our eyes. Rise To You is a profession of faith that in our weakness He is made strong. “Some days I feel so broken down, just hoping I can make it out, knowing that you see me through I will rise to you. Give me the strength I need to get me off these busted knees.”
Uncertain if he would include it on the album, Jason constructed, Good Love. Bridging the gap between the old and new with a similar sound to his previous album he included this as a definition of his life. Where he once was, to where he is now and all the blessings that God has given him along the way. With his beautiful wife, Mandy and their precious daughter Madeline, Jason has come a long way since that Idol stage.
Maturing into a humble Christian artist living out his dream, not only has God blessed his life, He is using his life to bless others along the way. Be sure to keep your eye on this blue eyed star. God is using Him on His stage. No longer does his stature come based on the number of votes received. God has already cast the ballot and this contender has certainly received the only golden ticket that truly matters.
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