“Amaze Me.”  A simple message proclaimed in an open field under a perfect blue sky. These lyrics are sweetly sung like a lullaby. The only musical accompaniment, a guitar and the sounds of nature. The visuals embody the famous words of an ancient king recorded in the 23rd Psalm, “You make me lie down in green pastures.” “Amaze Me” is the first music video release from the Contemporary Christian artist Tobias’s upcoming EP. New to the indie music scene, Tobias is hitting the ground running with a plan to release one music video per month through May leading up to the finished project slated to come out this summer. The EP is still under development with its title still up in the air, but one thing is for sure—he wants his music to help people. 

This album has been a long time coming. The Atlanta-born singer has had this dream in his heart since the age of 5 years old, although he didn’t start writing songs until he was 17 after discovering faith. He attributes his sudden skill as the natural overflow of the newfound joy and sense of belonging he’d yearned for most of his life. Tobias, whose name means “God is good,” was raised by a single mother in the military, moving around the world during his earlier years, living in places including Hawaii, Tennessee, Virginia, California, New York, and Germany. He shares about often feeling like the outcast for different reasons. His songs come from that tender and most secret place of heartache and hope. “A lot of my music does go to the people that are castaways.” He confesses, “That was one of my greater struggles, being unnoticed.” He continues describing the constant purposelessness he felt. “I was true to myself, but people thought I was odd, so I just wasn’t confident. When I gave my life to God, all that flew out the window. I didn’t care anymore. I felt accepted and knew I belonged to Him, and that was enough.” Knowing that makes the vulnerable surrender displayed in his music video so much more meaningful.

When asked about the goal of his music, he replies without hesitation, “I just want to be authentic, vulnerable, relatable, and relational. Engaging in conversations with different people (in my travels) lets me see their same inspiring need for God. I’m always looking at myself.” Tobias explains, “If someone is telling me that they are overcoming a drug addiction, I have never been addicted to drugs so I can never understand that fully. But when I think about certain relationships that shouldn’t be in my life, I see how my addiction to our connection feels consuming and hard to let go.” Interestingly enough, he doesn’t get too specific about his personal struggles in his music. But it’s only the first project. He admits that his music is “very ambiguous.” Mostly, this mini-album is meant to introduce him to the world and touch as many people as possible. But there is a mysterious depth and obvious passion about him that makes one want to know more of his story. A true extrovert, he is no stranger to the spotlight. His instagram is steadily growing thanks to his celebrity-like presence and the constant stream of encouragement he offers to followers. New episodes of his podcast Tobias Motivations, a favorite of friends and fans, are returning by the end of January, and there are many things the singer is looking forward to as everything comes into place. 

A few current inspirations for his songwriting style are Big Daddy Weave, Jimmy Needham, and Francesa Batistelli. He looks up to voices like David Archuletta and Tori Kelly and enjoys the harmonies sung by The Walls Group. He also adds, “Lauren Daigle’s story impacts me—her personality. A lot of people are afraid to be themselves. I like when somebody can just authentically be goofy out in the open.” Growing up he also admired the vocals of Tank, Maxwell, Craig David, and Chris Brown. This single, much like the rest of the EP, has an acoustic, simplistic feel, but there are no boxes or limits for this artist. More and more artists in this generation are erasing the lines and labels to express themselves more fully and creatively. It’s a beautiful thing! Music should be a journey, and artistry should grow and expand with the artist. This unique initial look into the launch of Tobias’s first ever project is exciting to share because so many people out there can relate to the daunting feat of simply taking those first steps to share their ideas with the world. When asked about the timing of this project, he opens up about the many perceived obstacles that held him back. “I believed I had to have all these things I didn’t have—the right people, the right schooling—but at some point I realized I needed to just trust in what was already inside me and believe that God has equipped me to do whatever it is I need to do.” Preach! We can pretty much end on that note. Check out the new music video for “Amaze Me” and join us in following this singer/songwriter’s journey. Follow his Instagram @Tobiasinspirations and check out his podcast: https://anchor.fm/tobiasmotivations

Author: Gabrielle Solange