Music is at its best when it transcends mere entertainment to offer insights that are challenging and life changing. To create that caliber of music, an artist must have really lived, fighting through life’s toughest emotional canyons and embracing the victories that wait on the other side. Brian Bates is such an artist.

On his new collection, Worlds Collide, Bates’ gift for delivering memorable melodies intersects with his compelling observations on life and faith. "Music is a vehicle," Bates says. "I really think what I have to offer the most is my experiences in life, my relationship with God and what I’ve learned about love and life and heartache and joy and hope."

Bates’ journey began in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago. He was a sensitive child who always had a passion for Jesus and music. "Musically, two negatives must make a positive because neither of my parents could carry a tune," says Bates with a laugh. "They always supported me and were excited about my musical gift. I began playing piano and singing at a young age. I was a little ham on stage from the get go. That’s always been a part of me, but I definitely didn’t get it genetically."

His parents did instill in him a love for the Lord, yet even as a child, he developed his own relationship with his savior. "I definitely had a relationship with Jesus when I was a kid," he says with a smile spreading across his face. "It wasn’t just the faith of my parents. I remember loving Jesus and going to church and just knowing that kind of relationship with God. It was such a blessing because down the road, as I strayed away, I knew my way back home. My heart knew what it was like to be a child of God. That was a real blessing to learn at an early age."

Though he loved to perform and was active in his church’s music ministry, it wasn’t something Bates really considered pursuing as a profession. Instead he headed to college and somewhere along the way lost his sense of self. "I had two older brothers and I kept seeing them get in trouble, so I opted to be the good kid," he says of his childhood and high school years. "I didn’t really sow my wild oats until college. I felt like I needed to experiment and that’s when my faith really got challenged. Interestingly in that period of time when I supposedly fell away from the Lord, I felt like He was a part of my life the whole way through. He was always waiting for me to come home. So I don’t call it falling away from the Lord, but I definitely blew him off for five years."

Bates began partying and got involved in a gay lifestyle. "I just wanted love and acceptance and to finally fit in somewhere," he says candidly. "It really wasn’t because of who I preferred to be with, but more so an identity and a place to belong. But it wasn’t working. My relationships and friendships weren’t satisfying. I realized there was something amiss. It wasn’t satisfying my soul and me as a person. I was not at peace, but I didn’t leave that lifestyle because I was afraid of going to hell. I left it behind because I fell in love with a God that I could trust. That is absolutely my story."

Within a week, his life turned completely around. He recalls being in a bar one Sunday night and by the next Sunday morning, he was back in church. "At the age of 23, I was at the end of my rope and I really felt God call me back home," he says. "When I started my life over again, God resurrected the two desires of my heart - my love for Him and for music. I remember God saying, ‘Brian, you know what you’ve always wanted to do, let’s get back to it!’"

Like most aspiring artists, Bates supported his musical habit with a day job. Instead of being a waiter or working in retail, he forged a successful career as an investment broker. Soon his musical pursuits began eclipsing his day job and Bates cut his schedule back to allow more time for his burgeoning music ministry.

In 2005, he recorded an album "Outside the Lines," working with producer Nate Sabin (Sara Groves, Jason Gray, Michael Olson). It was well-received, producing two Top 30 singles on the CRW Inspo charts, 40+ radio interviews and several positive reviews such as CBN.com, The skeptic in me has to give this ‘indie’ worshipper his due. Bates has what it takes. The collection began attracting an enthusiastic fan base who were drawn to Bates’ honest lyrics and the emotional integrity in his performances. That year Bates attended GMA in the Rockies. He was a semi-finalist in the Contemporary Christian Vocal Solo III category and a song-writing finalist in the Pop-Adult Contemporary/Inspirational category.

On Worlds Collide, Bates takes his artistry to the next level. This was confirmed early on by Infinity Distribution signing a contract with Brian even prior to the CD’s completion. "It’s this passion in me," he says. "I know there’s a calling in me to share my songs and story."

Bates has a gift for pouring his complex life experiences into songs that acknowledge the struggles in life, yet also serve up hope that can be found in a relationship with our creator. "There’s a new song on this record called ‘In Rhythm with You’ that’s about how a relationship can be with God," says Bates. "I talk about what it’s like to experience a closeness and connection with God because of what Jesus did. I’m really passionate about that. I’m not settling for a status quo Christian faith. I’m diving in because God is all about relationships."

Another compelling song on the project is "Canyon." "That’s one of my favorites," enthuses Bates. "It’s about God calling us out of our comfort zone." The canyon between/here and where you're calling me/seems so wide, looks so deep/But I know that I can't stay/to become all that I can be/Canyon's wide, but hope runs deep tonight.

In recording Worlds Collide, Bates again worked with producer Nate Sabin. "He really helped me identify what I’m good at in songwriting and what I’m not. Nate thinks I write a great 10-minute song," Bates says of his producer’s good-natured ribbing about the length and depth of his songs.

Many of the songs on Worlds Collide were inspired by Bates’ work in Africa. Over the past two years, he’s helped develop a project called "Mission Bo", a partnership with World Vision dedicated to bringing clean water, food, healthcare and education to the people of Sierra Leone. "It was a window into learning about things that break the heart of God," says Bates of traveling to Africa. "We are committed to this 10-15 year development project. Seven buddies and I went over there a year ago for the first time, going to the poorest of the poorest of the poor, no running water, no electricity. It all got under our skin and just completely changed our paradigm about what really matters."

The song "Elijah" was inspired by a man Bates met during his travels. "During Sierra Leone’s civil war in the 90’s, young boys were taken from their families and communities to become soldiers. They were drugged, brain washed and trained to become effective killers," Bates says. "One day we got a flat tire, and as the tire was being fixed a few of us wandered off to a nearby village. All of a sudden, there’s this young man speaking violently at us, though we soon discovered he was harmless and speaking nonsense." The man had been a child soldier and completely lost his mind as a result of the atrocities he’d been forced to endure.

"Some day justice will be done," Bates says. "One day, all that was lost will be restored by God. There is hope for Elijah. And for the rest of us."

Brian Bates knows firsthand the power of God’s restoration and the gift of grace. That knowledge infuses his music and directs his life. "The bottom line is Jesus is my hero," he says. "I love him and I loved how he lived his life. I just dig it. I want to follow in those footsteps. I want to take it a little outside the box, but absolutely represent the heart of the Father, just like Jesus did. That’s my goal."

For more information, check out www.brian-bates.com