John Allan
John Allan still vividly remembers his first piano lesson. The way his heart beat a little faster with every note. “I was just a kid, but I remember God’s presence meeting me there,” Allan says. “From there, I think it’s always been about chasing God in music and trying to find His heart in it.”
Growing up in Southern California, Allan’s home was filled with ’80s music and his mother’s favorite Keith Green records. As Allan took more lessons, learned more instruments and started writing songs as a teenager, he quickly discovered artists like The Killers, The National, Gang of Youths, Bon Iver and Novo Amor.
It’s this eclectic mix of indie rock, alt-pop and nostalgic riffs that converge to color Allan’s music. Lyrically, however, his original songs are a reflection of his church-centric upbringing. His parents were both zealous believers who passed on their love for the local church to their son. To this day, Allan still resides in SoCal and leads worship at his local church, a role he cherishes.
Faith came easily and early for the naturally curious kid. “I’ve always been so fascinated by God and who He is,” shares Allan, whose idyllic childhood included countless nights spent at Disneyland. “I’ve always felt drawn to music, but I think beyond music, it’s always been art — whether it’s pictures, melodies, lyrics, poetry, movies, television, scripts… I’ve loved it. So, the fact that I can even desire to create art, well, that’s just God planting that desire for His glory.”
After releasing a pair of EPs in 2022, Allan is now signed to Centricity Music and positioned to reap a musical harvest. A feast for the senses, Allan’s music fuses both his sonic influences and his genuine love for Jesus to create art he hopes affects people.
“The lyrics matter the most,” he contends of his creative process, “because people are going to believe something about God based on what the song is saying. I really believe it’s about stewarding what He’s planted and chasing the idea until it’s healthy enough to thrive in someone else’s life.”
For his debut single, “Living God,” Allan chased down some ideas with Benji Cowart and Kyle Williams. From the very first synth-laced chord progression, the song immediately recalls The Killers. Sonically, it fits seamlessly into Allan’s wheelhouse. Lyrically, it incites awe and praise.
“My prayer is that people put on ‘Living God’ and are not afraid to believe again,” Allan says. “Maybe even someone who’s jaded, who’s mad at the church, who had this wonder when they were young, I pray they listen to this song and are able to find that wonder again and to know there is a God who created imagination; and He’s planted that in the souls of His children. I hope it shakes cars and makes darkness run.”
Allan is also featured on the Centricity Worship release, “Keep On Finding More,” an atmospheric arena-ready offering he wrote with Andy Cherry and Blake Wiggins during a writing retreat in Washington state. A moody, yet vibrant, Sigur Rós-like piano hook opens the anthem.
“‘Keep On Finding More’ is a miracle. Personally, it’s one of my favorite songs God has ever allowed me to be a part of. It feels divine,” Allan offers. “It’s one of those tracks I can’t believe I was in the room for.”
Expanding on the truth found in Ephesians 3:20, the trio crafted a massive rock refrain that exalts God above even the best this life has to offer. “It never runs out with God,” Allan asserts of the song’s message. “There is always something happening when He’s steering. When He’s at the center of it, there’s no ceiling.”
Meanwhile, Allan leans in close on “Heaven Secrets,” an aggressive original he co-penned with Ricky Jackson and Scottie Mills. It serves as motivation for his fellow sojourners in ministry playing the long game, or as Allan poetically describes it, “an outcry to a tired heart.”
“If there is a river, I want to jump in. If there is a fountain, I’ll drink from it. If there is a temple, I’m gonna run in,” he sings against a wall of guitars.
“I think the longer you serve in ministry, the more potential you have for scars, and being hurt, but you really have to run with the mindset of a marathon,” he shares of what he hopes the song encourages. “I think if you’re trying to sprint through ministry, you’re going to get burned out and jaded; and that’s not God’s heart. God’s heart for us is not to be burned out or jaded toward His bride.”
In his own service to the local church, he wants to make sure he’s pacing himself — a rhythm more easily discussed than practiced. “The goal is to be an old man in the house of God some day,” Allan reflects, wistfully. “That’s my hope for my own life as I get older. I don’t want to lose my chase of God just because I put another year on my life, and I think ‘Heaven Secrets’ embodies this childlike faith of like, ‘Hey, stay low. Stay bowed. Stay chasing God. Drink the water. It’s going to be great.’”
It’s advice he’s personally heeding as he steps into a new professional chapter, wide-eyed with wonder at where music is taking him.
“God — He’s the fine artist. He is the giver of gifts, but He really is the gift. No matter what I do, it’s secondary to Him,” Allan asserts. “I almost look at it like God is the big steak on the plate, and music is the fork and the knife; and I have the honor of cutting it and getting to feed it to people. Like, ‘Hey, look right here. Look how good He is.’ I create for the Creator, praying my music bridges the gap so people can experience Him.”
