This week on The Sowers, Matt sat down again with Joshua Leventhal — and this time they did something different. Instead of a broad conversation, they went track by track through his brand-new album, Tapiseri: Volume I.
Here's the scope of what Josh is attempting: a 25-song, three-volume concept record that tells the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, entirely through first-person narrative songs. Volume I, four years in the making, covers Creation through the wilderness — the Fall, Cain and Abel, Noah, Babel, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Exodus, and the giving of the Law at Sinai.
What stands out isn't just the scope — it's the craft. Josh explains why the opening track has no words, why "Cursed" jumps into an intentionally jarring key change right out of the wedding-song beauty of "Union," why the song "Vagabond" is sung from the perspective of Abel's ghost, and why he built an entire coda into "Cover" that shifts from Noah's flood to the Tower of Babel.
They also dig into his philosophy of art and discipleship — his conviction that too much Christian art gets reduced to whether it's "useful for Sunday," and his hope that Tapiseri invites people to wrestle with Scripture rather than just nod along to it.
One standout line from the conversation: "Obedience is fruit, not currency."
For listeners who want to sit with the lyrics while they listen, Josh put together a free Companion ebook — full lyrics, commentary on every song, and reflection questions for individual or group use. Many who've used it while listening for the first time say it changes how they experience the record.
GUEST BIO
Joshua Leventhal is a JUNO-nominated, two-time GMA Covenant Award-winning recording artist based near Vancouver, BC. His 2022 debut, ALL YE LEPERS, was both confession and glorification — an unflinching look at the goodness of Christ across the full range of human experience. Tapiseri is his most ambitious project yet, a multi-volume musical tapestry of the whole biblical narrative. He's married to painter Kaitlyn Rose Leventhal.
Stream Tapiseri: Volume I on all streaming and listening platforms (Apple Music or Spotify)
Download the free companion guide: https://www.joshualeventhal.com/tapiseri-volume-1-companion-download-link
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