Wur'ship Project

Bennington’s very own husband and wife duo of Jeremy and Kaci Neely, known as Wur’ship Project, will be traveling to Nashville, Tennessee to begin recording their third album. Recording will take place at Zodlounge Production Company between April 28 and May 2.

Zodlounge is a music production company dedicated to producing excellent music. It is owned and operated by the former members of the gold selling band Sonicflood. When asked about working with Wur’ship Project, co-owner Brett Vargason stated, “Zodlounge is extremely excited about working with Wur’ship Project. We feel they strike the perfect balance between great music and great lyrics.”

Wur’ship Project is an acoustic rock group from Central Kansas who is making a large impact in today’s music scene. They have been performing at Christian festivals and in churches all over Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana and Alberta, Canada. “Our ultimate goal is to help lead people toward a life with Christ by getting our music out to as many people as possible,” commented Jeremy. While some venues have Wur’ship Project sing concert style, others offer them an opportunity to speak and share the messages behind their music. As a result, this ensemble has developed a relationship with listeners of all ages.

The upcoming trip to Nashville will allow Wur’ship Project to record four original songs that will eventually become part of a quality studio album with a tentative release date of Winter 2008. “This new album will be a radio friendly album, more professional. Our previous albums were ones to get people to start listening, but hopefully this opportunity will expand our base and we’ll make some connections with a national organization that will help us spread our message even more,” stated Jeremy.

The process of making this quality of an album is very complex. Currently the studio is listening to Wur’ship Project’s MP3 versions to get a feel for how their songs should flow. Zodlounge is analyzing the songs’ structures, chords, melodies and they are looking for what the industry calls “hooks.” Once the bed tracks are ready Jeremy and Kaci will work to put the vocals over the top and eventually individual instrumentalists will lay final tracks. The studio may choose to use more studio musicians before doing a final “mix down.” The Neely’s will need to travel to Nashville an additional time to continue this same process on additional songs. They hope to have ten original songs on the forthcoming album.

The studio work will be demanding, however the Neely’s are used to an arduous schedule as they have been performing between 45 and 90 dates per year while holding down a full time job and raising a family. This grueling work involves not only the performances, but time spent in rehearsal, refining their skills and practicing their songs. “It’s miraculous how the Lord has been providing places to play and musicians to help us,” replied Jeremy. “There have definitely been some discouraging times, and yet we are encouraged too and continue to work to build this ministry.” They are praying that the trips to Nashville and the new album will help Wur’ship Project bring their music and message to a much wider audience around the world.
- Minneapolis Messenger - Leslie Baker

Jeremy and Kaci Neely are not afraid to explore their personal lives through music.

And the personal hasn't always been pretty: alcohol and other drugs, depression, low self-esteem and excessive sexual activity have tested the strength of their relationship.

"Music and performing has become good therapy for us," said Jeremy, 33.

The Neelys, who have been married 12 years, front a Christian-based rock and acoustic band called Wur'ship Project. Through their songs, written mostly by Jeremy, the couple have explored what they called "real life issues," much of which they've experienced firsthand.

"A lot of songs are about ourselves, what we've dealt with, the hurts and the pains we've had," said Kaci, 32. "Hopefully, through the music, we encourage young people to make better decisions while they're still young."

Even though the Neelys' music deals with many tough life issues, their songs are anything but depressing, Jeremy said.

"They're encouraging and full of hope," he said. "We just show people that someone else has gone through what they're going through, and that it'll be all right with God's help."

The Neelys, who live in Bennington, have recorded two self-produced CDs, including a live concert CD recorded in Hutchinson and at the couple's home church, Crossroads Church, 1125 W. South.

At the end of April, the Neelys were invited to record four new songs at a Nashville, Tenn., recording studio by a music production company called Zodlounge, whose owners had heard some of the Neelys' songs and were impressed.

For the Neelys, the chance to record their songs in Nashville was the culmination of a longtime dream.

"I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't dream of making music," said Jeremy, who sings and plays guitar, while Kaci provides lead and back-up vocals.

Met in College

The couple met at Barton County Community College when Kaci was 20 and on the college's dance squad, and Jeremy was 21 and on the cheer squad.

After a whirlwind romance, Jeremy and Kaci were married on May 5, 1996. At the beginning, things weren't easy for the young couple. Jeremy was developing a problem with alcohol and other drugs. Both had been sexually active before marriage, and knowledge of each other's previous partners caused feelings of jealousy and hurt.

"Having a partner that's been with so many others creates hurt feelings, anger and a lack of self-worth," Jeremy said. "You can't sweep that under the rug."

They began to work through their personal issues by making music. Shortly after being married, the couple moved to Salina, where Jeremy enrolled at Kansas Wesleyan University to study computer science. He also began taking guitar lessons from local musician Steve Hanson, owner of SM Hanson Music, 335 S. Clark.

"If I didn't, I'd be singing a cappella now," Jeremy said. "I had to learn an instrument to help get out the songs burning in my head."

A Spiritual Relationship

Jeremy wrote country music initially, until the unexpected death of Kaci's uncle in 1999 caused the couple to begin exploring the spiritual side of life.

"We began searching for meaning, something bigger than ourselves, and we came into a relationship with the Lord," Jeremy said. "From there, we moved into Christian rock."

In 2002, they formed Wur'ship Project, even though Jeremy said it's not a typical praise and worship band.

"It's not your Sunday morning stuff," he said. "They're songs that try to make a real emotional connection. In one song, 'Falling Down,' I look at my life through the eyes of the prodigal son as I deal with drug and alcohol addictions in my past. Our mission is to be very open with our songs."

The couple have toured both with a full band and as an acoustic duo throughout the U.S. and up to Alberta, Canada. They mostly book weekend gigs because of job and family commitments. Jeremy is a network administrator for Geoprobe Systems in Salina, while Kaci homeschools the couple's four daughters: Allison, 11, Aubrey, 9, Emma, 4, and Ella, 21 months.

The couple also developed a prison ministry and have visited Ellsworth Correctional Facility and the Ottawa County Jail.

"They're the most receptive audience, and Ellsworth has a great Spiritual Life Center," Kaci said. "We feel like we've made a difference there."

Amazing Musicians

Last year, the couple signed with a Springdale, Ark.-based management company, MacLaughlin Music Group, that focuses on promoting Christian music artists. The company booked the Neelys to record a CD in Nashville and to work with professional musicians who helped the Neelys improve their vocal performances and stage techniques.

They recorded their songs with a full band that included a guitarist who had played with Christian artist Michael W. Smith and a former drummer for country superstar Tim McGraw.

"We've been around creative people before, but these guys were amazing," Jeremy said. "They just kept bubbling forth ideas and made me look at my songs in different ways. They helped pull a richer sound out of us."

The final version of the four-song CD should be mixed in four to six weeks, and then the Neelys will begin shopping it to major record labels and radio stations.

The couple also formed their own record label, 121 Records, on which they plan to release original material and sign up other local musicians.

They've Earned It

To Kaci's brother-in-law Jesse Smith, who helps run their record label, success couldn't have happened to two more deserving people.

"The music has helped (Jeremy and Kaci) heal their past wounds, but it also may help some kid listening to it for the first time," he said. "They're very good at talking about what teens and people in their 20s are struggling through."

In the six years since Wur'ship Project began, the Neelys feel that music has helped change their lives for the better.

"We've grown a lot and come a long way since 2002," Kaci said. - Salina Journal - Gary Demuth