Faith & Fitness Magazine: So, I hear you like to play kickball, softball and even football! I’m going to guess we won’t get a Christian “Barbie Doll” experience at your concert.
Britt Nicole: Most likely not. I am definitely not the girly girl type. Don’t get me wrong, I love to dress up and look pretty, but on a regular basis I’m all about having fun. Usually that involves not being afraid to get dirty. I played soccer last week in the rain…you only live once right? I don’t have time to constantly be worrying about what I look like. At my concert you will have fun. I jump around, dance, head bang, sweat, (haha) you won’t be disappointed!
F&F: You like being active outside. What energy does that give to both your life and your music?
BN: It just makes me feel better. It’s nice to take a break from writing, recording, or traveling and just get outside. It refreshes me.
F&F: Favorite outdoor destination and why?
BN: There is this park in Franklin, TN that I love to go to. There is a huge field with beautiful trees, a really pretty river and a bridge that lights up at night. It’s relaxing and peaceful.
F&F: So a major concert tour must make for an incredibly busy schedule. Do you intentionally schedule time for regular exercise, does it happen ‘whenever’ or is your song Holiday where you sing, “Lack of sleep is what I do”, way too accurate?
BN: That lyric is pretty much dead on. I love to sleep, so I’m pretty much complaining in that song, haha, getting my frustration out. I exercise when I can. It is very important to me, but sometimes other things (like sleep!) take priority.
F&F: To whom do you look for fellowship, encouragement and accountability in both your physical and spiritual fitness?
BN: My mom is always encouraging me to work out. My brother and I laugh because she always says “you know they say…..’’ and finishes with something like, “if you walk 3 times a week your less likely to get this, or that” haha. We always say, “who said that?” …it’s pretty funny. As far as spiritual, I have several women that I talk to on a regular basis who are a constant encouragement in my life. They also hold me accountable and provide me with Godly counsel when I am in a place of decision.
F&F: I hear you’ve been dancing for more than a decade. That reminds me of a Steve Taylor song, This Disco Used To Be A Cute Cathedral. Many people segregate faith from daily life. Can the dance practice floor and stage be a kind of church (where you experience fellowship with others, praise and worship to God, freedom of spirit and challenge to be all God has called you to be)?
BN: Of course it can be, it was that for me. Dancing makes me feel free. It’s a lot like songwriting for me. I’m expressing how I feel, through something I love. There were times when I walked into dance class feeling upset and discouraged, and I would leave feeling great. I don’t know, there’s just something about it that makes every thing better.
F&F: Talk about the physical side of dance. How much exercise do you get?
BN: It’s a work out for sure! I think I get more exercise from that than anything else.
F&F: In terms of getting dance down to a science, what do you think it takes … sense of rhythm, coordination, willingness to be uninhibited, balance, creativity …?
BN: All of the above, along with focus and drive. I used to take classes that would go for four hours at a time. We would take short water breaks every now and then and for the most part I wouldn’t break, I would stay in the room and go over the things that I didn’t have down yet. I love that you said willingness to be uninhibited, that’s huge. The good thing about dance is that you can teach someone how to do it, unlike singing. I don’t believe you can teach someone to sing. You can help some one be better, but I don’t believe that you can take someone who has no natural ability to sing and teach them. There are natural dancers and you can spot them right away, but it is possible to learn and become a great dancer.
F&F: In terms of getting your faith down to a science, what do you think it takes?
BN: I don’t know that I will ever have it down to a science, but I do believe that my walk with God can be simple. I want to fall more in love with Jesus everyday. By spending time with Him in worship, prayer, silence and His word, my mind is transformed and my faith is encouraged.
F&F: Your new project Say It on Sparrow Records is intended to bring healing to listeners. In what areas of your life have you experienced healing?
BN: My parents were divorced when I was seven. I didn’t think that I could ever let go of the pain from that experience. But God brought healing into my life 3 years ago when I realized that I had un-forgiveness in my heart toward my parents. When I realized that, I knew that I had to forgive them and let go. Real healing came into my life at that moment, a true joy and peace like I had never known. It was amazing. I want to see God bring that kind of healing and freedom to others lives.
F&F: I really like the song “Good Day”. It is extremely upbeat musically and spiritually. I can’t wait for gym’s to start playing this for their members – it will be an awesome group fitness tune. You sing, “I’m gonna’ let this go — I’m not gonna’ take it!” The lyrics are motivated, bold, and defiant … maybe even a bit of over-the-top in-your-face anger. Is this your aggressive football nature coming out? What do you tell people that think that’s not how “Christians” should act?
BN: Yeah, I can be pretty aggressive when it’s something that I’m passionate about! I would say to people that “Good Day” is an honest song. I called the record “Say It,” because I wanted to express how I felt and what I believed, whether it was something positive, negative or somewhere in between. That’s life, you know? Everyday is not good. We have bad days and bad things happen in life. I am free to talk about those things. My fans, and Christians in general, are begging for honesty, for something real and I will be that.
F&F: Many peoples’ faith all-to-often is unfortunately like their physical fitness – a big act, lots of show for other people but not much substance. We get good at masking our unhealthy lifestyles and actually make things worse. You say, “In a world that aches – we say it’s only living.” I wonder how much Christians really see the, “heartbreak on every face”. What do you think Christians can do to get past the façade so that people can discover what is real?
BN: We are afraid to take off our mask and be real because we are afraid we will be judged. We are scared of people. Maybe they will think differently of me or maybe they won’t accept me like they did before. How crazy is that? The Bible says that all have fallen short. So why are we scared of each other? We have all experienced some kind of pain, we have all faced temptation and we have all fallen short. We are in desperate need of a savior and His name is Jesus. We have to learn to love each other the way He loves us, with no condemnation. If we can develop a real trust with one another, we will start to open up and share the deep issues that have been hidden for so long.
F&F: So, I hear you Want To Set The World On Fire. What a powerful song. It’s really an intimate prayer that stirs desire. I want to see this one used in a group spinning class and hear participants sing along, “Lord with you there is nothing I can not do.” That is the beauty of humble commitment as compared to the usual self-confident arrogance. How does God take dreams and make them come true?
BN: God can do anything. For me it was a simple act of obedience, faith and trust. God spoke to me and said that he wanted to use me and I said “ok I want to be used.” Secondly, I had to believe what He said. He told me that all of the dreams in my heart would come to pass if I would surrender everything to Him….notice the “if”, there is always an “if”. Then I had to trust. I had to stand on his promise even when it looked like nothing was working out. He is always in control.
F&F: What is your biggest fear right now?
BN: God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of a sound mind. I used to struggle with fear a lot, but now I’m learning to breathe and rest in God’s love and protection.
F&F: You seem confident that God is bigger.
BN: Always!
Britt Nicole – Aggressive And Passionately Honest
