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c w i s t u e M e t s SwMore Than Ju It’s
If you love Southern Gospel Music, tight harmony, and scripture-filled music, you are probably well aware of “The Female Quartet of Southern Gospel Music” known as Sweetwater Revival. They hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Yes, you heard that right, Minnesota! Many find it surprising that a Southern Gospel group of ladies would come from the far North, but Sweetwater Revival has found that people are hungry for Southern Gospel music everywhere, and Minnesota is no exception! This year their quartet will celebrate a decade of music ministry. In 2004, founding member Katie Paull was living in Nashville, Tennessee, and singing with “The New Speers.” This was a ministry was formed by Faye and Brock Speer’s oldest son, Marc Speer. Katie states, “To even be a small part of the Speer Legacy was a phenomenal blessing. I had lived in Nashville for about four years waitressing and pursuing every music contact I could get my hands on. This included meeting with various A&R reps from record labels around town, doing demos with producers, pitching myself to songwriters to be a demo singer, and singing all over town in various venues. I learned so much during this time about the music industry and I will never regret my time there.
By Paige Givens and Katie Paull “I eventually felt the Lord leading me back to Minnesota,” Katie continues. “I had sold my bed and a lot of my furniture, and then I awoke one Saturday morning to a message from Marc Speer saying he’d heard about me from a friend. He was interested in me auditioning for his alto position. I almost fell off my couch! Upon auditioning and joining The New Speers, one of my greatest joys became reality. At that point I decided to stay in Tennessee indefinitely. “Singing and traveling with The New Speers was one of the greatest joys of my life. Eventually Marc decided to disband The New Speers and I was heartbroken. During that time of transition, I felt the Lord leading me back to Minnesota. Moving home was very difficult in some ways because I thought that had to mean I was giving up my dream. In reality, God provided just the opposite. I moved home to discover my songwriting mother was in rapid speed, having written hundreds of gospel songs and my dad said, ‘Why don’t you just start your own quartet?’ And thus the vision for Sweetwater Revival began. I don’t think it would have happened without my parents’ belief in my vision for an all-female quartet.” Through much prayer and many auditions with various singers, Katie and her mother Cathie formed Sweetwater Revival. Their deepest