Mitch McVicker Walking Through the Dark

Though it is a mini-CD, Walking Through the Dark is an epic effort. It is Mitch McVicker’s
second release in what has become his series of smaller offerings, produced more frequently.

According to McVicker, Walking Through the Dark is the only title that fits this collection of
songs at this point in his life. It is the result of observations made over his 15-year, 8-CD, and
1200-concert career.

He says, “I have communicated with people from every region of the country, social circle, age group, and economic situation. I’ve learned that everyone’s life is hard and that we all have mountainous difficulties. It seems we are all made up of a combination of faith, hope, and love AND doubt, confusion, and darkness.”

McVicker once again traveled to Greenjeans studios in Wellington, KS, sat in the producer’s
chair, and called on ultra-talents Michael Aukofer and Carter Green. The three of them locked the doors and immersed themselves in the recording of the 5-song CD.

The opening track, “Here Comes the Day”, combines aggressive rock, folk, and even hip-hop , as McVicker proclaims in the chorus “the darkest night gets shined away”. Over the dream-like groove of “Awaken Me to Love”, McVicker sings “I’m moving past my best-foot-forward
standing, instead I’ll recall what’s been in my soul all along”. In “My Salvation”, which is likely
to become one of his earth-pop anthems, McVicker testifies to God, “You’re the tune I’m
whistling when I’m afraid. So I’ll cling to You when I can’t see”.

“As I look around my world, often I find myself thinking we’re just a bunch of pretenders”,
McVicker says. “Faith does not mean neat, nor is goodness synonymous with comfort. Living a life of hope does not mean living a life of clarity, free of questions and confusion. Following
Jesus, and living out our call to love, surely doesn’t alleviate pain and doubt. We do our best to hang on and walk through the Kingdom of God with the shoes we’ve got. And many times, it’s dark”.

McVicker’s journey began by doing concerts, writing songs, and being roommates with the late, great Rich Mullins. The two of them garnered a Dove award for penning the song, “My
Deliverer”. McVicker was in the car-wreck that took Mullins’ life, and he was left with broken
bones, collapsed lungs, a coma-induced head injury, and a long recovery.

Yet, McVicker, a Kansas native now residing in Atlanta with his family of six, asks, “Who
doesn’t go through struggles and find themselves wandering what is going on? Questions mount as hard times increase and difficulties grow”. McVicker states as bluntly as he can, “If you say to yourself that doesn’t describe me, and things aren’t hard like that for me; I say, you are one of the pretenders”.

McVicker believes most people find themselves walking through the dark. “The faithful person continues to walk when he or she cannot see”, he says. And, he reminds us that we are merelywalking through the dark. “There is a light shining just past the dark. There is another side.”