Fair Trade Services announces the latest addition to its family of artists – Verses, an Australian pop trio made up of brothers Joel and Luke O’Dea and Luke’s wife, Jess. A group that started making music to reach out to the kids in Joel’s youth group quickly turned into something much more than they expected. Being discovered through the songs they posted on YouTube led them to sign with fair trade services who were immediately drawn to their ministry.
“When I met Joel, Luke and Jess, I was immediately drawn to their music and their heart for the Word of God,†says James Rueger, Vice President, A&R for Fair Trade Services. “They built their name around a deep belief that the Word spoken would NOT return to the void. Their passion for their music and their vision of sending the word of God to the world made it a very easy partnership. I am delighted to see how God uses this music.
The trio couldn’t agree more, sharing: “We are delighted to be partnering with Fair Trade! They grabbed the vision of what we think God has asked us to do with our music and have been great in helping us continue in that direction. To have a team with such experience and success in the music industry, who are passionate believers and great people, working together to bring our music into people’s lives is a dream.
The band’s first single, “Grateful, â€Just debuted last night on FreeCCM.com and is also available now on their Vevo channel. On first listen, “Thankful” is a joyful pop piano anthem that plays like a montage of the band’s early days and everything that followed. Finding true joy in God’s goodness has given the trio a spirit of gratitude that colors every decision they make, and the timing couldn’t be better to release the song.
“From the moment the melody of ‘Thankful’ came to life, we believed that it would bring a divine feeling of gratitude and joy into people’s lives, as it did with us,†they explain. “We wanted to capture that meaning in the thank you video clip; that in everyday situations, good and bad, we have a reason to be thankful. Whether it’s the beauty of creation, the community around us, or even just knowing Jesus in our lives. We had so much fun making the video in our hometown of Newcastle, Australia – a place to be very thankful for! “
Still residing in Australia, VERSES remains grateful for all that has happened and full of hope for what is to come. It’s less about what they have to do and more about where their songs can go. “This is the mission of VERSES,†says Luke, “to sing these Bible truths into the hearts of people so that it becomes a part of their daily lives.â€
Jess adds: “We are fully convinced that the support of the word of God does not matter. It will complete whatever it was sent for. It is special for us that we can send the word of God to places we will never go. This is our true north.