Jason Castro

For Castro, those five words – “You just gotta have faith” – currently serve as a kind of creative centerpiece. “I love ‘Only a Mountain’ as the first single, because I think it sums up a lot of things that I’ve realized in the past few years,” he says. “There’s definitely been a lot of challenges and adversity, and those things have really shaped the album. I’ve found a new life through all of it.” Castro admits he’s gone through some pretty “monumental stuff” of late – including the birth of his first child, daughter Madeline, in August of 2011 – but it’s brought him to an even stronger spiritual place. “I’ve always believed in God and his power, but I didn’t really have faith, you know?” he asks. “I had this knowledge, and this acknowledgement, like, ‘God, you’re there, I want you to be honored and everything… but I’m not ready to give you this.’” He pauses, and his joy is palpable. “I’ve learned to give it up.”