Ep 223: Martin Smith: Songs, Seasons, and Surrender

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Delirious? frontman and worship pioneer Martin Smith joins Levi for a heartfelt conversation about music, calling, and the long road of faith. Martin shares how a random suggestion from his dad led him from cricket dreams to a secondhand guitar, a Holy Spirit encounter at nineteen, and early worship songs like “Lord, You Have My Heart” and “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever.” They trace the unlikely British wave of worship that swept the world, how Delirious? broke all the “rules,” and why Martin still believes deeply in the local church as the home that saves, shapes, and steadies creatives. 

From the near-fatal car accident that pushed him to go “all in” with Cutting Edge/Delirious? to nine-minute spontaneous tracks and leaving holy space in worship, Martin talks about the power of music to heal, deliver, and reorient our hearts. He and Levi explore prophetic songwriting, how some lyrics arrive far beyond our understanding, why streaming stats feel like everyone’s paycheck on display, and how to help a new generation make pure, cutting-edge worship in a numbers-obsessed world.

The conversation also gets wonderfully practical and tender—why “the devil hates flags,” what it means to raise a banner and recover undignified praise, how Martin chose to walk away from arenas for the sake of his kids, and the decade he spent in the shadows asking, “Am I done?” Now a grandpa called “Pops,” Martin reflects on legacy, singing “Our God Reigns” with new weight, and learning to embrace each season—whether it’s feeding 20,000 or 4,000—as part of God’s good story. 

Connect with us on social!
Martin: @martinsmithtv
Levi: @levilusko
Jennie: @jennielusko
Fresh Life Church: @freshlife

[Links]
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Time Stamps
01:16 – From teach-yourself guitar to “Lord, You Have My Heart”
11:35 – A midnight crash, Cutting Edge, and saying yes to God
20:21 – “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble” and breaking the worship rulebook
29:12 – Was creation sung into being? Music, memory, and wonder
31:03 – Romania, gold flags, and why the devil hates flags
38:32 – Leaving Delirious?, hidden years, and becoming Pops