Interview with Ian McCarty: “Moving Mountains” Through Faith and Music

As we dive into an insightful conversation with Ian McCarty, one half of the dynamic duo McCarty & Benge, he shares the excitement surrounding the release of their latest single, “Moving Mountains,” which just dropped. This track serves as a powerful testament to Ian’s journey, weaving together his Christian hip-hop roots with the soulful influence of Southern gospel that defines the duo’s sound.

“Moving Mountains” not only captures the essence of Ian’s experiences in East Tennessee but also embodies the hope and resilience that underpin their music. As the lead single from their forthcoming album, Live On Faith, Ian is eager to discuss how this song reflects their mission to uplift and inspire through a blend of genres that resonates with a diverse audience. Join us as we explore inspiration behind the track, the collaborative spirit, and the powerful messages they hope listeners will take away from this new release.

Can you share the inspiration behind “Moving Mountains”? What experiences led you to write this anthem of faith? 

This concept came about while travelling in East Tennessee. The Smoky Mountains were present on the mind and definitely played a part in the idea for the lyrics. The major takeaway is that we need to continue to praise our God no matter what comes at us, and that God has the ability to move those mountains in our life if we keep faith and we are thankful for those blessings that we have. 

How has your individual musical journeys influenced your collaboration as a duo? What do you think each of you brings to the table that enhances your sound?

We have taken very different paths, including the genre of music that we came up on, so it’s not your normal collaboration, but that’s what we think makes it fun and unique. It’s not every day that a rapper and southern gospel singer cross paths and decide to work together. I can’t sing, and Jason can’t rap, but we both have a love for gospel/christian music and so we wanted to find a way to compliment each other’s areas of weakness with the other’s strengths. Jason brings the ability to play any instrument to the table along with his southern sound and I bring writing and production to the table. 

Can you share the story of how McCarty & Benge came together? What sparked the idea to collaborate after your individual successes?

Jason was a successful touring act with some family members and they were known as The Benge Family Band. They were a southern gospel singing group. I (Ian McCarty) used to be a christian hip hop artist that went by the name dub (do u believe). Together we make up McCarty & Benge.Our wives, Tiffany McCarty and Cynthia Benge, also contribute vocals on our music. My father was Jason Benge’s bands southern gospel promoter, and we played a festival together and that is where we first met and started collaborating. It wasn’t until years later however that we decided to link back up and try something different. We were messing around with some musical ideas and concepts and through those sessions our band and sound was formed.

The lyrics of “Moving Mountains” convey a powerful message. Can you break down some key lines or verses that hold special significance for you?

The verses are nothing that we don’t already know. Life is filled with struggle and pain, it doesn’t matter who you are, we all go through it. The idea is to continue to get back up and try and find and be thankful for the sunshine that you get along the way. Faith is a big part of the album concept as a whole, so the line “put a lot of faith in my faith these days” resonates with a lot of people. Just knowing that no matter what is going on there is another force at work far greater than ourselves that we can rely on. As far as the chorus goes, moving mountains is what it’s all about. We have a mighty God that can help us overcome those mountains or barriers no matter how big, we just need to continue to trust in him, praise him, and be thankful for those blessings that we have.

Can you discuss the musical elements that define “Moving Mountains”? How did you choose the arrangement to complement the song’s message?

When we put together a song, it can often be born out of different paths depending on the song. For example sometimes we have the music first, sometimes we may have the idea for a song title first, sometimes it starts by just writing some ideas for verses, and sometimes it’s the chorus that is created first. In this case, we had the music mapped out then put together some verses. The chorus actually grew out of the direction the verses were going. With any of our songs there is some trial and error as to where we end up creatively, but it’s all a part of the process and we have a blast doing it. 

How has creating “Moving Mountains” impacted your own faith journeys? Did the process of writing and recording the song lead to any personal revelations?

When we write songs we try to stay true to our beliefs and life. Moving Mountains is no exception to that. Writing and recording music has long been a form of spiritual worship for us. It’s the opportunity to slow down life if even for a brief period of time and to allow your thoughts to be solely focused on not just making music, but improving the relationship with Christ. 

What were some of the early musical influences that shaped your careers? Are there specific artists or genres that inspired you both individually and as a duo?

Jason grew up on singers like Kenny Hinson, Ronnie Milsap, Brooks n Dunn, and Joe Diffie. Jason even claimed to go full Ronnie Dunn on the Moving Mountains hook haha. Ian grew up on Toby Mac, 90’s hip hop, Motown, and anything with a beat really. We both have a wide range of music interests and those influences can be heard in our music today. We aren’t afraid to incorporate any style into our music and experimenting with different genres is what we enjoy doing. 

What can you tell us about your upcoming album Live On Faith? Are there any specific themes or messages you’re excited to explore in this project?

We are very excited about our new album. We hope it’s a continuation of our debut album Small Town that we released in 2022. Our newest release, Live On Faith, which comes out November 8, is meant to be a fun, positive, Jesus praising project. Faith is a concept throughout the entire album, and just a recurring message of you are going to get knocked down but that’s not what matters, what matters is that you get back up. It’s through a strong faith that we are able to do that. The album is rooted in songs about Jesus, family, struggle, and some backroad country. 

As “Moving Mountains” prepares to release, is there a final message you’d like to share with your fans or anyone who might be discovering your music for the first time?

Our music is meant to be an opportunity to serve the Lord through music and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We don’t pretend to be without issues or without vices, and hopefully that comes across in the music. We want it to be catchy, and something you can sing along with, but the ultimate goal for us is to introduce people to Jesus through music. Even if we have the ability to impact just one soul, then for us it’s all worth it. We are grateful for anyone that hits play on our songs or adds McCarty & Benge to a playlist, and we hope you enjoy our new stuff!

To stay updated on the duo McCarty & Benge, be sure to follow them on Instagram, FaceBook and X.