Chris August has struck a balance in a beautiful tension. The soulful singer-songwriter who cites influences from Stevie Wonder to Boyz II Men accepts the call to speak the truth and pour every ounce of his being into his music, without taking himself too seriously. This equilibrium is evident on the award-winning artist’s new record, The Upside of Down, due out on August 21. The record explores the beauty of God’s omnipresence and abiding love, and the lead single, “Center Of It,” points to God’s promise to be with His people in the midst of the highs and lows of our lives. The Upside of Down isn’t August’s first break into the music industry by any means. His Fervent Records debut, 2010’s No Far Away, cemented his name in the Christian music world and earned the Texas native the coveted titles of “New Artist of the Year,” “Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Pop Contemporary Album of the Year” at the 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards. That record also spawned the massively popular radio single “Starry Night,” which held the No.1 spot on Billboard’s Christian / AC chart for six consecutive weeks and was the first debut single to reach No.1 on that chart in more than three years.<br>An enthusiastic Stevie Wonder fan, August’s gospel music influences are especially clear on his record on songs like the groove-heavy “Amen.” With titles like “Restore,” “Let There Be Light,” “I Believe” and “A Little More Jesus,” the songs on The Upside of Down see August turning to traditional gospel themes, capturing their enduring truths with his pen while infusing them with the new energy of his pop-laden yet grippingly expressive sound. When it’s all said and done, the musically meticulous artist who sees each of his songs from the initial writing phase to the fully orchestrated, mixed and mastered track, says his primary hope as a songwriter is to write and produce songs that people relate to, songs that meet them where they are and offer something in that interaction.