Hope Darst is a singer, songwriter, and worship leader who desires to see people encounter the love of Jesus while being restored and set free in His presence. Whether through sincere, artful expression or congregational praise music, Hope’s goal is always the same - to worship God in everything. 

While known for her powerhouse vocals, her ability to lead worship with authority and conviction is what marks Hope the most as a worship artist. Her passion drives her to write candidly about every aspect of her faith, from struggles to victories, mountaintops to valleys. The journey is what led to her penning songs like “Peace Be Still,” “Promise Keeper,” “Set Free,” and “Come Alive.” 

Following the signing of her first record deal in 2019 at the age of 39, Hope debuted her album Peace Be Still in 2020. The album included the chart-topping singles "Peace Be Still" and "Promise Keeper," while also garnering her 3 GMA Dove Nominations in 2021. These included Worship Recorded Song of the Year, Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year, and New Artist of the Year. 

“I wrote my first album, Peace Be Still over the span of five years and it was one of the most rewarding times creatively for me and we made music that I am incredibly proud of," she says. "This time around, it was a wildly different experience, one that stretched me and pulled new things out of me. I had to dig deep for these songs and in the end I am so glad that I did because I am equally proud of this project and excited to share it with everyone." 

The seven-song EP titled If the Lord Builds the House includes all new songs written both by Hope and her longtime collaborators (Jonathan Smith, Mia Fieldes, Andrew Holt, Ethan Hulse, Jason Ingram, Sarah Reeves, and Casey Brown), while also including new additions such as David Leonard, Austin Davis, Jon Reddick, and Reuben Morgan, to name a few. 

In December 2021, Hope gathered some of her closest friends together for a songwriter retreat for the new project. “For more than a year, I kept showing up day after day expecting that new songs would just come easy and fast, but they didn’t. I had to dig really deep and for a long time for new songs. And at the end of 2021, I was ready to quit trying, but I felt God ask me to gather a few of my favorite friends and collaborators and give it one more shot.” 

What came from that time away with friends was a new collection of songs and a renewed passion for songwriting. “On the first day of the retreat, we wrote ‘If the Lord Builds the House’ and ‘Give You the Glory.’ I knew something had shifted. I felt God renewing my passion for songwriting and once it all started to click, I couldn't stop. More and more songs began to come, even for several months afterward.” 

The songwriting retreat indeed proved fruitful with four of the songs making their way onto this latest project, including Hope’s most recent single which bears the EP title, “If the Lord Builds the House.” The first song boldly declares Joshua 24:15 with the lyrics, "As for me and my house we're gonna serve you Lord / So here's the keys / Come on in / Everything we have is yours.” Hope says, “This single felt like the right song to start with. It was a new song that circled back both sonically and lyrically to styles of music that have always influenced me, but maintained the goal of writing songs that are rooted in God’s word.” 

Collaborations with fellow artists are just one of the many new things found on the EP from Hope. She features a new version of her single “If The Lord Builds The House” with Jon Reddick, and the powerful worship song, “Give You the Glory,” featuring David Leonard, who also co-write and produced the track. Additionally, after serving alongside each other for the past eight years at The Belonging Co., drummer Austin Davis is featured as both a co-writer and producer on “Honey” and “Coming Back.” 

“‘Coming Back’ is the most personal and vulnerable song for me on this project. Austin knew first-hand how special this song was to me and captured every emotion that I poured into it. This song is about having “Hannah Faith” when you're in the “in-between” and still waiting on a promise or prayer to be answered. It's about the willingness to keep coming back to God over and over again with tears and worship in even the hardest seasons. God is faithful and good and He always shows up. For me, this new project and these songs are evidence of God showing up and pouring out what I didn’t have and couldn't create on my own.” 

One of the EP’s songs that followed the retreat includes “Breakthrough’s Coming,” an up-tempo corporate worship song declaring anything is possible when we call on the name of Jesus. The track was written by Hope and other well-known worship leaders and songwriters, Reuben Morgan and Jason Ingram, with Ingram taking lead as producer. Also joining the new collection of songs is “Never Walk Alone,” an emotional ballad about God’s faithfulness written by Hope, Tommy Iceland, Jess Cates, Lizzie Morgan, and Jonathan Smith, who also produced the song. “It was so nice to get back into the studio with Jon for a big ballad. My whole career as a recording artist started with ‘Peace Be Still’ which is a huge ballad that Jonathan produced. I couldn’t imagine asking anyone else to produce this new ballad but him. I can’t wait for people to hear it. I sang my heart out on this one, and it means a lot to me. It’s my life story wrapped into a song.” 

While this new EP may have come together with new collaborators and sounds, the project still rings true of Hope’s signature heartfelt lyrics and powerful vocals that deliver worship songs for both the church to sing and believers to declare. 

“I hope when people hear these songs they hear what I know to be true of God in every season. His name is a firm foundation that cannot be torn down. His name has the power to change anything. He alone deserves the glory. His name is sweeter than honey and more than enough. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is faithful and never, ever fails to show up.” 

Hope currently lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, David, and their two daughters. She is a Fair Trade Services recording artist and serves as a worship leader at The Belonging Company.