Us & Our Daughters: A Love Story
By Kaleena Thompson | May 26, 2011 at 6:00 am
Photo by Jordan Jaquess
Some of the best songs are those written after trials, love lost or newfound love. Just ask singer/songwriters Phillip LaRue and his wife Lia.
They met nine years ago in a whirlwind romance, only later to have reality set in. “Nobody told us at some point in our story that we would have to choose each other and choose love back,” Phillip said.
When their first child, Callina, was still an infant, they were expecting baby No. 2. “You can imagine the shock we felt when we found out we were pregnant again while we were holding our four-month-old little girl,” he said. “We were still getting used to being parents to one.”
Overwhelmed with career and life transitions, Lia battled postpartum depression after Jubilee was born. “This took us both by surprise and increased the level of stress we were both feeling regarding our love,” Phillip said. “The interesting thing though is that we began seeing and realizing that God was trying to get our attention through trials.”
Then the real journey began for them. The couple started pouring their emotions into honest songwriting, forming the singing group, Us & Our Daughters. The duo had a simple objective: hash out what they were feeling and put it into songs. “It almost broke us in some ways, but instead of walking away from each other or pretending there wasn’t a problem, we decided to write songs,” Phillip said. “We’re glad we did.”
Phillip, who’s written and produced for the band Tenth Avenue North and singer Brandon Heath, first started singing with his sister, Natalie. Once she got married, he pursued a solo career. He released the album, Let the Road Pave Itself – a vulnerable record on life and faith.
Lia, who’s never sang before now, always dreamed of making music with her husband. Their debut EP, Songs About Us, combines beautiful vocals and honest lyrics that read like an open book of faith.
The genesis, “Does Anybody Know” sets the pure tone of a deeply personal album. “Jubilee,” a melodic tale of Phillip’s sister’s medical complications tells of reassured hope. Meanwhile, cheery sounds in “Honey” declares I think that we’ll be fine.
“We had to be honest, real and vulnerable, even when it was uncomfortable,” Phillip said. “Through this process, we fell for each other all over again. What we’re learning and still are is that love is truly a choice worth choosing in the midst of whatever valleys we may have to walk through.”
You can download Songs About Us at iTunes.
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