“I’m such a Christmas girl to my core,” said Riley Clemmons.
The Christian singer-songwriter is a big fan of the holiday season, from the weather to the nostalgic memories to, of course, the music. That’s why it’s no surprise that Clemmons dropped her second Christmas EP this month, Come Adore Him. And while Clemmons has a lot of happy memories around this time of year, she knows that’s not the case for everyone. But she hopes that through her music, she can make the season just a little bit brighter.
Ahead of her EP’s release, we spoke with Clemmons about her new music, this season of life, and what to do when you feel overwhelmed.
You can also hear this interview on The RELEVANT Podcast.
RELEVANT: This is often a busy time of year, especially when you’re releasing new music and touring. Does it feel a little hectic some days?
Riley Clemmons: You know, I’m such a Christmas girl to my core. And because I love Christmas so much, I feel like I thrive being busy this time of year. Getting to put out Christmas music is one of my favorite things in the world. I’ve loved and cherished this season since I was a little kid. It’s always been the time of year I looked most forward to and loved the decorations, the cheerfulness, and the colors—the music, and of course the heart of the season and what it’s celebrating as well. But it’s been so special to be busy doing all things Christmas. Being out on the road with the iconic Michael W. Smith—I grew up on his Christmas records—it’s so crazy.
I know you’ve put out a Christmas EP before. What made you want to do another one?
The first Christmas EP I put out came out when I was 19, which is crazy. I’m 24 now, so a lot of life has happened. A lot of time has passed, and as my sound and my taste in music and vocality have changed and grown and evolved, I love making Christmas music. I wanted to do something that captured the current season I’m in and the growth I’ve undergone as an artist and as a woman over the past handful of years. This year specifically, knowing that I’d be on the road with Michael and that it would be all things Christmas, it felt like the perfect time to record one of my favorites and to write some Christmas songs. We wrote a handful of Christmas songs, and hopefully in the near future, you’ll get to hear more of them because there are so many I love.
One of my absolute favorites is a song called “Commodore Hymn.” It’s so special. The bridge pays homage to “O Come All Ye Faithful,” one of my favorite Christmas hymns. We put that song out this year, and it’s been really special to play it on the road too.
What are some of the changes that you’ve gone through that you wanted to share with others?
Lord, how much time do you have? Goodness, it’s funny. Being in your 20s is crazy. That’s what I’ve learned very quickly. It’s not for the faint of heart. Golly, the past few years have taught me a lot. There have been beautiful moments and really hard moments. It’s funny how the most challenging moments tend to be the ones that God uses to grow you the most.
I think there has been a slow, beautiful process of learning who I am. I started making music and creating very young, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I cherish that I got to start so young. Naturally, with new experiences—experiencing really low lows, heartbreak, rejection, and getting knocked down—you figure out who you are when you learn how to get back up again. You figure out what you’re passionate about, what you want to say, what you like to make. My relationship with Jesus is so different than it was when I was 19, and I’m so grateful for that. Not that there was anything wrong with my relationship with Jesus at 19—I just know Him so much better.
The lessons life has handed me have pushed me to be more honest and vulnerable with the Lord, myself, my friends, and my family. I think that’s reflected in the music I’m making. Sonically, I feel like I’ve found homebase a little bit more. I’m not trying as hard to be something. I’m simply learning what it’s like to just be Riley and what that sounds like, looks like, and feels like. It’s a whole process, but it’s very surreal to get to make music and document it all through all the changes and ebbs and flows.
I think in a way, you perfectly summed up what it’s like to be in your 20s and the fun roller coaster that it is.
Yes, most of the time it’s fun. And then you have those days where you’re like, “My Lord, help me, God.” It’s both.
For someone who’s on the downside of the roller coaster right now, do you have any encouragement for them as they’re going through a tough season?
I’m no stranger to a tough season. To be really candid with you, this year was filled with really hard moments where I was at the lowest I’ve ever been in my life. You learn a lot in those moments. But I would say to the person who feels like they’re bottoming out, like they don’t know how it’s going to get any worse and also don’t know how it’ll get any better—give it one more day. Just give it one more day. When you’re in those seasons where things feel too heavy, like you can’t go on, it seems overwhelming to think about life and the grand scheme of how you’re going to get through this week. My dad’s always told me that when life feels heavy like that, instead of thinking about, “My God, how am I going to get through this week?” think, “How do I get through the next day?” If the day’s overwhelming, get through the next hour. If the hour’s overwhelming, get through the next minute. Go second by second if you have to.
Honestly, feelings go away, and it won’t be that hard forever. Most high-intensity emotions exist on a seven-minute bell curve. If you can ride out seven minutes, the feelings will subside a little bit. I would encourage people to not give up and to find people you can talk to and be honest with. Find people who will let you talk about the same thing over and over again until you get it out of your system.
Things do get better. At the end of the day, if you can just find a little glimmer of hope—I pray all the time for peace beyond understanding and joy beyond circumstances. I find that those prayers, if you’re really faithful and pray them every day, there’s relief there, genuinely. I’m not just saying that as a feel-good Band-Aid to slap on it. It’s the truth. Praying for those things helps.
Are there things you’re hoping for and praying for in this next year as we start?
I just continue to pray for joy. That’s a prayer I pray for all the time. Another prayer I’ve been praying a lot lately is that the things I go through, both the hard and the joyful and beautiful, that God would use them to help other people. That’s really the point of why I write songs, make music, and get up on a stage. I genuinely believe in the power of music as connective tissue between people. Sometimes we walk through hard times so that we can go back through the tunnel and pull other people through. That’s what music and songwriting are for me—a form of doing that.
