Middle River Hymnal is an indie duo from southern Florida. Josh Diaz and Laura Creel began the project after years of collaborating in their local church and later signed with Gospel Song Records in 2020. A mutual desire to reconstruct the worship experience lead the pair towards the richness of hymns—hymns that offered nostalgia, reverence, and the poetry they’d been longing for. “Contemporary songs tend to hit the nail on the head, but these poems dance around it,” explains Diaz. “Hymns use so many more colors to try and describe the indescribable.” 

By illuminating a practice culture has largely moved away from, Middle River Hymnal hopes singing hymns will unify worshipers of all ages and backgrounds. “These hymns honor the past while bringing it into the present,” notes Creel. “There’s something deeply grounding about having these words, sung so long ago by so many, embedded in your heart and mind.” 

While the lyrics carry multitudes, the arrangements hang in the air; soft melodies and ethereal strings hover above the sound of Americana roots. With songs so vibrant and centering, Middle River Hymnal expects that sharing them will reintroduce the listener to the rich history of echoing songs of praise. Not only that, they hope each song will feel like an invitation to join in with the company of Heaven before them and sing.