The Wood Drake Sessions

The Wood Drake Sessions traces its roots to a songwriting retreat in Nashville, where Paul Ranheim and Kirk Sauers first began weaving shared yearnings into sacred songs. Over the years to come, they leaned into a quiet insistence on beauty, truth, and grace amid life’s deepest aches. One song quietly gave birth to many, and soon, The Wood Drake Sessions took flight. The project borrows its name from Wendell Berry’s poem "The Peace of Wild Things," where the author retreated from the frights of the world to sit beside a pond and watch the wood drake rest peacefully upon the water. That same reorientation — away from anxious noise and into an ancient calm — is the heartbeat and hope behind all their music. These songs act as a sanctuary, anchoring weary souls to the steady hands of God. Crafted specifically for the church to sing together, these sacred songs are made to help communities "feel truth" in every season of life. Ranheim and Sauers regularly throw open the doors to a tapestry of guest voices, featuring collaborations with kindred artists like Sandra McCracken, Leslie Jordan, Wendell Kimbrough, Liz Vice, Skye Peterson, Andrew Osenga, Caroline Cobb, and Mission House. Music made for the room, made for the church, made together.