“I wanted to turn to the bottle. I even drove past the bar.”
That’s the arresting confession that leads Ben Fuller’s brand new song, “Turn.” It’s not just an attention-seeking lyric, however. It’s a true story.
A year ago, Fuller was heartbroken, angry and confused following a breakup. So, he got in his truck and went straight to something he knew could numb the pain. The former alcoholic drove past the bar…but he didn’t go in.
“I was going to throw all this away. I literally had nowhere to turn but Jesus. After everything that He’s done for me, right, I’m about to go back? I’m about to go back to the old me? I just heard His voice,” Fuller shared during a recent interview with Lauree at the K-LOVE Studios, “and He reminded me of the lyrics from [my] song, ‘If I Got Jesus,’ and I literally heard, ‘You can take the world away from me, but I’ll be OK. If I got Jesus, I got it all.’”
Fuller kept driving that day. In fact, he spent the entire weekend attempting to outrun God. He drove wherever the interstate and an occasional backroad would take him — across state lines, through small towns, from one cheap hotel or Airbnb to the next.
That’s when he realized two things: One, he had never experienced heartbreak sober before; and two, there was nowhere he could go to escape God’s mercy and tender care. So, he eventually drove back home to Nashville.
The following Monday, he walked into a co-write swearing he wasn’t going to talk about his personal issues. But when one of his collaborators innocently asked about his weekend, Fuller dissolved into tears and the story poured out. That’s when “Turn” was born — a raw, aggressive track about surrendering to Jesus when we hit rock bottom.
“Turn” continues the Vermont native’s journey toward a new album, coming later this year. In the meantime, he’ll be delivering fresh music and hits from his debut on tours with both Big Daddy Weave and CAIN. Moreover, the “Who I Am” singer will join the “K-LOVE Live at Red Rocks” lineup on Aug. 5.
