Village Lights is a multi-cultural collective formed by Sarah Kroger, Ike Ndolo and Ricky Vazquez

Based out of Nashville, TN and Arizona, the band unites around the pursuit of fostering a community of worshippers centred around God’s inviting love. Their debut self-titled EP came out on March 26, 2021, featuring singles “The Sweetest Sound,” “Unbroken Family” and “Fire And The Fountain.” These songs introduced Village Lights’ heartbeat; one of unity, inclusivity and reconciliation wrapped in worshipful devotion. More than a band, Village Lights is the beginning of a movement of worship and rally cry for those who seek justice in our world and in our Church.

Village Lights was birthed from the relationship of three independent artists who often found themselves leading worship together at youth conferences and discovering a shared desire to create more modern worship music for more liturgical church spaces. After a couple of years of busy individual schedules preventing further collaboration, Village Lights recorded and released their first project during the challenging circumstances of 2020-21, which brought a new sense of the crucial importance of community for the band. They are now readier than ever to let the light of Christ shine through their music.

The idea of a village is central to the band’s ethos, as Nigerian-American artist Ike shares, “My mom always talks about her native village [in Nigeria] as a place where people came together to share, eat, dance and pray. She felt safe in her community, and if a stranger came, they would be welcome and instantly become part of the family.” An undeniable and beautiful sense of fellowship transpires from this description and gives a taste of the Kingdom of God; where all nations, tribes, tongues and ages join in harmonious celebration. Marrying the concept of light as a welcoming glow seen from afar to the overarching theme of togetherness, the band’s name hints at their heart: to continually create communities, “villages”, where worship and mutual love can grow on a local level.

Village Lights are set to release their debut full length album in November 2021. Diving into the theme of “Christ the King” as a nod to the liturgical feast day of the same name in the church calendar, the collective has been on a journey of unpacking the rich universe around Christ’s humble Kingship This new project promises to offer poignant lyrics, exploratory sonorities blending the band’s multiethnicity and fresh poetic approaches to liturgical worship.