Louder Than The Music

Following a year of singles and growing momentum, gospel recording artist and recovery advocate Robert Hawkins and The Recovery Gathering Band are releasing The Recovery Journey Project today. Rooted in Hawkins' journey from addiction to recovery, the album brings together songs of faith, perseverance, and restoration, offering encouragement to people navigating recovery, mental health challenges, and the difficult work of rebuilding their lives.



Leading the release is "Lifted By Love," a personal reimagining of the classic hymn "Love Lifted Me." Hawkins pairs the hymn's familiar message with original lyrics that confront isolation, addiction, and the need for help. The song opens with the image of being alone on a boat, far from support and unable to see through a storm, before turning toward the love and grace that carried him through. "I was weak and barely standing then / He lifted me so I could breathe again," Hawkins sings, connecting a timeless declaration of faith to his own experience of restoration.

The album follows "We Coming Up," its final advance single, featuring Myammee and EMCEE N.I.C.E. The collaboration brings urban, R&B, rap, and gospel together in one of Hawkins' most musically diverse releases yet. Candid verses about depression and doubt build into a shared chorus of hope, with choir-led call-and-response giving listeners an expression of encouragement they can sing together.

The Recovery Journey Project opens with "Just For Today" and returns to the song in an acoustic version for its closing track. The collection also includes "Worth It," "Gratitude," "Champion," and "Serenity Prayer," alongside remixes of "Happy," "Better Days," "Things Will Work Out," and "Serenity Prayer." Throughout the album, real stories of struggle and perseverance reflect Hawkins' belief that no life is beyond God's ability to restore.

That message also carries into Hawkins' first book, the Just For Today 7-Day Journal, available today on Amazon. Tied directly to "Just For Today (Acoustic)," the journal encourages readers to embrace hope, healing, and recovery one day at a time. Its release alongside the album extends the song's message into an opportunity for personal reflection.

Both releases connect to the work Hawkins leads as founder and executive director of The Recovery Gathering, which serves individuals and families impacted by addiction, mental health challenges, and life's hardships through worship, testimony, and community. His experience shapes both the music and its purpose: helping people feel seen, find hope, and take another step forward.

With an intended reach beyond traditional music audiences, The Recovery Journey Project creates opportunities to engage treatment and rehabilitation centers, recovery organizations, behavioral health programs, correctional facilities, churches, and community groups. It also lays the groundwork for future partnerships, live events, educational initiatives, and outreach that use music to support conversations about long-term recovery.

Since signing with NRT Music, Hawkins has generated 135,000 streams across Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. His music videos have also attracted nearly 600,000 views over the past year, bringing his message of faith and recovery to a wider audience ahead of The Recovery Journey Project. He has also received BET Gospel airplay and GRAMMY® consideration for "Better Days (Remix)," featuring EMCEE N.I.C.E.

The Recovery Journey Project and the Just For Today 7-Day Journal are out now.