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* Watermark is made up of husband/wife duo
Nathan and Christy Nockels. * Nathan and Christy have been featured on all of the Passion CDs. Nathan sings background vocals, plays numerous instruments and produces the projects. Christy sings background vocals on all of the songs, but has also led Worship for several of them. * Nathan has produced albums for such names as Phillips, Craig and Dean, Passion Worship, Point of Grace and others. He's also produced some of the Watermark albums. * Sometimes people think their last name is Watermark. * Nathan and Christy were married in June, 1995. * Nathan and Christy worked shifts at a day-care center to make ends meet when they first began their career in music. * They are both from Oklahoma. Nathan is from Oklahoma City, Christy from Tulsa. * They both went to Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK. It's an hour east of Oklahoma City. That was where they met through mutual friends. |
* Their singles:
Gloria (#1 single)
Take Me There (#1 single)
Everything
Open Me Up
More Than You'll Ever Know (#1 single)
All Things New (#1 single)
My Heart, Your Home
Good For Me
Where to Find Me
Constant
Friend For Life (More of Thee)
In the Garden (There is None Like You) (#1 single)
The Glory of Your Name (#1 single)
Knees to the Earth
Light of the World (#1 single)
* What Watermark means: A distinctive single of authenticity and ownership. An impression often only
visible when held up to the light.
* Where did the name come from?: According to CCM Magazine, Nathan and Christy...were inspired by a friend (Louie
Giglio, the man behind the Passion Worship music) who had visited a flood-damaged town. Their friend tells the
story of "visiting a town in Kansas damaged by floods and finding water
stains marking house walls." And Nathan and Christy took the name Watermark
to remind themselves not only does God leave His mark on us, but we leave our
mark on others as well.
* Watermark served as the worship
team for Houston's First Baptist Church's Metro Bible Study. They took over
after Caedmon's Call left. Nathan says, "They needed somebody to step in
and put a worship band together and lead worship every Monday night. And so, we
moved down to Houston and for two years, we just put a worship band together and
led worship there. And probably when we started leading worship at Metro we also
starting branching out and doing a lot of other stuff at Campus' in Texas,
Oklahoma and that whole area. I think Metro was real good for us to be based out
of somewhere. We were at the same place every Monday night. And it's all the
same people. People asked us what we were doing, how we were doing, they'd pray
for us and it was a really cool accountability kinda thing. Now, I think that
was a place to where a lot of our drive for worship and God taught us a lot of
stuff through those two years that we spent at Metro in Texas."
While at Metro, they had a group called Sons and Daughters. They released two independent albums
- one called "Holy Roar" and one called "Open Me Up." One song
on "Open Me Up" is called "Near to
Me". They wrote it in '96 and it came out in '97. Christy describes it as
"outdoorish" because it's a song about creation. "Near to
Me" is beautiful and Christy's vocal performance is stunning. Already, she
has an excellent voice, but it really shines here. Both CDs are very rare
so if you ever find a copy grab it! They are incredible.
Their independent CD, "Open Me Up" had been passed along to Don Donahue at Rocketown Records
many times by several different people. Don and Chris Rice (whose first CD had
just come out) sang at Metro Bible Study, where Nathan and Christy were worship
leaders. But, that particular week, they were away at a camp. Eventually, Steve,
their manager, met Don and gave him yet another CD. Don gave it a listen. One
particular line (the first line in "Near to Me") just stuck with him.
The first line was "There is a fountain flowing down the other side of this
mountain." That was when he wanted to meet with them. They were signed in
November, '97 and released "Watermark" in '98.
* Watermark calls their music a little left of
center of traditional praise and worship music. Nathan looks at their music much
like a painting. He says that "Music doesn't need to be a backdrop. The
music should say as much as the lyrics and make the whole picture."
* When they first got married, they
didn't have their own washer and dryer for about two and 1/2 years. They, of
course, have a washer and dryer now. They would have to take their laundry to
the laundry station in their apartment complex, and Christy wouldn't want to
leave it there because people would steal it. So she told Nathan they were
staying with the laundry. Then she suggested he get his guitar. Christy also had
some food. So, they stayed and, after four hours when their laundry was done,
they had written "Everything."
* Watermark has been on the CCM
Countdown twice: Once in July '99, once in June '00.
* Christy beat up a little boy when she was little.
When Christy told Gary Chapman about the incident he said, "Do you have any
idea what it does to a guy to have a girl beat him up?" Christy explained
that this little boy was picking on her terribly, (threatening to beat her up,
yelling at her, pushing her) then she beat him up. Gary asked where she hit him.
Christy said, "Probably in the face. I was about nine."
* The name "Nockels" is
German.
* The nick-name for their automobile
is "Ebony" because it's black. Another name for it is "The Heffer." The Surburban was their first BIG investment and the vehicle they
used to travel in. I'm not sure if they still have it or not.
* Both sets of parents are huge fans. They joked
that they are their ONLY fans.
* Christy's major was Vocal
Performance. Nathan's major was Music Education.
* When planning on having kids, they wanted to wait
about three years into their marriage. Then they said, "Let's wait another
year." At the 4th year, they were ready and Christy became pregnant. Noah
Luke Nockles was truly a miracle baby because Christy had two miscarriages before becoming pregnant with him. The song "Glory Baby" was written
as a song of hope for anyone suffering a miscarriage. And "Noah's
Song" was written to celebrate Noah's life. A few years later "Eliana's
Song" was written for their daughter. Noah Luke Nockles was
born July 21, 2001. Eliana Noelle (Ellie) was born in December, 2002.
Annie Rose was born June 26, 2007.
* Christy's dad was pastor of
Sarasota Baptist Church in Sarasota, Florida for one and 1/2 years, around
1985,when Christy was in 5th grade.
* Nathan plays the guitar.
* They write almost all their songs together. Christy does
the words, Nathan the music.
* They toured with Point of Grace
when they first started their career as Watermark.
* Nathan does the ironing. Christy says,
"He can fold his wardrobe in a suitcase to where he pulls it out and it
doesn't need to be ironed."
* Nathan once worked at GAP. That is
where Christy said he got his clothing folding experience.
* "Gloria," as of this writing, is
considered Watermark's signature song. Christy says, "Gloria" is just
really our heart wrapped up in a song. It was just such a gift. I kind of put
with this song the verse from James 1:18 that says 'And God in all of his
goodness chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word.' And in
that, out of all creation, we became his choice possession. To think about that
verse and how amazing it is that this God who is so powerful and who created
this whole universe would pursue us and that not only would he pursue us, but
that we would be his choice possession and his prize. And looking at how
gorgeous creation is - I'm a big outside person, I love to be outside all the
time - and just seeing all of that and being in awe of it, but at the same time
it says he inhabits the praises of his people."
* Somebody joked about their baby on the way saying
"They're gonna have a little drop - a water drop!"
* PFR is one of their favorite
bands. Nathan also thinks Selah is awesome.
* "More Than You'll Ever Know" was
inspired by a friend of Christy's from Houston. Christy says she is an awesome
friend, because she knows that God has put her in her life. This lady e-mails,
writes and calls Christy all the time to encourage her. Christy can tell her
anything, and they can laugh and cry in the same sentence. A week doesn't go by
that Christy doesn't hear from her. Christy was thinking one day about how much
they travel and everything they do and how there is no way she could get by
without people like that in her life. She knows how much you need these people
in your life. So, the song was inspired by her friend and talks about the people
that God has blessed you with that have blessed your life "More than
they'll ever know."
* Watermark sang on the 2000 Dove's for about 60
seconds.
* They didn't have beanbags growing
up. Gary Chapman suggested that, since Christy is pregnant, she have a beanbag,
because it is the only thing that will fit your body. He said it's also nice at
the beach to dig a hole and lie face down, with your stomach in the hole. Gary
said the only way to get up if you're pregnant is the have a forklift.
* Before forming Watermark, they had only been to
Texas and Oklahoma. Now, they have been all over the country.
* According to CCM Magazine, Christy
described their first album as "Kind of about dating, engagement and the
first year or two of marriage." About the second album, "I think we
found ourselves in a different place [on the CD" All Things
New"]"
* Christy also said that "All Things New"
is all about the past year and 1/2 - everything they have experienced.
* The story of "Where to Find
Me": Christy says, "This is a song that's really special to us. This
song reminds us so much of very difficult but bittersweet experiences that we've
been through this past year and 1/2. We actually lost two babies in the process
of starting a family and was very difficult for us, but this song, after we
wrote it, it was so comforting to both of us. One of my favorite verses is 2
Chronicles 16:9. 'For the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro about the whole earth
to show himself strong to those whose hearts are blameless towards him.' And I
started to think, 'Well one of the lines in the song sort of says this. Whether
we are in the lowest valley that we've ever been in in our lives or at the top
of a mountain totally rejoicing, He always knows where to find us, and He knows
where to find our hearts. And He knows how to heal those wounds, and this song
has just been so special to us and our family."
* Christy will be 34 sometime in 2008.
* Here is an interesting little paragraph about
"Constant."
Noah was written for their son, Noah Luke who was born less than a month
before the release of their last album, All Things New. "I
never released how much having a child would teach us about God," says
Christy. Listen closely to the end of this track for a precious sound byte
from Noah himself.
"God is constant, and He has been pursuing each of us all the days of our
lives even before we were born," says Christy. "His heart is for
His people to be constant after Him and to be running after Him. Life is
losing ourselves in that pursuit. That's what brings real joy and
fulfillment."