The music industry is usually linked with fame, money, and an intense lifestyle.
But one group of Catholic artists are looking for a different way to create art.
They want to make beautiful music for God, born out of prayer, rather than for profit or performance.
This is the story of NOVUM Collective.
What is NOVUM Collective?
NOVUM Collective is part of NOVUM Records, the world’s largest Catholic record label. Its founder is Catholic musician Will Hickl. NOVUM gathers contemporary Christian artists with different styles but one mission: to witness God’s truth and beauty through music.
The artists of NOVUM believe that collaboration sparks creativity. By joining together, they serve the Church through wholehearted worship, helping listeners encounter God anew.
Their mission is fourfold:
- Creating and distributing sacred music for Catholic liturgy and evangelization
- Providing worship leadership to communities
- Offering resources and training for parishes seeking to enhance worship
- Building a global community of Catholic musicians united in bringing praise to God
Music that moves the heart
Curious about their music? One place to start is the Spotify playlists on the NOVUM Records website, which include fun themes like Trendy Trad, Vibey Christian, Sunday Praise, and Local Coffee Shop.
The artists of NOVUM Collective recently several recent powerful new songs:
- Inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s first homily, Leo Ampuero and Sarah Mulholland wrote and recorded Son of Man as an anthem of prayer for this new era in the church.
- Cristina Bernal and Winston Cadenas wrote and recorded Back to your Heart, a moving ballad asking God to work powerfully in hearts and souls.
- They also released a Spanish version, Regreso a tu Corazon.
An interview with the founder
Aleteia had the chance to catch up with Will Hickl, founder of NOVUM Records. Here is our conversation.
What makes NOVUM unique?
NOVUM is unique in that our North Star is supporting artists and putting their desires and goals above our own interests.
The typical label today is going to look at an artist and only consider profitability, which from the start puts pressure on them to perform and even conform to whatever might make money.
Our ethos is around co-creating with the Lord and what He is calling each individual person to make, which removes that pressure, thus allowing a true freedom for an artist to make genuine art.
That is not to say we forsake quality, as the Lord deserves excellence in our creative pursuits.
What is the most important thing you would want people to know about NOVUM?
The most important thing for people to know is that we are passionate about pouring into the next generation of musicians—and the foundation is Catholic community.
We have been able to attract lots of people from all over the world because of our dedication to forming artists through an authentic community as well as a genuine interest in seeing their dreams come true.
Our mission is to bring about good culture through good music of any genre, and we welcome Catholics who are making music that can be shared both inside and/or outside of their parishes.
