He Said Goodbye to Fame—And Hello to Faith: Inside Daniel Richter’s New Era

For Canadian artist Daniel Richter, music used to be about numbers—streams, charts, and chasing industry acclaim. But after years in the spotlight fronting the Warner Music-signed pop band Eleven Past One, Daniel’s career took a dramatic and divine turn. Now, he’s walking a new path, one rooted in faith, humility, and purpose, and his newest single, “Light That Shines,” is a radiant testament to that journey.

A Redemption Song for the Rest of Us

“Light That Shines” is more than a song; it’s a spiritual checkpoint. Blending contemporary Christian pop with honest, heartfelt lyrics, Daniel opens up about the very human feeling of unworthiness in the face of God’s perfect love. The verses are raw and confessional, reflecting moments in his life when shame and guilt made him feel distant from grace.

But God met him there anyway.

“He didn’t care about what I’d done,” Daniel says. “He just showed me pure love and forgiveness.” That’s the heartbeat of “Light That Shines,” not a polished performance, but a genuine testimony. A reminder that God’s grace is not reserved for the perfect. It’s poured out on the broken, the weary, and those still in the middle of their mess.

The chorus lifts like a prayer of surrender, claiming hope in Jesus and declaring a new purpose: to be a light that shines for Him in a world that desperately needs it.

From Pop Star to Worship Leader

Daniel’s transition from the secular music world to the Christian space didn’t happen overnight. After almost releasing a mainstream solo single, he felt a deep conviction to stop chasing industry approval and instead follow the calling that had been tugging at his heart for years.

“God got a hold of me,” Daniel says. “I couldn’t run from this calling anymore.”

That moment of surrender changed everything.

Today, Daniel serves as a worship leader and music director in his hometown of Bowmanville, Ontario. He’s found a new joy in crafting songs that center Jesus—music not just meant to be heard, but to minister. His upcoming three-song EP, themed around light and transformation, continues this mission, offering fresh praise music inspired by artists like Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, and Elevation Worship’s Chris Brown.

And while “Light That Shines” carries the sonic polish of his pop background, it’s delivered with the heart of a worshipper.

This song is for the ones who feel like their past disqualifies them. For the ones still wrestling with shame or walking through seasons of silence. For anyone who has ever wondered if they’re too far gone. Daniel wants you to know, you’re not.

“I want people to know that God is a forgiving God. He is a loving God and just wants to have a relationship with you,” Daniel says. “No matter where you’re from, what you’ve done—He wants to be that light inside of you.”

It’s a message echoed in Scripture and sung out in Daniel’s signature warm, soul-stirring tone. And as John 14:26 reminds us, Jesus left us His Holy Spirit as our advocate and guide, even when we’re unsure, unworthy, or undone.

Sometimes, all you need to do is call out to Him.

You’ve talked about surrendering your career path to follow God’s calling—what was the moment that made you finally say, “Okay, I’m all in”?

I think there was never really one moment that made me finally switch over from mainstream to the Christian industry. It was more of a process. I think the process really began after getting married and having our firstborn child. God was really waking me up. I started making big changes in my life like cutting out drinking alcohol excessively and just really wanting to clean up my life for the sake of my marriage and children. I wanted to raise my kids to be an example, being more like Christ. After making these changes and really starting to dive deep into the Bible and spending more time with God, God really started to shift my focus musically. I began leading worship as the music director at my church two years ago. And over the past year, I really just felt like it was time to release my musical dreams and ambitions to God and just let him take over.

Was it difficult to leave behind the mainstream music industry, especially after the success you had with Eleven Past One?

Yes, it was. I was ready to release one of my favourite songs I had ever written, but something in me just didn’t feel right. So I started to really pray about it and ask God if He would give me some sort of sign. I was asking him to let me know if I should release this song and keep going down this path musically, or if he wanted me to not release it and just start writing music solely about Jesus. He answered my prayer relatively fast. My investor and manager called me up and explained to me that they didn’t really feel like I should go down this path, but to start fresh and go down the path that I had already been talking about, which was releasing Christian music. So that was my answer! God answered my prayer.

How has your relationship with God changed since making the decision to step into Christian music full-time?

My relationship with God has been made stronger ever since I made the decision to step into Christian music full-time. Now that I am here, I’ve realized that I really have to be more on guard and keep up with reading the Bible and spending time with God so that he can really use me in this new way.

“Light That Shines” feels like such a personal declaration of faith. What did writing that song teach you about yourself?

It has taught me that living for Jesus isn’t perfect. It’s not easy, and the Bible tells us. In‭‭ John‬ ‭16‬:‭33, Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” God is love, and as we live out our lives choosing to live for Him, He will bring us through every storm and trial we face. We are all a work in progress. God takes us and meets us where we’re at and uses us so that we can shine the light of Jesus that we have inside of us.

Now that you’ve stepped into this new chapter, what do you hope people experience when they hear your music, and this single in particular?

I hope people experience Jesus. Whether it’s a simple feeling of encouragement or helping them with a life-changing experience, I hope and pray that God uses this music to touch the lives of the listeners in some way, shape, or form. With this song in particular, I hope that it encourages people to know that no one is perfect and that no matter what, we need to continue to shine our light for Jesus in this dark world.