The True Tunes Podcast
158 episodes - English - Latest episode: 24 days ago - ★★★★★ - 129 ratingsListening to better music and listening to music better - with music industry veteran, author, artist, and producer John J. Thompson and a diverse panel of artists, songwriters, producers, and industry innovators who seek the deeper resonances in music and culture. Knowing that all music is spiritual, can we sing along with the good, the true, and the beautiful in ways that make us better neighbors, more compelling artists, and richer reflectors of the light by which we live and move and have our being? Let’s try.
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Episodes
Michael Roe Did It For Love (Pt.2) [The Lost Dogs, 77s, Kerosene Halo]
May 31, 2022 11:27 - 1 hour - 244 MBIn the conclusion of our conversation with Michael Roe we talk about one of JJT’s favorite 77s songs in great detail, along with the birth, evolution, survival, and impact of The Lost Dogs, and the hard-won lessons Roe has learned along the way. The Choir’s Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty offer some revealing perspectives on their brother-in-arms and singer/songwriter/visual artist and Love Coma frontman Chris Taylor reflects on Roe as both a fan and as a young artist under his tutelage....
@45RPM - Character Witnesses for Michael Roe (Terry S. Taylor, Jimmy A, Randy Layton, A-Train, & Jan Eric Volz)
May 24, 2022 23:22 - 14 minutes - 33.1 MBOn this special @45RPM episode we continue our exploration of the life, music, and legacy of Michael Roe by checking in with some of his closest friends and compatriots. We hear from his 77s bandmates: Aaron "A-Train" Smith and Jan Eric Volz, Exit Records soulmate Jimmy Abegg, longtime advocate Randy Layton of Alternative Records, and fellow Lost Dog Terry Scott Taylor. On Part 2 we will continue to dig deep with the man himself, diving into one of JJT’s all-time favorite 77s songs and h...
Michael Roe Did It For Love (Pt. 1) [77s, Lost Dogs, Kerosene Halo, Etc,]
May 17, 2022 23:09 - 1 hour - 218 MBVery few artists have accomplished what Michael Roe has over the last forty years. Between his work with the seminal rock “laboratory” (The 77s,) his membership in a veritable supergroup of unknowns, (The Lost Dogs,) his own solo work, and numerous collaborations (Kerosene Halo with The Choir’s Derri Daugherty for instance,) Roe has made an indelible mark on thousands of hearts and minds. That he has done all of this in relative obscurity is a testament to the deep, spiritual, drive that pro...
@45RPM - Listening Carefully w Buddy Miller & Ian Fitchuk
May 11, 2022 13:29 - 10 minutes - 25.1 MBOn this special "from the archives" edition of our @45RPM podcast, we re-visit excerpts from two episodes from 2020 that had a profound impact on the direction of the show. Artist, songwriter, producer, and Americana legend Buddy Miller, and Ian Fitchuk (who won Producer of the Year that year for his work with Kacey Musgraves) both talk about how important it is to listen carefully - and how listening skills impact both their work as artists and their relationships. For more information visi...
Coffee w Propaganda: World Building, Critical Thinking, & History Healing (+ Midnight Oil on the Jukebox!)
May 04, 2022 23:54 - 1 hour - 249 MBAside from being one of the most exciting indie hip-hop artists around, Jason "Propaganda" Petty is an academic, an author, a poet, and a lover of great coffee. Join us as we talk through his idea of "Terraforming" - making space for life to thrive in hostile environments. And speaking of hostile environments, it has been said that every animal in Australia wants to kill us. On this episode's Jukebox feature we listen carefully to the passionate and socially engaged alternative rock that Dow...
@45RPM - Steve Scott & The Gospel of John as Creative Cultural Critique (pt 2)
April 27, 2022 11:46 - 8 minutes - 20.1 MBIn this second installment of our conversation with poet, author, teacher, and pastor, Steve Scott, we listen in on a conversation he hosted in JJT's home a few years back. Following up on the theme of "the mission of sacred art" from Part 1, this time we hear about Steve's observations on The Gospel of John as both a call to - and an example of - creative cultural critique. Show notes and links available at TrueTunes.com/scott2 The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help ...
Eric Earley (Blitzen Trapper) + Sacred Psychedelia on the Jukebox (w David Bunker)
April 19, 2022 13:14 - 1 hour - 228 MBBlitzen Trapper has been making some of the most interesting and compelling experimental folk/rock/alt-country/progressive music since The Flying Burrito Brothers, and their frontman, main songwriter, producer, and musician, Eric Earley joins us on the podcast to talk about the whole story. From his own roots as a musically adventurous kid to the band’s most recent album, Holy Smokes Future Jokes, to "cosmic humility" and his work with homeless veterans in the Portland area, Earley is a foun...
@45RPM - Audiofeed Festival 2022 Lineup Revealed
April 13, 2022 12:41 - 10 minutes - 24.6 MBOn this special @45RPM episode we talk about the importance of festivals as we connect with Audiofeed's head booker, Luke Welchel to hear about the roots, purpose, and plans for one of the midwest's coolest events. We also announce the full lineup for the 2022 event for the very first time! Audiofeed happens June 30 through July 3 and is one of the funkiest, grittiest, and most unique festivals in the country. Rock, metal, rap, alternative, spoken word, Americana, and some just plain weird ...
Keyboard Warriors: Ronnie Martin (+ Steve Fairnie / The Technos on the Jukebox)
April 06, 2022 23:52 - 1 hour - 249 MBSongwriter, artist, and analog synth advocate Ronnie Martin (Joy Electric, Brothers Martin, Dancehouse Children, Morella’s Forest, etc) has been crafting catchy, devotional pop music with analog synthesizers for over 30 years. We catch up with Martin to talk about his latest project, From The Womb of the Morning The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours, his current life as a pastor, and more. Plus Randy Layton (Alternative Records) and poet/theologian Steve Scott join us at the Jukebox to revisit...
Steve Scott on the Missional Purpose of Art (pt 1)
March 30, 2022 13:22 - 6 minutes - 15.7 MBArtist, author, poet, and pastor, Steve Scott, delivers a critical challenge to the question: “Why should art matter to everyone?” Scott has been producing rich, soulful art in a variety of media for over 50 years. He is an international speaker on the subject of Sacred Art and even served as the “Arts Editor” during the print magazine days of True Tunes in the 90s. This short episode delivers a soul-thumping vision of the missional purpose of art. In Part 2 we’ll hear about Scott’s growing ...
Meet Doe! (+ Aaron ”A-Train” Smith on Stevie Wonder in the 70s on the Jukebox)
March 23, 2022 23:39 - 1 hour - 226 MBOn this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we spend some quality time with one of the most exciting and fresh contemporary Gospel artists to emerge in years. DOE, (aka Dominique Jones) first came to our attention as a member of Forever Jones – an eclectic Gospel group that included her parents and siblings. With her solo debut LP Clarity, released on Jonathan McReynolds’ new label with RCA Inspiration, (and including contributions by Israel Houghton, Matt Maher, McReynolds, and more,) DOE de...
@45RPM - ROEMER on Knowing Our Role (Pt. 2)
March 16, 2022 22:35 - 8 minutes - 18.5 MBOn this second installment of our conversation with singer-songwriter ROEMER, (aka Ben Seidl,) we explore how his experience hosting an open mic night in Berlin, combined with his careful study and practice of sound missiology, might inspire us to engage our communities with integrity, compassion, and authenticity. (Full Show Notes HERE.) The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/Tru...
Royce Lovett’s Unlikely Journey (+ The Roots of Gospel Rap w Soup The Chemist & Chris Williamson on the Jukebox)
March 09, 2022 23:23 - 1 hour - 204 MBRoyce Lovett's blend of soul, hip-hop, and Gospel has found a wild path into the world - from a Motown Gospel debut to NBC's The Voice and beyond. In this episode, we hear a slew of his music as he unspools the story of his inspiring journey so far. On the Jukebox, we listen back to some of the earliest examples of Christian Hip Hop and trace the roots of Rap back to Gospel, with pioneering musician and author Soup The Chemist and early artist and church-planter Pastor Chris Williamson. (Ful...
@45RPM - ROEMER on Bonhoeffer, Marx, and Missiology (Pt. 1)
March 04, 2022 00:40 - 6 minutes - 15.6 MBBerlin-based singer-songwriter Ben Seidl, aka ROEMER, stops by to talk about mission, missiology, and a surprising intersection between Deitrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Marx in his community. Roemer's recent albums have haunted our mixtape and best-of lists for the last couple of years. The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. You can support this show by j...
Andy Zipf, Achtung Baby, and the Power of Place
February 25, 2022 00:06 - 1 hour - 224 MBOn this episode we are joined by singer-songwriter Andy Zipf on the eve of the release of his latest single, “Did You Know I Was A Ghost?” and in anticipation of his upcoming album, How To Make A Paper Airplane. Zipf, a 20-year veteran artist, has worked with labels and functioned as an indie. He has been in bands and has been a solo artist. His latest album, however, takes his work to a whole new place. Drummer and percussionist Jay Bellerose, bassist Jennifer Condos, keyboardist Tyler Ches...
@45RPM - Andy Zipf Knows He’s A Ghost! (Special Live Performance)
February 18, 2022 01:29 - 8 minutes - 19.9 MBSinger-songwriter Andy Zipf is about to release a new album, How To Make A Paper Airplane, and will soon be featured on the full-length True Tunes Podcast. In this advance peek we get to hear a special live, solo, recording of his new single, "Did You Know I Was A Ghost". The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. You can support this show by joining our ...
@45RPM - Why We Need Love Songs: A Quick Chat w Phil Madeira about ”Bliss”
February 13, 2022 18:57 - 13 minutes - 29.9 MBSinger, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Phil Madeira, who can regularly be found backing up amazing artists like Emmylou Harris, is out with his latest project, "BLISS." This collection of love songs may seem like a bit of a change-up by this famously acerbic artist - especially after last year's edgy "Hornet's Nest," so we caught up with him to talk about this project and the concept of "love songs" in general. Why do we all keep going back to art - even silly love songs - ...
Bruce Cockburn: Kicking at the Darkness for 50 Years (and counting!)
February 07, 2022 00:14 - 1 hour - 272 MBWe are beyond thrilled to welcome one of the most essential artists of the last half-century to the True Tunes Podcast. Bruce Cockburn has written over 350 songs and released 30 studio or live albums since 1970, and four different compilations. 22 of his albums have been certified either Gold or Platinum in Canada. He has received 13 Juno Awards, is in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2001 he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony that included testimoni...
@45RPM - Cockburn Jukebox Overtime (with Chris Taylor)
February 05, 2022 16:55 - 10 minutes - 24.1 MBOn our second episode of the new short-form TrueTunes@45RPM show, we bring you MORE Bruce Cockburn! Host John J. Thompson and singer/songwriter Chris Taylor continue their dive into 2 more favorites from Bruce: "Loner" and "Gospel of Bondage." For more info visit TrueTunes.com. Thanks to our sponsors at VisionTrust.org. You can support this show by joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal. (Believe it or not, there was even MORE to this convers...
@45RPM - THE PREMIERE (feat Terry Scott Taylor in 1981 and 2021)
February 04, 2022 20:54 - 12 minutes - 27.6 MBIntroducing TRUE TUNES @ 45RPM - the new short-form version of the deep-dive conversations happening in the main True Tunes Podcast and at TrueTunes.com. In honor of the release of his stunning new solo double-album This Beautiful Mystery, this premiere episode features a conversation with Terry Scott Taylor from the Daniel Amos Alarma! Radio Special (produced by our own Bruce A. Brown in 1981) alongside a clip from our conversation with Taylor in the fall of 2021. As always, THANKS to our...
Here’s To You! Michael Been (of The Call) From The Vault
January 25, 2022 00:10 - 1 hour - 219 MBAs we crack open the True Tunes Vault once more, we unveil a previously unheard 1994 interview with Michael Been of The Call – one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated bands of the 80s. Peter Gabriel once called them “The Future of American Music” and The Chicago Tribune said they “may well be the closest thing America has ever had to its own U2.” Their urgent, inspiring, blood-and-guts rock and roll may have never gotten the attention it deserved, but those fortunate enough to have...
Young Oceans, The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, & The Radical Purposes of Worship and Music
January 14, 2022 00:55 - 1 hour - 265 MBAs Young Oceans, Eric Marshall has been crafting thoughtful, artful, often liturgical music for over a decade. That makes him an “elder statesman” (or at least a mentor and role model) to many of the young, passionate, alternative worship artists in the trenches today. But his story goes back much farther than that. Through his early, and often frustrating days as a guitarist in a rock band, to several years signed to a failed mainstream pop development deal, to years working in the New York...
Jukebox Rewind: 30 Important Albums & 13 Worthy Singles from 2021
December 31, 2021 17:57 - 1 hour - 227 MBFrom major names to indies from the underground, and across a slew of genres, this True Tunes Jukebox Rewind is our attempt to shed light on some of the music that has meant a lot to us over the last twelve months. Relax and check out thirty albums and thirteen singles as we brace for whatever the next year holds. And don’t miss our massive accompanying playlist with these and many more songs from 2021. Hard times make for fascinating, and important, music. Tune in and listen with us. Thanks...
From The Vault: Stonehill & Keaggy‘s Mutual Highway + Randy Tribute Sneak Peek
December 01, 2021 02:58 - 47 minutes - 110 MBOn this Special Edition, we introduce a new “spin-off” concept show we hope to launch next year called “From The Vault” with a previously unheard interview John J. Thompson conducted with Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy around the release of their 2009 album Mystery Highway. The two legendary artists were in rare form as they shared stories about their first meetings, their early days, and their unique camaraderie over the years. We also present a special medley of songs from the incredible ...
The New Sacred Indie Underground: Beach Chapel, Lovkn, & Cross Worship Give Us A Tour
November 18, 2021 01:09 - 1 hour - 230 MBOn this ground-breaking episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we explore fascinating corners of the current - and quite compelling - world of indie music being made by artists determined to use their work for spiritual purposes. Many are crafting tunes specifically for worship, while others are using their voices to shine a light on issues related to justice, theology, or life in general. Adam Lamah (Beach Chapel,) Stephen Lufkin, (aka Lovkn,) and Troy Culbreth (Cross Worship,) act as tour guid...
Terry Scott Taylor‘s Beautiful Mystery Part 2 (The Album)
October 30, 2021 16:41 - 1 hour - 184 MBOn this second installment of our conversation with Terry Scott Taylor, we take a deep and careful listen to his expansive new solo project, This Beautiful Mystery. Over two discs, and 21 songs, we uncover a wide range of thoughts, metaphors, emotions, and sounds - but what are the guiding images and ideas behind it all? Taylor has been perfecting his craft as a writer, musician, and producer, for over fifty years. On This Beautiful Mystery, he dug deep, so we will too. We'll explore his lit...
The Beautiful Mystery of Terry Scott Taylor (Part 1)
October 26, 2021 13:25 - 1 hour - 165 MBOn the eve of the release of his long-awaited and almost overwhelming 21-song solo masterwork, This Beautiful Mystery, singer/songwriter Terry Scott Taylor gives us a remarkably transparent and vulnerable look into his creative and spiritual formation as an artist. It’s impressive enough for any musician to be producing the best work of their career in their seventies, but what keeps a “restless creative” pushing so hard, and digging so deep, after decades of relative obscurity and even dire...
The Gray Havens Dream of Blue Flowers & The Spirit of CS Lewis Haunts the Jukebox
October 04, 2021 03:01 - 1 hour - 203 MBThe successful indie folk/pop group The Gray Havens, originally from the Chicago area, have built their entire new album around a 66-year-old autobiographical reflection by a British theologian and children’s author. Blue Flower is the band’s most literarily specific, and yet accessible, project yet – and that’s saying something! We visit with songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist David Radford to hear all about it, and then we push the Jukebox to her limits as we explore 50 years ...
Jesus Music Movie Summit (Andy Erwin & Chris White) + Jesus on the Mainline
September 21, 2021 00:27 - 1 hour - 209 MBLately, it seems Jesus not only rocks, but He’s also a movie star too. The Jesus Music, a documentary written, directed, and produced by The Erwin Brothers (“I Can Only Imagine,” “I Still Believe,” “Woodlawn,”) traces the roots of Contemporary Christian Music back to the Jesus Movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s via archival footage and new interviews with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Kirk Franklin, Michael Sweet, Toby Mac, and scores of other Christian artists and insiders. Electric Je...
Myron Butler, Andrae Crouch, & Aretha Franklin: A Gospel Music Meltdown!
September 14, 2021 23:35 - 1 hour - 227 MBGospel writer, producer, artist, and worship pastor, Myron Butler shares his amazing story – from getting his first cut with Kirk Franklin as a teenager to being a part of Kirk’s smash crossover hit, “Stomp,” all the way through to his recent tribute to the songs of the amazing trailblazer, Andrae Crouch. Myron guides us not only through the essence of Andrae's influence but of Gospel music in general. Then, on the jukebox, we spin the epic 1972 live Gospel smash, Amazing Grace by Aretha Fra...
The Chosen Pt 3: Dallas Jenkins
August 27, 2021 13:35 - 56 minutes - 129 MBOn this unexpected Part 3 of our exploration of the music behind the first episodic drama about the life and ministry of Jesus, we get to hear from Dallas Jenkins himself. Jenkins created "The Chosen" after a devastating failure as a filmmaker. He didn’t know if he’d ever get to make another project again. We’ll hear about how that failure prepared him to approach "The Chosen" with a certain punk spirit. Who is "The Chosen" for? Where is the harshest criticism coming from? Are there simi...
The Music of The Chosen Pt 2: Matthew S. Nelson
August 03, 2021 20:15 - 1 hour - 199 MBWhen Dan Haseltine agreed to score The Chosen, a new episodic drama based on the life and ministry of Jesus and his disciples, he immediately turned to his friend and frequent musical collaborator, Matthew S. Nelson for help. Nelson, an accomplished cellist, guitarist, and songwriter had backed up Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, and other Christian artists in the past, but is currently more associated with mainstream indie, country, and alternative artists such as RaeLynn, Sleeping at Last, ...
The Music of The Chosen Pt 1: Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay)
July 31, 2021 00:25 - 1 hour - 203 MBDan Haseltine (Jars of Clay) joins host John J. Thompson to talk about musical roots, finding a mission, and how past experiences prepared him for his current work scoring the massively successful and critically acclaimed television drama The Chosen. From the technical and creative challenges inherent in this kind of work to spiritual and theological concerns, this in-depth conversation is about listening carefully to the sound beneath the sound. Plus, in part 2, (coming soon) we talk with H...
True Tunes Podcast Official Trailer
July 22, 2021 17:07 - 11 minutes - 26.2 MBListen to better music, and listen to music better. After a twenty-year break – True Tunes is back! The tools are different this time. There’s no store, no venue, and no sponsored stages at a major festival. What we have now are lots of stories to tell about lessons learned, visions caught, questions articulated, and community embraced. Join host John J. Thompson and his wide range of guests as we dig for the good stuff. And whether you were a part of the journey with us the first time a...
Singing Along with The Choir
July 07, 2021 00:22 - 1 hour - 212 MBThe Choir has been crafting their own unique brand of otherworldly alternative rock for nearly four decades now. While it’s not uncommon for big-time acts to keep at it – playing their hits and cashing in on nostalgia – most artists who have endured the perpetual uphill climb that guitarist/vocalist Derri Daugherty, drummer/lyricist Steve Hindalong, and sax/lyricon/atmosphericist Dan Michaels have faced would have given up long ago. But The Choir has just released an album many fans count am...
Renaissance Man Jimmy Abegg (+ Peter Gabriel & Lowland Hum on the Jukebox)
June 26, 2021 15:39 - 1 hour - 216 MBCall him a creative polymath or the quintessential Soul Man, but Jimmy Abegg (Rich Mullins' Ragamuffin Band, Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil, The Charlie Peacock Group, Vector, etc) has been a reliable source of musical and visual beauty and coolness for over forty years. And now, with his vision fading, this veteran side-man and accomplished craftsman is settling into his new role as a blind visionary; still painting – still making music – and still offering graceful sketches of beauty in a...
Amy Grant's Secret: 2 Jobs & A Prayer
May 20, 2021 14:28 - 1 hour - 228 MBThrough countless slings and arrows, and her own mainstream pop superstardom, Amy Grant has remained the defining face and voice of contemporary Christian music for over forty years. She was the first CCM artist to have a platinum record, (followed by five more platinum albums, three multi-platinum albums, and four gold albums.) She was also the first CCM artist to have a #1 pop single and has placed 17 hits on the Top 40 Adult Contemporary chart. She has earned 6 Grammy Awards and numerous ...
Amy Grant‘s Secret: 2 Jobs & A Prayer
May 20, 2021 14:28 - 1 hour - 218 MBThrough countless slings and arrows, and her own mainstream pop superstardom, Amy Grant has remained the defining face and voice of contemporary Christian music for over forty years. She was the first CCM artist to have a platinum record, (followed by five more platinum albums, three multi-platinum albums, and four gold albums.) She was also the first CCM artist to have a #1 pop single and has placed 17 hits on the Top 40 Adult Contemporary chart. She has earned 6 Grammy Awards and numerous ...
Natalie Bergman's Jesus Music for a New Generation
May 10, 2021 03:11 - 1 hour - 186 MBThird Man Records artist Natalie Bergman joins host John J. Thompson to talk about her stirring, vulnerable, and exceptionally cool new album, Mercy, and the heartbreaking tragedy that inspired it. Bergman, who until recently was best known as one half of the alt-pop band Wild Belle, has crafted a collection of songs that has more in common with the Jesus Music of a half-century ago than anything released since. With that inspiration, we have loaded up the Jukebox with long-lost Jesus Music ...
Natalie Bergman’s Jesus Music for a New Generation
May 10, 2021 03:11 - 1 hour - 182 MBThird Man Records artist Natalie Bergman joins host John J. Thompson to talk about her stirring, vulnerable, and exceptionally cool new album, Mercy, and the heartbreaking tragedy that inspired it. Bergman, who until recently was best known as one-half of the alt-pop band Wild Belle, has crafted a collection of songs that has more in common with the Jesus Music of a half-century ago than anything released since. With that inspiration, we have loaded up the Jukebox with long-lost Jesus Music ...
Taylor Leonhardt Learns a Language REMIX (+Tapestry, Wrecking Ball, 1,000 Kisses & Raising Sand on the Jukebox)
April 16, 2021 00:03 - 1 hour - 194 MBThis episode, which was originally released months ago, has now been RE-MIXED with music from Taylor Leonhardt's latest album, "Hold Me." This young singer-songwriter has been on some big stages lately, playing guitar with Amy Grant, Andrew Peterson, and others, and has a slew of collaborations over the last couple of years. Her “star” is certainly on the rise. But with the release of her third independent solo album, this Texas-born, Carolina-bred, new Nashville resident is leaning into her...
Taylor Leonhardt Learns a Language (+Tapestry, Wrecking Ball, 1,000 Kisses & Raising Sand on the Jukebox)
April 16, 2021 00:03 - 1 hour - 187 MBSinger-songwriter Taylor Leonhardt has been on some big stages lately, playing guitar with Amy Grant, Andrew Peterson, and others, and has a slew of collaborations over the last couple of years. Her “star” is certainly on the rise. But as she prepares for the release of her third independent solo album, this Texas-born, Carolina-bred, new Nashville resident is leaning into her Americana roots, and her circle of friends, for both her songs and her sound. In this episode, we get to know this e...
Rich Mullins: The Lost Interview Pt 2 (Rich + McVicker, Madeira & Webb + Andrew Peterson on the Jukebox)
March 10, 2021 23:46 - 1 hour - 248 MBIn Part 2 of this special episode we hear from our late friend, mentor, and guide, Rich Mullins via a long-lost interview conducted at the old True Tunes record store in Wheaton Illinois in 1995. We also check in with Mitch McVicker, Phil Madeira, and Derek Webb, and we listen to Andrew Peterson on the Jukebox. Rich’s Ragamuffin bandmates Jimmy Abegg, Aaron Smith, and Mark Robertson come back to close things out as well. It’s our longest and fullest episode yet and we are excited for everyon...
Rich Mullins: The Lost Interview (The Ragamuffins Set The Stage - Part 1 of 2)
March 04, 2021 01:46 - 1 hour - 159 MBTo many, singer and songwriter Rich Mullins was a favorite artist; the man behind songs like “Awesome God,” “Creed,” and “Hold Me Jesus.” To others, he was an enigma—a beautifully inscrutable amalgam of passion, authenticity, vulnerability, and transcendence. To some, he was a friend, a benefactor, or even a brother. On this special two-part episode of the True Tunes Podcast we will revisit the legacy of this unlikely pilgrim through conversations with some of his closest compatriots, and by...
Rich Mullins: The Lost Interview Pt. 1 (The Ragamuffins Set The Stage)
March 04, 2021 01:46 - 1 hour - 155 MBTo many, singer and songwriter Rich Mullins was a favorite artist; the man behind songs like “Awesome God,” “Creed,” and “Hold Me Jesus.” To others, he was an enigma—a beautifully inscrutable amalgam of passion, authenticity, vulnerability, and transcendence. To some, he was a friend, a benefactor, or even a brother. On this special two-part episode of the True Tunes Podcast we will revisit the legacy of this unlikely pilgrim through conversations with some of his closest compatriots, and by...
Phil Madeira (Part 2 of 2) Jazz, Scapegoats, & Resolution
February 17, 2021 23:53 - 1 hour - 172 MBHost John J. Thompson is back in the living room of writer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and artist Phil Madeira (Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, John Scofield,) to talk about his recent solo projects, Providence, Crickets, Open Heart, and Hornet’s Nest as they wrap up this wide-ranging chat. The conversation gets into pretty deep waters right out of the gate, with Phil sharing some very vulnerable context about personal relationship challenges, the pain that came with the loss of a loved ...
Ep 22 Artist, Producer, & Songwriter Phil Madeira on expanding horizons (Part 1of 2)
February 09, 2021 00:00 - 57 minutes - 133 MBHe’s been a go-to side-man for too many A-listers to count and is currently a member of Emmylou Harris’ Red Dirt Boys. When he’s not in the studio or on the road with any number of amazing Americana, country, blues, or rock artists, he’s writing songs and recording his own albums or collaborating and producing amazing compilation projects. In Part 1 of this two-part deep dive into the life and work of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and artist, Phil Madeira, we learn about this ...
Phil Madeira (Part 1 of 2) Deep Roots & Expanding Horizons
February 09, 2021 00:00 - 56 minutes - 129 MBHe’s been a go-to side-man for too many A-listers to count and is currently a member of Emmylou Harris’ Red Dirt Boys. When he’s not in the studio or on the road with any number of amazing Americana, country, blues, or rock artists, he’s writing songs and recording his own albums or collaborating and producing amazing compilation projects. In Part 1 of this two-part deep dive into the life and work of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and artist, Phil Madeira, we learn about this ...
Ep 20: Considering Boundaries w Kevin Max & Mark Heard's "Dry Bones Dance"
January 14, 2021 13:38 - 1 hour - 218 MBKevin Max has been kicking against boundaries for over thirty years, first as one-third of a platinum-selling pop-rap group, (DC Talk,) and then as a poet and genre testing indie artist. Now he’s leaving his solo career behind to launch a new band, Sad Astronauts, right after releasing an acclaimed tribute to Larry Norman’s celebrated Only Visiting This Planet album. What might we be able to glean from an artist like Kevin when it comes to pushing into new territory, redefining success, and ...
Kevin Max: Considering Boundaries + Mark Heard’s ”Dry Bones Dance”
January 14, 2021 13:38 - 1 hour - 214 MBKevin Max has been kicking against boundaries for over thirty years, first as one-third of a platinum-selling pop-rap group, (DC Talk,) and then as a poet and genre testing indie artist. Now he’s leaving his solo career behind to launch a new band, Sad Astronauts, right after releasing an acclaimed tribute to Larry Norman’s celebrated Only Visiting This Planet album. What might we be able to glean from an artist like Kevin when it comes to pushing into new territory, redefining success, and ...