INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN EDDIE KROSS

Eddie Kross (left) at Kingdom Come Festival 2024 with Cole Plumley (drums) and Shawn Short (bass) 

It's a pleasure to interview Eddie Kross. He's part of the prayer group where we pray for Christian artists (musicians and novelists and the like). He has a concert in Lansing, MI coming up - I've got a poster for it at the bottom of this blog.  

JR: Welcome to the blog! I’ll start by asking how you came to Christ.

EK: I came from an abusive home and was in foster homes, juvy and other behavioral "placements" as a young teen... eventually ending up on the streets.  

One day when I was looking for a certain someone at their brother's house, I was met by three ladies having a prayer meeting.  God introduced himself to me at that meeting... and I ended up on my face before a Holy God that knew everything I had ever been through, and knew me by name.  Through His spiritual gifts at work through those Christian ladies, God said to me that He saw the times I had wept on my bed, crying stains on my pillow... that He knew what each tear stain had been and said that He had stationed an angel by my bedside to bring my every petition to Him.  

He went on to tell me: "This will be the covenant between you and Me: I will be your God, and you will be my son.  Over the next three seasons and I will make your ways My ways.  And I will make your music, My music.  And you will play My music to the masses." After that I immediately got off the streets and began to devour the Bible, finding myself in every verse.  I learned to work hard and went forward and upward with God, in life.  In 1994 I Got married and started a family.

JR: When did you start getting interested in music, and what led you to get into Christian music?

EK: I loved the sound of overdriven guitars from the time I first heard them (That, and synthesizers!)  Laying on my bed listening to the heavy metal greats of the 80's on my Walkman while looking at the artwork and reading the lyrics on the backs of the album covers was a humongous part of my growing up.

At some point I realized I wanted to be playing music like that.  So I saved money from a summer job and bought myself a nice Yamaha electric guitar and an amp (Peavey Envoy, I think?)  I was about 15 years old.

Fast forward to the time when God caught ahold of me at 19 and I started to seek "His music."  I had long since lost my Peavey and stuff.  Someone had given me an acoustic guitar, though.  

As I began writing lyrics and chord progressions while praying and worshiping God, I really felt like He was giving me the words.  And I was reading verses in the Bible like where Jesus is telling His disciples: "Don't worry before hand what you will say when you are brought before nations, The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say."  Plus, the words of the songs I was writing were riddled with stories and verses from the Bible... so in a way they were literally His Words.  I really believed he was giving me His music.

As I would go on to play these songs as a guest at churches, at backyard BBQs and really everywhere I could get the chance, I began to see God move on people's hearts.  Things would happen.  One time while playing a song called "Broken Hearts" the entire congregation began spontaneously weeping and people just began huddling together and praying together... It was amazing to see God move!

Eventually I would be in some Christian bands and over the years I have played everything from blues, jazz, alternative, country rock, reggae, metal...

JR: I enjoyed listening to your music, especially “Me Again.” Would you like to tell us about that song and also your most recent project?

EK: After I came back from fighting in Iraq with the US Army in 2005 I spent about a decade running away from God... in the bottle... smokin' dope and other sins I'm ashamed of. In 2014 I returned to God and He delivered me from all those addictions cold turkey (March 3rd, 2014!).

Shortly after that I developed some pretty serious medical problems and I didn't think I would ever be able to sing again.  I stopped playing music altogether for a while. Then I thought, well maybe I can record an instrumental album.  I worked on that for a while but then I cried out to God: "Please God, I don't want to be in exile any longer... Please Lord, let me sing Your praises once again!"  I vowed that if He would let me sing again I would sing every single note for Him! Wouldn't you know it, he gave me back my voice and I began writing Christian hard rock/metal songs.

Sometimes Satan works pretty hard at reminding me of my wayward choices during that falling away period I went through and also the brokenness I experienced as a child. And I think a lot of times people get these labels attached to ourselves... It's like we hear voices from the past saying: 

   "You're not good enough."

    "You're a failure."

    "You never had any friends."

    "You're a drunk."

    "You ARE the sins you've committed!"

"ME AGAIN" is sung from the perspective of someone questioning those (demonic) voices and reflecting on choices that they've made.  And ultimately longing for peace in their life... and to be set free from the past and hoping for a bright future.

Upcoming projects? Well, right now I'm busting my keister getting ready for this show we are putting on September 21st in Lansing, MI! We're actually throwing the concert so I have been programming lights and doing a lot of promo, organizing volunteers, etc, etc.

JR: If I remember correctly, you were at the Kingdom Come Festival this year. What was that like? I was there, but I was helping at the welcome station when you were on.

EK: It was awesome.  Man, Chris Bousum and the folks that put on that show really know how to take care of the artists and bands!  That was our 2nd stop on our little REBORN tour and believe me, it was the highlight of the summer.  I think because we're new on the scene this year we were a surprise to folks at the show, too.  We played a great set and the response afterward was overwhelming (All Glory To God).  Plus, it was awesome to get to see and meet other great Christian metal bands that were there.

JR: For years, I’ve had the impression that Christian rock is on the front lines of spiritual warfare, with attacks coming from satan, from the world, and from the church. Would you agree? If so, what does this look like, and how has Christ and other brothers and sisters come and helped fight with you?

EK: Let me tell ya, it has been one constant setback after another ever since we put our hands to the plow. Cancelled flights, sickness, drummer got bit by a deadly spider, people you're counting on just drop off at the last second, misunderstandings and conflict, people being quick to get offended and worrying over penny-anny stuff.... I'll tell ya.  Don't get into Christian metal, if your "metal" hasn't been tested.  Because it's not for the weak.

There are some really great servants of the Lord who are out there though... people who are specifically praying for and supporting Christian rock and metal bands in any way they can.  Thank God for you guys!

JR: Thank you for your time. Do you have any web-pages to keep up with what you’re doing? Anything interesting coming up? And anything else you’d like to share?

EK: Hey, thanks Jeffrey!  It's been fun.

Here are some links, including one for our upcoming show! We are really asking people to listen EDDIE KROSS REBORN on Spotify and to please add those three songs to their playlists.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0jOU3OuKuf9JRAk8kT6wRT

Webpage: https://eddiekross.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EddieKrossOfficial

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@eddiekross2130

Underground Christian Rock Show! (Facebook event) https://www.facebook.com/share/J7zkKqfC1G5WxR5q/

After this last show of the tour season we're gonna focus on releasing all the video footage we've accumulated from the shows this summer.  Including our first official Music video. And focus on increasing our social media, Spotify viewership, etc. 
...and we have some new music to release this fall and winter!

INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN ALLIE CRUMMY

 

JR: Welcome to the blog, Allie! How did you become a Christian, and what got you interested in music?

AC: Hey! I was raised in a Christian home, and my faith became more and more my own as I got older, especially once I started college. I’m like most musicians I know - I was drawn to music from as young as I can remember!

JR: Your web-site tells us you “studied Music Education at Drake University, where she received a classical, conservatory-like education in vocal music.” What differences are there between those approach to vocals and what is typically done in popular music? Also, do you have any classical composers/singers/songwriters/rappers/Disney characters that have inspired you? 

AC: At Drake, I mostly sang in opera style (that’s not what we called it, but it usually conjures up the right image in peoples’ minds). The main differences between that and how I sing now would be how much vibrato I use and how high I’m singing. Although I don’t sing like that anymore, I do draw on the techniques that I learned at Drake; I’ve found that it is helpful to learn to sing in that classical style as a foundation for breath control, resonance, and vocal flexibility. I often draw on my classical training if I want to tweak how I’m singing something. 

My favorite classical composers are Beethoven and Liszt. I have lots of songwriters that I like, but since we’re talking about classical training, I’ll mention how much I love Chris Thile - both as a solo artist, and as a part of the bands he’s in, especially the Punch Brothers. The Punch Brothers do a masterful job of blending classical ways of thinking about composing and arranging into a modern setting. The best example of this is their album, “Punch” from 2008. 

JR: I got hooked on your music immediately when I first heard “You Won’t Ever Abandon Me.” But that’s not your most recent release – I believe you have two (at least) since. Would you be interested in telling us about those songs? 

AC: Yeah! “You Won’t Ever Abandon Me” was the first song I released from my album, Earthly, which came out in full in September 2023. Then in October 2023, I released the single, “Daylight Saving”, kind of on a whim. I released “Lift Up the Lowly” in November 2023, also kind of on a whim. And last month, I released “Caving In” and “Go Along”, the first two singles from my upcoming album, Henny Penny, which comes out in full on June 28th! Earthly is all about the human side of being a Christian - learning to relate well with other human beings, dealing with anxiety and hardship, and giving voice to our confusions and disappointments. Henny Penny is a concept album based on the folktale of the same name. 

JR: Your web-site also includes blogs, the most recent (at this moment) being “Holy Saturday.” What is “Holy Saturday?” How did it relate to you, and do you think it applies some to the American Church?

AC: Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday and Easter, and it was originally the title for my album Earthly. Also known as “Silent Saturday”, Holy Saturday is a day where we don’t know much about what God was doing. I like to think back to the original Holy Saturday. Jesus had just died but the resurrection had not yet happened. How do you make sense of what you see happening in your life or in the world when it is very different from what you expected? How do you make sense of what is going on when you had expected God to act very differently? These are really important questions, and I believe that God wants us to wrestle with them. 

As for the American Church, there’s a lot of variety so I don’t want to say that everywhere is like this, but the church environment that I was in for many years was not one that encouraged wrestling with your faith. Some questions felt very off-limits, and were often met with cliches or oversimplified truisms that shut down further conversation, and in some cases, straight up bullying! In that environment, people who are trying to grow deeper in their faith are chased away, and ultimately, a more shallow way of thinking is encouraged. The beauty of Holy Saturday is that it is followed by Easter Sunday, and the beauty of Easter Sunday is that it’s something that has already taken place. So it’s good to question and it’s good to wrestle, and we can also have confidence that God’s plans are not fragile; they are not put in jeopardy by our honest questions. 

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep up with what you’re doing? Also, do you have any closing comments?

AC: Thanks for reaching out! The best way to keep up with what I’m doing is to join my email list: https://www.alliecrummy.com/email-signup. From there, follow me on the streaming platform of your choice (Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7vOwHOhPxqJHT0TScAkuBB?si=2eWNsoXATxWRV4JJpMzmhA) and on social media (Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliecrummymusic/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliecrummymusic/, and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/alliecrummymusic). 

INTERVIEW WITH JERROD CUNNINGHAM, LEAD VOCALIST OF I AM THE PENDRAGON AND XIII MINUTES.

Yours truly with Jerrod Cunningham (IATP make-up, no mask) at Kingdom Come Festival, 6-17-23

One of my current favorite bands is I Am The Pendragon. I got to know their lead singer Jerrod Cunningham.

JR: Welcome to the blog! How did you come to know Christ, and what got you interested in music?

JC: I actually come from what most people would call a dysfunctional home life growing up. We struggled a lot with poverty, homelessness and few times and drug/alcohol issues with abusive step-dads over the years. In the midst of all of it, my mom was very intentional about getting all of us boys plugged into a local church gathering. From a very young age, I latched onto the word of God and when the Bible tells us that we are the children of God, that He is our Heavenly Father, as a boy growing up without knowing my earthly father, I took that at face value. Of course, that didn’t mean that my walk with God through the years was always a straight path and there have been many layers of healing, repentance and growth, but Christ has been the constant in my life when everything else was a storm of change and dysfunction.

Music was always being played in our home. My mom used to be one of those people who would record 15-20 seconds of her favorite worship or praise song at the beginning of her voicemail recorder and on the regular trips to my grandmas, we would be listening and singing along to music for the entire ride. My mom always listened to gospel and praise CD’s, which didn’t appeal strongly to me, but I didn’t know what else was out there. When I was very young, I was introduced to rock music through movies. The main ones were “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” where they play KISS’s “God Gave Rock’n’Roll to You” at the very end and the soundtrack to Young Guns 2 which was done by Jon Bon Jovi. “Blaze of Glory” was my first “favorite song.” I didn’t find out about Christian rock music until middle school when I was introduced to bands like Project 86, P.O.D., Zao and many others. From that point forward, I was hooked.

JR: You're in not one but two different bands! Could you tell us the story behind I Am The Pendragon and XIII Minutes, including the origin for the band names? I have no idea what a Pendragon is, but am I correct to think it's a little more permanent than a Pencildragon?

XIII Minutes, l-r: Jamie Kucinski (drums), Preston Bell (bass, BGVs), Jerrod Cunningham (lead vocals), and Thomas Wheat (guitars, BGVs)

JC: I’ll start with my most recent venture, XIII Minutes. Since I wasn’t around when the band originally formed, I wasn’t a part of naming it, so I can keep that explanation short and sweet! A couple of the founding members had also spent time working as physical trainers. There is a statistic that a person can maintain a baseline of health if they would be able to commit to 90 minutes of physical exercise a week. Well, divided by 7 that breaks down to about 13 minutes a day. They took that stat and applied it to our spiritual lives; what would it look like for people to commit to 13 minutes of spiritual disciplines every day? Rather than diving head first into a 3 hour prayer and Bible reading plan that you are probably not going to be able to stick with, just focus on spending 13 minutes with God everyday and see what He does with that.

Almost exactly one year ago now, I sent my audition track over to Jamie and the guys to try out for the position of lead vocalist. I had known the band since 2017/2018 and played a couple of shows with them. I loved their music and had seen some of the successes and challenges they had faced. When Jamie told me that the vocalist they were relaunching with realized he needed to step down just as they had started their comeback, I decided a 5 1/2 hour drive wasn’t so bad and asked him if he would allow me to audition. My goal with XIII Minutes is not to mimic anyone that has been in this role before me, but to honor what they have done and help forge a new chapter for the future of the band.

I Am The Pendragon (IATP), l-4: Darryl Cunningham (no relation, guitar), Jerrod Cunningham (lead vocals, guitar), Kevin "Moose" Busch (bass), and David Martin (drums).

IATP is the project that I started way back in 2010. I ripped the name out of a C.S. Lewis novel called “That Hideous Strength.” The line in the book is the culmination of a test of riddles that narrow those who can answer to the final one only being known by one single person; the Pendragon whose name is Ransom. I read the line and thought to myself, “Man, that would be a great band name!” Then, almost as quickly as I had that thought, my mind began auto populating with an entirely separate and unrelated sci-fi, end of the world narrative story that made me feel like if I didn’t start writing it down that instant I was going to explode. Out of those scribbles was birthed the concept band known as I Am The Pendragon. The title of Pendragon in literature goes back to Uther and Arthur Pendragon, the ancient and somewhat mythological high kings of England. Yes, that King Arthur. It was their surname, and then it became more of title of leadership in the Lewis story. In my mythos, it’s a title of leadership in the forgotten tongue of dying world. At first it is understood to be about one man, but as more is revealed in time, they find that the true fulfillment is far more expansive than anyone could have thought.

JR: What's your latest projects, and is there anything on the horizon? Such as, new album, new book, etc.?

JC: I am currently working on writing the first book in the IATP story. It is something that I initially planned to do as a graphic novel, taking on the writing and the art, myself. I even have the first few pages fully drawn up from back in 2012 or so. The problem with doing a graphic novel is time, though. I would not be okay with producing rushed artwork just to get the story out there and there was always something in the way. I finally decided to set that plan aside (for now) and right out the story in novel form, first. This is a considerable undertaking in itself, but at least sticking with one artistic discipline rather than trying to handle multiples at a time is allowing me to focus on the story and at least get that out into the world soon.

Musically, both bands have new music coming out very soon. IATP has the long awaited “Revisionist History” EP that is currently in pre-launch. Revisionist History was conceived when we signed onto Rottweiler Records back in 2022. Rather than launching into pt. 3 of the IATP anthology with a much wider audience base who had never heard of us, we decided to choose a selection of a few of our favorite songs from the past 2 albums, re-record them professionally and use those as our introduction. We’ve had at least a few setbacks between recording and release, 2022 to now 2024, but we are finally ready to get these songs out there!

I have already been able to get into the studio and record 2 singles with XIII Minutes. Both of them are songs that we have been hitting the road with this year, “Cult Leader” and “Stay.” One thing that I am very grateful for is that even though both bands fall into the various “Rock/Metal/Alternative” groupings, there is a huge difference in the sonic output. That means that you will definitely NOT be hearing two bands with the same vocalist that sound more or less the same but, instead, two different rock bands with their own sounds and their own feel but just happen to share the same singer. You can be a fan of one and not care for the other and that would be totally understandable because they are very different, but I do hope that rock music fans of all types will be able to appreciate both.

JR: With two bands and a book, not to mention church and family, how do you keep your priorities from having a chaotic resemblance to reality? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) What suggestions would you give to those struggling with keeping up their Bible reading and prayer and other responsibilities?

JC: First off, I love Chaotic Resemblance! I’ll get to share the stage with them here in just over a week at Renewed Fest in Columbus, KS with XIII Minutes before IATP joins all of us at KCF the following weekend! 

As far as keeping priorities and responsibilities, spiritual and secular, in line, I might have a slightly skewed perspective from most that I’ve heard. Typically, I hear people talking about balance, like life is a tight rope act and the goal is the keep things even so that you don’t fall to one side or the other. I do not believe in balance. Balance is a myth. The Bible tells us to seek first - as of upmost importance - the Kingdom of Heaven and that everything else will be added to us. Focusing on balance distracts us from what I believe our true aim should be, prioritization. 

At the top of my hierarchy of priorities is my relationship with and obedience to God. There is nothing that carries that weight in my life. My secondary priority is my marriage and then my role as a father. If I am not ministering well in these areas, then I have no business teaching the Word to anyone else. After family comes Kingdom work; starting with co-pastoring a Church gathering that meets in our home and the home of my co-pastor, then my musical endeavors, then my job. Those all can fluctuate in which area needs attention now. 

As a pastor, I am responsible for my end of discipling those who have chosen to come under us. That is a high responsibility. If they have an emergency situation, I make time for them by clearing away other, less pressing responsibilities. People are more important than productivity. Sometimes, I am away on band trips, which is why having a plurality of leadership is important. Everything does not rise or fall on me. Thankfully, my job is ministry as well, although a very different kind. I have the opportunity to teach people how to build healthy and God-honoring relationships in all areas of their lives. Part of that is through our online channels, @askwholehearted, and part of that is live speaking in schools. Obviously, in a public school environment, I am not able to share the Gospel with students, but I am able to give them biblically influenced principles which are backed up by scientific and psychological data that has been deemed valuable enough by the districts that we work with to continue bringing me in. Music is another opportunity to reach people with truth through art. 

Again, it’s about priorities, not about balance. God has to be first and foremost, every day in every decision. If He is truly at the head, I cannot be obedient to Him without loving, serving and leading my family well. If my family is falling to the wayside because of “ministry,” then the ministry is not a pleasing sacrifice to Him anyways. After my wife, then our kids, comes every other ministry. Our music has reached people who would have never come to a Church gathering, our relationship program has opened doors for millions of viewers to see how applicable scripture is to our everyday lives that my bands will never play in front of and the Church gathering is where the great commission of making disciples is walked out on an individual basis. They are all different, but all play their part. As long as I am walking in obedience to God and keeping the first things first, it’s weird, but it seems like everything else is added.

JR: I believe Christian musicians are on the front line of spiritual warfare, especially those who have an evangelistic focus, and those attacks are not just from the world but also from the church. Do you agree? Why or why not? And what sources do you have for encouragement?

JC: Yesish… haha! I do agree that bands who are intentionally evangelistic are on the front lines, but I also think that every follower of Christ is on the front lines, we just don’t always recognize it. The truth is that we live in the midst of an unseen war, with spiritual entities who are influencing and manipulating the world around us. I don’t see anywhere in scripture where we are told that some of us will be engaged in warfare and some of us will not, but instead we are all told to put on our armor and engage in the battle. If you are not actively working to advance the God’s Kingdom, then you are passively working against it. (Matt. 13:30) We are all called to go into the world, preach the Gospel and make disciples. We were all given the same mission. We have different ways of living that out, but none of us is exempt from the Great Commission. 

As far as attacks from outside and inside the camp, I have had plenty of both. We have had secular bands that refused to share the stage with a Christian band. We have had professing believers openly challenge our faith because we play rock music and wear dark clothing. The thing is, we battle not against flesh and blood. For the well meaning believers who don’t understand or agree with what we do, I try to graciously walk through scripture with them and explain why it is that we do what we do. 

In fact, a few years back we (IATP) played a show with Chaotic Resemblance and had a sister go onto the webpage of the church that was hosting asking how they could allow these evil bands to play in their building. A battle had already erupted in the comments section between this lady and our defenders with even another artist who had walked away from the faith coming to my defense and cursing this lady out before I even knew what was happening. I thanked him for his… colorful support but asked that he give grace to this woman, and then I started to respond, explaining our name, our clothing, our music and giving biblical foundations for our ministry approach. In the end, she said that she would not attend our event but that she would pray that God would use us, even if it was in ways that she didn’t understand. A gentle answer turns away wrath. 

We should be ready at any moment to give a reason for why we believe and live the way that we do. The trick is to choose not to take offense. Again, it goes back to obedience. If I am truly doing what God has called me to do, then the opinions of man on either side of the fence have no bearing on me. On the other hand, if I am walking in error, it is a grace to be rebuked and returned to the path. If I choose to believe that that is the intention of the believers who challenge us, then I can enter the conversation with gratitude rather than offense. I have seen this approach disarm attackers time and time again, which allows us to have a back and forth discussion rather than a comments section argument. Even if we end up disagreeing about one aspect or another, we can usually come to a place where we recognize that we both serve the same King and can be content to allow Him to lead us respectively into truth. For the ones who continue with baseless accusations and refuse to deal with scripture when it is presented, then their issue is not with me and God will judge between us. 

In the end, my wish is not primarily that other Christians wouldn’t attack us so much, because most don’t publicly do that. I do wish that Christians were more supportive of one another, in general. I see Christians paying tons of money to go to concerts of artists who openly rebel against our Creator but are willing to take that in as “entertainment.” Now, I’m not saying that all Christians should listen to our music and like it, but there are many very talented Christian artists in every genre who are struggling to get by as they seek to use their gifts to advance the Kingdom while Christians are willingly giving more money to someone who is tearing down the Kingdom we are called to build. If that causes anyone to feel conviction, you can assuage your guilt by giving to IATP’s fundraiser campaign at https://gofund.me/08cf9072 haha. Just kidding… but if you want to give, that would be lovely!

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep up with your ministries? And do you have any concluding thoughts?

JC: You can keep up with the music for IATP on social media at @iatpendragon or on our website, www.iatpendragon.com. For XIII Minutes, you can find all of our connection points on Link Tree.  If you are interested in the relationship ed program, you can check us out on social media at @askwholehearted, instagram at @jerrodaskwholehearted or at our website, askwholehearted.com.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share! I am looking forward to seeing you again this year at KCF!

 

INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN AUTUMN EVE

Autumn Eve; Ben Cooper on the left.

Did you ever guess I enjoy discovering new artists? 

Late last year, I discovered Autumn Eve. And I'll have the privilege of getting to hear her at Kingdom Come Festival this year!

But before the interview, let me give an update. I believe I was tested as I was getting this ready to post! Normally, when I post an interview, I put my questions in black and a color for the interviewee(s). Well, for some reason last night, I was unable to get Autumn's responses to show up in color! I was going to use a deeper indent, but that's not the same. Well, today, I figured out a way to get her comments in color, but that involved copying and pasting and using the notepad to keep the lettering and size and color. By the way, it's not unusual for Blogger to change some of my font from large (my personal default) to either small or extra large, and it did that on this as well!

JR: Welcome to my blog. How did you come to Christ, and what got you interested in music? 

AE: Hi there, Jeffrey! I came to Christ when I was about 4 years old. My mom shared the gospel with me in our living room when we were living in Atlanta, GA. That's where I was born. 

    Ever since I was young, I felt the pull towards music so strong. There are videos of me bouncing to the beat as a baby. I've always sang improv and wrote my own songs. I was extremely interested in rock music after hearing Creed for the first time and Flyleaf as a teenager. 

JR: I thoroughly enjoy your two singles, “Courageous” and “Blood, Sweat, and Tears.” Would you like to tell us about them? 

AE: Yes! Thank you. The lyrics for "Courageous" were inspired from my personal experience with PTSD and the encouragement from Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

    As a domestic violence survivor, sharing my experience through song is so empowering and validating. Being real about what it feels like to have PTSD, yet also living empowered as an overcomer is the balance I aim for and wanted to offer to listeners. 

    "Courageous" is also a very interesting song for me because it was written when I was single, recorded when I was married, and released after that relationship ended. I felt God giving me this impression about "Courageous" saying, "You have to walk through courage before you can sing about it." It's interesting how courage often doesn't feel courageous. True courage is being willing to go onwards and trust God even when you have walked through the darkest and most soul-crushing times in your life. 

    The story behind "Blood, Sweat and Tears" is almost like a sequel to "Courageous," but more personal and about waking up and recognizing abuse in a relationship. It is often very difficult to distinguish gaslighting and manipulation when you had a rough childhood. Survivors are so use to being mistreated that it's almost like our heart's radar is broken to it because we don't have many memories of healthy, safe relationships: like a broken compass.             "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" asks the questions of someone who is beginning to wake up, realize, and dare to challenge the mistreatment for the first time. This song is also about committing to reality, seeing the darkness for what it is, not covering up or downplaying your own personal experience, and not letting the abuser off the hook at your sake to keep the peace. I hope this song will help listeners realize that by staying with an emotionally unsafe manipulator they are allowing the suffering to continue and it is not their fault. They can get out. They can get their life back even if it takes blood, sweat, and tears to overcome and get out. 

    "I'm so happy with this song because in the bridge, the empowerment hits and the clarity comes. I hope this song will help listeners going through an abusive relationship to shift their mentality, choose to get out, choose to help themselves, and understand no amount of love they give to the other person can heal or fix their partner. Only leaving the situation and surrendering the person to God can help them reclaim their own life and personal sanity. 

    Some of the lyrics say:     

"Are your words the reason I am this way?

Who is safe to share the pain? 

Is it like this forever?"

    and becomes

"Now I see 

It's not me who needs to 

Heal your insecurities." 

JR: I know this is your first time you’re at Kingdom Come Festival. Is this your first summer traveling to festivals? What do you believe God is teaching you during this tour? 

AE: I am so excited to perform my songs this year at KCF! I got the honor of performing impromptu last year with my bro, David Bean, from Red Letter Rising on one of his songs. That was very special for me. But this will be my first time traveling out of Texas to perform my full set with my band. Please come say hi!

    Wow, I like that question, "What is God teaching me during this tour?" I believe God is teaching me about surrender, and how he brings my chaos into order. There is this interesting balance I feel as a musician and traveling performer of upholding excellence without holding on too tightly to delivering my music with perfection.

    I think God is also stretching me in my personal life with this also because I have given up everything to do music this year. I got sick 3 times, lost my job, and God rerouted me to begin a wonderful and new dating relationship a month ago with one of my bandmates, Ben.

    All of my plans and living my situation have changed this year while pursuing music whole heartedly. All of my stuff is in storage. I'm on the road all of the time, which God did tell me about last summer. I don't have a solid concept of home at the moment, which is okay, just strange, but it is all so stretching. Even though I want control and to have predictable outcomes in my life and music, bending is the way. I feel like a free-spirit-nomad right now, which can be very beneficial and beautiful at times.

    All of this leads me to learn more about surrender, trust, and allowing God to move me and direct my steps to where he wants me to go, like Joseph in the Bible. He was constantly redirected for good, even when Joseph didn't understand and things looked so negative. God kept bringing him exactly where he needed to be, rerouting Joseph when he did not have control.

    I feel the invitation from the story of Joseph to keep having a confident, real faith in God for my life through the chaos and things outside of my control. All of the redirecting was an answered prayer for Joseph, his family, the nation of Egypt, and the entire ancient world at that time. God brings our chaos into order so beautifully when we keep trusting in him and do our part. 

JR: Allow me give an unusual question: Let’s say the people in the Bible (not counting Jesus) were all lead singers in bands. Who would you probably be touring with? 

AE: Haha, probably Deborah. She has an awesome death core and symphonic metal sound. We do prison ministry together and hang out. 

JR: Who would you say is your target audience, who you’re writing and singing for? In other words, what’s the message behind the music you’re trying to convey? 

AE: My target audience actually comes from Isaiah 61:1-3:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

    to proclaim freedom for the captives

    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

    and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

    instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

    instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

    instead of a spirit of despair." 

This is a big part of my message and my audience. 

JR: Thanks for your time. What is next on the horizon, and how can we keep up with you (e.g. websites, social media)? And do you have any concluding comments? 

AE: I am so glad to you asked me to share. My goal is to keep recording each song for my album, "Rival Dreams" so you get to hear more music! My new song, "Make You Mad" will be out this summer. This song is my absolute favorite out of all of them so far. Please follow me and shoot me a message anytime!

autumnevemusic | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree View autumnevemusic’s Linktree. Listen to their music on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music here. linktr.ee

 

INTERVIEW WITH KENZIE COYNE, LEAD VOCALIST OF HELLO LUNA

Hello Luna, l-r: Danny Rodgers (keyboards), Mitch Horn (bass), Kenzie Coyne (vocals/guitar), Michael Neumaier (drums), and Eric Morgan (lead guitar)

 

Today, I'm honored to interview Kenzie Coyne of Hello Luna, a band that is new to me.

JR: Welcome to the blog. How did the band get started? Who's all in the band? And I'm especially curious about how you developed the band's name.

KC: I had been playing as a solo artist and in a couple of bands writing music for a few of years before I started Hello Luna. I started connecting with other musicians and held auditions because I wanted to lean more into rock. My previous projects were folk/ singer songwriter and I was ready to move on to something different. I built up my band after a couple months and we started practicing and playing shows not long after. I came up with the name Hello Luna after spending so many nights staring at the night sky… I realize it sounds cheesy, but as a kid I was desperately searching for answers in the sky. I can recall my mind filled with questions about my faith, God, what I’m going to do with my life as I would stare at the night sky. I had so many questions and I was searching for God. The name Hello Luna means “light in the darkness”. I want my band to be a light for those who are in those dark spaces, questioning like I used to staring up at the sky. 

JR: Since you're from Columbus, I'm going to ask a non-typical-band question: Have you been to the Columbus Zoo? If so, is it your favorite zoo, or are there others you like better? (My wife and I have been to over 40 different zoos including two visits to Columbus; Cincy, Fort Wayne, Chattanooga, and Henson Robinson (Springfield, IL) are our favorites, more so than our hometown Indy Zoo.)

KC: I was actually at the zoo last week. I’m a huge animal lover and I’ve spent a lot of time at the zoo haha. I love the Columbus zoo. The Toledo and Cincinnati zoo are awesome. I enjoyed my time at the Central Park zoo. I’m a huge fan of being able to interact with the animals, so my favorite zoo is probably Indian Creek Zoo in MI. They give you a bucket of food to feed the animals. It’s a tiny zoo, but definitely the closest interactions I’ve had with some animals. 

JR: Okay, back to music. What's your latest release? Also, I love the song "Buried On The Inside;" could you tell us about it?

KC: “Buried On The Inside” was actually a rush job. I was in the studio with my producer writing our EP. The song actually started with that guitar line that goes through the entire song. It’s probably the simplest song I’ve ever wrote and I really pushed myself to not overthink anything about that song. The lyrics are really about my cynical mind. I had the lyric “why does everything happy make me mad” and went on from there. I’ve lived through some long periods of darkness and depression in my life and at that point things were looking up and I was in a good space, but I couldn’t shake the negative outlook I had on life. The song is really about feeling like I’m stuck in a bad dream and not living in the reality that my life had actually gotten better. I never realized how much faith it takes to actually enjoy the good seasons God puts us in when you’ve been living in darkness for so long.  

JR: I'm looking forward to hearing you at the Kingdom Come Festival: you're on the agenda for the SubCulture Stage at Kingdom Come Festival (is it sponsored by Subway? Just kidding). What should we expect from this particular stage?

KC: This is my first year playing KCF, so I’m not sure how much I can speak to the stage overall, but we plan to bring it all and really make a mark with our performance this year. 

JR: I believe Christian rock artists often find themselves in intense spiritual warfare, probably because they're entering the enemy's territory at full volume. What struggles do you face, and what sources do you have for encouragement and support during the times the battle's the fiercest?

KC: I’ve definitely experienced spiritual warfare on my music journey. Most of the time it’s actually hard to recognize. A lot of the torment actually comes from unchecked negative thought patterns or lies the enemy is trying to feed me about feeling not good enough or like I’m going to fail. I noticed the most resistance when I became really transparent about speaking about my past abuse and how my faith got me through that season. I would find myself so low and worn out. I remember going on podcasts and talking about it all and then just feeling like all the energy had been taken out of me. It was so much harder emotionally than I could have imagined. I’m lucky to have an awesome community of other believers around me. I’m part of a small group or (Bible study) at my church Vineyard and they’ve come alongside me through this journey praying and encouraging me in so many ways.  I also have incredible support from other Christian bands that can relate and encourage me when I feel like giving up. 

JR: Thank you for your time. Any webpages or the like that we can keep up with you on? And do you have any closing comments?

KC: Our website is Helloluna.band; you can find our tour dates and merch there. I’m most active on TikTok, but also frequently post on Instagram and our handle is @hellolunaband . We’ll see ya at KCF Subculture Stage Friday at 4:20pm. 

INTERVIEW WITH DAVE HARVEY OF MILLENNIAL REIGN

 

Millennial Reign, l-r: Pedro Cortes (drums), Dave Harvey (guitars, BGVs), Tiffany Galchutt (vocals), and Neil Bertrand (bass, BGVs)

Allow me to admit: I was probably born a symphonic metal fan, long before the genre existed. One, I love symphonic music period - when I got familiar with classical music, I was hooked. But also, even my taste in music as a teen-ager - Kansas, Styx, Yes, ELO, and the later Beatles - showed that leaning. So I'm excited to get to interview another Christian symphonic metal, along with my interview two years ago with my buddies Divine Martyr. I have the honor of interviewing guitarist Dave Harvey.

JR: Welcome to my blog! I'll start with my typical first question for bands: How did you get started, and what inspired the group's name?

DH: Millennial Reign actually started as a recording project. I had already released one album in an 80s genre but was wanting more of a powermetal direction with the second. I had the right vocalist lined up and we signed with Ulterium Records during the recording process. Once we did that it was decided to create a full band. As for the name, it literally came from a church service one morning. The pastor mentioned the thousand year millennial reign of Christ and I remember thinking, that’s a good name for a band.

JR: Usually at this point, I ask about the most recent project. However, I hear you've got a new project due out this summer! I'm excited and can't wait to hear it. Would you like to tell me and the readers what to expect about it? 

DH: In my opinion it’s the best album we’ve released to date. The current lineup of the band is by far the best since its creation, everyone is on board and fully committed to the vision. One video “Bring Me To Life” has been released and a second is coming in May.

JR: "World on Fire" is your first full project since 2018's "The Great Divide." What has the Lord been teaching you during that period of time?

DH: For me personally I’ve been much more focused on the Word and the ministry. On this album I wanted to be much more direct with what we had to say. These are perilous times we are living in and it’s no longer optional to be vague in the message. A strong word is what everyone needs.

JR: I'm sure you're familiar with the old adage "You can't judge a book by its cover," but in your case, your projects have great artwork (see bottom of interview). Could you tell us about it?

DH: Our record label takes care of hiring the artists to do all of their covers. Jan Yrlund did the last two album covers for us. He does a lot of very well known bands in Europe. 

JR: One hunch I have is that Christian rock bands endure a lot of spiritual warfare, especially those who break into a new genre where the world formerly had a monopoly. What warfare have you seen, and how has God helped strengthen and encourage you during the heat of battle, either through the Word, prayer, or fellow believers?

DH: The only quote, unquote “warfare” that really comes to mind would be that Christian bands aren’t taken seriously by some of the metal world. I see this a lot with Stryper by a few of the bigger zines using headlines that mock rather than actually promote the story. Jesus himself said that we’d be hated by the world so personally this doesn’t get to me. I know exactly who I am in Christ, what I can do in Christ and the final outcome of the mockers.

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep up with what's going with you all? And is there any closing remarks you'd like to make?

DH: All our info is posted on our webpage at https://millennialreign.com or https://facebook.com/millennialreign

We are having an album release show June 22nd at Platinum Music Complex in North Richland Hills, Texas. Greg X Volz of Petra and CPR will be speaking and performing at the event. See our pages for ticket links.

FIRST BLOG IN THE PAST WEEK?! WHAT'S GOING ON?

Painted dogs at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. They look as awake as I feel.

Yes, I had been posting three blogs a week for a while, and the past few weeks have me missing some, a trend that doesn't look like it will change.

I've had twice as many interviews from January to April '24 than that same period last year (6 compared to 3), and if I post one interview between May and December this year, I will have posted more than I did in the last 8 months of '23. I have I believe three interviews waiting for completion, and I have a list of others I want to interview, but it will be at least a week before I'm ready to post it.

Another common type of blog are my book and music reviews. As far as book reviews, I'm crawling through several books, so again, I won't be ready to review any until at least next week, maybe longer. When I do a music review, I listen to the project and then write a review, and that takes less time. However, currently I just want music on in the background instead of listening to something to review. Also (if I'm wrong, correct me), I always feel I do a better job reviewing books than music. 

Yes, I have other blogs too. I just have to take the time to write them. (This is a quick off the cuff).

The fourth type of blog I want to have are guest blogs. If someone wants to join in, I'd be happy. Not the first time I've suggested it. But none yet.

Please pray for me. I do have health problems (I have a new doctor to see in a couple of days), and not a lot of energy. There are things I'm doing (being a beta reader for one of my favorite authors, preparing prayer prompts for all the Kingdom Come Festival '24 artists and hoping to finish before the festival starts, cleaning out an e-mail box that I'm getting close to being in the 4 digit range, work, leading a Bible study, being in a D-Group at church, and running sound, and probably more). Pray that I have wisdom to know what to do and what not to worry about. Maybe the time for this blog is over. Maybe not. Please pray.

Thank you for reading this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll follow the example of the painted dogs above and take a nap.
 

INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN DAVID DIXON, AKA RIDDLE ME THIS?

 

JR: My all-time favorite fictional villain - be it of movies, TV, comic books, or novels - is Frank Gorshin's Riddler on Batman, so of course I’m intrigued by your name. How did you choose that name, and what is the relation between the moniker and your music?

DD: Im a Big Batman Villains Fan and the Riddler is one of my favorites. He even becomes a good guy in one storyline. So Riddle Me This came from my own salvation story. Asking the important questions instead of relying on my own intellect and reasoning. Is there really a God? Who is He? Parables are also a kind of Riddle but one in which Jesus gives us the answers to.

JR: How did you come to know Christ, and what got you into music?

DD: I grew up Baptist and went to church off and on throughout my life. I didn’t really care one way or the other for Jesus but I absolutely hated Christians. I believed in a God just didn’t care too much about Him. Then I discovered the world of Lucifer: Mild Devil Worshipping, Ouija Boards, Ghost Hunting, etc. During that time and completely unbeknown to me I became a Minister for Satan, ordained and sent out to the world just like a Disciple of Christ is. I wasn’t aware that I had become a Satanic Minister, but that’s how it works. People most of the time have no idea the work they do for Satan. At the bar where I worked, I was a DJ so I got paid to party and go home with women. I had a great life. I was a celebrity, a small town Rockstar. Go to Church? Why? They were all bigots and hateful self righteous jerks. Why would I ever want to go there? 

So I’d be at the bar and hear someone mention going to Church or talking about Christianity or Jesus and Bam! I was all on them, “Hey let me tell you about real freedom”. “Come with me, I'm fun, we’ll have a great time. Jesus isn’t real let me tell you why. etc.” I had no idea that this is exactly what a Satanic Evangelist does, but there I was out there ministering. 

Long story short I met a girl, Wanted to break up with her, she was way too good for me. Good also meant very boring to me as well. Ended up staying (that's a whole story too lol); I knew she was a Christian and always told her why that was wrong. I was going to prove that Christianity isn’t real and it's the worst religion. I get on You Tube and see some Bible prophecies that I remember coming true. I did something I never thought of before and simply asked God who He is and if He’s real. I told Him if He’d tell me in a way that HAD to be Him and couldn’t be explained away by anything rational, then I’d follow Him forever. 

Next thing I know I leave my living room and I am in the presence of Jesus Christ. It’s just black I can’t see anything, but I know I am in the presence of God. He showed me who I was, all the wicked vile and evil things I had done against Him and His Children. I'm crying, I see it. I feel what I've done but then I feel something I can't even describe just Love. I tell Him I’m so sorry I didn’t know. I tell Him I’ll follow Him. He tells me I'm forgiven and that I'm gonna minister for Him now. I never even had to ask “Who are You?” I didn’t know the verse correctly then but It just hit me as all this is happening, “My Children know My voice.” The actual verse is “My sheep hear My voice and I know them.” 

That entire encounter felt like a really long time but it probably was only about 30 seconds to a couple minutes. When I felt myself kind of come to back to my living room I’m a Christian. Its so surreal how 30 seconds prior to that I hated all Christians and now I am one. Truly the old man was put to death and I arose in Christ a new creature. If people would only seek Him out, just ask Him. One simple question was all it took. He will reveal and prove Himself, and after that surrendering your life to following His will doesn’t seem so crazy. In fact just the opposite, you realize that there really isn't any other way. 

As for the Music. I have been playing music since I was a kid. I have always loved music. Singing came later on but once I realized I can sing it started to turn me into an arrogant egotistical rockstar in my own head. Now that I write and sing songs for Jesus it makes it more fulfilling and purposeful. Following Him and learning to be more like him and less like me puts the ego to bed. Its not about me, never has been, never will be. Everything is His and for Him. 

I will say the Music journey for me as a Christian has been hard, emotionally stressful and draining at times, it's not been easy. Having to step down from platforms that would catapult my fame and career. Going from touring the USA in a Tour Bus and playing on stage with some of the bigger names in Christian Music, to being the cleaning guy at a tiny church. It was like going from Green Day to Janitor. I have to follow HIS will though and not my own. Thats what I’m being taught and it's been painful at times, but this is the life of a Follower of Christ. Just because the world says you can have all the money and fame, it's right there for the taking. It’s been offered over and over, but you don’t want it. Not like that. Christians don’t need money, clothing, food, etc. We need God’s favor and blessing, we need HIM. If we follow HIM he will provide everything we need and more, but that my friends is easier said than done. READ YOUR BIBLE!!

JR: Could you tell us about your latest release?

DD: Sure. The latest release is "Go Out and Tell Them" and can be found on my youtube RiddleMeThis?BandOfficial or find me on facebook Riddle Me This Band.

JR: It’s not often I ask an interviewee about other organizations, but on your Facebook pages, I’ve seen a mention of two different items I’ve heard of else where: Broadhead Music group from several artists on Glenn Remsen’s Lithoscry Podcast and the Whosoever Church, which Amy and Seth Olsen from the band Counter mentioned. Would you be interested in letting us know more about them?

DD: Sure!! Broadhead Music Group is the record label I am signed to. There are I think 10 artists signed, maybe more, maybe less not really sure how many. Whosoever Church probably shares its name with several Churches and Organizations, but the Whosoever that I am affiliated with is just my very small Hometown Church located in Nahunta, GA. Although it does have a rather big online following.

JR: What are some of the biggest concerns you have for today’s world and/or today’s American Church, and how do you think God may use you for his glory in times like this?

DD: I think there are a lot of concerns happening within the American Church. I think the biggest problem is that the Gospel is not being Preached or Taught in the vast majority of American Churches. Apostasy is rampant everywhere with a lot of Churches ignoring scripture to accommodate sin and sinful lifestyles. We all like the salvation, forgiveness, love, and Heaven side of the Gospel; we start talking about Sin and Hell, though, and feathers start to get ruffled. Gotta be the WHOLE Gospel though otherwise Salvation makes no sense, What are we being saved from? I could go on for days about the lack of TRUTH and The Gospel in churches but this about sums it up along with Teaching what True love is and how to love like Jesus. I’m not saying we need more inflated religious Bible Bashers or Hell spewers and fear mongers either. Love like Jesus. Stand firm in Biblical Truth, but be gentle. Show love and compassion, the fruits of the spirit. 

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep in touch with you and your music? Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

DD: You can follow me on Facebook either David Dixon or Riddle Me This Band. We are living in serious times. It’s time to be serious about our walk with Christ. We won’t make it without him. It’s a dangerous and cold dark world out there. It’s getting colder, darker, and more dangerous; especially for us. There is only one light to follow and it’s up to us to follow HIM as close as we can, so that we can lead others to HIM as well. Hatred, Emptiness, Violence, and Death is all the world has to offer. There’s a lot of fun in Sin, but it’s not for us and it’s not worth it. When you sin, Repent and lean on him more. We are so weak, but being in fellowship with God is worth more than all the gold in the world. My Encouragement to everyone…READ 1 John it’s a short book but it helps in our walk with him, it also helps us to really understand why as well. 

Thank You, Jeff, for taking the time to interview me and thank all of you readers for the support and love!! For those that I am meeting for the first time, Hi I’m David Dixon Singer/Songwriter of Riddle Me This Music Ministry. Thank you and nice to meet you!! Thanks again Everyone!! I love you guys!! Keep your eyes on Jesus!!

INTERVIEW WITH BRYAN BROWN AND KENNY POOVEY OF DEADSIN

 

DeadSin, left to right: Cameron Murrell (Guitar and vocals), Bryan Brown (Bass and Lead Vocals), and Kenny Poovey (Guitar and vocals). Photo by my friend Chad Fenner of Concert Fotos.

JR: Welcome to the blog. How did the band get started? Who all are the members, and how did you choose your name?

BB: We got started around May/June of 2020. It was myself (bass, Lead Vocals) Keagan (drums) and Cameron (guitars). We wanted our name to mean something or be a conversation starter. We took a couple verses that talk about being dead in sins and dead to sin and just really liked DeadSin as a whole. 

Since we began we’ve gone through a couple line up changes. Keagan has left the band, he was a founding member. We currently have Bryan (me) and Cameron and Kenny Poovey (guitar, vocals)

JR: Would you like to tell us about your latest project(s)? Especially about "Sovereign."

BB: Our latest release was a song called “Don’t You Know” which is pretty much a pop song which talks about how much we care about our loved ones and friends. I had been wanting to write a song about my sons for years and this was it. 

Our song “Sovereign” is a banger. Keagan wrote most of it and I wrote the lyrics. We made a music video for it producing it ourselves with some help. We are big believers in the sovereignty of God and that all things happen for a reason and that He is control of every single thing. The chorus is based off or Romans 8 and 9. God saves us. He is the author and finisher of our faith. 

JR: I would like to know the story of your 3 song EP "The Protest," including the awesome artwork.

BB: Our EP “The Protest” was our first release. We had a handful of songs but picked these 3 cause they had some variousness in styles. We tracked the music ourselves but then flew to Nashville and had Josiah Prince of Disciple track all the vocals and later mix it. Was a great experience and he was awesome to work with. We may go back there in the future. Each song was picked for a specific reason. “Wrath” was a groover and we wanted to talk about an attribute of God most do not, His justice and wrath against the wicked. Next was “Recreate” a personal song of my walk and fall and return to Jesus. Last was “Elevate” a very pop passive aggressive song about false teachers. The video actually got us kicked off a show once. The artwork was Keagan’s idea and we for the boys in The Protest who also do graphic work as Quiet strength design to make it. They’ve done "Vapor" as well, my favorite. 

JR: I love that each of the members mention their favorite Bible passage on the website. What is the church background of the band? What are your sources (in person, favorite musicians, mentoring preachers via books, radio, etc.)?

BB: I grew up in an Assemblies of God church. Around my late 20’s I discovered RC Sproul and it led me down the path to where I am today in Reformed theology. I attend a Presbyterian church, in the CREC. I’m a fan of pastors and apologists like Jeff Durbin, James White, Voddie Baucham, Doug Wilson. As an older man, I’ve got so many favorite bands and artists to name. I think we do a good job of mixing in old and new styles in our music. 

Kenny Poovey was raised Catholic as a child and chose in adult hood to follow the non-denominational Christian faith.  Still growing every day in faith and his walk with Jesus.  DeadSin is actually a big influence on his journey. 

KP: I enjoy listening to scripture via the audio book and YouVersion app and get a lot of his lessons and teachings of scripture from my church, The Quest, located in Royse City, TX as well as from the amazing R.C. Sproul along with fellowship with my friends such as Chad Fenner who is a prolific professional photographer but also a major influence on myself along with  Bryan Brown from DeadSin and Shelby Steineger from my church. 

My favorite Bible verse, which is not easy to choose as there are many that resonate is "Romans 8:38-39: Nothing can separate you from the unconditional love of God!"   This verse is special to me because I can seek comfort in the thought of unconditional Agape Love.  I love "love" and I feel it is important to not only Christian faith as God has shown the proof that unconditional love exists but also for me, it is an important concept for my marriage.  I feel God should be at the center of my marriage and that we are to love each other unconditionally.  It is also something that the world truly needs, which is the unconditional love we receive from God but also that as humans, we should be leading by example each and every day to love one another.

JR: What do you think is the greatest danger facing the church, and what is DeadSin's role in dealing with that danger?

KP: I think the greatest fear or danger for the church is when folks twist the narrative or meaning of the Bible at its teaching for their own personal gain or personal agenda.  I think DeadSin does a good job by facing this head on in our song, "Elevate".  DeadSin is committed to speaking the truth and shining the light on this sickening trend taking place in our churches. 

BB: Greatest danger is the lack of discernment and not knowing who God really is. We’ve made a God that conforms to who we want him to be more than reading and understanding what scripture has said. God is holy, holy, holy. We can’t comprehend that in our human minds. The theology in main stream American churches is very watered down and frankly weak. I also fear the church’s are full of false converts too. 

JR: Thank you for your time. What projects are you working on? How can we keep in contact with y'all (how's that for a little Texan?)?

Photo courtesy of Chad Fenner of Concert Fotos

BB: Thank you so much for doing this with us. We’ve had a brief lull in the band for a few really good reasons but we are still writing. Got a couple songs in the works and hope to drop something by summer. We are looking at this as DeadSin 2.0 with Kenny joining us. You can keep up with us on our webpage and on Facebook.  We are excited about the future and pray God uses us for His glory. God bless!