The True Tunes Podcast

This special Couples Skate episode of the True Tunes Podcast started out as a normal Jukebox feature for the Wild Harbors In Paris episode. But as we dug deeper and deeper into the world of amazing music made by couples, the dang thing demanded to become a separate show! So, we just rolled the Jukebox out into the middle of the rink for an extended exploration of music being made by married folks – from famous names to newlyweds. And don’t miss the massive corresponding Spotify mix, curated by both JJT and his three-plus-decade music and life partner Michelle Lynn Thompson. You can find it HERE or at the Show Notes page for this episode which is where you’ll also find the list of all of the songs featured on this show. To hear the deeper dive into John and Michelle's latest project, check out our recent special episode HERE. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

We often hear that being in a band is like being in a marriage. But what about when being in a marriage is like being in a band? What about those truly crazy people whose marriage IS a band? Chris and Jenna Badeker, aka Wild Harbors, have been carving out a functional and creatively exciting path as indie pop artists for several years. On this episode, they join us from Paris, where they were serving as Artists In Residence. We hear about their uniquely risky career choices, the path that led them overseas, and the cultural differences between faith-formed music in the US and Europe. We actually hear the streets of France as we catch this young couple in the midst of their most recent adventure, and we ponder the role risk plays in our creative, spiritual, and relational formation. And along these same lines, on our next episode (coming very soon,) we'll push the Jukebox right out into the middle of the rink for a long-form “Couples Skate” as we listen to more than essential artists who chased their creative dreams from within the bond of marriage, so stay tuned… For full SHOW NOTES and music list, visit TrueTunes.com/WildHarbors. You can also find our corresponding Spotify "A Band Is Like A Marriage" playlist (with over 100 songs and counting" on that Show Notes page or by clicking HERE. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

The 77s' 1987 self-titled album was not only that band's first real shot at the "big-time" success their fans knew they deserved. It was also the climax of a creative explosion from a unique Sacramento community that had been cooking up spiritually driven, culturally engaged, artistically excellent music for about a decade. On this special "From The Vault" episode of the podcast, we unveil previously unheard tape culled from frontman Michael Roe's conversation with True Tunes and with The Electric Jesus Podcast to finally answer one of the most fascinating questions of all time: Did U2's breakthrough album The Joshua Tree inadvertently KILL one of our other favorite LPs? If you dig this, don't miss our previous 2-part deep dive with Michael Roe, our recent @45RPM reflection on U2's Achtung Baby, our conversation with 77s and Exit Records advocate Randy Layton, or our discussions in the vault with fellow Exit artists Steve Scott, Jimmy Abegg, and Charlie Peacock. For this show's FULL SHOW NOTES - including a list of ALL the music used in this episode and more - visit TrueTunes.com/RoeRedux. If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

Randy Layton may not be a household name, but that's not the point with people like him. Layton has been advocating for some of the most important - if not famous and successful - artists of the last forty years through his label Alternative Records and his previous work with the enormously influential Sacramento label Exit Records. He was all about the "Alternative" back when that word meant something. Layton has helped release projects by The 77s, Vector, Steve Scott, 2 Pound Planet, Robert Vaughn and the Shadows, and many others. Although we have heard pieces of this conversation here and there on previous episodes of the show, we finally unspool the whole enchilada and get the full story of Layton's formative years in the 70s, his early years as an importer of rare music from the UK and Europe, his work with some of our favorite artists, and some recent reissues as well. Along the way, we catch a glimpse of the power behind his story, and our own. Spoiler alert - it's about a lot more than music. We have also featured many of the beneficiaries of Layton's largesse on previous episodes, including Michael Roe, Charlie Peacock, Steve Scott, and Jimmy Abegg For full SHOW NOTES and music list visit TrueTunes.com/LaytonAlternative If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

The very first episode of this podcast - which premiered back in 2019 - featured a conversation with award-winning producer, songwriter, and artist Charlie Peacock. Charlie, one of the artists who inspired the launch of the original True Tunes in the 80s with his progressive, genre-bending, standard-setting music, was later associated with artists like Switchfoot, Civil Wars, and others. He is currently experiencing one of his most prolific phases as both a musical artist and as a visual artist. When we first launched this show, we didn't know exactly what the format would be. As a result, a lot of this fantastic conversation got left on the cutting room floor. So for this special "From The Vault" episode, we have found some previously unheard "tape" and framed it with some of Charlie's recent jazz music to highlight even more of his important insights and observations. Full Show Notes available at TrueTunes.com/CPVault If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

This 45RPM episode opens the True Tunes Vault and finds a conversation host John J. Thompson had with friend, fan, and artist manager Nick Barre about U2's initially shocking album, Achtung Baby, 30 years after its original release. With the band back in the news - both for Bono's stunning new memoir Surrender and their corresponding collection of reimagined older songs - and the announcement of their Las Vegas homage to their 30-year-old re-birth - it seemed a good time to revisit this reflection. Full Show Notes available at TrueTunes.com/Achtung If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

True Tunes host John J. Thompson recently traveled to Cleveland, TN, to speak at a festival in honor of Rev. Howard Finster – the enigmatic painter, pastor, and musician who first came to international prominence when his art was used on album covers by Talking Heads, R.E.M., and Adam Again, and is considered by some to be the father of contemporary folk art. Painter and woodcut printmaker Kreg Yingst, whose art has graced recent album projects by Vigilantes of Love and others, presented at the festival as well and joined John for a conversation. Plus, we crank up the Jukebox to check out one of the most prolific and accomplished outsider musicians of the last three decades; John Darnielle and his band, The Mountain Goats. The full music list, our special Spotify Mix and more for this episode are available on the SHOW NOTES page at TrueTunes.com/Outsiders2 If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

It takes some special instruments and a unique perspective to appreciate the frustrating version of "success" that weaves in and through Tonio K.'s long strange trip of a music career. He should have been one of those critical reference points of the heady '70s and '80s, right up there with Warren Zevon and Joe Jackson. He had the wit, the sneer, the shades, and the major label hookups. But even with the odds in his favor, a hall-of-fame roster of supporting band members, and people like T Bone Burnett supporting him, it wasn't until he started putting his pen to work for other artists that his path emerged. On this episode, we visit with the elusive, and in some ways illusory, artist and songwriter for a rare exploration of his entire career. We'll examine his earliest days in the trippy psychedelic art rock scene, his stint with the late Buddy Holly's “Crickets,” his serious run at a solo artist career, and his late renaissance as the crafter of smash hits for an impossibly diverse list of artists that includes both a member of The Sex Pistols and Burt Bacharach. Tonio K. tells us the whole amazing story – and with the help of some friends, we have peppered the show with some extremely rare Tonio K. recordings and a brace of tunes that made him a darling of both the Christian and mainstream underground. And, as if THAT wasn't enough, Tom Willett – who signed K. to WHAT? Records in the '80s and worked alongside T Bone and others – joins us for the conversation as well. The full music list, our special Spotify Mix, and more for this episode are available on the SHOW NOTES page at TrueTunes.com/Tonio1. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

Drew Holcomb is one of the most successful – and innovative – independent singer-songwriters working today. His rootsy, unadorned style has filled theaters and halls around the country, driven several singles up the Americana chart, seen some major placements in prominent films, television shows, and ad campaigns, and earned him a devoted fan base. Moon River, the festival he originally founded in Memphis, now draws tens of thousands of fans to Chattanooga, Tennessee, each September and has hosted Brandi Carlile, The National, Wilco, Dawes, Leon Bridges, Lord Huron, Allison Russell, Jason Isbell, The Avett Brothers, and so many more. So when True Tunes’ John J. Thompson was trying to choose a special guest to speak to the final gathering of his first class as a teacher at Lipscomb University's School of Music, he thought of Drew. Fortunately for him, his co-teacher (and boss) Platinum selling and Grammy Award-winning producer Brown Bannister happens to be Drew's father-in-law. On this extraordinary episode of the podcast, Drew Holcomb comes to class! JJT is joined by eight students as guest interviewers, each bringing one excellent question, and Mr. Holcomb offers a world of wisdom, wit, humor, and inspiration. We hear about everything from his earliest days as a struggling artist to last fall's disastrous Moon River rain-out. We hear about making music with a spouse, managing a band with friends, learning how (and when) to co-write, his biggest mistake, and much more. Throughout the conversation, we also hear clips from a slew of rare tracks by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, and other friends and comrades. Says the host: "I am thrilled to be kicking off my new position as the Director of Music Industry Studies at Lipscomb University's College of Entertainment and the Arts with this special glimpse into the creative and strategic conversations we are having with the next generation of artists, songwriters, and industry leaders. Drew was an amazing guest; this show is a gold mine of artist development wisdom. Thanks, Drew - and Brown - and to the students for bringing such excellent questions!" (JJT) If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

If you think True Tunes host and founder John J. Thompson is objective about music - merely a dispassionate observer or fact-gathering journalist... think again. "Before I wrote about music," he admits, "before I worked in the industry at all - before I promoted concerts or started True Tunes back in the 80s - I was a kid with a guitar, bad hair, and way more confidence than talent. Inspired by heroes like T Bone Burnett, Steve Taylor, Bob Dylan, Bono, Mark Heard, Bruce Cockburn, The 77s, and all of the bands Terry Scott Taylor was in, I knew I had to make music. Everything I have done since then has flowed from this original inspiration. I am definitely biased about this stuff." And despite how busy he has been helping other people with their projects, It's been a long time since Thompson has released new music of his own. With the release of a new double single: "Ghost In The Needle" / "Not OK At All" that time has come and he is ready to show his hand. In this special "extended" 45RPM episode, JJT is joined by his wife - and longsuffering Wayside bandmate - Michelle Lynn Thompson to discuss their new songs in particular and their somewhat complicated creative relationship in general. Elsewhere in the show, he sits down with producer Matt Goldman, famous for his work with Underoath, The Chariot, Luxury, and others, to talk about the production process. Full Show Notes are available at TrueTunes.com/Wayside45 and all of the band's available music can be found at TheWaysideStore.com. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

We finally scale the misty mountain of PROG ROCK on the True Tunes Podcast - with none other than the venerable Neal Morse as our guide! As a founding member of Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Flying Colors, and his own Neal Morse Band, he has been setting the standard in modern prog rock for decades. He has also developed his own streaming app to deliver his entire catalog (over 80 albums!) and curates his own Morsefest - an annual gathering of progressive rock fans from around the world. His personal and musical journey is as inspiring as his epic music. We also ponder the backlash "prog" received in the punk / new wave movement of the 70s and what complex, intricate art might offer us as we strive to become deeper thinkers, better discerners, and more imaginative humans. Break out the capes! If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH! For more info, including a full music list, visit the SHOW NOTES page at TrueTunes.com/Morse.

We knew that Over The Rhine’s Nowhere Else Festival was going to be something special. We've heard about the meals, the music, the songs being sung under a big tent in their wide Ohio backyard. And yes, we grew up seeing Over The Rhine play show after breathtaking show under a similar tent at the Cornerstone Festival in West Central Illinois. We knew it would be great. But we were still not prepared for just how wonderful two days of understated, organic, family-style music could be. A steady drizzle of rain couldn't come close to dampening the spirits on that rural farm, and on this episode of the podcast, we do our best to take you there. One of the hallmarks of Nowhere Else is that Karin and Linford of Over The Rhine always assemble a treasure trove of talent to accompany them for their “musical family reunion.” This cast – often comprised of fellow Americana (and Americana-adjacent) artists they have met out on the road – play concerts, participate in writer rounds, and offer creative workshops and seminars. While some will usually be relatively familiar to fans of this kind of music – and at least one will have earned “legend” status – there will always be at least a few that are relative unknowns. Though she has been a regular at Nowhere Else in recent years, we were not familiar with soul / gospel / r&b artist and full-time “culture coach” Nikki Lerner until shortly before the festival. But after we attended her morning session, called “Finding Your Voice Through Improv,” we knew she needed to join us on the podcast. I’m sure you will find her just as brilliant, insightful, hilarious, and soulful as we have. And Bruce has loaded up the Jukebox with records from ALL of the artists on this year’s Nowhere Else lineup. In addition to Nikki, you’ll hear tunes from Iris Dement, Carrie Newcomer, Hayes Carll, The Winetree, Courtney Marie Andrews, Carolina Story, John Fullbright; Wille Tea Taylor, Ben Sollee, Vance Gilbert, and of course, Over the Rhine. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH! For more info visit the SHOW NOTES page at TrueTunes.com/Lerner For more info about the Nowhere Else Festival (or to order tickets for Sept ’23) go to http://www.nowhereelsefestival.com/

David Bunker, who currently serves as the chaplain of Judson University's Music Business and Entrepreneurship program, and has a long history as both a music industry leader and as an artist and songwriter himself, joins JJT to talk about the idea of "artist care" from the perspective of both creatives and those who wish to serve them. Bunker has been deeply embedded in the True Tunes DNA since John first shared his vision for a store, venue, magazine, and community that would dare to engage music - and art in general - with brain, heart, and guts fully engaged. John was just 16 years old then - the newly minted "music buyer" at a Christian bookstore in Wheaton, IL, and Bunker had recently transitioned from being in the Terry Taylor-produced band Shelter to working for a record label. "He was the first adult to take me and my crazy ideas seriously," John remembers. "And all through our journey - from the exciting highs to the devastating lows, he has been by my side with words of wisdom, compassion, encouragement, and care." Bunker, who is also a poet, author, and leader of creative care retreats, joins JJT nearly 35 years into their friendship to talk about the growing importance of Artist Care. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH! For more info visit the SHOW NOTES page at TrueTunes.com/Bunker-ArtistCare Also, don't miss David Bunker's special appearance on the BLITZEN TRAPPER episode of the podcast.

Tyson Motsenbocker is quite an anomaly. He's a young, hip songwriter/artist who crafts alternative, modern-sounding pop (in the tradition of Postal Service or Death Cab) with obvious compositional influences coming from sources much older. He is also willing to tackle difficult, even controversial issues – including racism, hypocrisy, addiction, immaturity, and mental health challenges – with both scathing insight and self-deprecating wit. And as if that is not enough, after spending his formative years in the Evangelical subculture, Motsenbocker leaves one foot in that world, even while critiquing it and his own long-held beliefs, in the process. His latest album, Milk Teeth, dives headfirst into the complicated subject of adulthood as it contemplates our collective loss of vision, empathy, and imagination as our childish ways erode. From Steinbeck to surfing, Motsenbocker offers a flurry of revealing metaphors for his own faltering but committed, spiritual, cultural, and relational journey through life. On our Jukebox feature, we take a careful listen to another of our favorite young artists, Madison Cunningham, who sang with Tyson on his previous LP and hails from the same hometown (San Diego.) Cunningham's new Revealer LP is finally available and well worth the wait. For the full list of music used on this episode and a lot more, visit the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com/MilkTeeth. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

What good is music, anyway? Is there something happening in the arrangement of certain melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and lyrics that might actually have a meaningful impact on hearts and minds in these dark, divided, and confusing days? We decided to talk to someone who would know; a man who is a pastor, an artist, an advocate for social change, and a fan of great music. Chris Williamson is the Pastor of Strong Tower Bible Church in Nashville, TN – a community that has been passionately committed to diversity and integrity for decades. Before founding the church, however, Pastor Chris was a founding member of the pioneering Gospel Hip Hop group Transformation Crusade back in the 80s. We gave you a sneak peek of our conversation with Pastor Chris on the Royce Lovett show (where we dove into the roots of Gospel Hip Hop with Soup The Chemist,) and we’re excited to offer more from that inspiring conversation. From Sam Cooke and the roots of Soul Music to Gospel and Worship Music, to Public Enemy, Lecrae, Chance The Rapper, and Kendrick Lamar, Pastor Chris is clear-eyed and big-eared about music's potential to unite or divide – to challenge or to mollify. It all comes down, it seems, to our intentions and our willingness to allow the music to work on us. Full Show Notes, Music List, and archival video are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/PastorChris45 If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

Tom Willett's roots go back to the counterculture of the 60s. He played bass in one of the earliest "Gospel Rock" bands (Sons of Thunder) and worked alongside artists such as T Bone Burnett, Tonio K, Mark Heard, The Choir, Sam Phillips, Phil Keaggy, and many others as an A&R rep, marketing man, and career coach. He has also spent decades as a teacher, helping college students as they sought to carve out meaningful careers as songwriters, artists, or future industry leaders. Since his retirement from the industry a few years ago, Tom has been writing some amazing books – and on this special "12 Inch extended dance mix" 45 RPM episode of the podcast, which was recorded at the historic Well Koinonia Coffeehouse on Music Row in Nashville, we hear about his latest, Creativity Will Save The World: Toward A Spiritual Humanism – a short but powerful primer on the writings of Russian philosopher and activist Nicholas Alexandrovich Berdyaev. Whether you are an artist yourself or are simply interested in how our engagement with creativity and created things can shape us, this is critical stuff. Full Show Notes, Music List, and archival video are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/Willett45 If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

Bill Mallonee has been lauded as one of the 100 greatest living songwriters by Paste Magazine and honored by Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Billboard, and more. Before “Americana” was even known as a musical genre, his Athens GA band Vigilantes of Love was helping to define it. Later, with albums produced by Peter Buck of R.E.M., Mark Heard, Jim Scott, and Buddy Miller, it seemed all but inevitable that Bill and his band of outlaws would break through to the big time (whatever that means.) Instead, over thirty years into his career, Mallonee is duking it out, still taking things into his own hands – keeping it all painfully and beautifully real. On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we are joined by one of the true “lifers” of the modern roots music scene. With over 70 albums under his belt – and no indication that he intends to slow down any time soon, Mallonee has become a sort of digital troubadour: an online busker. In this expansive conversation, we learn about his musical roots, his circuitous path through the music industry, and his lingering belief in the power of authentic songs. Full Show Notes, Music List, and archival video are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/VOL If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

Ken Mansfield has been "in the room" for several major cultural watershed moments. After a meteoric rise through the ranks at Capitol Records in the 1960s, where he worked with artists like Lou Rawls, The Band, and The Beach Boys, Ken was personally chosen by The Beatles to head their Apple Records enterprise in the US. He happened to be working at the Apple offices in London during the sessions that were captured for the Let It Be album and film, including their now famous live concert finale on the roof. Ken, long dubbed "the man in the white coat" was one of just a handful of people on that roof with The Beatles on that historic day – a day that long defined his illustrious career in the music business. A few years later, Mansfield found himself in the midst of yet another musical reformation as his simultaneous production of the Waylon Jennings' album Ready For The Country and Jessi Colter's smash single “I'm Not Lisa" helped solidify the "Outlaw” sound as Country artists reclaimed Americana music from the overproduced and over-commercialized Nashville machinery. Join us for this expansive conversation – which traces Ken Mansfield's professional and personal journey – from the farm country of Idaho to the Hollywood Hills – to the "top of the world" a time or two. As he chronicles in his recent book, The Roof; The Beatles' Final Concert, Mansfield returned to that London rooftop to contemplate the impact of that day, those musicians, his varied experiences and relationships, and what it all might mean all these years later. Full Show Notes, Music List, and a special Ken Mansfield Playlist are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/BeatlesRoof If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

After being affiliated with Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, and Megafaun – and releasing a series of his own acclaimed solo projects, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Phil Cook surprised many with the launch of his new roots gospel label, Spiritual Helpline, and producing a rousing new live roots Gospel album by North Carolina local legends, The Branchettes. Though the group was formed over a half-century ago, they never recorded a live album until now. The soul-stirring experience was captured in the documentary film, Stay Prayed Up, which is currently available on demand and is screening at film festivals around the country. Cook – who is forty years younger than the last surviving original member of the group – now says the only records he will buy are Gospel records. He has found his purpose. We'll hear all about Phil Cook's amazing musical journey – from his youth in northern Wisconsin to his migration to North Carolina with his creative community – to pursuing his love of Gospel up close and personal. What started with a keyboard session for The Blind Boys of Alabama has commandeered his whole creative path and he could not be more thrilled. When we crank up the Jukebox, we will dive deeper into Mother Perry's story from the film and will listen more closely to the live album she made with Cook and his insanely good band. Full Show Notes, Music List, and a special Phil Cook and Friends Playlist are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/StayPrayedUp. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH! (And if you liked this episode, don't miss our previous Gospel explorations. Myron Butler discussed the legacy of Andrae Crouch with us (and we featured Aretha's "Amazing Grace" on the Jukebox) and DOE Jones joined us to talk about her long-anticipating contemporary Gospel debut - plus Aaron "A-Train" Smith join us to talk about Stevie Wonder in the 70s.)

On this episode, we are joined by keyboardist and songwriter Ojo Taylor, guitarist and writer Gym Nicholson, long-time lead vocalist Sim Wilson, and drummer Gary Olsen of the Orange County rock band Undercover for an expansive conversation recorded in front of a live audience at the Audiofeed Festival in Illinois. Undercover emerged in the early 1980s at the pole position of the frenetic “second wave” of Jesus Rock that saw an explosion of New Wave, Punk, Rock, and pop bands like Lifesavors, Altar Boys, Lifters, Common Bond, Crumbacher, Youth Choir, and others fill high school auditoriums, bowling alleys, parks, and church youth halls with a righteous racket that thrilled teens, worried some parents, and eventually set the stage for the big business era of Christian rock in the 90s. Ojo Taylor not only led Undercover, though, he was also a curator of this bourgeoning scene – managing labels, producing albums, and putting together one of the most important early compilation albums – which spins when we crank up the now sticker-covered Jukebox for an overview of those heady, loud, formative years. Ojo made more waves in what’s left of this underground community when he publicly admitted that he no longer holds the same religious beliefs for which he rocked so passionately back in the day. Like others, his personal spiritual journey has taken him in a direction that does not include the Evangelical faith of his younger years. But earlier this year, when a Christian music festival invited the long-defunct band to reunite for a special show, they agreed – and rocked Audiofeed (and before that, the Anaheim House of Blues) quite successfully. Why would a band with differing beliefs agree to gigs like those? As Ojo says, “Belief is overrated. Agreement is overrated. Love is underrated.” Find full Show Notes, including photos and video from Undercover’s set at Audiofeed HERE or at TrueTunes.com/Undercover

Few artists have committed to the ethic of apocalyptic – even gothic – Americana as completely as Colorado’s David Eugene Edwards. From his early work with The Denver Gentlemen and 16 Horsepower to the last two decades of material he has offered via Wovenhand, Edwards practically haunts every stage, and album, with spirits that are simultaneously spectral and Biblical. On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, John J. Thompson sits down with Edwards in front of a live audience at the Audiofeed Festival in Champaign, Illinois to talk about his origins, his musical concepts, and his mystical perspectives on everything from the nature of art and humanity to the essence of spirituality and redemption. Then we crank up the jukebox to hear some other seminal apocalyptic music – and consider the value and purpose of provocative art in general. What is it that is being hidden, revealed, discovered, or avoided, when we drop the needle these days? Full Show Notes and a special Apocalypse Rocks Playlist are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/Wovenhand The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

In memory of our friend Michael Bloodgood, we revisit a conversation we recorded with him for the Electric Jesus Podcast in 2021. With roots in the Jesus Movement, but a career that really took off in the 80s metal scene, Michael was a true "metal missionary." We already miss him sorely. Presented in cooperation with Blue Tape Records and the Electric Jesus Film, and co-hosted by the writer and director of Electric Jesus, Chris White. Rest in peace, Michael.

The Prayer Chain is the only band that ever appeared on the cover of the old print version of the True Tunes magazine twice! Though their original run lasted only six years, the band has reunited a few times since breaking up in 1996. One of those was a 2018 show in Anaheim, and JJT was there – in a backstage freight container at a "secret show" at a club called The Wayfarer the night before they rocked the House of Blues. This podcast didn’t even exist yet! But here we have a glimpse of these four friends looking back on twenty years of friendship and music – and the persistent questions about labels, limitations, and purpose. Full Show Notes, and photos, available at TrueTunes.com/PrayerChain18 The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

The musical highways and byways of this great land are littered with the bedazzled corpses of countless, failed, one-shot rock bands. How many of them, though, would be able to enlist the support of thousands of fans three decades after their demise and raise over $140,000 to mix and master a long-lost live recording – and – release a new studio album – and – celebrate it all with a blistering live show at none other than Music City's hallowed Ryman Auditorium? That’s what Nashville’s Chagall Guevara just did. True Tunes’ John J. Thompson was invited to the band’s secret Music City rehearsal lair for an extended conversation about everything from their origin in the late 80s to their unlikely resurrection during a global pandemic. Steve Taylor, Dave Perkins, Mike Mead, and Lynn Nichols are our guests on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast as we contemplate Halcyon Days, memory, and just how amazing “failure” can sound in the right hands. On the Jukebox, we take a listen to Taylor’s long-lost Squint Entertainment label and how he channeled his artistic frustration and lessons learned into an artist development story that launched one of the biggest global hits of the 90s; (Sixpence None The Richer’s “Kiss Me,”) as well as Burlap To Cashmere, LA Symphony, Chevelle, and more. (Full music list and more can be found on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.com/halcyon.) The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!

The original Woodstock Festival happened once. The Cornerstone Festival, however, gathered an unlikely and diverse group of rock and rollers from around the world to two different pieces of land 29 years in a row. Even as the so-called “Jesus Movement,” of the late 60s, and its’ fascinating musical soundtrack, transformed throughout the 80s into more of a subculture than a counterculture, and "Contemporary Christian Music" became more mainstream, Cornerstone kept the fire of revolution burning. With a radical lineup – both musically and educationally – this event was unique in the world. It was responsible for launching several artists not only into the thriving underground, but to mainstream rock, alternative, and metal success as well. The final Cornerstone Festival happened in July of 2012 and on this special edition of the True Tunes Podcast we revisit the event both through archival interviews and performance audio, and newly recorded interviews with some of the festival’s founders. We hear from some of our listeners about the ways Cornerstone impacted them, and co-producer Bruce A. Brown even interviews our host, John J. Thompson, for his perspective. True Tunes traces its roots directly to this incendiary event – when John was just a 13-year-old kid watching The 77s, Rez Band, and others in a field outside of Chicago. We’ll hear that story and a lot more. If you were ever at Cornerstone, you know. If not – take a listen and hear about one of the most unlikely, insane, wonderful, and influential events few people have ever heard of. We’ll also ponder what we miss most about it ten years later – and what, if anything, we might do about that. Music list and more are available on the Show Notes Page for this episode at TrueTunes.com/CstoneRemembered The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring a child today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

Not everyone walking St. Paul’s Boulevard makes it out alive. No one survives it unchanged. This mythological road plays home to a haunting cast of characters, and our guide on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast is none other than the road’s creator - and street-sweeper: singer, songwriter, and seeker, Michael McDermott. No one tells a story like this Chicago native. Maybe that’s because so few who walk the path he’s walked live to tell their tales. McDermott has been crafting some of the most inspiring, and heartbreaking gritty folk-rock this side of the Graceland Cemetery since he burst onto the scene in 1991. His latest may be his best yet – and that’s saying something. While in this soul-searching, folk-rock mood, we crank up Peter Himmelman on the True Tunes Jukebox and hear from another – very different – master of the genre. Himmelman has tapped into the therapeutic, spiritual, communal powers of song for decades – from radio hits like “Woman With The Strength of 10,000 Men” to Grammy-nominated children’s music, and beyond. Full music list and more are available on the Show Notes Page for this episode at TrueTunes.com/StPaulsBvd. Find our review of McDermott's album What In The World 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/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

In 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. And don’t miss Part One in which Roe talks about his earliest influences as an artist, the progressive faith community that embraced him and made space for The 77s to emerge, and our special 45RPM episode in which his bandmates Aaron Smith, Jan Eric Volz, Terry Scott Taylor and Jimmy Abegg riff on Roe along with longtime friend and advocate Randy Layton. Find the complete Show Notes page, including a complete list of all music used on this episode at TrueTunes.com/Roe2. BUY Michael Roe’s music HERE Check out our special Spotify Mix of Roe’s music HERE Don’t forget to check out Michael Roe’s special Jukebox Takeover mix, including over 60 of the most influential records in his life 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/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

On 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 hearing all about the formation, evolution, and tragic beauty of The Lost Dogs. We’ll hear about what it might mean to “do it for love,” after all these broken, beautiful years. If you have not heard PART ONE of our conversation with Mike "Dr. Love" Roe - check it out now. 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 group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.

Very 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 propels him even when the “system” has let him down. In a fair world, Michael Roe would be a flat-out rock star. It seems someone had better plans for him. In this “part one” of our two-part feature, Roe talks about his earliest influences as an artist: the record player in his parents’ living room. We get to hear a bit of an extremely rare 1969 record on which a 15-year-old Roe made his recording debut. We hear about the progressive faith community that embraced him and made space for The 77s to emerge. And the True Tunes Jukebox spilled records all over the show. On part 2 Roe will talk about his work with The Lost Dogs, the way his community has shaped him and his work, and what lessons he has learned after four decades in the trenches. We’ll also hear from several of his closest friends and co-laborers about what Mike’s life and work has meant to them. BUY Michael Roe’s music HERE Check out our special Spotify Mix of Roe’s music HERE Don’t forget to check out Michael Roe’s special Jukebox Takeover mix, including over 60 of the most influential records in his life HERE Find a list of all of the music on this episode on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.com/Roe1 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. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

On 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 visit the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com/45-Listening. Listen to the FULL EPISODE with Buddy Miller Listen to the FULL EPISODE with Ian Fitchuk 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 group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.

Aside 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 Down Under's Midnight Oil has been crafting for fifty years. No, they don't want to kill us - far from it. It's all about music that moves more than our butts on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast! Find the full music notes and links on the SHOW NOTES page for this episode or by hitting up TrueTunes.com/propaganda. 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. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

In 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 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 group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.

Blitzen 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 fount of mystical, meaningful, art. We also crank up the Jukebox for a deep dive into the seemingly unlikely world of “sacred psychedelia,” and check in with poet, teacher, and music industry veteran, David Bunker for some much-appreciated perspective. It’s a wild trip, but the thread between Hendrix, “Jesus Psych,” and contemporary artists like Blitzen Trapper, Natalie Bergman, Daniel Amos, and Sufjan Stevens is strong. Brace yourself for a long, winding, and beautifully weird and spiritual musical experience. (Full music list and links available on the SHOW NOTES page for this episode: TrueTunes.com/Blitzen 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. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

Songwriter, 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 a tragically overlooked 70s and 80s era synth pop entourage known alternately as Writz, The Famous Names, or The Technos. That group’s founder, the late Steve Fairnie, had a major impact despite his relative obscurity. It’s all about the keyboards this time on the True Tunes Podcast. The full music list can be found on the Show Notes Page HERE. To find Ronnie Martin’s music visit his Bandcamp store (powered by Velvet Blue Records.) To order the Techno Twins’ music visit their official site 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/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE. RELATED: If you missed our interview with Ronnie’s brother (and Starflyer 59 frontman) Jason Martin you can find it HERE. We covered the re-release of the long-lost Morella’s Forest 1988 album TALES too. Find information about Ronnie’s church (Substance Church) or stream his sermons 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/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

Artist, 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 conviction that the Gospel of John is itself both an example of, and a promotion of, cultural critique from a theological perspective. This episode features a clip of Scott’s 80s new wave song “Love In The Western World.” Full show notes are available at TrueTunes.com/SteveScott1 and more information about Steve can be found on his blog site: Crying For A Vision. 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 group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.

On 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 demonstrates talent, wisdom, and vision beyond her age. Her self-assured style, which includes elements of Norah Jones and Lauryn Hill, challenges conventions – even as it has already scored a #1 Hit on Gospel Radio. On the Jukebox, we are joined by our good friend Aaron “A-Train” Smith to listen deeply to Stevie Wonder’s world-changing music in the 1970s. Between '72 and '76 Wonder released five albums, four of which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He dominated the R&B and Pop charts and plowed his own lane – setting standards and influencing artists for generations to come. A-Train was drumming for The Temptations, The Undisputed Truth, and other Motown bands during those years. He gives us an insider’s remembrance of Wonder, his music, and his legacy. Full show notes and music list is available at TrueTunes.com/DOE. 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. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

On 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/TrueTunes for more information. You can support this show by joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal. Find ROEMER's music HERE: https://roemer.bandcamp.com/

Royce 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. (Full music list, links to Royce on The Voice and his TEDX Talk on the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com/royce.) 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. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

Berlin-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 joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.

On 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 Chester, and upright bassist Dennis Crouch, have played with T Bone Burnett, Robert Plant, Over The Rhine, Madison Cunningham, and too many others to list. As Zipf’s band, they bring sparkle and depth to his excellent songs about loss, doubt, mystery, and beauty. And speaking of sparkle and depth, we cue up U2’s Achtung Baby on the True Tunes Jukebox and take a careful listen 30 years on. Artist manager and certified geek Nick Barre joins JJT to examine the lingering legacy of this postmodern classic. Don't miss Andy's exclusive acoustic performance of "Did You Know I Was A Ghost?" on True Tunes at 45RPM. 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. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE. As always, THANKS to our Patreon supporters and to the amazing staff and volunteers at VisionTrust.org. Andy Zipf's Official Website: https://www.thecowardschoir.com/

Singer-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 group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal.

Singer, 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 - when it comes time to walk through our most important experiences? Consider this short episode a long-awaited sequel to our two-part conversation with Madeira in early 2021. 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 group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal. (A longer edition of this conversation will be made available to our Patreon Backers.) For a full music list and more visit the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com.

We 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 testimonials by Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett, Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, and Bono. He holds multiple honorary Doctorate degrees – and continues to write and record. He recently released a 30-song collection of his singles called – simply – Bruce Cockburn’s Greatest Hits 1970 – 2020. This wide-ranging conversation, presented in context with many of his most beloved songs, covers everything from his roots in the 60s to his most recent projects. Cockburn and host John J. Thompson contemplate the significant influence spirituality plays in the music, how Bruce formed as a songwriter, and more. On the Jukebox segment, Thompson is joined by singer-songwriter Chris Taylor to explore some of their favorite Cockburn songs that were not necessarily “hits.” 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. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE. You can also find our 50-song COCKBURN JUKEBOX mix here. Full music list and other links and info can be found on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.com.

On 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 conversation, which has been sent to our Patreon backers separately.) Don't miss the full show, and keep spreading the word!

Introducing 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 Patreon supporters and to the amazing staff and volunteers at VisionTrust.org. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION or find us at Patreon.com/TrueTunes to join our support team. For more information visit TrueTunes.com

As 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 heard their music – either on record or in concert – were impacted for life. True Tunes’ John J. Thompson interviewed Been, The Call’s chief songwriter, vocalist, and bassist, around the time of the release of his solo album On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakthrough. This long-lost cassette has been found, restored, and presented here, contextualized with a career—wide exploration of the band’s music and legacy. Full Show Notes, including links to videos, a new book about The Call, and information about our amazing sponsor, VisionTrust, are available at TrueTunes.com/TheCall. And make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the show so you don’t miss our upcoming episode which features a brand-new interview with none other than Bruce Cockburn. (You can also leave us a one-time Paypal tip HERE.)

As 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 indie rock scene, Marshall developed a musical language, and a particular set of skills, that came into perfect alignment when the vision for Young Oceans emerged. On this episode, we will hear all about Eric Marshall’s challenging journey, as well as the valuable lessons, maturity, and wisdom it has given him. We’ll dig deep into some of the most daunting questions facing sacred artists today. On the Jukebox, we’ll listen to one of the most fascinating, experimental, genre-defying sacred music groups of the last half-century as we revisit the musical catalog of The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus. Worship and the pursuit of sacred beauty is a radical endeavor that has been producing challenging art for a long time. We take a deep look at the nature and purpose of art, music, and worship, on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast. As always, THANKS to our Patreon supporters and to the amazing staff and volunteers at VisionTrust.org. Head over to TrueTunes.com/YoungOceans for the complete show notes for this episode, including the music list, links to relevant resources, and more. If you would like to support the show, please consider dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE. Find YOUNG OCEANS MUSIC HERE. Find THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY OF THE INFANT JESUS MUSIC HERE Check out and follow our Spotify Playlist covering The Sacred Indie Underground HERE

From 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 to all of the artists who continue to dig deep and push against the tide, to our sponsors at VisionTrust.org, and our Patreon members for helping us curate this conversation. Click HERE for the full show notes - or find them at TrueTunes.com

On 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 new Stonehill tribute project There’s A Rainbow Somewhere, featuring contributions by Amy Grant, Sixpence None the Richer, Ashley Cleveland, Jars of Clay, Andrew Peterson, Phil Keaggy, and many others. As Keaggy announces a significant slow-down in his live appearances for 2022, and he and Stonehill gather to perform one more show together in Dayton OH (True Tunes will be there,) we present this special show “From The Vaults” to celebrate this rare story of artistry, imagination, and faithful friendship. See the Show Notes Page for a full music listing and all links and thanks to our sponsors at VisionTrust.org. Learn about how you change the world for one boy or girl today. Click HERE to make a secure donation to support the True Tunes Podcast.

On 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 guides into this growing scene. We hear about their unique stories – and the emerging community of young artists blazing these trails without the support of traditional music business infrastructure. And when we roll out the True Tunes Jukebox, we let our guests load her up with records by Young Oceans, Lovelight, Taylor Armstrong, Them Parents, Antoine Bradford, Worship Mob, Paul Zach & Liz Vice, Andy Squyers, Wade Walker, John Mark Pantana, and then JJT tops it off with a classic track by The Violet Burning. Beach Chapel came to our attention a few weeks ago when we got a message through the contact form at TrueTunes.com. Adam Lamah heard about True Tunes via an Instagram post by our previous guest, Natalie Bergman. He and his friends have been cultivating a vibrant indie community, both online and in-person, and the resulting music is often spectacular. After he attended the True Tunes Live events in both San Diego (where he shared a couple of songs) and Newport Beach, CA (where he interfaced with second-wave artists Mike Stand of The Altar Boys, Chris Brigandi of The Lifters and Wild Blue Yonder, and others,) we decided that we needed to get Adam on the show to tell us about his impressions of today's sacred indie underground. He quickly asked if he could bring a "plus one." Stephen Lufkin, aka Lovkn, has been a lynchpin in this scene for years. We talked with both, as well as Troy Culbreth, a visionary pastor, artist, community leader and songwriter from Cincinnati who is using his indie Gospel/Worship collective Cross Worship to bring people together across all kinds of divides. Together we created a 100-song corresponding playlist as well! Young, fresh, exciting, idealistic, creatively uninhibited, and passionate, this generation of artists - many of whom are working way under the radar of today's music industry, might be changing the way people think about art, community, and worship. One of the main jobs True Tunes had 'back in the day' was to introduce our friends to excellent new sounds. We are wearing that hat once again - and it still fits! See the SHOW NOTES page for a complete list of all of the music used on this episode, and remember to check out the amazing work being done by VisionTrust as they come alongside local heroes around the world to lift children out of poverty and give them a bright future. Click HERE to support the True Tunes Podcast with a secure donation of any size.