The True Tunes Podcast

The Roots, Rhythm, and Wisdom of Charlie Peacock

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 07:17:15 -0600

We are back where we started, in more ways than one, with songwriter, artist, producer, and musician’s musician – Charlie Peacock. In this comprehensive conversation, recorded in person at Charlie’s home studio in Nashville, JJT and CP revisit his earliest days as a young musician in California. The release of his recent memoir, Roots and Rhythm, and an EP worth of previously unheard recordings from 1981 called The Kahne Sessions, frames this story of formation and transformation. We then follow the man as he becomes one of the most successful producers in the history of pop music. A special 30-minute Jukebox feature traces the evidence – from his earliest production work with The Choir and The 77s, to a Top 40 pop breakthrough, his discovery and launch of one of the great 90s alternative rock bands, and multiple Grammy Awards in the 2000s in the Americana and Folk space.

This may be our longest show yet (and it features over 60 musical cuts), but when considering the work of someone like Chuck, it seems more than fitting. His voice, both literally and as experienced through his piano, pen, and studio control board, has done as much to shape our concepts and imagination about the redemptive potential of art in a broken yet beautiful world as just about any other artist. So, sit back, relax, and let the words and the music wash over you as we give thanks for the gift that is Charlie Peacock.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

For full show notes, (including a list of all of the songs used on this show,) photos, and more, visit TrueTunes.com/CP25 (coming soon)

Music List:

Set 1

Watching Eternity

Winsome Kelly Blues

One Man Gets Around

Charlie Peacock-Ashworth - Redbones In The Shadows

John McLaughlin - Extrapolation

Jeff Beck Group ft. Jan Hamme - Freeway Jam (Live)

Scrappy Lil’ Cat

We The People

Dance 4 Me All Night (Afrobeat ’23)

Jamming with Edward - The Boudoir Stomp

Refuge of the Wild (f. Eric Harland, John Patitucci, Chris Potter & Marcus Printup)

Suddenly

Big Man’s Hat (Live)

Istanbul, Gate To Prosperity (ft. Jeff Coffin & WonderTwins)

Set 2

High Risk Casualty

American Music

Lie Down In The Grass (Bruce Neher STEM mix)

Rhythm Girls

Charlie Peacock Group - Motion Sickness (Last Vestiges of Honor)

Charlie Peacock Group - No Magazines (Last Vestiges of Honor)

Hot Night Downtown

Vector - Running from the Light

Charlie Peacock-Ashworth - Jude, as in Hey Jude

Vector - Mannequin Virtue

Congolesia

I Will Need Your Help

Iridium-2022-07-09-Demo-Mix

Set 3

Message Boy (Video remix)

Experience

Rainbow Motherfunk

Monkeys at the Zoo

Blue for You (ft. Eric Harland, John Patitucci, Chris Potter & Marcus Printup)

This is How the Work Gets Done

Sexy Chill Sway

Beauty Left the Room

Go Light, Go Free (ft. Turtle Island Quartet)

One Small Pebble

A Boy and His Dreams

Whole Lot Different, Whole Lot the Same (Pandemic version, ft. Jimmy Abegg, Sam Ashworth, Brent Bourgeois, Eric Heilman, Michael Roe, Aaron Smith, Bongo Bob Smith and Roger Smith)

All songs credited to Charlie Peacock, except where noted.

Jukebox Playlist

77s

Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba
Caught In An Unguarded Moment
Someone New
You Don’t Scare Me

The Choir

Fear Only You
Render Love

Russ Taff

Down in the Lowlands

Margaret Becker

This Is My Passion
The Hunger Stays
Simple House
All I Ever Wanted
Soul Tattoo

Jimmy Abegg

Entertaining Angels
Touch of Love

Out of the Grey

He Is Not Silent

Charlie Peacock

Every Heartbeat (Live at 3rd & Lindsley)

Amy Grant

Every Heartbeat

dc Talk

In the Light

Aaron Smith

Again and One Mo’ Time

Sarah Masen

All Fall Down

Switchfoot

Ode to Chin
Dare You to Move

The Civil Wars

If I Didn’t Know Better
Poison & Wine
Barton Hollow

Charlie Peacock

Damnation

Charlie Peacock ft. Sam Ashworth & Ruby Amanfu

Good Things

Charlie Peacock (ft. Brian Blade, Scott Mulvahill, Roger Smith & Jeff Coffin)

Promise of Fellowship Kept

Also heard:

Phil Keaggy - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Charlie Peacock - Blue for You (ft. Eric Harland, John Patitucci, Chris Potter & Marcus Printup)

Charlie Peacock - 88 Tons of Awesome

@45RPM Charlie Peacock's "Kahne Sessions" (An Early 80s Time Capsule)

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:34:30 -0500

Millions have been impacted by Charlie Peacock's Grammy Award-winning production and songwriting work. A smaller, but devoted group has been with him since his days as a Sacramento-based alternative pop artist and member of the progressive Exit Records scene. But very few have ever heard the work he did prior to his 1983 debut, Lie Down In The Grass, until now. On the heels of the release of his expansive and revealing memoir Roots and Rhythm, Peacock just dropped a never-before-heard collection of songs he recorded in 1980 and 81 with the legendary rock producer David Kahne (later named among the 500 most important Rock Producers by Rolling Stone for his work with Regina Spektor, The Bangles, Paul McCartney, Fishbone, Lana Del Rey, Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Stevie Nicks and others.) The Kahne Sessions reveals a young diamond in the rough, and on this special episode Charlie takes us back to those early days in his career and puts it all into context.

And there is a LOT more where this comes from. This conversation, recorded in person in Charlie's home studio, covered everything from his earliest days as a musician, to the transformation sobriety and faith brought to his work, to concerns he has over the ways commodification, dehumanization, and artificial intelligence are impacting the way today's artists are engaging with the work. That will all be coming soon, but we wanted to get THIS part - celebrating the release of The Kahne Sessions out to you right away. Be sure to subscribe to the show on whichever platform you prefer so you don't miss a beat. And if you missed our very first episode - way back in 2019 - it featured none other than Charlie Peacock. You can find that show HERE.

For more information, including a list of all of the songs used on this episode, visit the show notes page at TrueTunes.com/CPKahneSessions

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Follow Charlie on Substack HERE: https://charliepeacock.substack.com/

@45RPM The Sound of Revolution; JJT Speaks at Audiofeed 2025 (pt 4 of 4)

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 16:52:20 -0500

In the final installment of our "True Tunes Live at Audiofeed 2025" series of 45RPM episodes, we listen in on John J. Thompson's speaking session dubbed "The Sound of Revolution." What does revolution sound like? What is countercultural music all about? This spirited conversation with a roomful of aspiring radicals provided some actionable perspective. (You'll have to forgive the challenging sound quality on this one. The tech was not in our favor. But it sounds much better than the boombox recordings we used to treasure after going to seminars at Cornerstone back in the day.)

For more information, including a list of all of the songs used in this episode, visit the show notes page at TrueTunes.com/SoundOfRev

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Memento Mori: Remembering Chuck Girard (with Alex MacDougall, Bruce Brown, and Terry S. Taylor)

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:48:16 -0500

Chuck Girard, one of the architects of Jesus Music and founder of the band Love Song, recently passed away at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer. On this special episode of the podcast, we visit with fellow Jesus Music veteran, Alex MacDougall, who recently survived a very close call with esophageal cancer, and our own Bruce Brown, who is in the midst of chemo as he edits this very episode. We also hear from Terry Scott Taylor via a special clip from the upcoming documentary "Us Kids" about the role Chuck and Love Song played in his own musical story.

Might there be some wisdom in the ancient Christian practice of "memento mori" in times such as these? Did Chuck Girard leave us a song for this very moment fifty years ago?

For more information, including a list of all of the amazing (and in some cases extremely rare) music used in this episode, visit the show notes page at TrueTunes.com/Girard.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

@45RPM "Ask Us Anything" - (True Tunes Live at Audiofeed Part 3 of 4)

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:50:33 -0500

In part three (of four) of our "True Tunes Live at Audiofeed 2025" series of 45RPM episodes, we open the floor for questions about anything! The panel included Gileah Taylor, Chris Taylor, Matt Hammitt, and JJT.

For more information about Gileah visit Gileah.com (and be sure to check out her Bandcamp store.) For more information about Matt Hammitt, check out his website: https://matthammitt.com/

For more information, including a list of all of the songs used in this episode, visit the show notes page at TrueTunes.com/AudioFeedAMA

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

@45RPM Matt Hammitt (True Tunes Live at Audiofeed '25 - Part 2 of 4)

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 10:10:26 -0500

In part two (of four) of our "True Tunes Live at Audiofeed 2025" series of 45RPM episodes, we visit with Matt Hammitt, former frontman of the rock group Sanctus Real and currently ramping up a new band, Lo Cloud. Hammitt joined JJT and a small live audience in the "Subculture Tent" for a conversation before his performance to discuss growing up in the rock and roll scene, choosing to walk away, and his return.

For more information about Matt Hammitt, check out his website: https://matthammitt.com/

For more information, including a list of all of the songs used in this episode, visit the show notes page at TrueTunes.com/Hammitt

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

@45RPM - Gileah Taylor (True Tunes Live at Audiofeed '25 Part 1 of 4)

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:56:21 -0500

In part one (of four) of our "True Tunes Live at Audiofeed 2025" series of 45RPM episodes we visit with one of our favorite independent artists, Gileah Taylor. The Velvet Blue Music artist joined JJT and a small live audience in the "Subculture Tent" for a conversation before her performance later that night.

For more information about Gileah visit Gileah.com (and be sure to check out her Bandcamp store.)

For more information, including a list of all of the songs used in this episode, visit the show notes page at TrueTunes.com/Gileah.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Phil Madeira's Falcon Flies

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:13:45 -0500

The public may best know Phil Madeira as an ace-in-the-hole sideman for high-profile Americana artists like Emmylou Harris, while Nashville insiders know him as a songwriter's writer and a go-to studio musician as well. While his career goes back well over 50 years, over the last decade or so, Madeira has released a series of superb, highly-focused solo albums and creative collaborations that have focused on various aspects of his musical, lyrical, and overall artistic skillsets. On his latest project, Falcon, (releasing July 18), Madeira combines all of these elements seamlessly. It presents as a sort of "Best Of Phil Madeira" project, that happens to be comprised of all new tunes.

On this episode we catch up with Madeira to hear about Falcon in detail, and how it fits into his larger body of work. We will also peek behind the curtain a bit, into the deeper personal work this music reflects in the life and heart of the artist.

For more info visit the full show notes page at TrueTunes.com/Falcon and to learn more about Phil Madeira find his website at PhilMadeira.net.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

@45RPM Backstage with Sam Wade of the Hadestown Cast Band

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:08:39 -0500

The Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown is a fantastic retelling of the myths of Orpheus’ journey to the Underworld to rescue Eurydice alongside the marriage of Hades and Persephone, set amidst the visual and musical elements of New Orleans during the 1920s and 1930s. On this episode, we visit with guitarist, songwriter, and producer Sam Wade, who has been on the road with the traveling version of this stunning musical for most of the last year and will continue in that role again next year.

Wade has been a friend and collaborator of ours for a few years. He has produced a few songs for my wife, Michelle Lynn Thompson, including her song “Riptide.” (Listen closely for an instrumental snippet in the background of this episode.) He will also be joining me (JJT) for my set at the Audiofeed festival this summer and backing up Michelle for hers as well. We jumped at the chance to see him and the rest of the company in action with Hadestown when they came through Chattanooga recently, and to catch up with him to see what it’s been like to travel with a production like this.

For more information, including a list of all of the songs used in this episode, visit the show notes page at TrueTunes.com/Hadestown

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Dug Pinnick of King's X: 50+ Years of Musical Passion

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:55:26 -0500

King's X, the band formed by bassist, songwriter, and vocalist Dug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill roughly 40 years ago, has pushed musical, lyrical, and even technological boundaries since its debut. Before that, these musical adventurers brushed up against the Christian music subculture as members of Phil Keaggy's band and others. But despite their early connection to the Jesus Movement - or perhaps because of it - they decided to specifically avoid any connection to the Christian music market when they formed King's X. Thousands of Christian rock fans nonetheless embraced them, parsing the imagery in their lyrics and wondering where they were coming from.

35 years into their journey, King's X continues to innovate in the studio and rock on the stage. Listen in as Dug reflects on a long and - at times heartbreaking life in hard rock.

Find the full show notes (including a list of all songs used on this episode) at TrueTunes.com/KingsX .

@45RPM "Jesus Music" pioneer John Fischer & Counterculture V. Subculture

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:13:02 -0500

John Fischer was making "Jesus Music" in the mid-1960s - before it was even a "thing." At a recent live event in Fullerton California, JJT invited Fischer to join the conversation and talk about those early countercultural days and how it all came together. Before there was an industry, a genre, or even a movement, there were kids with guitars and a desire to experience God in a meaningful, tangible way. Fischer went on to become one of the accidental innovators of a new style of music. But when the counterculture became a subculture - and a movement became a market - he never lost that fire in his belly. What might the counterculture of the 60s have to tell us about our troubled times today - and what might a new Jesus Movement look - and sound - like if it was to break out now?

Find John Fischer's website HERE.

For full Show Notes (include a list of the songs featured on this episode) visit TrueTunes.com/Fischer or click HERE.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

@45RPM Robert Deeble on the Therapeutic and Spiritual Power of Music to Bridge the Space Between Us

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:16:17 -0600

We've loved Robert Deeble for a long time around here. His brand of thoughtful alternative folk fit right in with artists like Over The Rhine, Vigilantes of Love, Innocence Mission, and Victoria Williams - and his side gig as a graphic artist lent a gorgeous visual perspective to all of his releases. His output has slowed over the last couple of decades as he became a successful psychologist and built a thriving practice in Oregon. So it was very good news indeed when we heard that he was about to release a new album - produced by Ric Hordinski no less! With many of us feeling more than a little on edge these days, we thought a touch-base with our favorite songsmith-turned-therapist was long overdue.

In this special @45RPM episode of the show we focus on clips of JJT's full conversation with Robert. These bits focus on his new album - the beautiful collection entitled The Space Between Us that is currently seeking support via Kickstarter for a vinyl and CD release. And if you dig this, you can head over to OUR PATREON PAGE to hear the REST OF THE STORY! Patreon now allows a "free membership" - and it would be awesome if you would take a minute to sign up (for free) and take a listen. We will be posting more special content exclusively on that page (and even more on the paid side) from now on!

And don't forget to head over to Kickstarter and back Robert's awesome project!

For full show notes visit TrueTunes.com/deeble

Chris Taylor Carries The Flame (+ Sixpence on the Jukebox!)

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 07:53:44 -0600

Chris Taylor is a lifer. His first bands, (Windows and Love Coma,) were covered by True Tunes when we were just getting started back in the early 90s. While his bandmate Matt Slocum went on to form the alternative pop group Sixpence None The Richer, Taylor continued to release projects as Love Coma and as a solo artist. He also became an accomplished painter along the way. Now, almost 35 years later, Taylor continues to break new artistic ground. His most recent Love Coma project (which included contributions by Slocum) was a stunner, and his brand new solo project - "I Carry The Flame" may be his best work yet. You may have heard Taylor when he appeared on our Bruce Cockburn episode, but this time it's all about him, his longevity, and how he keeps the flame burning after all these years. PLUS we spin the new EP "Rosemary Hill" by Sixpence None The Richer on the Jukebox!

For more info visit the full show notes page at TrueTunes.com/TaylorFlame.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

@45RPM - The Choir's Translucent Ambience

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:36:43 -0600

Derri Daugherty, Steve Hindalong, and Dan Michaels surprised all of us when THE CHOIR dropped a fully-realized, manufactured, and ready-to-ship ambient instrumental project called Translucent in late 2024. Although the band has been incorporating ambient elements in their music since the 80s, this was a first for them. Join us as we discuss how Translucent came together, how the band approaches this element of their sound, and more. Find the show notes for this episode HERE. (Or go to truetunes.com/translucent)

If you missed our in-depth, career-spanning conversation with The Choir, find it HERE. We also did a deep dive into their classic album CHASE THE KANGAROO!

For more about ambient music, don't miss our conversation with Marc Byrd of Hammock.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Special 45RPM: Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville (Live Conversations w John J. Thompson)

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 09:12:34 -0600

True Tunes Podcast host John J. Thompson recently celebrated the "soft-release" of his new novel, "The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville," with live events at Vinyl Tap in East Nashville and The Wheaton Public Library in the Chicago area. This special edition features clips from both events as JJT takes questions from Fr. Preston Sharpe of Sacrament Church (and guests) in Nashville, and Jeff Elbel (Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois Entertainer) in Wheaton.

The episode also features a chapter from the fully produced audiobook and a bit of the original song "Sweet Marianne" by JJT featuring Phil Keaggy and Jeff Taylor.

The book is available in print, digital, and audio form at most East Nashville record stores and bookstores and at LostPerros.com.

For more info, full show notes, and photos from these events, visit TrueTunes.com/BalladLive

Give Up The Dream? (JJT Talks To Writer/Director Thomas Torrey about Long December film)

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:41:17 -0600

There’s a new “melancholy Christmas musical” to add to your list of indie film favorites, and when we had a chance to see an advance screening, we immediately knew that this story was YOUR kind of story. A hard-working, veteran singer-songwriter is trying to make it through to the end of another long year, wondering if it is time to lay down the dream. Boy does this one strike close to home.

Long December marks the acting debut of Stephen Williams of the band Jude Moses and sideman for the John Mark McMillan band. (McMillan also has a very convincing role in the film.) The film co-stars Charley Koontz (“Community,” “The Boys”), Emily Althaus (“Orange is the New Black,” “Handmaid’s Tale”), and Maximiliano Hernandez (“Avengers: Endgame,” “Sicario”). The soundtrack is available on all streaming platforms right now, and the film premiers on VOD platforms on November 12th.

Join JJT as he sits down with writer/director Thomas Torrey to hear about the origin of the story, the music, and the production. (And thanks to friend of the show, Chris White of Electric Jesus fame for the tip-off on this one.)

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Checking Russ Taff's Cover Story (with Taff, Steve Taylor and John Mark Painter)

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 11:50:35 -0500

6-time Grammy winner Russ Taff’s voice has defined the emotional potential of Gospel music for over half a century. His perfectly raspy tenor transcends genre and era, first as the lead vocalist for Gospel legends The Imperials, then as a phenomenally successful solo artist. That legacy now takes on a whole new depth as Taff unveils Cover Story, a collection of rock, soul, and Americana songs that resonate deeply with the struggles he has privately endured throughout his life onstage. Longtime fans may be surprised to find the Gospel singer interpreting tunes by The National, Prince, Blind Willie Johnson, Bob Dylan, U2, Duran Duran, Bill Withers, Paul Simon, and others. However, students of Roots Gospel, Americana, Soul, and Blues will immediately see the thread. These are songs of spiritual survival. (Don't miss executive producer Steve Taylor’s Kickstarter campaign to release the project on vinyl and raise funds to promote it to a wide audience.)

In a surprising – and risky – move for a Gospel singer, Taff decided to go public with his long struggle with addiction, recovery, relapse, and ultimate inner healing via the revealing 2018 documentary Russ Taff: I Still Believe. Instead of ending his career singing in churches and at Bill Gaither’s Homecoming events, audiences responded with deep appreciation for his candor and humility. A recent conversation on the recovery-themed Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel is currently generating similar enthusiasm. Taff, now 18 years sober and free of the need to hide anything, is more excited than ever to share music – and his story – with audiences around the country and the world.

Taylor, (the artist, professor, songwriter, producer, and filmmaker connected to projects by Sixpence None The Richer, Newsboys, Chevelle, and others) had pulled his critically acclaimed but ill-fated mainstream rock band Chagall Guevara (MCA) together for a one-time reunion show at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. A special post-show afterparty at Jack White’s Blue Room included an on-stage jam with several musical luminaries, including Taff (who had worked with Chagall members Lynn Nichols and Dave Perkins on several projects.) Taff’s impromptu jam on Charlie Peacock’s “Down In The Lowlands” thrilled the small crowd. Hearing Taff slay those songs, Taylor remembered an idea his longtime friend, bandmate, and musical collaborator John Mark Painter had suggested much earlier. What if they took their old friend into a recording studio with a slate of great songs and captured that raw, guttural energy and emotional honesty? They have now done just that. We are thrilled to sit down with Taff, Taylor, and Painter on this very special episode of the podcast, and to give our audience a first listen to Cover Story.

BACK the Kickstarter Campaign HERE (closes September 9th, 2024)

For the full list of songs, links, and a video of the infamous "Down In The Lowlands" jam at Jack White's Blue room, see the full Show Notes at TrueTunes.com/Russ

Get all of the info about host John J Thompson’s new novel “The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville” at TrueTunes.com/ballad.

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!

Jennifer Knapp Goes Back to Kansas

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 06:18:41 -0500

There’s nothing like a relaxed, sit-down conversation – especially when discussing complicated things like faith, love, and art. True Tunes is committed to long-form dialogue in a world that is increasingly (and tragically) defined and governed by social media metrics and pithy one-liners. This conversation with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp may be our longest yet – but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Knapp has come a long way since her debut LP, Kansas, was certified Gold 25 years ago. She followed that with two more critically acclaimed and commercially successful LPs in the Christian music market and earned increased respect and opportunities to share her craft on mainstream stages. She gathered two Grammy nominations and sold a million albums in three years, but things were not well behind the scenes. In 2002, after fulfilling her contractual obligations, Jennifer dropped out of the scene, disconnected from the industry, and moved to Australia. After an eight-year hiatus and coming out as gay, Knapp returned in 2010.

Jennifer recently revisited her debut, re-recording Kansas with producer Steve Hindalong to celebrate its 25th anniversary. On this episode of the podcast, Knapp visits John and Michelle Thompson in their East Nashville home to talk about her journey, her faith, and what it has been like to go back to Kansas. We’ll also hear a bit from Hindalong about how the project came together.

Find the full song list and more at TrueTunes.com/Knapp

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!

@45RPM - Fred Armisen, Daniel Smith, Chris White & Mike Norman (on the set of the Come And Save Me film)

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 11:27:07 -0500

On this “Extended Play” 45RPM episode of the show, our good friend Chris White, writer and director of the romantic comedy/road picture Electric Jesus, takes us to the set where he recently directed a short film for the song “Come And Save Me” starring actor and musician Fred Armisen (SNL, Portlandia) and our favorite outsider folk-pop band, Danielson. The song started as an unpublished lyric originally composed by the late Jesus Rock icon Larry Norman. It was then set to music, with the blessing of Larry’s estate, by Daniel Smith (of Danielson.) The resulting song is a complete departure from the tongue-in-cheek hair-metal Smith composed for the fictional metal band 316 in Electric Jesus. While “Come and Save Me” was not used in the film, it did appear on the soundtrack. Now, however, White has written and directed a special short film for the song, with Fred Armisen as the starring actor.

So, come with us to a film studio in Greenville, South Carolina, and hear from Chris White, Daniel Smith, Fred Armisen, and Mike Norman (Larry Norman's son) about how this fantastic project came together and how each of them approaches and interprets the meaning of “Come And Save Me.”

If you missed these previous episodes, be sure to go back and find our conversation with Daniel Smith on the topic of outsider art, join us on the set of Electric Jesus (which includes our conversation with actor Brian Baumgartner of The Office), and find our conversation with Chris White and Andy Erwin about the different ways faith is approached in film. We also released a very special “From The Vault” episode that included a previously unheard conversation with Larry Norman and a then-recent conversation with Michael about their complicated relationship. And if you would like more info on the Electric Jesus story, seek out and devour BOTH seasons of their excellent podcast. (You’ll find us all over them.)

We could not have presented this episode to you without the help of Chris and Emily White. Electric Jesus is available to stream now. If you have not seen it – please do!

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!

Microdose: The Prayer Chain

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:30:14 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the pioneering LA-based alternative rock band The Prayer Chain back in 2018.

About The True Tunes Microdose Episodes: As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.

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!

Microdose: Roemer

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:29:49 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the Berlin-based American ex-pat indie artist Roemer.

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!

Microdose: Bill Mallonee

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:29:29 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the prolific and acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter Bill Mallonee (of Vigilantes of Love.)

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!

Microdose: Tonio K

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:29:01 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with artist and songwriter Tonio K.

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!

Microdose: Drew Holcomb

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:28:34 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Drew Holcomb when he visited a class at Lipscomb University's School of Music.

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!

Microdose: Chagall Guevara

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:28:14 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Steve Taylor, Dave Perkins, Lynn Nichols, and Mike Mead of the most amazing and unlucky band of all time: Chagall Guevara!

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!

Microdose: Kevin Max

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:27:52 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Kevin Max.

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!

Microdose: Gungor

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:26:46 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Michael Gungor.

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!

Microdose: Faith as Counterculture (w David Bunker)

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:25:34 -0500

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with poet, teacher, chaplain, and music industry veteran, David Bunker. This clip comes from the "Sacred Psychedelia" sidebar in the episode that featured Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper. Bunker also joined us for a 45 RPM episode on Creativity and Artist Care.

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!

Luxury: Making The Most Of Their Second Act

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:36:02 -0500

In the mid-nineties, it seemed to many of us that Luxury might be the band most likely to find real success in the wider alternative rock market. Their three-decade journey, however, has defied all expectations. From their early days of alt-punk abandon through a harrowing and deadly car crash and onto a very different path that found three of the members embracing Eastern Orthodoxy and eventually becoming priests, this is a story like none you have ever heard. Through all of the struggle and pain, Fathers Lee and Jamey Bozeman, (vocalist and guitarist,) Matt Hinton (auxiliary guitars,) Father Chris Foley (bass,) and Glenn Black (drums) have emerged as one of the most interesting and engaging alt-rock bands around. Their latest album, Like Unto Lambs came together over a span of five years and may be their best yet.

While there has been no shortage of discussions and arguments over the old debate about Christians making music, versus making Christian music, the concept of priests making mainstream alternative rock presents a unique opportunity to reconsider the question about the spiritual and vocational nature of arts and artistry. How might being in a band have informed these pastors' work in the ministry? Might their work as priests inform their work as musicians? Is there a holy way to rock that doesn't involve "Christian Rock?" Join us as we talk with three priests and a sacred Appalachian music historian about their rock band, their brotherhood, their trauma, and a priestly perspective on art.

For full show notes, including a list of all of the songs on this episode and more, visit TrueTunes.com/luxury or CLICK HERE.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

@45RPM - Luxury on the Jukebox (New Episode Preview)

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:13:26 -0500

This 45RPM episode features a look back at over 30 years of the music of a relatively obscure but critically acclaimed indie rock band, Luxury. We will go back to the beginning, when the band was known as The Shroud, playing with jangly punk abandon at their college in Toccoa, Georgia. We launched this podcast five years ago - when Luxury reconvened to record and release Trophies, their first new album in a decade. We've talked about that album since then several times (and you'll hear about it on the main show), but this flashback fills the rest of the story and sets the stage for the conversation about their latest album, Like Unto Lambs. (Patreon members can hear the whole show now.)

For full show notes, song list, and links visit TrueTunes.com/Luxury45 or CLICK HERE.

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

An Alternative Legacy Changes Hands: Randy & Matthias Layton

Tue, 21 May 2024 16:30:14 -0500

Randy Layton has been a tireless advocate of some of our favorite artists since the 1980s. He was also an early influence and encourager of all things True Tunes. His "Alternative Records" imprint helped to define the indie / DIY approach long before it was common, and his current campaign to reissue yet another incredible (and obscure) album by Robert Vaughn and The Shadows is one more example of his undying passion and love. Now, as Randy faces a devastating turn in the battle he has been waging with cancer, he is handing the reigns over to his son Matthias. On this episode, we hear from father and son, about this forty-year legacy, what it all meant, and where it goes when the road seems to end.

For a full list of all of the music heard on this episode, and links to our previous conversations with Randy, visit the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com/HelloMatthias. (Patreon members will receive an EXCLUSIVE download "Best Of Alternative Records Mix" courtesy of Randy Layton!)

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

God Gave Rock and Roll To You: The Clash of the CCM Historians w Dr. Leah Payne and JJT

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:28:27 -0600

Dr. Leah Payne, author of the new book God Gave Rock and Roll To You, joins us to talk about the roots - and fruits - of the contemporary Christian music subculture. From the Pentecostal and Holiness movements of a century ago to the January 6th riots, Payne and host John J. Thompson wrangle with the odd and sometimes troubling history of the scene. You'll hear an amazing collection of historic and contemporary song clips along the way. Find the full show notes at TrueTunes.com/GodGaveRock.

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!

@45RPM - Rolling Lost Tape with Jim Goodwin of The Call

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 10:01:33 -0600

Even with champions like Peter Gabriel, U2, Jim Kerr, and others singing their praises, and songs like “The Walls Came Down,” “I Still Believe” and “Let The Day Begin” scratching out a presence on college and alternative radio, The Call never lived up to the commercial potential their fans knew they deserved. And when frontman, vocalist, and primary songwriter Michael Been passed away in 2010 while on the road with his son Robert Levon Been’s band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, it became heartbreakingly clear that The Call was on 80s band we would not be hearing more music from.

Or would we?

Recently the band found several previously unreleased – and in some cases unfinished songs. The surviving members regathered, adding fresh tracks to fill in the empty spaces, and giving them an incredible polish. They then reached out to fans via a new Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds necessary to release this LOST TAPES project – a campaign that closes in late February 2024. When the band reached out to us, to see if we would like to talk about this incredible project, we jumped at the chance. So on this special episode we sit down with keyboardist Jim Goodwin to hear not only about The Lost Tapes, but about what it was like to write songs, record, and perform with the band back in the day.

Hopefully you heard our full-length special episode featuring a previously unheard 1994 interview with Been, rescued and restored from an ancient cassette tape. If not, please do. And if you have not backed the Kickstarter campaign, you can do that HERE. (We certainly hope you will.)

If you want to support the show, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip and check out our MERCH!

Microdose: Propaganda

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 15:42:10 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with rapper, author, and activist PROPAGANDA!

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: The Choir

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 15:27:10 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Steve Hindalong, Derri Daugherty, and Dan Michaels of The Choir. Few bands embody the spirit of spiritual yearning, artistic exploration, emotional risk, and impressionistic ambiance as completely as this veteran crew.

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Young Oceans

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 15:02:54 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Eric Marshall, who has been releasing some of our favorite alternative worship music for well over a decade under the moniker YOUNG OCEANS.

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Neal Morse

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:56:31 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Prog Rock legend Neal Morse (of Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Flying Colours, and The Neal Morse Band.) Morse took us on a journey through the history of progressive rock and his own artistic and spiritual discoveries.

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Phil Cook’s Spiritual Helpline

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:50:24 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with Pianist, songwriter, and filmmaker Phil Cook. Cook - who cut his teeth as a member of Bon Iver - has been releasing some incredible solo material lately AND has been chronicling some of the best North Carolina roots Gospel music through his label Spiritual Helpline. His film Stay Prayed Up knocked us out!

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Natalie Bergman

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:43:37 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the Third Man Records artist Natalie Bergman. Her story, and her music, captivated us as she added her humble (but seriously impressive) offering to the Jesus Music repertoire.

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Sandra McCracken

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:38:24 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with songwriter, worship leader, artist, and hymnist, Sandra McCracken. Having recently joined forces with Taylor Leonhardt, Jess Ray, and Leslie Jordan to form The Paper Horses, Sandra continues to evolve and innovate.

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Terry Scott Taylor

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:30:59 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with songwriter, artist, and pioneer, Terry Scott Taylor. Between his solo work, his groundbreaking work with the band Daniel Amos, his collaboration with The 77s' Michael Roe, The Choir's Derri Daugherty, and Adam Again's Gene Eugene as The Lost Dogs, and even his more experimental or humorous work with The Swirling Eddies or as the composer of soundtracks for animated shows and video games, Taylor has been setting invitingly high standards since the 1970s. If there is ever anything resembling a True Tunes Mt. Rushmore - be certain that Taylor's glorious mug will be etched thereupon.

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Steve Scott

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:16:46 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with artist, poet, author, and theologian STEVE SCOTT - who also served as the Arts Editor of the original True Tunes News magazine back in the 90s. Scott just released The Way of the Sevenfold Secret, a collection of poetry with accompanying music and ambient sound, that he described to us when he originally joined us on the show.

To hear the original show CLICK 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!

Microdose: Taylor Leonhardt

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:08:25 -0600

On this "impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com" we revisit our conversation with the always impressive and effervescent singer, songwriter, and producer, Taylor Leonhart. Taylor - who has recently joined forces with Sandra McCracken, Jess Ray, and Leslie Jordan to form The Paper Horses - continues to bring old-school songwriting soul to a new generation.

To hear the original show CLICK HERE. For the full show notes page head to TrueTunes.com/MDLEONHARDT.

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!

Microdose: Michael Roe

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 08:47:32 -0600

On this "True Tunes Microdose" (an impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com) we revisit a short bit of our chat with Michael Roe of The 77s and The Lost Dogs. The episodes with Mike proved to be some of the most popular in the history of our show, with many long-time fans chiming in and some new fans joining the tribe as well.

To hear the original show CLICK HERE. For the full show notes page head to TrueTunes.com/MDRoe

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!

Microdose: Amy Grant

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:07:08 -0600

Welcome to the True Tunes Microdose, an impossibly short version of the ongoing conversation you'll find at TrueTunes.com. As we look back on our first 100 episodes we have gathered some of these "greatest hits" - never more than 5 minutes long - to remind long-time listeners of where we've been and give new folks a chance to check us out.

Amy Grant's music may be a bit more "mainstream" than most of the stuff True Tunes was known for back in the day, but her commitment to honesty, integrity, and transparency made her one of our heroes. We featured her in our pages, back in the print mag days, and were thrilled for her to join us here on the podcast. All these years later she stands apart as a ringing example of grace, compassion, and warmth.

To hear the original show CLICK HERE. For the full show notes page head to TrueTunes.com/MDAmy

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!

Microdose: Charlie Peacock

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 18:15:05 -0600

Charlie Peacock is one of the hearts, minds, and voices who inspired the True Tunes story when it first launched in the mid-80s! He was our first guest when we launched this show as well.

To hear the original show CLICK HERE. For the full show notes page head to TrueTunes.com/MDCharlie

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!

Mylon LeFevre (In His Own Words)

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 09:42:12 -0500

Mylon LeFevre was an award-winning, genre-defining, trailblazing artist and songwriter who had a song cut by Elvis when he was just a teen, got kicked out of his family's legendary Souther Gospel band for wearing his sideburns too long, and released on the earliest and most significant Gospel Rock albums ever ("We Believe" circa 1970.) He went on to work with a Golden Rolodex full of mainstream rock royalty in the 70s, including George Harrison, Eric Clapton, The Who, and many others, before turning his life around in 1980 and channeling all of his creativity and passion into the production of Christian rock and pop music.

Mylon passed away on September 8th, 2023. True Tunes' John J Thompson spoke to him a couple of years ago, and now, for the first time, that conversation is being made available.

For the full list of music used on this episode, visit TrueTunes.com/mylon

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!

@45RPM The Choir’s 1988 Classic LP ”Chase The Kangaroo”

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:28:20 -0500

The Choir's 1988 LP Chase The Kangaroo is a classic, and when we heard that they had launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the necessary funds to remaster and re-release it on vinyl and CD, we decided to pull together this special episode to lend some support. We spoke to primary songwriters Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty about the album a few years back but never used most of the recording. Here it is, along with clips from the recently remastered LP.

You can join us in support of the Kickstarter HERE - and find more info, photos, and a complete list of all of the music used on this episode on the SHOW NOTES page for this episode at TrueTunes.com/Kangaroo.

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!

@45RPM John Pantano (Pantano/Salsbury) On Their 1977 Larry Norman Produced LP ”Hit The Switch”

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 17:18:41 -0500

John Pantano’s rock and roll roots go back to the 1960s psychedelic rock scene and the very genesis of the Jesus Movement. He and his friend, the late Ron Salsbury, were the core of JC Power Outlet - one of the earliest Jesus Rock bands on the scene. After two albums for Myrrh Records, the two signed with Larry Norman’s vanguard Solid Rock label and changed their creative moniker to “Pantano Salsbury” for the release of their acclaimed, beloved (and doomed) 1977 album, Hit The Switch. That LP, long sought by collectors, is finally being remastered and re-released by Randy Layton’s Alternative Records. Or at least we hope it is. We spoke to Pantano and Layton recently and are releasing this special 45 RPM episode, including several clips of the remastered songs, with the hope that more people will discover this sleeper classic and support the worthy Indiegogo campaign to fund this critical re-issue.

For full song list, links, and more, visit the SHOW NOTES page (or TrueTunes.com/HitTheSwitch)

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!

Loving The Alien: JJT & Allan Aguirre Talk Bowie (Plus Scaterd Few & Spyglass Blue on the Jukebox)

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:02:39 -0500

On this episode we are joined by veteran artist and author Allan Aguirre (Scaterd Few, Spyglass Blue) to explore the artistic legacy of the late – and truly great – David Bowie. We’ll also crank up the Jukebox to listen to some of Allan’s music, which was clearly inspired by the Thin White Duke, but took that inspiration in many different directions.

For full show notes, including a list of all of the music used on this episode, check out the show notes page by clicking HERE or visiting TrueTunes.com/LovingTheAlien.

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!

Special Edition: Couples Skate (Jukebox Takeover)

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:05:07 -0500

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!

Wild Harbors in Paris: Safety Is Overrated

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 18:21:02 -0500

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!

@45RPM Did The Joshua Tree Fall on The 77s? (More Roe From The Cutting Room Floor)

Mon, 01 May 2023 11:42:40 -0500

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!

More ”Alternative” Than You’ll Ever Be (Randy Layton’s Long Strange Trip)

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:16:57 -0500

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!

@45RPM Charlie Peacock Revisited (From The Vault)

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 10:49:42 -0500

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!

@45RPM U2’s Achtung Baby Jukebox Rewind

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 20:07:39 -0600

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!

Outsider Art w Finster & Yingst + Mountain Goats on The Jukebox (True Tunes Live)

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:38:14 -0600

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!

Tonio K. Walks On: Notes From A Lost World

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 18:04:50 -0600

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 Comes To Class

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 16:40:48 -0600

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!

@45RPM Calling Out The Ghosts: JJT & Michelle Thompson (The Wayside) + Producer Matt Goldman (Underoath, Luxury) discuss new music

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 14:33:31 -0600

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!

Prog Rock, Complex Art, & Cultivating a Discerning Ear: Neal Morse’s Epic Journey

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 17:38:21 -0600

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.

Singing In The Choir w Nikki Lerner + Over The Rhine’s Nowhere Else Fest rocks the Jukebox

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 17:30:57 -0600

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/

@45RPM David Bunker on Artist Care and Nurturing the Creative

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 17:28:09 -0600

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 Loses His Milk Teeth (+ Madison Cunningham’s ”Revealer” on the Jukebox)

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:44:46 -0500

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!

@45RPM What Good Is Music? (with Pastor Chris Williamson of Strong Tower Bible Church and Transformation Crusade)

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 18:51:55 -0500

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!

@45RPM Creativity Will Save The World w Tom Willett (12” Extended Mix)

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 18:48:36 -0500

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 (Vigilantes of Love): From Americana’s ”Next Big Thing” to Indefatigable Digital Busker

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 15:53:09 -0500

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!

Beatles & Outlaws: Ken Mansfield Comes Down From The Roof

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 21:52:16 -0500

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!

Phil Cook’s Spiritual Helpline (From Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, & Megafaun to Gospel Glory)

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 06:38:32 -0500

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.)

Love Is Underrated: Undercover (+ What’s Shakin’ & Reality Rock on the Jukebox)

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 18:25:34 -0500

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

David Eugene Edwards of Wovenhand: Apocalypse Ain’t for the Faint of Heart

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 18:56:46 -0500

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!

Michael Bloodgood: A Long Obedience in a LOUD Direction

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 21:13:45 -0500

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.

@45RPM The Prayer Chain: Backstage in ’18

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:27:06 -0500

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

Chagall Guevara: Revolutionary Art, Halcyon Days, & Long-Play Redemption (+ a Squint Jukebox Meltdown)

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:56:29 -0500

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 Cornerstone Festival: 10 Years Gone (and counting...)

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 21:43:26 -0500

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.

Walking St. Paul’s Blvd with Michael McDermott (+ Peter Himmelman on the Jukebox)

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 19:52:53 -0500

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.

Michael Roe Did It For Love (Pt.2) [The Lost Dogs, 77s, Kerosene Halo]

Tue, 31 May 2022 06:27:03 -0500

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

@45RPM - Character Witnesses for Michael Roe (Terry S. Taylor, Jimmy A, Randy Layton, A-Train, & Jan Eric Volz)

Tue, 24 May 2022 18:22:24 -0500

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.

Michael Roe Did It For Love (Pt. 1) [77s, Lost Dogs, Kerosene Halo, Etc,]

Tue, 17 May 2022 18:09:34 -0500

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

@45RPM - Listening Carefully w Buddy Miller & Ian Fitchuk

Wed, 11 May 2022 08:29:28 -0500

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.

Coffee w Propaganda: World Building, Critical Thinking, & History Healing (+ Midnight Oil on the Jukebox!)

Wed, 04 May 2022 18:54:18 -0500

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.

@45RPM - Steve Scott & The Gospel of John as Creative Cultural Critique (pt 2)

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 06:46:02 -0500

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.

Eric Earley (Blitzen Trapper) + Sacred Psychedelia on the Jukebox (w David Bunker)

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:14:42 -0500

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

Keyboard Warriors: Ronnie Martin (+ Steve Fairnie / The Technos on the Jukebox)

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 18:52:59 -0500

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.

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.

Steve Scott on the Missional Purpose of Art (pt 1)

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 08:22:44 -0500

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.

Meet Doe! (+ Aaron ”A-Train” Smith on Stevie Wonder in the 70s on the Jukebox)

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 18:39:24 -0500

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.

@45RPM - ROEMER on Knowing Our Role (Pt. 2)

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:35:48 -0500

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 Unlikely Journey (+ The Roots of Gospel Rap w Soup The Chemist & Chris Williamson on the Jukebox)

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 17:23:39 -0600

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.)

@45RPM - ROEMER on Bonhoeffer, Marx, and Missiology (Pt. 1)

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 18:40:14 -0600

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.

Andy Zipf, Achtung Baby, and the Power of Place

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 18:06:01 -0600

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.

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/

@45RPM - Andy Zipf Knows He’s A Ghost! (Special Live Performance)

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 19:29:19 -0600

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.

@45RPM - Why We Need Love Songs: A Quick Chat w Phil Madeira about ”Bliss”

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 12:57:38 -0600

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.

Bruce Cockburn: Kicking at the Darkness for 50 Years (and counting!)

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 18:14:11 -0600

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.”

Full music list and other links and info can be found on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.com.

@45RPM - Cockburn Jukebox Overtime (with Chris Taylor)

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 10:55:00 -0600

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!

@45RPM - THE PREMIERE (feat Terry Scott Taylor in 1981 and 2021)

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 14:54:58 -0600

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

Here’s To You! Michael Been (of The Call) From The Vault

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 18:10:16 -0600

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.)

Young Oceans, The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, & The Radical Purposes of Worship and Music

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 18:55:55 -0600

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

Jukebox Rewind: 30 Important Albums & 13 Worthy Singles from 2021

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 11:57:49 -0600

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

From The Vault: Stonehill & Keaggy‘s Mutual Highway + Randy Tribute Sneak Peek

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 20:58:01 -0600

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.

The New Sacred Indie Underground: Beach Chapel, Lovkn, & Cross Worship Give Us A Tour

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:09:59 -0600

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.

Terry Scott Taylor‘s Beautiful Mystery Part 2 (The Album)

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 11:41:08 -0500

On this second installment of our conversation with Terry Scott Taylor, we take a deep and careful listen to his expansive new solo project, This Beautiful Mystery. Over two discs, and 21 songs, we uncover a wide range of thoughts, metaphors, emotions, and sounds - but what are the guiding images and ideas behind it all? Taylor has been perfecting his craft as a writer, musician, and producer, for over fifty years. On This Beautiful Mystery, he dug deep, so we will too. We'll explore his literary influences, the tangible ways his musical friends contributed to the project, and how Covid-19 and quarantines contributed to the entire experience. Whether you are already a fan or just enjoy songwriting brilliance, soulful eloquence, and a dramatic, half-century-long underdog story, this one's for you!

Full music notes, links to a mix of Terry's early musical influences and favorite records (curated by him for our weekly Spotify Gallery Stage Mixtape,) our own mix of songs from under all of his various hats, and a hidden mash-up of DA/Eddies/Solo/LostDogs moments created by Bruce A. Brown specially for subscribers to our email list, can all be found at TrueTunes.com/TST2 .

Sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Join us on the sponsorship journey today. Click HERE to make a secure donation in support of this show.

The Beautiful Mystery of Terry Scott Taylor (Part 1)

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 08:25:45 -0500

On the eve of the release of his long-awaited and almost overwhelming 21-song solo masterwork, This Beautiful Mystery, singer/songwriter Terry Scott Taylor gives us a remarkably transparent and vulnerable look into his creative and spiritual formation as an artist. It’s impressive enough for any musician to be producing the best work of their career in their seventies, but what keeps a “restless creative” pushing so hard, and digging so deep, after decades of relative obscurity and even direct opposition? Between his work with the ground-breaking band Daniel Amos, the collaborative Lost Dogs project, the light-hearted Swirling Eddies spin-off, or his more personal solo work, Taylor has set, and re-set, standards as a writer, an artist, and a producer of others’ work. And yet so few people even know his name.

In this first of two installments, we hear about Terry's roots, his influences, and his general formation. In Part Two we will explore This Beautiful Mystery in great detail; as both the present culmination of a well-traveled journey and as a roadmap for another generation of restless creatives looking to make soulful sense in these crazy days.

Full music list available on the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com/TST1. Click HERE to make a secure donation in support of this show.

The Gray Havens Dream of Blue Flowers & The Spirit of CS Lewis Haunts the Jukebox

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 22:01:10 -0500

The successful indie folk/pop group The Gray Havens, originally from the Chicago area, have built their entire new album around a 66-year-old autobiographical reflection by a British theologian and children’s author. Blue Flower is the band’s most literarily specific, and yet accessible, project yet – and that’s saying something! We visit with songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist David Radford to hear all about it, and then we push the Jukebox to her limits as we explore 50 years of music inspired by Clives Staples Lewis. What is it about this Oxford Don that allows his work to continue to inspire artists and songwriters today? We go further up and further in on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast! (Hear the special Spotify "mixtape" playlist HERE. Full Show Notes at TrueTunes.com/GrayHavens-Lewis

Jesus Music Movie Summit (Andy Erwin & Chris White) + Jesus on the Mainline

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 19:27:19 -0500

Lately, it seems Jesus not only rocks, but He’s also a movie star too. The Jesus Music, a documentary written, directed, and produced by The Erwin Brothers (“I Can Only Imagine,” “I Still Believe,” “Woodlawn,”) traces the roots of Contemporary Christian Music back to the Jesus Movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s via archival footage and new interviews with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Kirk Franklin, Michael Sweet, Toby Mac, and scores of other Christian artists and insiders. Electric Jesus is the fictional story of a Christian heavy metal band and the young ingenue that stows away on their RV and manages to steal the show. Starring Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone of NBC’s The Office) and Judd Nelson of The Breakfast Club, Electric Jesus has billed itself as “the 80s Hair Band Music-Comedy You’ve Been Saving Yourself For,” as it has crisscrossed the US on a tour of film festivals. (True Tunes featured the cast on an earlier episode and produced an entire special podcast series on the film as well.)

True Tunes’ founder and host John J. Thompson is featured in The Jesus Music as an interview subject and historian and served Electric Jesus as Music Supervisor and as a historical consultant. On this episode of the podcast, Thompson brings Andy Erwin (Director of The Jesus Music) and Chris White (Writer and Director of Electric Jesus) together for a wide-ranging conversation about their films in particular, the subject of Jesus Music in general, and the challenges surrounding faithful art-making in the marketplace today.

And on the Jukebox, we contemplate a slew of Jesus Music that did not come from the Evangelical underground and did not stay put in the Christian marketplace. This look at “Jesus On The Mainline” seeks to expand the conversation about just how influential Jesus has been in popular culture over the last fifty years – especially as far as music is concerned. Was CCM music the only, or even most obvious path for people of faith to take?

(Don’t miss the companion article for this episode: Jesus Music Rediscovered? A Reflection by John J. Thompson at TrueTunes.com)

Full Show Notes available at TrueTunes.com/JesusMusicMovies

Myron Butler, Andrae Crouch, & Aretha Franklin: A Gospel Music Meltdown!

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 18:35:49 -0500

Gospel writer, producer, artist, and worship pastor, Myron Butler shares his amazing story – from getting his first cut with Kirk Franklin as a teenager to being a part of Kirk’s smash crossover hit, “Stomp,” all the way through to his recent tribute to the songs of the amazing trailblazer, Andrae Crouch. Myron guides us not only through the essence of Andrae's influence but of Gospel music in general. Then, on the jukebox, we spin the epic 1972 live Gospel smash, Amazing Grace by Aretha Franklin – discovering a highly intentional hybrid of progressive and traditional sounds that defined a new expression of the genre right when a generation needed it.

It's a long-overdue Gospel Music Meltdown on the True Tunes Podcast! Full show notes, with links, a complete song list, and photos, are available at TrueTunes.com/GospelMeltdown1 .Don't miss Myron's special Gospel Primer Playlist - also linked in the Show Notes.

The Chosen Pt 3: Dallas Jenkins

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 08:35:11 -0500

On this unexpected Part 3 of our exploration of the music behind the first episodic drama about the life and ministry of Jesus, we get to hear from Dallas Jenkins himself. Jenkins created "The Chosen" after a devastating failure as a filmmaker. He didn’t know if he’d ever get to make another project again. We’ll hear about how that failure prepared him to approach "The Chosen" with a certain punk spirit.

Who is "The Chosen" for? Where is the harshest criticism coming from? Are there similarities between the way this – the most successful crowd-funded media project in history – is growing and the way Christian music detached from the mainstream, or is there something else going on here? And how has the careful use of music supported the storytelling all along? This “bonus episode” closes out our conversation about the music behind "The Chosen" by exploring some of the most challenging issues that face faith-based artists in the marketplace today, including some core questions about what it means to be "faith-based" in the first place.

Full Show Notes are available at TrueTunes.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!

Special thanks to VisionTrust.org. Please consider joining us on the sponsorship journey today. Don't miss our conversations with the artists behind the score and songs of "The Chosen," Dan Haseltine and Matthew S. Nelson on Parts 1 and 2 of this series.

The Music of The Chosen Pt 2: Matthew S. Nelson

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 15:15:03 -0500

When Dan Haseltine agreed to score The Chosen, a new episodic drama based on the life and ministry of Jesus and his disciples, he immediately turned to his friend and frequent musical collaborator, Matthew S. Nelson for help. Nelson, an accomplished cellist, guitarist, and songwriter had backed up Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, and other Christian artists in the past, but is currently more associated with mainstream indie, country, and alternative artists such as RaeLynn, Sleeping at Last, and Cheap Trick. In this episode, we’ll hear about the musical and spiritual journey that prepared Nelson for this moment. We’ll also hear what it was like for him to learn on the job at his first scoring-to-picture project. In the end, we consider the sound behind the sound – the emotional and even spiritual role music plays in film – and what that might teach us about how we compose the soundtrack of our lives.

Produced by John J. Thompson and Bruce A. Brown for Gyroscope Productions

Full Show Notes available at TrueTunes.com/Chosen-Matt

Special thanks to @TheChosenTV @scribblepotemus and @thebanksnelson

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 Music of The Chosen Pt 1: Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay)

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 19:25:46 -0500

Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay) joins host John J. Thompson to talk about musical roots, finding a mission, and how past experiences prepared him for his current work scoring the massively successful and critically acclaimed television drama The Chosen. From the technical and creative challenges inherent in this kind of work to spiritual and theological concerns, this in-depth conversation is about listening carefully to the sound beneath the sound. Plus, in part 2, (coming soon) we talk with Haseltine’s musical partner in The Chosen, Matthew S. Nelson.

Support Blood:Water

More info about JARS OF CLAY

Special thanks to @TheChosenTV @scribblepotemus and @thebanksnelson

Also, don't forget that long-time child sponsor Jimmy Abegg is throwing his wholehearted support behind VisionTrust and offering anyone who sponsors a child a hand-painted, one-of-a-kind print for free.

Full music notes, links, photos, and more on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.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!

True Tunes Podcast Official Trailer

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 12:07:12 -0500

Listen to better music, and listen to music better.

After a twenty-year break – True Tunes is back! The tools are different this time. There’s no store, no venue, and no sponsored stages at a major festival. What we have now are lots of stories to tell about lessons learned, visions caught, questions articulated, and community embraced. Join host John J. Thompson and his wide range of guests as we dig for the good stuff. And whether you were a part of the journey with us the first time around, or you’re brand new to this conversation, if you’re ready to dive into the deep end of the musical pool – where the sounds resonate in ways that defy our labels, then this conversation is for you.

Join us as we converse with musicians, songwriters, producers, and music industry leaders – from legends and obscure geniuses of the past to some of the freshest new voices emerging today. Some examples of the voices you’ve heard so far include Buddy Miller, Amy Grant, Steve Taylor, Charlie Peacock, Ian Fitchuk, Natalie Bergman, The Choir, Kevin Max, Waterdeep, Gungor, Liz Vice, Sandra McCracken, Eddie DeGarmo, Taylor Leonhardt, Jimmy Abegg, Michael McDermott, Christa Wells, Ella Mine, and rare archive interviews with Larry Norman and Rich Mullins. We also crank up our trusty Jukebox and listen carefully to some amazing music along the way. And we are truly just getting started.

So get yourself something to drink, pull up a chair, and make yourself comfortable, or maybe get your favorite headphones and head outside for a nice walk with us - as we listen to better music, and listen to music better, together.

On the True Tunes Podcast

Produced by John J. Thompson and Bruce A. Brown for Gyroscope Productions. Available on all podcast platforms. Full show notes and episode list are available at TrueTunes.com/podcast-show-notes/ 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!

Singing Along with The Choir

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 19:22:25 -0500

The Choir has been crafting their own unique brand of otherworldly alternative rock for nearly four decades now. While it’s not uncommon for big-time acts to keep at it – playing their hits and cashing in on nostalgia – most artists who have endured the perpetual uphill climb that guitarist/vocalist Derri Daugherty, drummer/lyricist Steve Hindalong, and sax/lyricon/atmosphericist Dan Michaels have faced would have given up long ago. But The Choir has just released an album many fans count among the strongest of their inspired career. Deep Cuts contemplates the journey, the wounds, the healing, and the scars of life with a remarkable amount of humor, joy, and grace. On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast we sit down with The Choir to talk about their roots, their new music, and what keeps them going this far into such a challenging journey. (You'll also hear the debut of a new recording of their 1986 single "Render Love" created especially for the Electric Jesus film.)

PS: We also find out that long-time child sponsor Jimmy Abegg is throwing his wholehearted support behind VisionTrust and offering anyone who sponsors a child a hand-painted, one-of-a-kind print for free!

Full music notes, links, photos, and more on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.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!

Renaissance Man Jimmy Abegg (+ Peter Gabriel & Lowland Hum on the Jukebox)

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 10:39:20 -0500

Call him a creative polymath or the quintessential Soul Man, but Jimmy Abegg (Rich Mullins' Ragamuffin Band, Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil, The Charlie Peacock Group, Vector, etc) has been a reliable source of musical and visual beauty and coolness for over forty years. And now, with his vision fading, this veteran side-man and accomplished craftsman is settling into his new role as a blind visionary; still painting – still making music – and still offering graceful sketches of beauty in a damaged world. Join us as we visit with him in the brand new East Nashville studio built for him by friends far and wide who have been blessed by his work. You'll hear what a few of them have to say as Amy Grant, Charlie Peacock, and Steve Taylor drop by to offer a few words on Jimmy as well.

On the Jukebox, we consider the massively successful, and yet still somehow meaningful, 1986 mainstream breakthrough by Peter Gabriel. What secrets might So have for us to unpack 35 years after its release, and what mysteries might indie-folk artists Lowland Hum have uncovered in their recent homage to the classic LP.

Full song list and Show Notes available at TrueTunes.com.

Produced by John J. Thompson and Bruce A. Brown for Gyroscope Productions. Please consider sponsoring a child through VisionTrust.org. If you do, Jimmy will send you a personally signed, hand-made, one-of-a-kind print (valued at between $100 and $150!) For more info visit VisionTrust.org/JimmyA. 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!

Amy Grant‘s Secret: 2 Jobs & A Prayer

Thu, 20 May 2021 09:28:35 -0500

Through countless slings and arrows, and her own mainstream pop superstardom, Amy Grant has remained the defining face and voice of contemporary Christian music for over forty years. She was the first CCM artist to have a platinum record, (followed by five more platinum albums, three multi-platinum albums, and four gold albums.) She was also the first CCM artist to have a #1 pop single and has placed 17 hits on the Top 40 Adult Contemporary chart. She has earned 6 Grammy Awards and numerous Dove and other statues. With sales in excess of 30 million units, Amy Grant is the best-selling contemporary Christian singer of all time. But beyond all that, she crafted and delivered songs that spoke honestly, and vulnerably, to a generation.

Amy Grant is currently marking the 30th anniversary of her breakthrough Heart In Motion album as well as a brand new collaborative worship album, Faithful that finds her working alongside a slew of talented young women, including True Tunes Podcast alums Taylor Leonhardt, Christa Wells, and Sandra McCracken. She graced the cover of the original True Tunes News in 1993 and is back with us for this very special episode of the True Tunes Podcast.

As the Christian subculture seems to have become defined by that to which it is opposed, its political meanderings, and any number of culture wars and distractions, Grant’s legacy as a person of warmth, generosity, grace, and hospitality only continues to grow. What might young artists, songwriters, and listeners have to learn from someone with such an unlikely story?

And on a special extended edition of the True Tunes Jukebox, we welcome two guest commentators to reflect on many of Grant’s most significant songs from very different perspectives. Industry veteran and radio expert Chris Hauser and singer-songwriter (and childhood Amy fan) Michelle Lynn Thompson join host John J. Thompson for a comprehensive dive into the deep cuts and musical watermarks of Grant’s amazing career. Plus guitarist and visual artist Jimmy Abegg (you can hear his whole story on his own episode, including a special contribution from Amy, AND you can hear him on our 2-part special with his former bandmate Rich Mullins,) is offering a hand-made, one-of-a-kind, personally signed painting to ANYONE who sponsors a child through Vision Trust!

It’s our longest, fullest, episode yet.

Click HERE to make a secure donation in support of this show.

Full Show Notes, including a list of all songs and a special Spotify mix, available at TrueTunes.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!

Natalie Bergman’s Jesus Music for a New Generation

Sun, 09 May 2021 22:11:32 -0500

Third Man Records artist Natalie Bergman joins host John J. Thompson to talk about her stirring, vulnerable, and exceptionally cool new album, Mercy, and the heartbreaking tragedy that inspired it. Bergman, who until recently was best known as one-half of the alt-pop band Wild Belle, has crafted a collection of songs that has more in common with the Jesus Music of a half-century ago than anything released since. With that inspiration, we have loaded up the Jukebox with long-lost Jesus Music obscurities and will get a first-person account of what those days were like from our own producer, Bruce A. Brown.

Fifty years ago, a generation of young people was reeling with confusion and pain as the American Dream unraveled at the seams. Millions turned to a counter-cultural understanding of the rebel Jesus and found comfort, peace, and community in his words and story. Bergman, who is navigating a devastating loss of her own, reminds us of a time before Christian music became a subculture or industry and offers a new way for us to understand the potential of Gospel music.

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!

SPONSOR A CHILD THROUGH VISION TRUST

Taylor Leonhardt Learns a Language REMIX (+Tapestry, Wrecking Ball, 1,000 Kisses & Raising Sand on the Jukebox)

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 19:03:48 -0500

This episode, which was originally released months ago, has now been RE-MIXED with music from Taylor Leonhardt's latest album, "Hold Me." This young singer-songwriter has been on some big stages lately, playing guitar with Amy Grant, Andrew Peterson, and others, and has a slew of collaborations over the last couple of years. Her “star” is certainly on the rise. But with the release of her third independent solo album, this Texas-born, Carolina-bred, new Nashville resident is leaning into her Americana roots, and her circle of friends, for both her songs and her sound. In this episode, we get to know this engaging artist as we explore the power of community and influences in the pursuit of our voice. We also talk about the difference between taking some classes, and really learning a language, and what Taylor’s adventure in Paris might teach us about listening to understand.

On the Jukebox, we survey four of the artists cited as influences by Leonhardt and featured in her specially curated and corresponding playlist. Carole King’s Tapestry, Emmylou Harris's Wrecking Ball, Patty Griffin’s 1,000 Kisses, and Krauss & Plant’s Raising Sand. We also consider some wisdom about Southern Writers from Flannery O’Connor on our Soapbox feature. It’s a full episode, for sure, but you can handle it. We believe in you. (Full Show Notes available at TrueTunes.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!

Rich Mullins: The Lost Interview Pt 2 (Rich + McVicker, Madeira & Webb + Andrew Peterson on the Jukebox)

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 17:46:54 -0600

In Part 2 of this special episode we hear from our late friend, mentor, and guide, Rich Mullins via a long-lost interview conducted at the old True Tunes record store in Wheaton Illinois in 1995. We also check in with Mitch McVicker, Phil Madeira, and Derek Webb, and we listen to Andrew Peterson on the Jukebox. Rich’s Ragamuffin bandmates Jimmy Abegg, Aaron Smith, and Mark Robertson come back to close things out as well. It’s our longest and fullest episode yet and we are excited for everyone to hear it.

This newly restored interview is 25 years old, but as we hear host John J. Thompson and Mullins talk about the struggle to pursue honest artistry and personal spiritual growth amidst evangelical fundamentalism and the benefits and beauty of exposing ourselves to challenging ideas and people, it seems like it could have been recorded yesterday. Visit TrueTunes.com for the full show notes and please spread the word. (And don't miss Part 1, where the Ragamuffins set the stage so beautifully.)

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!

Rich Mullins: The Lost Interview Pt. 1 (The Ragamuffins Set The Stage)

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 19:46:00 -0600

To many, singer and songwriter Rich Mullins was a favorite artist; the man behind songs like “Awesome God,” “Creed,” and “Hold Me Jesus.” To others, he was an enigma—a beautifully inscrutable amalgam of passion, authenticity, vulnerability, and transcendence. To some, he was a friend, a benefactor, or even a brother. On this special two-part episode of the True Tunes Podcast we will revisit the legacy of this unlikely pilgrim through conversations with some of his closest compatriots, and by hearing from the man himself – in the form of a previously unheard, and recently unearthed interview conducted in the old True Tunes record store in 1995.

In Part 1 John J. Thompson visits with Rich’s Ragamuffin Band members, Jimmy Abegg, Aaron Smith, and Mark Robertson to help put it all in perspective. On Part 2 (coming soon) he sits down with Mitch McVicker and Phil Madeira, and talks with singer-songwriter Derek Webb who, though he has moved away from Christian music, recently released a cover of Mullins’ “We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are.” On the Jukebox, we dive into the obviously Mullins-haunted career of Andrew Peterson.

24 years since his passing, might we find some guidance from Rich about navigating the complexities of faith, doubt, and mystery by asking better questions and listening more carefully to the sounds around us?

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!

Phil Madeira (Part 2 of 2) Jazz, Scapegoats, & Resolution

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 17:53:00 -0600

Host John J. Thompson is back in the living room of writer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and artist Phil Madeira (Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, John Scofield,) to talk about his recent solo projects, Providence, Crickets, Open Heart, and Hornet’s Nest as they wrap up this wide-ranging chat. The conversation gets into pretty deep waters right out of the gate, with Phil sharing some very vulnerable context about personal relationship challenges, the pain that came with the loss of a loved one, his own search for answers, and his commitment to staying true to his calling and how that has shaped his work as an artist. We’ll ruffle some feathers on this one, no doubt, but that’s what art is supposed to do, right?

On the True Tunes Jukebox, we’ll take a deep dive into those recent solo albums, listening closely to some really interesting, and complicated, contemporary jazz-inflected Americana music and how it might help us find resolution in the midst of these complicated times. Full show notes are at TrueTunes.com - and don't miss the special corresponding "mixtape" curated by Madeira for this episode!

Thanks to our sponsors - VisionTrust.org. Please consider sponsoring a child today.

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!

Phil Madeira (Part 1 of 2) Deep Roots & Expanding Horizons

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 18:00:00 -0600

He’s been a go-to side-man for too many A-listers to count and is currently a member of Emmylou Harris’ Red Dirt Boys. When he’s not in the studio or on the road with any number of amazing Americana, country, blues, or rock artists, he’s writing songs and recording his own albums or collaborating and producing amazing compilation projects. In Part 1 of this two-part deep dive into the life and work of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and artist, Phil Madeira, we learn about this musical polymath’s roots, evolution, and determination to shed limitations. Along the way, you’ll hear examples of his music, cuts he wrote for other artists, examples of his production work, and just a handful of the hundreds of tracks made so much cooler by the presence of his B3, lap-steel, or other instruments of soul.

In Part Two, we’ll wrap up this wide-ranging conversation and listen through Madeira’s most recent solo work, including his brand new project, Hornet’s Nest. Born from conflict, pain, and loss, these beautiful songs could only have been crafted by someone who has been there and back and lived to tell about it.

Full Show Notes, including song list, links, and contact info is available at TrueTunes.com or by clicking HERE. Thanks to our sponsors - VisionTrust.org. Please consider sponsoring a child today.

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!

Kevin Max: Considering Boundaries + Mark Heard’s ”Dry Bones Dance”

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 07:38:00 -0600

Kevin Max has been kicking against boundaries for over thirty years, first as one-third of a platinum-selling pop-rap group, (DC Talk,) and then as a poet and genre testing indie artist. Now he’s leaving his solo career behind to launch a new band, Sad Astronauts, right after releasing an acclaimed tribute to Larry Norman’s celebrated Only Visiting This Planet album. What might we be able to glean from an artist like Kevin when it comes to pushing into new territory, redefining success, and becoming more mindful of the boundaries we work within – or allow to define us?

And on the jukebox we crank up the legendary Mark Heard’s tentpole album, Dry Bones Dance, as we anticipate Lo-Fidelity Records’ upcoming super deluxe reissue, by talking with two of the artists who worked with Heard on that album, vocalist Kate Miner and bassist and Chapman Stick maestro, Fergus Marsh. We are also excited to present the late Mark Heard himself in the form of some vintage interview tape-recorded around the time of the album's original release in 1990.

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!

Jukebox Takeover #3: 20 Great Albums of 2020

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 09:17:53 -0600

We’re not calling these the BEST ALBUMS of the YEAR – but they are all pretty great. Yes, there are several other amazing records that are on other lists, or that everyone is talking about. But these are 20 albums that really stuck with us from 2020.

What are yours?

Make sure to FOLLOW our weekly Gallery Stage Mixtape for a blend of great music, new and old, of diverse genres, that is updated weekly. And if you want to see what you have missed over the last few years, check out the massive ARCHIVE list. If you have an “album of the year” that we did not touch on, drop us a line and let us know. We may include it on THIS EXTENDED LIST of great albums from 2020. And don’t miss this extended list of SINGLES from 2020. When we call this whole thing a conversation, we are serious! Join us at TrueTunes.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!

Jukebox Takeover #2 The Christmas Music of Over The Rhine (Making Space for Beauty and Grace)

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 10:15:19 -0600

On this special “Christmas Jukebox Takeover” edition of the podcast, we take a look at the three Christmas music releases by Over The Rhine, as well as their live-streamed 2020 Concert Special and Fundraiser, and talk about their long example of intentionally making space for beauty and grace, and how Christmas might serve as a sort of artistic and liturgical example for all of us during these cold days. Pour yourself something cheerful, make yourself comfortable, and join us by the speakers for a musical Christmas card that we hope might propel us all into, and through, the darkness that we know cannot overcome us.

Marc Byrd ”Hidden” BONUS Episode w Marc Byrd: (Hammock Live, Theology, and TT Patreon Launch)

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 09:00:00 -0600

This is an out-of-sequence "bonus track" from the conversation with Marc Byrd (Hammock, Common Children) that was hidden on the Show Notes page for the previous episode, and only a handful of folks found it. If you have not heard that episode check it out first. Here, Marc and John talk about the possible return of Hammock, and maybe even Common Children, in concert - and riff a bit more on the challenge of pursuing theological understanding. This "bonus track" also represents the launch of the new True Tunes PATREON program. In the future, extended conversations such as this will be available to our patrons! Find more information at Patreon.com/TrueTunes.

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!

Marc Byrd: Hammock, God of Wonders, & Hearing the Beauty Beyond the Noise

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 08:12:00 -0600

As one half of the instrumental duo Hammock, Marc Byrd has been crafting some of the most influential ambient music of the last 20 years. His songs have found their way into major films, the stunning Ricky Gervais Netflix show After Life, and many more amazing places. But prior to his current career in the post-rock vanguard, Byrd wrote one of the biggest “worship” songs of the last couple of decades (“God of Wonders,”) and got his start in the alternative Christian rock world. And all along he has been haunted by the lingering effects of abuse, addiction, and trauma. On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we engage in an extended conversation with a man who is learning how to listen to the sounds resonating deeply within his heart, soul, and mind, and is inviting us to do the same.

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!

Larry Norman & his son Mike; It’s Complicated…

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 07:27:00 -0500

The late Larry Norman has been called the “father of Christian Rock,” though he said he never intended to create an alternate genre. U2, The Pixies’ Frank Black, and Dylan have called themselves fans. However, many who worked closely with him, came away seriously wounded in one way or another. What are we to make of messy, painful stories like his? Might the lasting legacy of Larry Norman have something to teach us about listening for the good, and discerning our own path to healing and beauty amongst damage? In this episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we visit with Larry’s son Mike Norman and hear what it was like to live with Larry and how he has come to terms with his father’s complicated legacy. We also unearth some previously unheard interview clips with Larry himself in which he talks about his regrets, offers advice for artists coming up behind him, and more. We'll also hear a lot of music, including an All Norman Jukebox takeover, and some Larry rarities.

Full Show Notes at https://truetunes.com/ep-17-larry-norman-its-complicated/

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 Electric Jesus Story (So Far...) w Brian Baumgartner, Chris White, & Daniel Smith: [The Beauty of Failure and Art Vs. Propaganda]

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 15:56:00 -0500

Billed as "The 80's Hair Band Music Comedy You've Been Saving Yourself For," Electric Jesus is making its way across the country, appearing at film festivals and special screenings. In this episode, we visit with writer/producer Chris White, and composer of both the original songs and the score, Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile.) We also go back to last summer and visit the set of the film to talk with cast members, including Brian Baumgartner (a.k.a Kevin Malone from The Office) and the rest of the key actors.

Along the way, we discuss the strange beauty of failure and the difference between propaganda and art that explores the nature of faith. We also offer an advance listen to a lot of the new music from the film, including a brand new track from Steve Taylor and the Danielson Foil.

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!

Buddy Miller: Learning To Listen with Big Ears

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 07:54:00 -0500

Buddy Miller is a true master. He has spent his award-winning career as an artist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer, transcending trends, honoring history, pointing out beauty, and serving others well. On this episode, we visit Miller in his legendary home studio- the very space that has captured musical moments crafted by not only Buddy and Julie Miller, but Emmylou Harris, Jim Lauderdale, Robert Plant, Steve Earle, Carolina Chocolate Drops, The War and Treaty, and so many more. We talk about his earliest memories of music, how it captivated him, and how his professional path emerged. On the Jukebox, we survey his various solo albums and collaborations.

What does it take to become a good listener? Buddy’s got “big ears,” as you’ll soon come to understand. With some discipline and effort, we might develop big ears, and big hearts, as well.

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!

Ella Mine and the Beauty, Purpose, and Potential of Darkness and Pain in Art

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 12:02:00 -0500

Why is it that some of the most compelling art is the dark stuff? Likewise – why is it that when it gets too dark, it becomes less interesting, and not more? And why is it so difficult for spiritually anchored music to get this right? We’re diving into the deep end on this episode of the podcast, with a look at pain and darkness and just how important they can be to genuinely redemptive art.

Join us as we visit with Ella Mine, a brand new artist who recently released her debut album and left us all slack-jawed. Dream War blends progressive rock, classical, folk, and modern pop elements into something that sounds timeless, fresh, and enveloping. Conceived as a live performance piece, it plays like the soundtrack to an epic film or Broadway experience – and yet is as intimate and immediate as a breath. And the whole thing was birthed in and deals with tremendous pain. You’ll hear all about it, including a guided tour through the entire album when Ella takes over the Jukebox.

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!

More Musical Adulting w Waterdeep, Living Artfully in Tandem (Part 2 of 2)

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 09:56:00 -0500

We wrap up our wide-ranging conversation with veteran artists, songwriters, and producers, Don and Lori Chaffer, with a look at their latest Waterdeep album, Tandem, and some practical and inspirational words for young artists and producers looking for a path in these challenging days. The Chaffers have confronted all manners of challenges in their 25+ years as artists and have re-defined "success" in this new creative economy. Tandem demonstrates their artfulness and excellence in ways that remind us of specific radical, Biblical ideas about love.

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!

Music for Adults w Waterdeep + Buddy & Julie Miller on the Jukebox (Part 1 of 2)

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 14:41:00 -0500

In this conversation we explore the unique challenges and opportunities of "adult music" as we catch up with Don and Lori Chaffer of Waterdeep and reflect upon all three albums by Buddy & Julie Miller on the Jukebox. Independent artists and aspiring songwriters and producers take note, the Chaffers are a thriving creative cottage industry unto themselves and they offer a fascinating example of what success looks like these days. (Part 1 of 2)

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!

Sandra McCracken: Singing A New Song + At The Foot of the Cross

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:45:00 -0500

What about when you don't feel like singing? Is "Worship Music" exciting to you, frustrating, both? We’re “Singing a New Song” on this episode, with songwriter, artist, worship pastor and fountain of wisdom and grace, Sandra McCracken, including some sneak peeks into her not yet released album Patient Kingdom. We also re-visit one of the most important “modern worship” albums ever – 1991's At The Foot of the Cross on the True Tunes Jukebox as we contemplate the worship/music conundrum this time on the True Tunes Podcast.

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!

Michael Gungor: Re-embodiment Pt 2 + Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways & Daniel Amos’ Doppelgänger

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:38:00 -0500

In Part Two of our discussion with songwriter, musician, and theological philosopher Michael Gungor we wrap up our exploration of the idea of the re-embodiment of our spirituality and what the implications of that might be for our music and the role artists might play in these disconnected and divided days. We also take deep dives into Bob Dylan’s stunning new Rough and Rowdy Ways LP and Daniel Amos’ groundbreaking 1983 album Doppelgänger – both of which have something important to say about disconnection, disembodiment, and... zombies!?

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!

Michael Gungor / Weiwu: Perfection & Mindfulness (Part 1) + Starflyer 59’s “Miami”

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 14:21:00 -0500

In his first musical release since the disbanding of his acclaimed Alternative Worship band Gungor, singer, songwriter, author, and spiritual philosopher Michael Gungor visits the podcast to talk about “the flow,” mindfulness, re-embodying our faith and art, and his new experimental solo release under the creative moniker Weiwu: Are You Perfect Yet? We also spin the new EP Miami by veteran indie band Starflyer 59 on the Jukebox on Part One of this Two-Part episode. (Part Two, with the rest of our conversation with Michael, plus Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways and Daniel Amos’ Doppelganger coming soon!)

Sign up for updates and the chance to win cool stuff at TrueTunes.com - and visit VisionTrust.org to learn about how you can change the world for one child.

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!

Liz Vice: Worship, Soul, Struggle, Grace...

Sat, 06 Jun 2020 17:53:00 -0500

In this episode we visit with songwriter, singer, artist, and worship leader, Liz Vice who gets real with us about the challenges, joys, discouragement, and hope she has experienced since the 37-year old Portland native launched a full-time music career, almost by accident, five years ago. She offers her unique perspective and wisdom as a woman of color in these challenging days and we take a listen to her music and a sampling of some of the incredible collaborations she has done with artists like Propaganda, Blitzen Trapper, Sandra McCracken, John Mark McMillan, and others.

See the FULL SHOW NOTES HERE or at: https://truetunes.com/episode-ten-liz-vice-show-notes/

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!

Jukebox Takeover #1 (Enchantment) King’s X, Sam (Leslie) Phillips, Johnny Cash, The Choir

Sat, 30 May 2020 08:38:39 -0500

On this Special Edition of the True Tunes Podcast we continued the "Enchantment" theme from Episode Nine by looking at four albums that had that effect, in very different ways, on our host, John J. Thompson. It's an all music episode - the first of its kind - an original of the species. (Make sure to listen to the conversation with Producer and Songwriter Ian Fitchuk on Episode Nine if this is your first time with us!)

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!

”Enchantment” w Award Winning Producer / Songwriter Ian Fitchuk + Madison Cunningham on the Jukebox)

Wed, 20 May 2020 16:07:00 -0500

On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Grammy, CMA, and ACM Award-winning songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Fitchuk (Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Mindy Smith, Amy Grant, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, etc) about his journey in music, serving artists, and pursuing musical "enchantment." We also take a listen to Madison Cunningham's Who Are You Now on the Jukebox.

Check out the FULL SHOW NOTES HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/grammy-acm-and-cma-award-winning-producer-and-songwriter-ian-fitchuk-joins-the-podcast-to-talk-about-enchantment-creativity-and-soul/

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!

Outsiders w Daniel Smith of Danielson + Adam Again & Dylan’s Foul Murder (Salute to Prine and Withers)

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 14:37:00 -0500

Join us for this wide-ranging conversation with singer, songwriter, producer, and artist Daniel Smith of Danielson / Danielson Famile / Brother Danielson “fame,” with Jukebox reflections on the 1986 debut album by Adam Again and the surprise new murder ballad by Bob Dylan. We also pay tribute to John Prine and Bill Withers in this reflection on the power, and beauty, of music by, and for, outsiders.

Find the COMPLETE SHOW NOTES HERE or here: https://truetunes.com/episode-eight-daniel-smith-of-danielson-adam-again-dylans-foul-murder-salute-to-prine-and-withers/

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!

Special Edition #1: Phil Keaggy Uncut! with Rex Paul and John J. Thompson (Happy Birthday Phil!)

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 19:40:19 -0500

SPECIAL EDITION #1: Happy Birthday, Phil Keaggy! – Listen to the uncut conversation between Phil Keaggy, Rex Paul, and host John J. Thompson, conducted shortly before the release of their blistering rock project, Illumination, last year. How did a piece of long-lost tape and 20 seconds of audio from fifty years ago become a whole new song? How does an artist as accomplished as Keaggy approach life as an indie? How does collaboration speak into his work after all these years?

You heard some short clips of this on the Pilot episode of the podcast last year, but now you get to hear the whole conversation in honor of Phil’s birthday AND to mark his 50 years in the faith. We all seem to have some more “Time” on our hands these days. Use yours wisely. Phil Keaggy sure has. (Includes excellent advice for up-and-coming artists and producers!)

This uncut interview is a sneak peek of what's coming for folks joining our patron program. There's a lot more where this came from.

Check out the SHOW NOTES PAGE HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/special-edition-1-phil-keaggy-uncut-with-rex-paul-and-john-j-thompson-happy-birthday-phil/

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!

Telling Better Stories w Steve Taylor (+ Lost Dogs & The Innocence Mission

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 13:12:00 -0600

On this episode we visit with artist, songwriter, producer, film-maker, and now teacher Steve Taylor to talk about telling better stories, and telling stories better. Plus we take a look at The Lost Dogs' classic 1993 album Little Red Riding Hood and The Innocence Mission's brand new release See You Tomorrow on the Jukebox. We also get an advance listen to a brand new cut from Terry Scott Taylor's forthcoming LP.

Check out the FULL SHOW NOTES HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/podcast-ep-7-steve-taylor-show-notes/

And a big thanks to our new sponsor, VisionTrust! Check out their awesome work at VisionTrust.org.

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!

Eddie DeGarmo + Best Albums of 2019 & Brian Healy Tribute

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 14:58:00 -0600

On this episode of the True Tunes Podcast host, John J. Thompson visits with pioneering artist and music industry leader Eddie DeGarmo for a wide-ranging conversation. We also take a look back at some of the best albums of 2019 and give a toast to our good friend, the late, great Brian Healy of Dead Artist Syndrome.

Full Show Notes Available Here or here: https://truetunes.com/episode-six-eddie-degarmo-best-albums-of-2019-brian-healy-tribute/

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!

True Tunes Reunion Pt 2: Michael McDermott & John J. Thompson (+ After The Fire & Avett Brothers on the Jukebox)

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 20:04:00 -0500

In Part Two of our "live" True Tunes 30-Year Reunion we listen in on JJT’s conversation with singer-songwriter Michael McDermott, and Jeff Elbel’s interview of JJT, plus we get After The Fire and Avett brothers on the Jukebox.

Check out the FULL SHOW NOTES HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/podcast-ep-5-michael-mcdermott-jjt-after-the-fire-avett-brothers/

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!

True Tunes Reunion Pt 1: Glenn Kaiser & Jeff Elbel (+ Sheryl Crow & Randy Stonehill on the Jukebox)

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 11:23:00 -0500

The original True Tunes opened in June of 1989, and in the summer of 2019 a group of friends – including Glenn Kaiser, Michael McDermott, Jeff Elbel, Josiah Viland, and The Wayside, gathered in the Chicago area to celebrate that 30 Year Anniversary and to talk about new all-new True Tunes as well. On Episode Four of the True Tunes Podcast, we re-visit that gathering with excerpts from the conversations with Jesus Music pioneer Glenn Kaiser, and rock journalist for the Illinois Entertainer and the Chicago Sun-Times, Jeff Elbel. (Don’t worry, the rest will be included in Part 2. In the Jukebox, we take a listen to Threads, the brand new album by Sheryl Crow, and the 1976 classic Welcome To Paradise by Randy Stonehill.

Find the FULL SHOW NOTES HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/episode-four-30-year-reunion-part-1-glenn-kaiser-jeff-elbel-plus-sheryl-crow-randy-stonehill/

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!

Christa Wells (+ Sam Phillips & DeGarmo & Key on the Jukebox)

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 17:47:00 -0500

Host John J. Thompson talks with independent singer, songwriter Christa Wells and reflects on the latest album by Sam Phillips (World On Sticks) and the 1979 classic, Straight On, by DeGarmo and Key on the True Tunes Jukebox. Listeners also get a sneak peek at a song from the film Electric Jesus and a listen to a song from the very first performance by The 77s in 1979 (as The Scratch Band) in honor of their 40th Anniversary!

Check out THE FULL SHOW NOTES HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/true-tunes-podcast-episode-three-show-notes/

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!

Hit Producer Tommee Profitt (+ Bourgeois Tagg on the Jukebox)

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 10:01:00 -0500

Tommee Profitt may not be a "household name," but you've heard his music. As the producer and co-writer of hit rapper NF's music, and as the composer and producer behind some of the most successful film and TV music out there, Profitt has been quietly - and not so quietly - finding a new way to be successful in today's music scene. And it all started by giving up on a dream. This episode also looks back on two of the greatest pop records of the 80s by one of the most under-appreciated bands of the modern era, Bourgeois Tagg.

Check out the FULL SHOW NOTES PAGE HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/episode-two-tommee-profitt-bourgeois-tagg/

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!

Episode One (Charlie Peacock)

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 23:09:27 -0500

Grammy Award winning producer, songwriter, and artist Charlie Peacock has worked with artists like Civil Wars, Switchfoot, Ruby Amanfu, and others, and his songs have been recorded by Amy Grant, dc Talk, Bela Fleck and more, but back when True Tunes' founder John J Thompson was just getting his idea out of the blocks Charlie was one of his favorite artists and deepest inspirations. One night, at the Cornerstone Festival in 1989, Charlie offered John some advice that shaped his life and work in profound ways. Recently, 30 years on since that initial meeting, the two got back together to talk about music, theology, success, and the unnecessary limitations many artists place on themselves.

The "Jukebox" feature takes a look at Charlie's 1984 album Lie Down In The Grass and The Raconteurs' newest, Help Us Stranger, and the News feature explores Buddy & Julie Miller, The Beatles, and Ireland's Inhaler.

Check out the FULL SHOW NOTES HERE, or here: https://truetunes.com/episode-one-charlie-peacock/

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!