Frequency.fm

Howdy, folks. We have a little surprise for you this episode (#14). Earlier this week, our guest’s first full length album, As Sure as the Sun, was released and quickly scaled the iTunes charts – ultimately reaching #1 on Christian & Gospel charts and #8 on the overall albums charts. To reach that level as a Christian artist is remarkable, but to do so as an independent artist for one’s first major release is unheard of. So Tuesday afternoon, the very generous Ellie Holcomb took time out of release day craziness to talk to Joe…ellie_hi_fiveEllie demonstrates her humor, humility, and vulnerability in this candid conversation. Of course they talk about the record-setting Kickstarter campaign and the unexpected success of the album, but Ellie also shares her experience as a 8th-grade English teacher, her passion for sharing Christ with youth, how life’s valleys influence her songwriting, and (gasp!) the possibility of a sophomore album. We’re confident you’ll enjoy the interview, so get to it…Other Not

We’ve been pretty excited about the release of Ellie Holcomb’s debut LP, As Sure as the Sun, from the moment we learned of it last fall. Ellie first came to our attention when Episode 12 guest Emily Freeman named Ellie’s EP With You Now as one of her favorite releases of 2013. Relenting to her husband Drew’s (of Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors) constant encouragement to record her own music, Ellie initiated what would become a record-setting Kickstarter campaign in mid-November. In just three days, the $40,000 goal was met. It then went on to earn over $100,000 in pledges in just a few weeks time.So, with all of the expectations and enthusiasm, does As Sure As the Sun hit the mark? Or will we be let down? To be honest, we like Ellie too much to be objective on this one, so we pulled together reviews from across the Net. The consensus: From all reports, Holcomb has knocked it out of the park with her debut. Straightforward lyrically, scripturally founded, and with her distinctively sincere and vulnerabl

Last fall, City Harbor dropped their first single, an über-catchy inspirational pop number called “Come However You Are” from the EP of the same name. It didn’t take long for mainstream Christian radio to take notice and start asking for more. The Nashville duo responded on February 4th with their self-titled debut, City Harbor. If you’re on the fence about springing for the album, let us help you: we read every review we could find and have shared those that provide a good perspective. City-Harbor The consensus: This is – by all accounts – good work from City Harbor. The album is well-produced and a pleasant listen. It’s hard to fault the positive message and solid vocals from Molly Reed and Robby Earle. At the same time, they don’t explore any new territory and tend to stick to the well-worn thematic and sonic Christian radio standards For quality, comfortable CCM fare, City Harbor is safe bet. Just don’t expect any surprises.Worship LeaderReview Link: http://worshipleader.com/city-harbor/ Key qu

It’s time for Episode 13, our first of 2014. As I’m sure you also experienced, the holidays kept us hopping, and we’re just now coming out from under the weight of it all. We’re excited to share an engaging conversation with worship leader and Essential Worship artist, Tim Timmons. Tim’s passion, unique style, and energy made his 2013 release Cast My Cares one of the most compelling worship releases of the year.Joe caught up with him at home during a rare break from his touring schedule. Tim, who refers to himself as a “varsity American Christian”, discusses the effort required to support the album while raising a young family, the fine balance between self-promotion and pursuing the mission of his ministry, and how living with cancer influences his art and engagement with people. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hattie Kauffman spent years in the public eye. As an Emmy Award winning journalist and newscaster, she was invited into our living room on a regular basis. To many, she is best known as the first Native American to file a news report on a national evening broadcast. But all of that is incidental to Kauffman’s book, Falling into Place: A Memoir of Overcoming, which above all things, tells a familiar but exceptional story of prevailing over circumstance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The holidays are in full swing, and we’re excited about the season. We’re also pretty stoked about Episode 12. Our guest is author Emily P.Freeman, author of Grace for the Good Girl and the recently published A Million Little Ways, a book that – if you’ve read our review – you know we’re quite fond of… Emily FreemanEmily’s heart for artists is apparent during her conversation with Joe. She shares her own journey as an artist as she moved from music to sign language and finally to writing. They discuss how important it is as an artist to show up (and a couple of ways that prevent us from doing just that), why it’s OK to copy, and how honouring God’s calling for us will occasionally require restraint. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 2006, Hillsong United released United We Stand – a game-changing worship album that established Hillsong as a force unafraid to diversify, experiment, and otherwise challenge our expectations. 2013 seems to be the year they reinforce that image. Earlier this year, Hillsong United shook things up with the progressive and innovative arrangements of Zion.Now Hillsong Young & Free step into the action with their debut, We Are Young & Free (Live). The latest musical iteration from Hillsong Church have produced one of the more distinct sounds to come out of this local church in recent years. We Are Young & Free could be a game changer.We Are Young & Free is most definitely an anthem album. Party songs like “Alive” “Wake” and “In Sync” perfectly capture the current pop culture scene and offer a God glorifying alternative that this current youth generation has been waiting for.Musically this album is a bullseye: well-produced, thoughtful musicianship, and tasteful additions of EDM (electronic da

Just in time for you to enjoy over the long Thanksgiving weekend (for our listeners in the States), we present to you Episode 11 featuring GMA award-winning songwriter Don Poythress. Don is one of the most talented and prolific writers working country and Christian music today. Ask anyone with whom he’s worked, and they’ll also tell you he is one of the most genuine and generous folks around.Don and Joe share a few laughs as they discuss the occasional awkwardness associated with co-writing, what keeps him writing each day – even when he doesn’t feel like it, and why he doesn’t mind critiquing songs by other writers (at conference settings only please…). Don also addresses the very real divide between country and Christian music and why he’s glad it’s begun to come down. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to our (somewhat delayed) 10th episode of the Frequency podcast. Our guest, Ross King, is a veteran of the Christian music scene. His songs have been recorded by over 100 different artists, and he himself has been making records since 1995. His latest project, This Hope Will Guide Me, is one of our favorite worship releases of the year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest from Episode 5, Travis Thrasher, has had a busy year. At the time we spoke to him this past spring, he was promoting the release of his novelization of Home Run – just a few months after publishing the fourth and final book in the Solitary Tales series, Hurt: A Novel. This summer, he published two more books, both collaborations: Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not? with country artists Thompson Square, and the self-published Never Let Go with Mac & Mary Owen. Finally, in October, he releases his fifth book of 2013, Time For Me to Come Home, another collaboration, this time with Dorothy Shackleford. Dorothy is perhaps best known as the mother of 2013 CMA Entertainer of the Year, Blake Shelton.Time For Me To Come Home Now, Travis is one of our favorite folks, but even we didn’t feel like we could keep up with everything he has been up to. Joe caught up with him earlier this month and brings us all up to speed. Also, Travis has generously offered to answer your questions about the publishing indust

For Episode 9, we welcome professor, speaker, and author Preston Sprinkle. With his latest work, Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence, he takes on the subject of violence and how the Bible directs us to respond. It is a provocative and timely topic. Joe and Preston have an engaging conversation about the book, finding balance between academia and being approachable, and how he approaches the craft of writing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For Episode 8, we take you behind the scenes to meet Shannon Walker of Integrity Music and Lisa Beech of David C. Cook. While you might not recognize the names, these are two hard-working publicists who do their utmost for the artists they represent. Artists: this is a can’t-miss episode. Listen as Lisa and Shannon discuss the role of publicist in supporting the artists and how that approach may differ depending on the medium. Learn some common misconceptions about life as a professional artist and why it’s important to be willing to promote yourself. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wake up! Yes, you’re right. It is too early for a new episode, but we just couldn’t help ourselves. Joe caught up with modern hymnist Keith Getty fast on the heels of the release of Live at The Gospel Coalition, an album of traditional and modern hymns. The project was recorded this past Spring with his wife, Kristyn, at the National Conference of The Gospel Coalition in Orlando, Florida. Keith & KristynOur very own Dan Thomson was at the conference and served in the 250-member choir that sings throughout (if you listen carefully, you can even hear Dan’s voice in the mix). Keith shares about the energy of the album, the arrangements, writing during rugby, and the pristine quality of Kristyn’s voice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to Episode 7! We’re blessed to welcome singer/songwriter Christa Wells to the podcast. Christa may be best known as the writer of Natalie Grant’s hit song “Held” and the Gospel Music Association’s 2006 Songwriter of the Year. Christa has also written for and with recording artists Point of Grace, Plumb, Selah, Sara Groves, Nicol Sponberg, and Jessica Campbell. Christa co-wrote “Need You Now (How Many Times),” with Plumb and Luke Sheets – a track recorded by Plumb which has been on the Billboard Christian Overall Airplay Chart for more than a year, with a remix of the song released to dance radio also charting on the Billboard Club Chart. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 6 is here! We’re very excited to feature author Peyton Jones as our guest. Peyton Jones is founding coach of New Breed Church Planting UK/USA. He has worked as a tentmaker, a firefighter, factory worker, and psychiatric nurse, bringing all these experiences to the table in ministry…Have we intrigued you yet? Be sure to join Joe and Peyton as they discuss his book Church Zero as well as discussing perspectives on ministry and life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Holy cow! At long last, Episode 5 is finally here. You can catch our excuses on the podcast, but needless to say, it’s been a busy season for both our hosts. We’re just glad to be back and to have you here with us.We’re very excited to feature author Travis Thrasher as our guest. Travis is a genre-defying author – he’s written more than 20 books which span from horror to love stories. Not many artists can be referred to as both the Christian Stephen King and the Christian Nicholas Sparks. Joe and Travis discuss his most recent work, Home Run, a novelization of the movie of the same name. Then they dive deeper into the life of a published author, the challenges of being diverse, collaborating in writing, and avoiding labels. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thanks for joining us for Episode 4 of the podcast. In this episode, we feature poet, artist, actor and founder of The Sacrificial Poet Project, Phil Long (aka LiarLunatic). Phil wears many hats and is both a “poetry slam” artist and an advocate for new talent in the poetry community. Join the conversation as we explore the art of poetry, how it interacts with Phil’s faith and what Liar | Lunatic is all about. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thanks for joining us for Episode 3 of the Frequency.FM podcast. In this episode, we interview mixed media artist, songwriter and creative Mandy Thompson. The conversation delves into the day-to-day realities of life as an artist, her perspective on how to deal with distraction, as well as the need for time and space to best focus on the art. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thanks for joining us for Episode 2 of the Frequency podcast and the second part of our conversation with Richie Fike. If you missed Part 1 and you want a full introduction to Richie, you can find it here.For Part 2, Richie very frankly shares how eye-opening and convicting the past year has been as he promoted The Moment We’ve Been Waiting For. He describes the band’s thoughts as they consider their next album, and he doesn’t flinch as he responds to the question, “Is it arrogant to believe you can write an original worship song?”. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you haven’t heard Christine D’Clario’s name before, it’s probably because she’s best known for her preceding Spanish-language albums. Look for that to change with the arrival of Deeper, her first collection of English-language songs. Deeper is a quality release laden with songs ready to deploy in your next worship set. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.