Upon This Rock

Photo from Wikimedia Commons Exeter based folk trio Wildwood Kin are one of the most exciting new acts to appear in CCM in the last few years. The band is an all female trio formed by sisters Bethany and Emillie Key and their cousin, Meghann Loney. The Kin play an ethereal, rootsy, indie folk Americana style. It is catchy yet ambient, blending a number of styles in a genre that is better to experience than to describe. Tribal drum rhythms  dominate many of their tracks, courtesy of stand-up drummer Meghann, while their unique style is accentuated by Bethany's bouzouki and keyboard playing, and great fretwork from Emillie. However, as any fan will inform you, the crowning glory of the Kin's performances will always be the immaculate vocal harmony style, an ingredient that has marinated from a life time spent growing together. Watching their performances reveals their secret - they absolutely love playing and singing as one, and this strong familial bond extends to embrace...

Image from the Flight Brigade Website One of my favourite tracks right now is being played out quite a lot on CrossRhythms radio. It's called 39 Steps and it's by Flight Brigade . The song has really got inside my head, and you would be well advised to check it out on YouTube. I think you'll like it. There are several versions, including a few live performances. Flight Brigade are going from strength to strength. They are masters of the memorable riff, and every track I've heard from this 7 piece outfit weaves melodic rock with intriguing lyrics. The track below, titled U Kill Me, illustrates this perfectly, and showcases the diverse talents of the entire band. The band's website opens their biography page with the following statement: "Think of Flight Brigade as a family as much as a seven-strong band and you start to understand the chemistry between them. Think of their songs as epic stories to which each member is essential and you begin to gra...

As Mark 2 gained momentum, we began to focus more on our musicianship, style, image and material. Helen decided to leave the band in July 1981 to pursue her career, so we needed to recruit a new keyboardist. Steve Smith, our drummer, mentioned that there was an exceptional talent at his church - an 18 year old lad called Simon Elvin. We invited Simon to audition for us at our practice hall, and he impressed us with his keyboard skills. He also turned out to be a good vocalist and could play a number of other instruments, including guitar and woodwind. He was in! We played a few more gigs together that year and then at a concert somewhere in the north of Devon, Sue and John Ritter, leaders of the full-time touring band The Reps, turned up in our audience. They were scouting. Afterwards they met with Paul and offered him a job playing bass guitar for their band. He agreed, and The Reps gained a new member, while Mark 2 were now left for the second time that year seeking a new band m...

Mark 2 original lineup: Helen, Steve, Smudger and Paul Following the demise of Sonrise , I worked solo for a while, developing my songwriting. In 1978-9, I renewed contact with my cousin, Paul Raper, who told me he was learning to play guitar. Not long after this encounter, I went over to his house and took my own guitar with me, and we  jammed. He liked some of my compositions and asked me if I would like to play at an event at his church (the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family). I agreed and played a short set at the event which went down well. Afterwards we talked about forming a new band, and soon, Paul and I were practicing and gigging together. It wasn't long after this we realised we needed more members to create a band. I had thought of naming the band Sonrise Mk2, but eventually the name Mark 2 stuck, and we began to actively seek new members. Soon, we discovered a keyboardist and vocalist by the name of Helen Walrond, who was also at Marjons (where I worked). ...

This is continuation of my short series of posts about how I became involved with Contemporary Christian Music. Previous posts are listed and linked at the foot of this post. Me c 1980 I met Roger Lenk while we were both at Marjons in Plymouth (then a teacher education college). I soon discovered that Roger identified as a 'Messianic Jew' - someone who had been born into the Jewish tradition, but had accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as his mashiach (Messiah). We actually first met during a journey up to Dartmoor Prison where we were both billed to play at an event organised by Youth for Christ. It was a daunting trip for me, because Dartmoor Prison can be a forbidding place at the best of times, and we arrived at Princetown that autumnal evening as an eery fog was drifting in over the moors and the sun had already set. The granite walls of the prison stared at us gauntly, and the sodium lamps cast a sickly yellow hue over the stonework. As the large gates of Dartmoor slammed sono...

Yes, that's me playing in Plymouth in the late 70s. In my last post I wrote about my first foray into performance of my music. It didn't go particularly well, but I learnt two very important lessons - be self sufficient (the stage can be a lonely place) and keep going. As I played at more events and my audience began to grow, I became more confident, my song writing improved and I began to perform my songs rather than just survive them. I began to play at youth events across the city and then ventured further, playing a series of barbecue events and barn dances in and around the city. I met with various other young musicians including Noel Richards , who lived just across the border in Wales. We did at least half a dozen concerts together, and I learnt a lot from watching his confident playing style. I also played alongside another Welsh musician by the name of Kevin Gould , who went on to record several albums. We did a student gig in the local teacher training college...

Me c 1979 playing an Ovation Matrix electric/acoustic guitar I first began to involve myself in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) during the early part of 1974, just after I came to faith. Armed with just an acoustic guitar and a few self-penned songs, I began to play short sets in cafes and church halls - in fact anywhere I could get a spot. My first ever 'concert' consisted of just four songs and a few stories, which I put together when I was invited to play an evening slot on the Royal Air Force camp my father was stationed at, just outside Hereford in a village called Credential. I was just 16 years old. It was an evening organised by SASRA - the Soldiers and Airmen's Scripture Readers Association, which was being held in one of the airmen's bars on the camp. The audience was mainly young RAF apprentices, just out of school, who were there to basically have a few beers and let off some steam after a hard day of training. When it came for my time to perform...

He is the genuine article. He walks onto stage with just an acoustic guitar, and within seconds of starting his song, you are drawn in, not just by his lilting Celtic vocals and superb imaginative fretwork, but also by the fact that Steph Macleod has done the hard miles, and is a survivor. You see, Steph's story is one of hope from despair and freedom from addiction. His story is infused in his songs, all of which are self-composed and many of which are biographical. Steph is big and bearded - the archetypical Scot through and through - and occasionally you may see him appear wearing his kilt with a full Celtic rock band behind him. Now he is an internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter who has performed with the likes of Matt Redman , Martin Smith and the Rend Collective . His music features regularly on BBC (Radio 2 and Songs of Praise) as well as other broadcasting channels such as UCB. But his life wasn't always like this. In his darkest years he was hopelessl...

One of the interesting highlights at Creation Fest was the lineup playing the second venue, known as the Big Top. One stand-out band that graced this stage, and made our ears bleed a little, was Amongst Wolves , who are a mission band. Along with Soulbox (who featured in an earlier post on this blog) they work for The Message, going into schools and other youth oriented venues to play their music messages of hope and faith. Amongst Wolves have toured extensively across the UK and in other countries including Germany. The band can best be described as alternative melodic rock, with sounds reminiscent of Paramore . They are a four piece made up of Mark (guitar and vocals), Kariss (vocals and guitar), Andy (drums) and Clarissa (guitar and keyboards). I met the band backstage at Creation Fest 2018 and asked them to talk about their inspirations, history, future and .... yep, how they got their name. Here's the interview: My next post reviews their 6 track mini-album Unspok...

Punk rock and Christianity. Can the two possibly go together, or is Christian punk simply an oxymoron? A group of three courageous young musicians are proving that the two can be compatible, and they are attracting a real storm of opposition on social media because of it. I interviewed Peter 118 at Creation Fest and featured them in a post called Jesus was a punk . It went viral, and a storm kicked off on Facebook. Many it seems, were outraged by the groups stand for Christ, and their no-compromise attitude in the face of overwhelming online abuse and criticism. But they still wanted to read more about this controversial trio.  Reading one particular Facebook thread about Peter 118 requires some fortitude because there is an angry, baying mob on there, and several of the comments come from those who patently aren't thinking too clearly about what they are typing. Those posting to the discussion page seem polarised by the band. Some comments are vitriolic, ad hominem at...

One of the outstanding performances of Creation Fest 2018 came on Tuesday evening on the main stage from a band called The Moment . Based in the Midlands, they are a five piece band (there are actually 7 listed on their website!) who play rocked up worship and also some of their own original work. The Moment were outstanding not simply because of their music, which was superbly conceived and performed with passion. Their live CD is entitled Not Afraid. What struck me most about the set they played was the message of hope from their front man Dave Bell. His personal story of a miraculous life was very moving, and it's inspirational. In essence, when he was 16 years old, Dave was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer, and it was only by the great skill and dedication of his physicians that he pulled through at all. However, because of the intense radiotherapy Dave received, his doctors informed him that he would never be able to have children.... ...and I'll leave...

Randy Stonehill appeared abruptly on the Contemporary Christian Music scene in 1971. Born in Stockton, California in 1952, Randall Evan Stonehill and was raised an agnostic. I previously wrote about how rock musician and CCM pioneer   Larry Norman  met Stonehill, befriended him and then led him to Christ. Norman later signed Stonehill to his One Way label and went on to produce several of his early albums. To date Randy Stonehill has released more than 30 albums since his debut production, Born Twice.  He is a singer/songwriter who falls neatly within the folk rock genre. His songs and style are reminiscent of the music of James Taylor with shades of CSN , and some melodic West-Coast rock influence can also be heard. Some of Stonehill's tracks are insanely comedic in their approach, and he is inevitably zany in his live performances too. Several of his compositions contain critical commentary on American life, with humour used to good effect on songs such as Ameri...

Interviewing drummer Ed Freitas was an absolute delight. He's one of the happiest people I've ever met, and this exudes from him in everything he does. I met him backstage at Creation Fest 2018 and we talked about his work, his drumming, digital programming, touring and .... world records. Yes, Ed is currently the holder of TWO Guinness World Records , but if you want the details, you'll have to listen to his interview which is below. As Cyba-X , Ed takes the stage with a massive, hi-tech array of equipment, arranged in what can only be described as Star Gate configuration. The electronics and digital technology behind what he does once he starts his performance need to be seen to be believed. Just take a look at the picture on this page. One of Ed's tricks is to trigger sequencers as he creates his music live on the stage in front of his audience. He is literally a one-man-band, and he can create new music out of just about any theme or sample, from classical ...

Earlier today I was listening to a track I'd not heard before on Dave Simpson's CrossRhythms radio show. My daughter was with me in the car as we listened and we both agreed that the voice was extraordinary. Then there was a section of rapping, and my daughter said - 'that sounds just like Nicky Minaj.' I promised I would look up the artists and find out who they were. It turned out to be a song called I'm Getting Ready, performed by Tasha Cobbs Leonard , a gospel soul singer from Atlanta, Georgia. And yes, my daughter was correct - the rap artist featuring on the track is none other than Nicky Minaj . I'm Getting Ready deserves a lot of mainstream airplay if it hasn't already begun to break through. It's an incredible soul song. It was recorded live with plenty of atmosphere from the audience, and it's taken from Tasha's new album Heart, Passion, Pursuit. Check out this amazing track on the YouTube channel below: Photo credit: Wik...

If you like rhythm and blues, or jazz, or soul, or even funk.... then you'll love Out of the Ashes . They are a duo, or a five piece, or even a big band, depending on where they play. When I saw them perform at Creation Fest 2018 I saw them as a five piece, and even then they created a very full sound. Husband and wife team Kevin and Penny are at the core of the act, he as lead guitarist, and she as lead vocalist. The band is colourful, eclectic and dynamic, their vocal harmonies are tight, and as you listen you can't help but join in with the fun as you move to the wonderful rhythms and swing/jazz/funk tempos the band generates. Out of the Ashes' music is cool, clever and captivating. The band goes beyond the music though. When I caught up with Penny and Kevin backstage at Creation Fest 2018, I talked to them about their inspirations and their message. They are keen to tackle cultural and social issues, especially around ageism and marginalisation in society. Many of t...

Question: What do you get when you cross Soul and Beatbox? Answer: Soulbox! And for the uninitiated.... Soulbox are two guys who blend soul, rap and beatbox into a funky mix that just has to be heard to be appreciated. They perform anywhere they are invited, and work alongside the Message  with other bands such as Amongst Wolves (of which more in a future blog post). I caught up with Ben and Jon at Creation Fest to talk to them about their motivations and inspirations, their mission to evangelise schools and youth through their music, and also to hear a bit of live beatbox. Click on the red and white arrow below to listen to the interview: Soulbox by  Steve Wheeler  was written in Washington, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License .

Bootleg (1970) by Larry Norman Now and then I'm hoping to feature some of the pioneers of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and some of the seminal tracks they recorded. CCM has a short history, arguably starting around the Jesus Movement period of the late 60s and early 70s. In 1971, Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, launched a Christian record label called Maranatha! Music . It was a vehicle to popularise music by several of Calvary Chapel's in-house bands including Sweet Comfort Band, Love Song, Mustard Seed Faith and Daniel Amos. Several solo artists were also signed to the new label, and a number of vinyl albums were released during the 1970s. Even before Maranatha! Music launched, a singer/songwriter from Texas by the name of Larry David Norman established his own Christian label called One Way records in 1970. The first two albums released on One Way were a double album by Norman himself, called Bootleg, and another by a new, up a...

Interviewing the Simon Harper Band at Creation Fest 2018 When you hear the word 'worship' what comes to mind? It depends who you are I suppose. Do you think of a church service where people are singing traditional hymns accompanied by a pipe organ? A more contemporary setting where a group are singing choruses with guitars and tambourines? Gospel style choir singing, if you are a member of a charismatic or evangelical church perhaps? Hillsongs or Worship Central style maybe? There are as many styles of worship as there are styles of music of course. But have you heard of furious worship? Well, that's exactly what I experienced when I heard the Simon Harper band live at Creation Fest 2018 . I know, I know. It's my label for their approach to leading worship, but I think it's appropriate, because Simon and the lads know how to kick up a real storm as they abandon themselves to worshipping the living, vibrant and all-powerful God. Their music is loud, raucous ...

Image from the Lily-Jo Website Spending time talking with Lily-Jo at Creation Fest was a real treat. She is a soul/R+B singer from Manchester in England, and infuses her music with messages of hope and salvation. An EP released by indie label LIGHT called Unstoppable epitomises her stance on the mental health, self-esteem and identity challenges faced by today's youth. She knows what she is talking about, because Lily-Jo is also a fully qualified counsellor. Her  Lily-Jo Project website was set up to provide mental health resources for people battling with eating disorders, self harming, low self-esteem and childhood trauma. It is a useful, high quality and regularly updated set of resources that is being used well. The project has opened doors for Lily-Jo to speak on BBC TV and radio and through other mainstream media. It has been nominated and shortlisted for several awards, and in 2017 won a Premier digital award for ‘best use of digital media in youth work’. Sh...

Sisters Fern and Adrienne are on a mission. They gave up their jobs and left their home in 2011 to travel the country in a rusted old camper van. Their mission? To play their own particular brand of indie soul music to audiences wherever they could, because they believe they have a vital message for this generation. Seven years on from their decision to hit the road, Daughters of Davis have produced several albums, made numerous radio and TV appearances, shared the stage in the UK with the likes of Peter Andre , Sam Bailey , Leona Lewis and Beyoncé , and have toured across Europe with Eels and Rebecca Ferguson . And their mission continues. The sisters write and sing songs that bear messages for this generation, about relevant issues such as mental health, emotional conflict and self-worth. Their latest release, entitled #NotPlayingTheGame is a concept album that confronts the pressures society places on young people to conform to expectations of body and appearance, personal ...

I've spent a lot of time in the studio over the last week or so, recording programmes for my new show which will air this Autumn on CrossRhythms radio  (see dates below!) The show is called Just Vinyl, and it features classic Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) tracks, drawn largely from the 1970s and 1980s. I'm playing exclusively vinyl because it has a particular quality and although there are a few clicks and pops every now and then, I think this just adds to the beauty of the medium. Many of the artists I'm featuring are giants of the genre, pioneers of CCM when it was in its infancy, when very few of the musicians were full-time. Today, Christian music is big business - there are radio stations, record labels and management/touring companies dedicated fully to promoting it. Back in the day, very little of this existed, and those who were involved in pioneering CCM had to forge their own pathways. It was not easy to finance ventures into Christian music - most musi...

Remember the late 1970s? If you were around back then you'll know that punk was all everyone in the music industry was talking about. The Sex Pistols , Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren (the photo on McLaren's Wikipedia site was taken by me) were being outrageous, and The Clash were tearing up the music rule book. Across the Pond, the New York Dolls and Iggy Pop  (so called 'Godfather of punk') were similarly disruptive. Punk rock was loud and basic, a distorted, fast moving and very aggressive form of music that captured the imagination of an entire generation of young people. The boundaries were blurred between the bands and their audiences, and it seemed as though anyone could join in. Punk overturned the acceptable norms and challenged conventions, because it was raw and honest, and it took no prisoners. Kids were angry about society, seeing injustice and corruption everywhere they looked, and they wanted their voices to be heard. But punk was more th...

An artist I really enjoyed sitting down to talk with at Creation Fest 2018 was British singer songwriter Philippa Hanna  (pictured left). The interview was played out on CrossRhythms Radio Plymouth the following day and you can hear it again below. She is a contemporary Christian artist who refuses to fall neatly into any one specific music category. She has written songs in a number of styles including roots, folk, blues and soul, and some may even detect a tinge of R and B. Born in Barnsley in 1984, Hanna's first public performance was in 2007, and since then she has released five solo albums, all as an unsigned independent artist. Her funding often comes from crowdsourcing. She has played over one thousand concerts, touring with the likes of Anastasia, Little Mix , Leona Lewis, Scottish pop legends Wet Wet Wet , Rebecca Ferguson, Blue, and yep - she has even 'danced on the ceiling' with a certain  Lionel Richie . Click on the red arrow below to hear the interview...