Upon This Rock

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...

I'm just back from  Creation Fest UK , where I've enjoyed five days of listening to music from dozens of Christian artists.... and what's more, the entire festival was free! Held at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge, the festival site looks out on stunning views across the Cornish countryside. It's a great venue, because no matter the weather (and we had a mixed bag) the concrete roads and permanent buildings are unaffected by the elements.  The Big Shed, which has a capacity of around 3700 was the venue for the MainStage and joined onto the exhibition/vendor section with a large cafe and arts area. Many of the bands and artists performing at Creation Fest 2018 were new, but some who graced the MainStage have already made their mark on the mainstream music scene. A quick glance at the festival website shows the list of mainly British and US musicians, including Philippa Hanna , Wildwood Kin and Flight Brigade (all of whom I interviewed and who will fe...

Welcome to a new blog about Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). The title of the blog - Upon This Rock - was borrowed from a 1969 album by the 'grandfather of Christian rock music' - Larry Norman . I'm a musician and songwriter, and I've performed my songs in a variety of bands and as a solo artist for quite a few years. Many of the songs I write reflect my own personal faith but I'm also keen to share my insight and knowledge of the CCM world with anyone who wants to read these pages. I'm also keen to see any views and reviews from others (the comments box is always open). I'm a presenter on CrossRhythms Radio  Plymouth (96.3 FM), where I host a programme called Just Vinyl . It does exactly what it says on the can - my programme features music from CCM artists across the vinyl years - and if it ain't on vinyl, I don't play it. My album collection spans the 1970's to the early 1990's, and includes back catalogues from pioneering CCM ar...