Songwriter Rick Lee James is on the podcast again to disucss his new single "As I Walk These Halls," a meditation on his experience of training to be a hospital chaplain. You can find out where to stream or download the song here.
Joel Heng Hartse is the author of the new book Dancing About Architecture is a Reasonable Thing To Do: Writing about Music, Meaning, and the Ineffable." He joins Chris on the podcast to discuss how writing about music is similar to dancing about architecture and they ponder their favorite bands and songs all while figuring out how to continue having a critical eye toward art while still allowing others to enjoy the music they love.
You can find Joel's book here and anywhere you purchase books and you can find out more about his writing and work at his website: https://www.joelhenghartse.com/
It's the REAL war on Christmas! It's THE real war on Christmas! It's the real WAR on Christmas! It's the real war on CHRISTMAS! You get what I'm saying? If you're interested in part one of this talk about resting and debauchery at Christmastime, please see the Tent Talks podcast.
Brian Doerksen is a songwriter, church music leader, and teacher who recently wrote "215" a call for lament and repentance from within the Canadian church for the atrocities committed against the Indigenous children at numerous church and state run boarding schools. He joins PostConsumer Reports to discuss his process in writing the song, what it means to write from a place of sorrow, and to reminisce with Chris about his past worship songs (those he still sings and those he's moved on from). You can discover Brian's music at his website as well as find out how to watch his "Christmas at Our House" concert film.
Martin Matthews is the author of four published novels, including The Dream Chasers trilogy and the Pencraft Award-winning The Graveyard Girl and the Boneyard Boy. The final book of his trilogy, Moria Versus the Universe, was just released in November 2021. Our conversation goes into detail about the world building of his trilogy of novels, how it is a meditation on the possible future of humanity, and the process and craft of novel writing.
Rachel Wilhelm is a songwriter and church music leader who has recently released her new album and work Requiem, which draws from ancient and modern texts and musical styles to offer us a meditation on death, grief, and our hope in the resurrection. Our conversation, along with these set of songs, offers us a chance to slow down and contemplate what it means that our days our numbered and how we are to best live in the time we have left. You can find Rachel's music at: https://www.rachelwilhelm.com/
Harmony Smith is the Director of Worship for the Vineyard Movement in the UK & Ireland where she encourages, raises up, and trains worship and music leaders. She also co-pastors Belfast City Church with her husband Andy. She joins PostConsumer Reports to discuss her song "You Have Our Yes," how people in Ireland and America might wrestle with its lyrics differently, and the responsibility that church worship leaders have to not only lead people to God but also challenge them to love their neighbors as themselves.
Adam Whipple is a singer-songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee who has just released his new EP Basement Apartment, which is available on all streaming platforms (Soundcloud, Apple, Spotify). You can discover more about Adam and his work at his website (https://www.adamwhipple.com/), which includes visual and video art, and read his prose and poetry and Foundling House, a writing community (https://www.foundlinghouse.com/).
Ep 85 features and interview with Rick Lee James, a singer-songwriter, guitarist, recording artist, and music pastor. He joined PostConsumer Reports to discuss his songwriting and recording process, the struggle to lead church music during the time of COVID (when we are not singing together), being able to authentically address people's pain through worship music, and his Mister Rogers podcast "Welcome to the Neighborhood." Rick has a podcast of his own, "Voices in My Head," which has had numerous guests over the years, including an interview with Chris discussing his 12 days of Christmas book. A couple of months ago Rick was a guest on one of Chris's other podcasts "Between the Songs" discussing "Thunder," an early Rich Mullins song he recorded for his album of the same name.
Bomethius is the "alter ego" of Jonathan Hodges, a songwriter, pianist, violinist, guitar player, and vocalist living in Dallas, Texas. This far-ranging conversation features an in-depth look at his new album Seasons of Limbo. You can find his music at: http://www.bomethius.com/