This week I’m talking with Peder Eide from Lifest 2022. Peder has been the main stage host at Lifest for over 20 years as well as a successful independent artist. We are discussing what it takes to be a host/emcee for music festivals, how to interact with an audience and having venues to trust you to bring what they need.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*Opportunities come because of relationships. *Having a successful career as an indie artist. *Being a product of great people. *Venues trusting you to bring what they need. *Be willing to do whatever the venue needs you to do. *Serving the event. *Being a host/emcee for music festivals. *Getting into the festival circuit as a host/emcee. *What it takes to be a host/emcee for music festivals. *Let people know you’re paying attention to them. *Be available. *Surround yourself with great people.
BIO: Peder Eide – Peder has spent the last 25 plus years as a singer/songwriter, speaker, worship leader, trainer and an advocate for orphans and children in poverty. His deep passion for the life-changing power of The Father’s love can be heard throughout the music of the songs and records he has written and recorded. Peder also has heart for helping youth and families draw closer to God and closer together through music and experiential worship. Peder’s critically acclaimed music has been described as playful yet spiritually challenging and it puts the fun back into contemporary Christian music…straightforward and relevant…, The creator of Taste Worship, a family connection event, Peder’s music and ministry has been highlighted by such groups as USA TODAY, Focus on the Family, Christianity Today and Worship Leader Magazine.
Peder was selected as a “Top Ten Young Minnesotan” by the MN Jaycees and in 2013 was honored by his high school, Oak Grove Lutheran High School with its most prestigious award, Living The Mission award.
More recently Peder has been using his years of experience to serve churches and ministries as a consultant for their Sunday worship experience. He helps worship leaders and their teams to connect and engage their congregation by equipping them with some unique creative skills that go beyond just the music.
This week I’m talking with five-time GRAMMY Nominated and platinum-selling songwriter and recording artist Dante Bowe at Lifest 2022. Dante made history as the first artist to have the greatest number of simultaneous GRAMMY nominations in both Gospel & Christian genres with 3 solo and 2 group award nominations for the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards. We are discussing why hearing “no” repeatedly helps to perfect your songwriting, the process of putting a live show together and that if you don’t have a vision for yourself as an artist, your label will give you one.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*Getting “no” helps to perfect songwriting. *What it’s like to co-write. *The process of putting a live show together. *Pros and cons of being a solo artist vs. being part of a group. *How to keep a label happy. *Know who you are. *If you don’t have a vision, they will give you one. *Know your core values. *https://www.dantebowe.com/
BIO:
Dante Bowe is a five-time GRAMMY Nominated and platinum-selling songwriter and recording artist from Rockingham, NC, now based in Nashville, TN.
Known for his distinctive raspy vocals, Dante made history as the first artist to have the greatest number of simultaneous GRAMMY nominations in both Gospel & Christian genres with 3 solo and 2 group award nominations for the 64th GRAMMY Awards including Best Gospel Performance/Song twice for “Voice of God” and “joyful,” Best Gospel Performance/Song for “Wait on You” with Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music; Best 5 Gospel Album with Maverick City Music for Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition, and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album with Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music.
Dante’s independent debut Son of a Father (2017), rose to No. 21 on the Billboard Charts establishing a sound that was uniquely Dante – an infectious mix of soul, gospel, and R&B. In 2018, after spending time on the road as a backing vocalist, Dante left the security of steady employment to take center stage–His star was on the rise. He was a co-writer on the platinum-selling track “In Spite of Me [feat. Ciara]” for Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Maverick City Music’s biggest hit to date, “Promises.”
With his familial roots in his heart, and an optimistic future in his sights, Dante released his sophomore album and Bethel Music label debut circles earlier last year. circles debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, and the chart-topping GRAMMY Nominated single, ‘joyful,’ debuted No. 1 on the Billboard’s Gospel Chart, and No. 3 on Hot Gospel Songs. The introspective album which reflects on the death of his grandfather and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, making it the highest solo charting position of Bowe’s career. He closed out the season with top ten placements on three different Billboard Year End Charts, hailed as the Top New Gospel Artist of 2021–No. 9 overall for Top Gospel Artist, No. 4 for Top Male Gospel Artist, and No. 4 on Top New Christian Artists.
Bowe won his first Dove Award at the 52nd GMA Dove Awards for Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for “joyful.” The award-winning songwriter made history with “joyful” again and became the first artist to have his song chart on both the Billboard’s Gospel Airplay and Christian Song charts, bridging the gap between Gospel and CCM formats. In June 2019, Bowe joined the Bethel Music Collective as a worship leader and songwriter, and also appears on Maverick City Music Volumes I & II as a songwriter. Dante believes that raising the level of authenticity in worship will cause cultures, generations, and denominations to unite in a worship movement by merging gaps and removing all boundaries.
The chart-topping artist has been featured on the Tamron Hall Show, Variety, Billboard, Entertainment Tonight, Vogue.com, and BET. Bowe is set to embark on his first Spring 2022 tour, ‘What Are We Waiting For? – The Tour,” as a solo artist with four-time Grammy award winners & Pop Sensations, For King + Country. Dante Bowe’s dominance in both the fashion and music industry is just beginning, and he is unstoppable.
This week I’m talking with Rebecca St. James at Lifest 2022. Rebecca is a GRAMMY®-winning singer/songwriter, best-selling author, speaker and among the most defining artists in Christian music history. She also comes from a family that is firmly rooted in the music business, with a father who is a successful manager and brothers who make up the duo for KING & COUNTRY. We are discussing being part of musical family that works together in the industry, the role of a producer and a label and not letting yourself buy into what people say about you.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*Mentoring artists. *The co-writing process. *The role of a producer and a label. *Structuring songs. *Don’t buy into what people say about you. *Being part of musical family that works together in the industry. *Bloom where God plants you. *Be faithful with the little things. *Practice your art. *Rebecca St. James: Friends and Family Podcast. *https://www.accessmore.com/pd/Rebecca-St-James-Friends-and-Family *www.rebeccastjames.com
BIO:
Among the most defining artists in Christian music history, GRAMMY®-winning singer/songwriter, best-selling author, speaker and actress Rebecca St. James rocketed into the global spotlight following the release of her self-titled ForeFront Records debut in 1994. The Australian native’s modern pop sensibilities and uncompromising lyrics set a benchmark in Christian music, leading a new generation of artistry in the genre.
St. James has earned multiple Dove Awards, nine #1 Christian radio singles and two GOLD®-certified recordings, and her discography includes such iconic albums as Pray, God and Transform. Author of the best-selling titles Wait For Me (Thomas Nelson) and Pure (Hachette/Faithwords), among others, she starred in the 2009 film Sarah’s Choice; portrayed Mary Magdalene in the groundbreaking rock opera !Hero; and voiced “Hope, The Angel” in VeggieTales’ best-selling DVD The Easter Carol, in addition to other diverse roles. An award-winning songwriter, St. James co-penned multiple selections on for KING & COUNTRY’s blockbuster 2019 recording, Burn the Ships, and she is also the host of Rebecca St. James Friends & Family, a new weekly podcast on marriage and parenting available on K-LOVE Radio’s Accessmore platform.
This week I’m talk with Matt Roberts and Joe Piver from Jeff Roberts & Associates in Nashville, TN. JRA is a booking agency that works with some of the biggest names in Christian music including We The Kingdom, For King and Country and Skillet as well as breakout artists Anne Wilson, Katy Nicole, CAIN and many more. We are discussing the process of booking an artist into different types of venues, the cost of touring and the differences in booking new artists vs. established artists.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*What a booking agency does. *The process of booking an artist for a venue. *What the vision of the artist is for the year. *The process for booking new artists vs. established artists. *The long range goals for touring artists. *Investing in people. *The cost of touring and taking care of your team in the road. *The price range of bringing artists into venues. *Every artist is a small business owner. *The benefits of internships with different music business companies. *https://jeffroberts.com/
BIO: Matt Roberts – General Manager Originally born in Lansing, MI, Matt has lived in Nashville since Jeff moved the family in 1983. While pursuing a childhood passion to compete in stock car racing, Matt was afforded a unique experience to learn about corporate sponsorship acquisition. This interest evolved into a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Western Kentucky University. After graduating, Matt felt called to be involved more deeply with the family business and transition his passion for business to JRA. He has now been involved with JRA for over 20 years, representing the rock bands of the early 2000’s, to the artists of today. He finds one of the most rewarding experiences to be the relationships created through the support of so many artists touring careers. Matt enjoys spending time with his wife Heather, their two French Bulldogs, mountain biking, and what little time is remaining, dabbling in automotive projects in his shop.
Joe Piver – Senior Agent Originally from Southeast North Carolina, Joe has spent over 25 years in the music business. He has toured as an artist, worked as an agent and manager, promoted dozens of shows and artists, and even started a festival. He has a degree in percussion performance from Wingate University and a Masters in Religion from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. For the past 10 years, he’s served as an adjunct professor at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. He is currently in his 16th year at JRA. Joe has been married for 16 years to his wife Amanda and they have one son named August. They currently reside in Hendersonville, Tennessee. In the spare time he has, he loves to travel and spend time with his family. You will almost never see Joe not wearing his Red Sox cap.
This week I’m talking with Mike Gowen, president of Milestone Publicity in Nashville. Milestone teams with clients to generate awareness in the media to effectively promote their brands, singles, albums, tours and much more. We are discussing educating potential customers, how to deal with nightmare situations with clients and the difference in representing an emerging artist vs. an icon.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*Scouting for talent. *A scout for PR is similar as A&R for a label. *Finding what type of artists are getting coverage and how we can fill those slots for our company. *You are educating potential customers. *PR assistant is watches PR campaigns. You are supporting the publicist. *Working with Kiefer Sutherland, Billy Idol, Tommy Emmanuel, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and more. *The difference in repping an emerging artist vs. an Icon. *Working with emerging artists you are trying to get them more exposure. You’re a cheerleader. *Working with Icons you are trying to manage exposure. You’re a security guard. *How to deal with nightmare situations with clients. *You pitch interviews for magazines 4-5 months before. *PR introduces new potential fans to emerging artists. *Booking late night tv is similar to pitching for a magazine article. *Say “yes” to every opportunity. *https://www.milestonepublicity.com
Milestone Publicity—founded by industry professional Mike Gowen and now headquartered in Nashville—is a full-service public relations firm built to represent the needs of our music and lifestyle clients in the modern age of media. We team with clients to generate awareness in the media to effectively promote their brands, singles, albums, tours and much more. With a combined 25 years of experience, Milestone Publicity delivers well-executed campaigns in the current media landscape for its eclectic roster of clients. Every campaign is built around client goals and Milestone has the experience, relationships and tools to attain those goals.
BIO: Already possessing a prior decade of earned experience in the music industry, with a bulk of that time specializing in public relations and identifying the key elements to successful promotion, Mike founded Milestone Publicity in 2019. Specifically, he has worked with icons such as: Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Andy Grammer, Billy Idol, Brian Setzer, Dada Life, Dream Theater, Dwight Yoakam, Godsmack, Heart, Jerry Douglas, John Fogerty, Kiefer Sutherland, LIVE, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones, System of a Down’s John Dolmayan, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tommy Emmanuel and Wynonna Judd, to name a few. Utilizing his close relationships with the full-spectrum of media, Mike strategically designs campaigns to deliver results and meet client goals. Whether he’s consulting or spearheading a national press campaign on behalf of a client, Mike’s vision at Milestone is to ensure that every client feels a wealth of value is being provided.
This week I am talking with music industry icon Jason Davis. Jason is an entertainment industry executive with a broad range of titles including award winning songwriter and author, independent record label president, executive TV producer, entertainment consultant, former Senior VP of A&R for Dolly Parton’s CTK management company and more. We are discussing when and why to hire an entertainment lawyer, the difference in managing a producer vs. an artist and what happens when you reach the top of the music industry and are still empty.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*Once you make a human connection, if you keep the bar high, that relationship is always there. *When and why to hire an entertainment lawyer. *The amount it costs to hire an entertainment lawyer. *Learning how to develop an artist. *Learning how to coach artists well. *Find the treasure in an artist. *Finding an artist’s sound. *the difference in managing a producer vs. an artist. *How to get people’s attention as a writer. *Listening for tone of voice. *Having shared vision with an artist. *Have real love and care for people. *What can I bring to someone to help them along. *Honor your agreements. *Sandcastle empires. *What happens when you reach the top and are still empty.
Jason Davis has spent his entire two decade career in the music industry and worked with many worldwide stars, including Boyz ll Men, Sugar Ray, P. Diddy, Alabama, Lonestar, Dolly Parton, among many others before working in Christian music.
Davis is an entertainment industry executive with a broad range of titles including award winning songwriter, award winning author, independent record label president, executive TV producer, entertainment consultant, former Senior VP of A&R for Dolly Parton’s management company CTK management and a serial entrepreneur.
He has also secured record deal offers with CEO’s from the largest music companies in the world, including Capitol Records, Sony, Interscope, Island / Def Jam, Epic, Atlantic, RCA, and J Records.
Traveling between New York, London, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville, he built a reputation working with the top songwriters, producers, and recording artists in the entertainment industry on a global level.
Over the span of his career, he has not only pioneered new approaches to the signing and development of some of the world most successful recording artists and songwriters such as Anne Wilson who recently was nominated for Christian song of the year in the 2022 Billboard Awards. He has consistently championed innovative business models and partnerships with a wide range of companies around the world.
His career began as a songwriter when he was discovered by Grant Cunningham, the former VP of A&R for Sparrow Records. Davis went on to write a #1 Billboard hit, received several ASCAP songwriting and publishing awards, and was nominated for a Latin music award.
Davis has also co-founded other cutting edge entertainment companies such as: One One 7, Noble Management, and Awaken Records. He is also co-president and partner of Christian booking agency Higher Level Agency.
This week I’m talking with Korey Hicks from Visible Music College. Korey Hicks is the Head of both the Music Theory and Guitar Divisions globally at Visible Music College, one of the premier Christian institutions of higher learning in the country. In addition to being a professor and guitar teacher, Korey spent years playing in the House Band at Billy Bob’s Texas (aka, the World’s Largest Honkytonk) and has opened for Willie Nelson, REO Speedwagon, Dwight Yoakam, John Fogerty and dozens of other big artists. We are discussing what it’s like to teach 70 guitar students a week, the difficulty of auditioning for large scale music venues as a house band musician and learning to love the process of practicing on a regular basis.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*What it’s like to teach 70 guitar students a week. *Journaling your practicing regiment. *Cycle 4 ( the Circle of Fifths backwards). *How to learn 600 songs in a month. *Using the mind, the ear and the hand. *A musician is only as good as the number of songs they can play. *The difficulty of auditioning for large scale music venues as a house band musician. *Think like an arranger, not a guitar player. *If you want to make music for a living, you have to work at like a full time job. *Working for Visible Music College. *Be efficient. *Perfect pitch vs. relative pitch. *The Performance Gap. *What students learn from Korey at Visible College. *Be fearless, say yes to as many gigs as possible. *Play music you don’t particularly like. *Work on your ear training. *Learn to love the process of practice. *Use a practicing journal. *Cover bands make more money that artists who write original music as a whole. *https://visible.edu/
BIO:
Korey Hicks is the Head of both the Music Theory and Guitar Divisions globally at Visible Music College, one of the premier Christian institutions of higher learning in the country.
On his way to creating a sustainable career in the music industry, Korey has played over 4000 live performances in the last 25 years and has been blessed to share the stage with some of the biggest names in contemporary music. A stylistic chameleon, he has played in a wide variety of genres, including Country, Worship, Pop, Rock, Jazz and Blues on some of the most iconic stages in the country. Venues include playing for years in the House Band at Billy Bob’s Texas (aka, the World’s Largest Honkytonk), and opening for Willie Nelson, REO Speedwagon, Dwight Yoakam, John Fogerty and dozens of other big artists.
He is an Alumnus of Berklee College of Music, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from McNally Smith College of Music with a Bachelor’s Degree in Guitar Performance.
This week I’m talking with Pam Lewis of PLA Media in Nashville. PLA is a Public Relations company that gets their clients in front of audiences and consumers through public appearances on tv and in print. Pam has an amazing history of being one of the people who launched MTV in the early 80s and also helped launch the careers of Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. We are discussing the abilities you need to have to work for a PR firm as well as what it takes to start your own PR company.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss:
*A publicist (Public Relations) is the glue that holds it all together. *Helping launch MTV. *A publicist’s job is to listen to the artist, hear your dreams and take them to the next level and make you a household name. *Publicists do press releases, promote concerts, booking events, finding endorsements, etc. *Publicists have to go through more levels of bureaucracy with major label artists. *Helping launch Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s careers. *Starting an independent PR company called PLA Media.
*A good publicist helps connect the dots. *Looking for unique opportunities for clients, not the obvious ones. *Be Tenacious. *First thing to ask a publication is if they’re on deadline. If they are don’t bother them. *Find common ground with whoever’s on the phone with you. *Our job is to create a buzz. *Rates to hire PLA Media start at $2000-2500 a month and go up from there. *It’s best to do at least 3 months with PR to do as much as possible. *What it takes to start your own PR company. *Can you provide a valuable service to clients? *You have to have boundaries. *Learn how to work a room. *Be a good listener. *Learn how to talk on the phone. *www.plamedia.com
BIO: Pamela Lewis, a native of upstate New York, is an entrepreneur, preservationist, philanthropist and author. A graduate of Wells College with a B.A. in Economics/Marketing and a minor in French and Communications. Lewis spent a year in Paris studying at COUP (Center of Overseas Undergraduate Program) affiliated with The Sorbonne University. In New York City, she did additional graduate course work at Fordham University, The New York School for Social Research, The Publicity Club of New York and Scarritt Bennett. Lewis is also a graduate of University of Tennessee’s Institute of Public Service Local Government Leadership Program (third level), of the Belmont University College of Business Administration’s Scarlett Leadership Institute Mini Executive MBA program, of Leadership Music, of the Citizen’s Police Academy and of the Leadership Middle Tennessee 2020 program.
From 1980 to 1984, Lewis was part of the original publicity/marketing team of WASEC (Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company), a joint venture of Warner Communications and American Express, that launched MTV to the world. She also worked with MTV’s sister cable channels Nickelodeon, The Movie Channel, and the Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E). Lewis was relocated to Nashville from New York City to accept the position of National Media Director at RCA Records helping to shape the careers of top country stars such as Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, The Judds, and Alabama.
In 1985, Lewis opened her own PR firm, Pam Lewis and Associates (which later became PLA Media). In 1987, she formed award-winning Doyle/Lewis Management with partner Bob Doyle. The first client Lewis agreed to represent was an unknown Oklahoma crooner named Garth Brooks, who she worked with until 1994. Lewis also managed Trisha Yearwood‘s early career, landing her a record deal at MCA Records. Under Lewis’ guidance, Yearwood released her debut self-titled album in 1991, becoming the first female country musician to sell one million records off her first single “She’s In Love With The Boy.” The album went on to be certified double platinum, and Yearwood went on to win the Academy of Country Music award for Top Female Vocalist later that year. The two enjoyed a successful partnership which broke new ground in music winning all of the following: Performance Magazine’s “Country Music Managers of the Year” two consecutive years ’92 and ’93, Pollstar Award “Personal Manager of the Year ’92, Country Music Association’s “Artist Manager of the Year”, SRO Award ’01 (The first female executive to win this award), Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 listing in ’95 & ’96, Who’s Who in Executives, International Society of Poets Distinguished Member, Franklin Police Department Order of Excellence ’15 & Tennessee Association of Museums Award in recognition of superlative achievement for publications PR kit. Eventually, Doyle and Lewis parted ways, and Pam turned her focus solely to PLA Media.
In 2003, Lewis made her first foray into the world of politics running for office of alderman-at-large in Franklin, Tennessee. She won a four-year term, and was the only female on the board for two years. She also served as Vice Mayor for one year, and was elected to the Franklin Planning Commission and Historic Zoning Commission. In 2016, she was voted as a one of the top Female Entrepreneur by Your Williamson Magazine, and was invited to be part of the 2017-2018 class of Leadership Franklin. Lewis has served on or chaired multiple committees, including: The Tennessee State Museum, Tennessee First Lady Andrea Conte’s You Have The Power, BRIDGES Domestic Violence Center, Sister Cities of Franklin, Battlefield Commission, mayor-appointed Franklin Housing Commission, Nashville Historic Commission, Historic Cemetery Commission, ARC Board and the Tennessee Preservation Trust.
Her other community outreach efforts include historic preservation and green space causes, women and children’s advocacy, educational scholarships, fair housing and environmental and animal rights protection. Since its inception, the Pam Lewis Foundation has given away a million dollars to numerous charities.
She has been recognized for her business success/entrepreneurship, community outreach and preservation efforts by the Metro Nashville Historic Commission, Franklin Tennessee Heritage Foundation, African American Heritage Foundation, Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee Preservation Trust. In 2017, she produced a documentary of African American remembrances and contributions and was honored to give the commencement address at her alma mater Wells College, Aurora, New York in May 2017. She is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Middle Tennessee.
This week I am kicking off season 4 talking with my hero, mentor and dear friend Steven Curtis Chapman. Steven is celebrating 35 years in the music industry this year and is celebrating by releasing a brand new album called “Still.” He is the most awarded artist in Christian music history with 49 No. 1 singles, 59 GMA Dove Awards, multiple GRAMMYs and much more. He’s also one of the most down-to-earth people you will ever meet. We are discussing our history together, both being from Paducah, KY and his dad Herb Chapman being our guitar teacher and the impact he’s had on our lives, following where the music takes you in the songwriting process and struggling to put out new music and feeling relevant in today’s culture and his new album “Still” being the result of that struggle. Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we discuss: *SCC’s autobiography “Between Heaven and the Real World.” *The impact that Herb Chapman had on Steven’s career as a guitar teacher. *Teaching his son’s how to navigate into the music industry. *Follow where the music takes you in the songwriting process. *Deciding which songs will end up on an album. *SCC’s brand new album “STILL.” *Struggling to put out new music and feeling relevant in today’s culture. *Writing music from a new perspective. *Bloom where you’re planted. *www.stevencurtischapman.com
BIO: Steven Curtis Chapman has spent the last 35 years writing and performing genre-defining songs that shaped a generation. With a staggering 49 No. 1 singles in his catalog, he is the most awarded artist in Christian music history, winning 59 GMA Dove Awards, five GRAMMY Awards, an American Music Award, and selling more than eleven million albums with ten RIAA-Certified Gold or Platinum albums. In short, he is synonymous with contemporary Christian music. After so much success, some might think recording a new album would be second nature. But for Chapman, starting a new chapter wasn’t so easy. The ever-present inner critic whispering “can he do it again?” made him question whether making new music was the right move. He says, “It’s a two-edged sword. At some point, you walk in with a bunch of new songs hoping people are ready to hear something new. The hard part is people don’t always want that. They want to hear the hits.” But he found he still had stories left to tell. “I finally gave myself permission to say, don’t question if this is relevant or where it’s gonna fit or will it work in the current landscape of Christian music. I had to silence the voices, sit down with my guitar, and write whatever was stirring in me, let it come out however it came out.” It’s Chapman back to his glory days, recalling mega-hits like “The Great Adventure,” “Dive,” and “More To This Life,” but don’t mistake familiarity as a re-hash….Still is filled with entirely fresh, life-giving songs for the masses. His gift for writing tear-stained lyrics about serving a God he doesn’t always understand but always, always trusts is on full display. Chapman holds nothing back, his full-voiced cries of praise echoing God’s faithfulness in days gone by and trust in His mercy for the days ahead. “That’s what I’m trying to do with this project,” Chapman says, “remember where I’ve been and where I’m going.” With lead track “Still,” to “Don’t Lose Heart,” “I’m Alive,” “Kindness,” and “A Desperate Benediction (Peace On Earth),” Chapman’s willingness to shine a light on his pain, struggles, and faith, but also his joy, redemption, and hope infuses Still with universal goodness.
This week I’m talking with Christian music artist Tom Golly. Tom is a successful independent artist who has had a lot of success touring and working the festival circuit on his own initiative. We are discussing how to reach out to churches and music festivals as an indie artist when booking tours and how to have the best chance to make it on the main stage of festivals. Plus, the importance of hiring band members who will become like family to you, not just employees.
Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions – We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at contact@johnmartinkeith.com.
In this episode we talk about:
*The state of the Christian music scene. *You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. *Make sure whatever you put out musically or on social media, etc. is of the highest quality. *the process of hiring players to tour with you. *Have a servant’s heart. *Dealing with other’s limitations. *Treat your players better than you treat yourself. *Give your musicians the space to do what they are great at. *Build a family, not employees. *Booking festivals as an indie artist. *Learn how to craft an email for booking shows. *Be agreeable and flexible. *Beware of scammers who claim they can get you gigs. *Cut a video off at mid chorus so it makes a booking agent want to hear more. *Perspective is everything. *The Tom Golly Official podcast on You Tube. *https://www.tomgollymusic.com/
BIO: Tom Golly is a Christian singer/songwriter from Nashville Tennessee. Born and raised in Long Island New York. Since 2010, Tom has immersed himself in music and has never looked back. Following his move to Nashville, TN he recorded his first EP “Not Going Back”. The project was written with Jake Jones and Justin Forshaw of As We Ascend at RMS Studios. Much of the music reflects Tom’s life experiences and journey through of faith.
Tom’s music is a unique energetic blend of Christian Contemporary Pop & Worship with a little bit of rock edge that has seen much success on streaming platforms .His last 3 releases have done well on Spotify seeing his music added to major playlists and has had as much as 40,000 monthly listeners. His first radio single ” Let Your Heart Be Found ” made it to the Billboard ” Most Added ” Charts. Tom has found much success touring nationally and sharing the stage with some of Christian music’s biggest acts such as, Matthew West, Mandisa, Matt Maher, Tauren Wells, NEWSBOYS, Matthew West, Francesca Battistelli, For King & Country, Danny Gokey, JJ Weeks, Zealand, Chris August, Jordan Feliz, Zach Williams, We Are Messengers, Carrolton & many more.
In May of 2019 Tom released a new single ” KEEP FIGHTING ” which has rocketed to over 150,000 Spotify streams in less than 4 months. Following the success of the single, Tom has since launched The ” Keep Fighting Movement ” Which is not only a website aimed to be a place for those in need of prayer and encouragement, but a resource page for those seeking help.
Edenbrooke Music Productions 