BACKSLIDERS

On this episode of Backsliders, we talk with our lovely and talented friend Nikki McKenzie. Nikki was raised Catholic and still goes to mass sometimes, but her beliefs about God have evolved in big ways over time. We talk with Nikki about the Catholic ritual of confession, her time as an altar boy, how diverse churches have way better choirs, and her cute habit of writing notes to Jesus as a kid. Other fun topics include past life regressions, “seasonal abstinence,” nightmares, and more.

BONUS: Nikki also starred in our show Home! Watch all 6 episodes of this Tribeca Film Festival selected series by clicking the link below. She shows up in Episode Two and is there for the rest of the season. You'll love her character!

Watch HOME.

Nikki's Links

Instagram

Our Links

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Keylee Instagram

Micah Instagram

Credits

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

Videography and Photography by Claude Charles

Intro Music "7.2.19" by Chase Burnett

Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

Title Animation/Poster art by Cody Walzel

Special Thanks to Angie Charles

Reach out! Have a question or topic you want to discuss? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

On this episode of Backsliders, we talk with our dear friend and manager, the Emmy-award winning producer Paul Young. Paul’s dad is a descendant of Mormonism’s Brigham Young, but Paul was raised in a non-religious household by his amazing mother. We talk with Paul about the stories we tell ourselves, his takeaway from Christianity, honesty in parenting, and how loss is a necessary aspect of love. Other fun topics include the spirituality of A.A., the belief that time is not linear, our collective experience with "magical moments," and more.

Update: Paul and his love Kathryn very recently got engaged!! We wish them a lifetime of happiness and love buzzes! 

Our Links

Backsliders the Scripted Series

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Keylee Instagram

Micah Instagram

Credits

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

Intro Music "7.2.19" by Chase Burnett

Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

Title Animation/Poster art by Cody Walzel

Special Thanks to Angie Charles

Have a question or topic you want to discuss? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

In this episode of Backsliders, we talk with our friend, talented writer/performer Mark Pryor. Mark grew up spending a lot of time outdoors in Virginia. His dad ran a Christian summer camp, and Mark was homeschooled until high school. We talk with Mark about his unique upbringing, his time at a Mennonite college, wearing camo, and taking a stance against church attendance since the age of 12.

Mark's Links

Instagram

Youtube

Our Links

Backsliders the Scripted Series

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Keylee Instagram

Micah Instagram

Credits

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

Videography and Photography by Claude Charles

Intro Music "7.2.19" by Chase Burnett

Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

Title Animation/Poster art by Cody Walzel

Special Thanks to Angie Charles

Reach out! Have a question or topic you want to discuss? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

In this episode, the multi-talented chosen one Jessie Kahnweiler takes over as the host of Backsliders and gets Keylee and Micah to delve deeper into their personal stories. Jessie also talks about her own spiritual journey, her experience interviewing Jewish communities all over Los Angeles, using filmmaking and storytelling to work through trauma, and how her family reacts to her projects. Other fun topics include purity culture, death, dating, and drugs.

*TW*: This episode does include some discussion of eating disorders, rape, sexual and spiritual abuse.

Jessie's Links

Follow Jessie on Instagram

Follow Jessie on Twitter

Watch Jessie on Youtube

Visit Jessie's Website

Our Links

Backsliders the Scripted Series

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

Videography and Photography by Claude Charles

Intro Music "7.2.19" by Chase Burnett

Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

Title Animation/Poster art by Cody Walzel

Special Thanks to Angie Charles

Reach out! Have a question or topic you want to discuss? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

In this episode of Backsliders, we talk with our friend, the talented photographer, videographer, retro clothing company owner and overall great human Claude Charles. Claude is Jamaican/Haitian-American and grew up in Florida. We talk about his experience in Christian schools, how the movie “Death and Beyond” scared the hell out of him, his interest in aliens and UFOs, the connection between Christianity and colonialism, and the power of changing your environment. Other fun topics we touch on: Street Sharks, Harry Potter, evangelical wrestling, and more. *Micah swapped the meaning of Calvinist and Armenian thought, whoops!

Backsliders the Scripted Series

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

Videography and Photography by Claude Charles

Intro Music "7.2.19" by Chase Burnett

Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

Title Animation/Poster art by Cody Walzel

Special Thanks to Angie Charles

Reach out! Have a question or topic you want to discuss? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

In this episode of Backsliders, we talk with our friend, the talented writer and comedian Yoni Weinberg. Yoni grew up in Los Angeles in a loving Jewish family. We talk with him about his upbringing, Jewish traditions and teachings, different types of synagogues, the value of community and structure, and the Jewish term for backsliding. Other fun topics we touch on: veganism, the pope-line, where Steven Spielberg’s mom works, and more.

Backsliders the Scripted Series

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Keylee Instagram

Micah Instagram

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

Videography and Photography by Claude Charles

Intro Music 7.2.19 by Chase Burnett

Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

Title Animation by Cody Walzel

Special Thanks Angie Charles

Reach out! Have a question or topic you want to discuss? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

In this episode of Backsliders, we talk with our friend, the talented musician Chase Burnett. Chase grew up near Dallas, Texas in a Jesus-loving family. For years, he dedicated his life to the church and was even a worship band leader. We talk about his upbringing, how his beliefs evolved, and where he is today. Other fun topics we touch on: angels, hell, masturbation, Christian sex-ed, and more.

All music for Backsliders was made by Chase! If you want to hear more of his work, click the links below.

Spotify

Facebook

Twitter

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

Title Animation by Cody Walzel

Micah was born into a Christian cult. Keylee grew up in a megachurch. In this very first episode, we talk about how we stepped away from organized religion in order to become our healthiest selves. We discuss shame that still clings even after our beliefs have changed, what we can learn from examining pain, and letting go of what other people think to claim who we really are. We think a lot of growth can come from talking about things honestly. Thanks for listening.

Sound Mixing by Darren Augustus

 Intro Music 7.2.19 by Chase Burnett

 Outro Music "Stay Mad" by Chase Burnett ft. Julia Nunes

@thebobbilliams on Instagram

@thebobbilliams Facebook page

@thebobbilliams on Twitter

Have a question or topic you want to discuss? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].