Welcome to A Kiss of Life: A Michael Knott Series, Volume 1, hosted by Spun Counterguy and Todd Anthony Zeller. In this limited-run tribute series, we explore the life, faith, songs and artistry of the late Michael Gerard Knott. Our debut episode features an in-person conversation recorded about a year ago at a greasy spoon diner in downtown Salem, Oregon where Zeller sat down with podcast guest Robert Freeman during the raw early months of grief following Knott’s passing.

Robert, an Oregon IT professional turned indie vinyl curator, spearheaded the rerelease of Knott’s iconic first solo outing Screaming Brittle Siren on vinyl, but his story goes deeper: from commissioning Michael’s paintings, to late-night phone calls, to becoming a creative collaborator and friend.

Our listeners can expect to hear a potpourri of Knott's songs obsessively sprinkled throughout each episode from solo, live, band, demo's and elsewhere. Thanks to Stormie Fraser-Knott, Rick McDonough, Joshua Lory, Dearl Poore, Robert Freeman, artwork photography by Dearl Poore and Jason Chu. Audio editing by Todd A. Zeller, Spun Counterguy and Dearl Poore.

✨ Episode Highlights

• Robert recounts how his friendship with Knott began through paintings and grew into deep personal connection.
• Insights into the creation of multiple paintings inspired by Screaming Brittle Siren’s oceanic and siren themes.
• Reflections on Knott’s collaborative spirit and openness to ideas, both musically and visually.
• Emotional memories of Knott’s honesty, struggles, and faith and how those qualities made his art resonate so deeply.
• Robert’s experience at the tribute show in Southern California, where artists, family, and fans celebrated Knott’s enduring musical legacy.
• Discussion of songs like “Shine a Light,” "Brittle Body," "Christ Saves," and many others and how they continue to comfort and challenge listeners.
• A look at the rerelease project itself, including collaboration with Cliffy Huntington on remixing and remastering.

Continued thanks to Dan Russell and Fingerprint Records for use of our podcast theme song Orphans of God by Mark Heard.

For some who go camping in national parks, in amongst the hiking, campfires and other cherished activities are attending the Sunday morning outdoor church services. Rich Wallace was a parks minister for several years and so shares some of his experiences attending the spiritual needs of campers. We also engage in a discussion on serving the needs of the community while trying not to neglect spreading the gospel message of salvation.

Music by Mark Heard "Orphans of God" Thanks to Dan Russell and Fingerprint Records and Phil Keaggy

In mid July Spun Counterguy sat down with Us Kids film producer, John Smeby & director - editor Todd A. Zeller for a brief yet informative progress update. John was visiting Todd in Oregon for this conversation. We chat about the process of post production, the origin of the Us Kids concept and more, and even Carman makes a cameo appearance.

Listen to Orphans of God on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Rumble, Brophisticate, Podbean and more. Special thanks to Spun Counterguy for audio editing and to Dan Russell and Fingerprint Records for the use of the Mark Heard song Orphans of God.

On this edition of Waters Troubled, slavery is protested from the grave, colonists realize that the liberty that they themselves desire must also be extended to those they keep in chains and a slave woman writes poetry on the blessing and curse of having been kidnapped from her mother country.

Listen to Orphans of God on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Rumble, Brophisticate, Podbean and more. Special thanks to Dearl Poor for audio editing and to Dan Russell and Fingerprint Records for the use of the Mark Heard song Orphans of God.

This episode is special, O of G's own SpunCounterGuy is interviewed by Todd Anthony Zeller on the subject of Slavery & Christianity.

In the beginning days of the settling of America, slavery was a world-wide phenomenon that had plagued humanity since its early days. But the conscience of Christians began to be troubled by the practice and gradually what had always been had to be undone forever.

Welcome to the introductory episode of our series Waters Troubled, where we discuss American and English colonial figures and movements that began to push back against the practice of human bondage, including Roger Williams, George Whitefield, John Wesley, Benjamin Lay and the Quakers.

Special Thanks to Dan Russell and Fingerprint Records for use of the song Orphans of God

Mark Heard biographer Mathew Dickerson returns over coffee with Spun & Todd to complete his overview of the late singer / songwriter. On this episode we touch on Heard's relationships with Solid Rock's Larry Norman and Chris Christian of Marks former record label Home Sweet Home and the shortcomings of all three men. As well as what became of Janet Heard, the famed Fingerprint recording studio in Southern California and the possible meanings behind such particular songs as "Nod Over Coffee", "Treasure of the Broken Land ", "Orphans of God" and more.

Special Thanks to Dan Russell and Fingerprint Records use of the song Orphans of God, Thank you also to Jeffrey Kothoff of Lo-Fidelity Records for the inner sleeve artwork and photo of Mark, check out the beautifully packaged and remastered Dry Bones Dance recording now.

Matthew Dickerson is the author of several books including Hammers and Nails: the Life and Music of Mark Heard. His most recent books include: Aslan’s Breath: Seeing the Holy Spirit in Narnia which is a close reading of C.S.Lewis’s Narnia stories looking at the numerous ways Lewis seems to have been portraying the Holy Spirit; and the forthcoming book Birds in the Sky, Fish in the Sea: Attending to Creation with Delight and Wonder – a book which is a close reading of both nature and scripture and which ends with a poem responding to and inspired by the journals of Mark Heard. He has also published two novels of medieval historical fiction, the first of which Mark Heard read and responded to as part of a conversation between Dickerson and Heard. The second and more recent of these, titled The Rood and the Torc: the Song of Kristinge, Son of Finn, explores the spiritual and artistic value of songwriting as vocation, and is still available today.

Dickerson teaches at Middlebury College in Vermont. Though most of his teaching load is in the area of computer science, he still finds time to teach occasional courses on the writings of C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien. He lives on a wooded hillside with his wife of more than 35 years.

Reverend Daniel Bradshaw returns to talk about the nature of a testament to the nature of God, the million coincidences that produced life on Earth, multiverses, the purpose of life when humans are considered no different from bacteria and the science of the drumming of the rock band Petra.

Thanks for listening and welcome home.

Rev. Daniel Bradshaw discusses with us the history of the relationship between science and Christianity, the controversy over the Ark Encounter in Eastern Kentucky, Darwinism verses Intelligent Design, Richard Dawkins, dialogue between believers and atheists and the ethics within a world view in which humans are not made in the image of God.

Original musical interludes provided and written by Grey Wood Wrapped In Wire

The song Orphans of God used with permission from Dan Russell and Fingerprint Records

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Listen in on a redemptive story as Spun & Todd continue to dig deep into the alternative Christian musical history of Mike Stand and his various bands along life's miles, the Altar Boys, Clash of Symbols, Altar Billies, his solo records in addition to his faith journey and some of the potholes and pitfalls traversed along the way. Let Part 2 of A Rebel Story commence now!