The CCM Deep Dive Podcast

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Michael: It was not something that the record company was looking for at the time. I just to be, I think to be quite candid about it, I think the idea was, hey, we want to get a song or a couple of songs that we think we could get on more adult contemporary stations. 

Danny: Yes, that's right.

The guys in Smalltown Poets discuss the influences of David Wicox (as it relates to their cover of Hold It Up To The Light) and Peter Gabriel as well as the disappearance of themes in albums.

New episodes release each Monday.

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Michael: One image in particular, I just couldn't get away from it was the kid with the magnifying glass up to his mouth....

This week, Danny, Kevin and Michael talk about Calcutta, India and the impact a boys home had on the making of the record, including an old Sunday School song written over 160 years ago. All that plus their song, The Gospel Is Peace.

New episodes release each Monday.

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Danny: I think the story that goes with this one is that we were,...was this the night that Kevin, you and I were walking through the park in San Francisco that's right by the Golden Gate Bridge and we were,...

 Kevin: When we thought we were going to die. We thought that was our last night.

This week, the guys talk about some of their favorite musical influences growing up as well as the Danny Stephens-penned ballad, Long, Long Way.

New episodes release each Monday.

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Michael: I don't want to throw anybody under the bus, but just something that you said reminded me of something that was kind of happening in the background while we were writing this record.

This week, Danny talks about the influence that CCM artist, Keith Green while the guys discuss their songwriting process as a band as well as the song, 48 States.

New episodes release each Monday.

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Danny: And I see the jars of clay guys standing by the escalator. go over and say, Hey, we just came up with this new name. not going to call ourselves Villanelle anymore. And one of the guys, think it was Steve Mason says, that sounds like a rap group. Are you really going to do that?

This week, Danny Stephens, Michael Johnston and Kevin Breuner discuss changing their name from Villanelle to Smalltown Poets and Gloria - the song they "stole" from their friends, The Waiting.

New episodes release each Monday.

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Michael: At the height of the cake fight, so in the shots where you see crumbs and wads of cake going in front of us as a band, there were two 12-year old boys, one on either side of the stage, who had been given full reign and full permission to throw cake at our faces to just go nuts....

From the meteoric start of their Ardent debut album to cakewalks and food fights, Michael, Kevin and Danny talk through some challenges - and joys - of making the unintended worship song, There Is Only You.

New episodes release each Monday.

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Kevin: You know, we just kind of went our separate ways. It was like a scene out of a movie....

The making of a band from their early days as Villanelle to finding Kevin at the Gospel Music Association's GMA Week. Michael talks about the inspiration behind the album's biggest hit, "Anything Genuine", which also appeared on the 1999 WOW compilation album.

New episodes release each Monday.

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MICHAEL: So that combined with just an honest wrestling of a 19, 20 year old, you know, am I all in on this? Is this something that I'm okay with going public with, you know?

The Christian alt. rock band from Tifton, GA speaks about getting their start as Villanelle where Ardent Records president, Dana Key found the opening track, "Call Me Christian".

New episodes release each Monday.

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In August of 2023 I released a podcast series with Jennifer Knapp, going song-by-song through her 1997 major label debut album, "Kansas" with Gotee Records. After the release of the series, Jennifer announced she was going back into the studio to re-record the album in its entirety for the 25th anniversary. 

In this special episode, we circled back around with Jennifer to discuss, not song-by-song necessarily, but the overall making of the new album. 

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In this special episode, we interviewed Joel Smallbone, one half of the CCM pop duo For King & Country to discuss everything from 80's christian rock bands to 90's pop music. All of which provided the inspiration for the soundtrack to their autobiographical film, Unsung Hero.