The True Tunes Podcast

Bruce Cockburn: Kicking at the Darkness for 50 Years (and counting!)

We are beyond thrilled to welcome one of the most essential artists of the last half-century to the True Tunes Podcast. Bruce Cockburn has written over 350 songs and released 30 studio or live albums since 1970, and four different compilations. 22 of his albums have been certified either Gold or Platinum in Canada. He has received 13 Juno Awards, is in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2001 he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony that included testimonials by Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett, Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, and Bono. He holds multiple honorary Doctorate degrees – and continues to write and record. He recently released a 30-song collection of his singles called – simply – Bruce Cockburn’s Greatest Hits 1970 – 2020.

This wide-ranging conversation, presented in context with many of his most beloved songs, covers everything from his roots in the 60s to his most recent projects. Cockburn and host John J. Thompson contemplate the significant influence spirituality plays in the music, how Bruce formed as a songwriter, and more. On the Jukebox segment, Thompson is joined by singer-songwriter Chris Taylor to explore some of their favorite Cockburn songs that were not necessarily “hits.”

The True Tunes Podcast is sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Help us change the world for one child at a time by sponsoring today. Visit VisionTrust.org/TrueTunes for more information. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE. You can also find our 50-song COCKBURN JUKEBOX mix here.

Full music list and other links and info can be found on the SHOW NOTES PAGE at TrueTunes.com. 

 

@45RPM - Cockburn Jukebox Overtime (with Chris Taylor)

On our second episode of the new short-form TrueTunes@45RPM show, we bring you MORE Bruce Cockburn! Host John J. Thompson and singer/songwriter Chris Taylor continue their dive into 2 more favorites from Bruce: "Loner" and "Gospel of Bondage." For more info visit TrueTunes.com.

Thanks to our sponsors at VisionTrust.org. You can support this show by joining our group of patrons at Patreon.com/truetunes or dropping us a tip via PayPal. 

(Believe it or not, there was even MORE to this conversation, which has been sent to our Patreon backers separately.) 

Don't miss the full show, and keep spreading the word! 

@45RPM - THE PREMIERE (feat Terry Scott Taylor in 1981 and 2021)

Introducing TRUE TUNES @ 45RPM - the new short-form version of the deep-dive conversations happening in the main True Tunes Podcast and at TrueTunes.com. In honor of the release of his stunning new solo double-album This Beautiful Mystery, this premiere episode features a conversation with Terry Scott Taylor from the Daniel Amos Alarma! Radio Special (produced by our own Bruce A. Brown in 1981) alongside a clip from our conversation with Taylor in the fall of 2021. 

As always, THANKS to our Patreon supporters and to the amazing staff and volunteers at VisionTrust.org. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION or find us at Patreon.com/TrueTunes to join our support team. 

For more information visit TrueTunes.com 

Here’s To You! Michael Been (of The Call) From The Vault

As we crack open the True Tunes Vault once more, we unveil a previously unheard 1994 interview with Michael Been of The Call – one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated bands of the 80s. Peter Gabriel once called them “The Future of American Music” and The Chicago Tribune said they “may well be the closest thing America has ever had to its own U2.” Their urgent, inspiring, blood-and-guts rock and roll may have never gotten the attention it deserved, but those fortunate enough to have heard their music – either on record or in concert – were impacted for life. True Tunes’ John J. Thompson interviewed Been, The Call’s chief songwriter, vocalist, and bassist, around the time of the release of his solo album On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakthrough. This long-lost cassette has been found, restored, and presented here, contextualized with a career—wide exploration of the band’s music and legacy.

 

Full Show Notes, including links to videos, a new book about The Call, and information about our amazing sponsor, VisionTrust, are available at TrueTunes.com/TheCall. And make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the show so you don’t miss our upcoming episode which features a brand-new interview with none other than Bruce Cockburn. (You can also leave us a one-time Paypal tip HERE.)

Young Oceans, The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, & The Radical Purposes of Worship and Music

As Young Oceans, Eric Marshall has been crafting thoughtful, artful, often liturgical music for over a decade. That makes him an “elder statesman” (or at least a mentor and role model) to many of the young, passionate, alternative worship artists in the trenches today. But his story goes back much farther than that. Through his early, and often frustrating days as a guitarist in a rock band, to several years signed to a failed mainstream pop development deal, to years working in the New York indie rock scene, Marshall developed a musical language, and a particular set of skills, that came into perfect alignment when the vision for Young Oceans emerged. On this episode, we will hear all about Eric Marshall’s challenging journey, as well as the valuable lessons, maturity, and wisdom it has given him. We’ll dig deep into some of the most daunting questions facing sacred artists today. On the Jukebox, we’ll listen to one of the most fascinating, experimental, genre-defying sacred music groups of the last half-century as we revisit the musical catalog of The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus.

Worship and the pursuit of sacred beauty is a radical endeavor that has been producing challenging art for a long time. We take a deep look at the nature and purpose of art, music, and worship, on this episode of the True Tunes Podcast.

As always, THANKS to our Patreon supporters and to the amazing staff and volunteers at VisionTrust.org. Head over to TrueTunes.com/YoungOceans for the complete show notes for this episode, including the music list, links to relevant resources, and more. If you would like to support the show, please consider dropping us a one-time tip and check out our SWAG STORE.

Find YOUNG OCEANS MUSIC HERE.

Find THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY OF THE INFANT JESUS MUSIC HERE

Check out and follow our Spotify Playlist covering The Sacred Indie Underground HERE

Jukebox Rewind: 30 Important Albums & 13 Worthy Singles from 2021

From major names to indies from the underground, and across a slew of genres, this True Tunes Jukebox Rewind is our attempt to shed light on some of the music that has meant a lot to us over the last twelve months. Relax and check out thirty albums and thirteen singles as we brace for whatever the next year holds. And don’t miss our massive accompanying playlist with these and many more songs from 2021. Hard times make for fascinating, and important, music. Tune in and listen with us. Thanks to all of the artists who continue to dig deep and push against the tide, to our sponsors at VisionTrust.org, and our Patreon members for helping us curate this conversation.

Click HERE for the full show notes - or find them at TrueTunes.com 

From The Vault: Stonehill & Keaggy‘s Mutual Highway + Randy Tribute Sneak Peek

On this Special Edition, we introduce a new “spin-off” concept show we hope to launch next year called “From The Vault” with a previously unheard interview John J. Thompson conducted with Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy around the release of their 2009 album Mystery Highway. The two legendary artists were in rare form as they shared stories about their first meetings, their early days, and their unique camaraderie over the years. We also present a special medley of songs from the incredible new Stonehill tribute project There’s A Rainbow Somewhere, featuring contributions by Amy Grant, Sixpence None the Richer, Ashley Cleveland, Jars of Clay, Andrew Peterson, Phil Keaggy, and many others. As Keaggy announces a significant slow-down in his live appearances for 2022, and he and Stonehill gather to perform one more show together in Dayton OH (True Tunes will be there,) we present this special show “From The Vaults” to celebrate this rare story of artistry, imagination, and faithful friendship.

See the Show Notes Page for a full music listing and all links and thanks to our sponsors at VisionTrust.org. Learn about how you change the world for one boy or girl today. Click HERE to make a secure donation to support the True Tunes Podcast.

The New Sacred Indie Underground: Beach Chapel, Lovkn, & Cross Worship Give Us A Tour

On this ground-breaking episode of the True Tunes Podcast, we explore fascinating corners of the current - and quite compelling - world of indie music being made by artists determined to use their work for spiritual purposes. Many are crafting tunes specifically for worship, while others are using their voices to shine a light on issues related to justice, theology, or life in general. Adam Lamah (Beach Chapel,) Stephen Lufkin, (aka Lovkn,) and Troy Culbreth (Cross Worship,) act as tour guides into this growing scene. We hear about their unique stories – and the emerging community of young artists blazing these trails without the support of traditional music business infrastructure. And when we roll out the True Tunes Jukebox, we let our guests load her up with records by Young Oceans, Lovelight, Taylor Armstrong, Them Parents, Antoine Bradford, Worship Mob, Paul Zach & Liz Vice, Andy Squyers, Wade Walker, John Mark Pantana, and then JJT tops it off with a classic track by The Violet Burning.

 

Beach Chapel came to our attention a few weeks ago when we got a message through the contact form at TrueTunes.com. Adam Lamah heard about True Tunes via an Instagram post by our previous guest, Natalie Bergman. He and his friends have been cultivating a vibrant indie community, both online and in-person, and the resulting music is often spectacular. After he attended the True Tunes Live events in both San Diego (where he shared a couple of songs) and Newport Beach, CA (where he interfaced with second-wave artists Mike Stand of The Altar Boys, Chris Brigandi of The Lifters and Wild Blue Yonder, and others,) we decided that we needed to get Adam on the show to tell us about his impressions of today's sacred indie underground.  He quickly asked if he could bring a "plus one." Stephen Lufkin, aka Lovkn, has been a lynchpin in this scene for years. We talked with both, as well as Troy Culbreth, a visionary pastor, artist, community leader and songwriter from Cincinnati who is using his indie Gospel/Worship collective Cross Worship to bring people together across all kinds of divides. Together we created a 100-song corresponding playlist as well!

 

Young, fresh, exciting, idealistic, creatively uninhibited, and passionate, this generation of artists - many of whom are working way under the radar of today's music industry, might be changing the way people think about art, community, and worship. One of the main jobs True Tunes had 'back in the day' was to introduce our friends to excellent new sounds. We are wearing that hat once again - and it still fits!

 

See the SHOW NOTES page for a complete list of all of the music used on this episode, and remember to check out the amazing work being done by VisionTrust as they come alongside local heroes around the world to lift children out of poverty and give them a bright future. Click HERE to support the True Tunes Podcast with a secure donation of any size. 

Terry Scott Taylor‘s Beautiful Mystery Part 2 (The Album)

On this second installment of our conversation with Terry Scott Taylor, we take a deep and careful listen to his expansive new solo project, This Beautiful Mystery. Over two discs, and 21 songs, we uncover a wide range of thoughts, metaphors, emotions, and sounds - but what are the guiding images and ideas behind it all? Taylor has been perfecting his craft as a writer, musician, and producer, for over fifty years. On This Beautiful Mystery, he dug deep, so we will too. We'll explore his literary influences, the tangible ways his musical friends contributed to the project, and how Covid-19 and quarantines contributed to the entire experience. Whether you are already a fan or just enjoy songwriting brilliance, soulful eloquence, and a dramatic, half-century-long underdog story, this one's for you!

Full music notes, links to a mix of Terry's early musical influences and favorite records (curated by him for our weekly Spotify Gallery Stage Mixtape,) our own mix of songs from under all of his various hats, and a hidden mash-up of DA/Eddies/Solo/LostDogs moments created by Bruce A. Brown specially for subscribers to our email list, can all be found at TrueTunes.com/TST2 . 

Sponsored by VisionTrust.org. Join us on the sponsorship journey today. Click HERE to make a secure donation in support of this show. 

The Beautiful Mystery of Terry Scott Taylor (Part 1)

On the eve of the release of his long-awaited and almost overwhelming 21-song solo masterwork, This Beautiful Mystery, singer/songwriter Terry Scott Taylor gives us a remarkably transparent and vulnerable look into his creative and spiritual formation as an artist. It’s impressive enough for any musician to be producing the best work of their career in their seventies, but what keeps a “restless creative” pushing so hard, and digging so deep, after decades of relative obscurity and even direct opposition? Between his work with the ground-breaking band Daniel Amos, the collaborative Lost Dogs project, the light-hearted Swirling Eddies spin-off, or his more personal solo work, Taylor has set, and re-set, standards as a writer, an artist, and a producer of others’ work. And yet so few people even know his name.

 

In this first of two installments, we hear about Terry's roots, his influences, and his general formation. In Part Two we will explore This Beautiful Mystery in great detail; as both the present culmination of a well-traveled journey and as a roadmap for another generation of restless creatives looking to make soulful sense in these crazy days.

 

Full music list available on the Show Notes page at TrueTunes.com/TST1. Click HERE to make a secure donation in support of this show.