Rock in a Hard Place (A Kutless Podcast)

James and Jon Micah welcome Dave Luetkenhoelter, former bass player of Kutless, to the show! On this episode of Rock In a Hard Place, we catch up with our good friend, and hear about his life with his family down in Texas! Dave tells us about his work in student ministry, and encouraging students to have healthy spiritual disciplines in their life. We talk about some of our favorite touring and recording memories from his time in t...

On this episode of Rock in a Hard Place, James and Jon Micah talk about AI and try to figure out if it’s going to take over the world! From how it’s affecting students in schools, to the impact AI is having on art and music. Chat GPT writes an action movie plot about the band fighting off an international group of terrorists, called ‘Kutless: Unshaken.’ Other prompts include, ‘The Unfunny King’ and a story about Tom Brady coming ou...

On this episode of Rock in a Hard Place, James and Jon Micah welcome a dear friend, legendary rapper Jonah Sorrentino, also known as KJ-52! The Guinness World Record holder and winner of the “first” Dove Award by a Tooth & Nail Records artist (followed by Jeremy Camp about 15 minutes later) talks about his career, the comparisons to Eminem and his seminal song ‘Dear Slim’, and the challenges Christian Hip Hop faces from the Chr...

On this episode of Rock in a Hard Place, James and Jon Micah share fond memories and funny stories from their travels throughout Ukraine in 2015-2016. The guys from Kutless discovered a nation full of beautiful and amazing people that were passionate about their country, hopeful that the Church would continue to grow, and excited to go to a rock concert! Recounting stories from Kyiv to Kherson, from Mykolayiv to Khmelnytskyy, and K...

Reflecting on the recording of their seminal album ‘Strong Tower’, Jon Micah and James dive deeper into issues within the band. Young men dealing with inter-relational conflict, competitiveness, ego, and the struggling with a deep-seated longing for affirmation and validation. On this episode of Rock in a Hard Place listeners will hear about frigid weather and Minneapolis memories. Another round of Hard Questions! The inside scoop ...

On this episode of Rock in a Hard Place we welcome a very special guest (from our band), Nate Parrish! The other half of the “Guitar Department” joins us from his home in sunny California to talk about his life, his solo music, his experiences with Church, and losing his father to Cancer. Nate talks about learning guitar at 18 years old, learning how to pronounce “Epiphone,” and joining his first band after 6 months. Moving to Mode...

Hanging at the mall, shopping on Amazon. American flags: Designed in the USA, Made in China. Impostor moms trying to come backstage. Getting certified for Ski Patrol. The challenges of following your calling. Finishing our second album, Sea of Faces. Going on tour with Audio Adrenaline and Mercy Me. Playing with RC cars on tour. Epic prank night shenanigans. On this episode of Rock in a Hard Place, James and Jon Micah recount the h...

Welcome our friend, the super-talented Derek Minor. On this episode the guys play a new round of Best and Worst with Derek. James blows Derek’s mind with the life-hack of Sriracha on pizza and Derek prefers Miracle Whip over mayonnaise even though it’s made in a lab.  Derek talks about the early years of his rap career, selling CDs out of his trunk in Nashville, and meeting Lecrae when he moved to Memphis. We discuss the songw...

Synesthesia. Ferrari red. Hashtag pickle facts on National Pickle Day. Pandemic hobbies. Updated turkey facts. Bald eagles. Clinical therapy. Empty robots. On this episode of ‘Rock in a Hard Place,’ Jon Micah shares about his childhood and why he always wears a hat. Listeners will hear Jon Micah share about his upbringing, wrestling with the "internal critic", perfectionism, and the pressures of growing up in the Christian culture....

We hope you enjoy this very remote “remote episode,” talking to our good friend Glen Alsworth Jr., from Port Alsworth Alaska. On this episode we talk about four generations of Alaskan bush pilots. The history of Port Alsworth from the 1940s to today.  Sharp-shooter Grandmas. Life in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and Katmai National Park. Baseball bats and bears. Wildlife photography. Diving for iPhones in the lake. Tra...

Road games and pranks. Batman Eyes. Suitcase wars. Four-story escalators. On this episode of ‘Rock in a Hard Place,’ James shares his childhood story of growing up in Ridgefield Connecticut and the pain of being abused as a child. Listeners will hear a personal, intimate discussion about his life, growing up without his father, moving across the country, discovering an electric guitar under a bed, and finding faith after hitting “r...