Conversations with musical Icons and Indies. Across genres. Across styles. Across eras. Journey to the Stage explores the winding pathways traveled by musicians, artists, composers, and songwriters. We highlight current projects by our guests, but always start our journey at the beginning.
Grant Batson is a true artist. He is a musician, songwriter, carpenter, farmer and gifted pipe maker. In a deviation from my typical purely musical guest, Grant and I sat down on a recent afternoon to talk about the art and process of making a smoking pipe by hand. Over our respective favorite tobaccos, Grant and I discussed the ins and out of pipe making, and ventured into other topics like fatherhood, slowing down, pipe culture, ...
On a beautiful Spring afternoon, Andrew Peterson hopped of his riding mower, took a break from tending to his homestead in Nashville, and sat down with me for a wonderful conversation about life and songs, Christ and gardening, novels and Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Rabbit Room and Wendell Berry, clarity and mystery in music, and many other topics. Andrew is a multi-faceted artist who is a singer-songwriter, author, and founder of T...
The End of America is an incredibly talented trio who No Depression Magazine says is making the best 3-part harmony since Crosby, Still & Nash. These three artists make music individually under their own names, but something magical happens when they weave their voices together in rich and mesmerizing harmony. With a name derived from a Jack Kerouak poem which means going to the edge, to the end of something, Brendon, James an...
Hunter James of Hunter James and the Titanic and I had a wonderful conversation of his musical journey, along with his band that is creating some of the best indie music today. The band has captured the sound and soul of Laural Canyon where arguably the richest music in American music history was created. Not only do we dig into song discussion and writing, we listen to some of the great music Hunter and his band is making.
A big t...
Petra is BACK and so is John Schlitt! John sits down with Journey to the Stage to chat about Petra's BRAND NEW album "Hope," their first in over 20 years. John shares about how the idea of the album came about and how it was shaped in the studio. We discuss specific songs and John shares which is his favorite. The reception and Billboard charting, along with the bands plans were among the many other topics we dug into. This is a gr...
And we're BACK! After a bit of a break I am extatic to be back hosting the podcast that I love! I cannot imagine a better interview to kick things off with again than with this really great chat that I had with Josh Havens, vocalist and songwriter for The Afters.
Two friends met while working as baristas in a Starbucks. They soon discovered some great commonalities- faith, a love for music, and a desire to make music. Soon thereaf...
Sean McConnell is a wonderfully gifted artist. His songs have been sung by artists like Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Christina Aguilera, Buddy Miller, Rascal Flatts, Plain White T's, Brad Paisley, and others. Behind the songs recorded by these artists, is an songcrafter who is deeply thoughtful and introspective. Combined with his talents, these traits create songs that resonate to the heart and soul, and bring about great intervie...
In this second and final segment of my interview with White Heart vocalist, Rick, Ric, Rikk, Riq, Ricke, Rhic, Rikcq, Ricque Florian we dig into how the band would painstakingly polish their songs before heading to the studio, and the time Rick didn't want to sing a line from a huge White Heart song. Rick and I talked about how he went from driving a truck for a Michael W. Smith tour to trying out for the band, aided by his friends...
I began listening to White Heart in about 1986, nearly 40 years ago. There is much to love about them. As a fan of well written songs, White Heart has always been in the upper echelon for me. Add top notch musicianship, arranging and production, lyrics that truly touched my soul—add the voice of my guest today, and it’s easy to see why this band meant and means so much to me and so many others.
Rick Florian was the lead vocalist fo...
For decades Fernando Ortega has written and recorded songs and hymns that are filled with profound spiritual truths, great doctrine, that are arranged in beauty and sung with authenticity. I had the pleasure of chatting with Fernando on a Spring afternoon to talk about his latest EP, "For All the Saints," which is a collection of wonderful songs that are congregational in composition and arrangement.
What I most loved about my tim...
Pure Prairie League, along with bands like The Eagles, helped create the Country/Rock blend that launched in the early 1970s. Along with the genre defining hit, "Aimee," Pure Prairie League has cemented its legacy by creating a catalogue of music that has stood the test of time and has built an immensely loyal fan base. PPL is back with its first new album in 20 years with "Back on Track," and it is one heck of an album.
It was a ...
Jesse Terry is one of those artists that stopped me in my tracks. From the first time I played his new album, "Arcadia," I knew I had stumbled upon a very special artist. Jesse's songwriting is simply incredible- both melodically and lyrically. Add to those things a voice that is beautiful, and you have truly found something special.
It was a pleasure to chat one lovely afternoon with Jesse as we talked about his journey as an arti...
There are interviews, and there are interviews. This is a conversation that I will never forget. In this concluding portion of my chat with Russ Taff, we pick up where we left off in part one, where I asked Russ if his 1987 self-titled album was a cry for help.
These two episodes with Russ will go down as one of the most impactful interviews I've ever done. I am thankful for Russ' authenticity and fearlessness. It is a brave man...
No one in the world has a voice like Russ Taff. With 6 Grammys to his name and more Dove Awards than one could count, Russ has nothing left to prove in the world of music. With all of that success to stand on, Russ has recorded an album that is as real as it gets. "Cover Story" is raw, beautiful and powerful.
Russ and I chatted for almost two hours late Fall 2024 as he began the final stages of producing his new album. What transp...
Burn the Jukebox have been burning up the internet for the last few years and have made a name for themselves by playing some of the best Rock and Pop songs of the past few decades. This group of highschoolers caught the attention of music lovers by rocking songs from everyone from Hendrix, to Journey to Lady Gaga. As now-seasoned musicians and artists, Burn the Jukebox is writing their own powerhouse and catchy songs that prove th...
I had the pleasure of sitting with Phil Keaggy and Malcolm Guite and discuss their brand new collaborative album, Songs and Sonnets. This special album is filled with the masterful poetry of Malcolm Guite, whose recitations add life to the the words he penned. The beautiful music Phil Keaggy created for each poem doesn't act as a mere backdrop for the poem, but it helps to create the atmosphere for the spoken words and enhances the...
Bob Hartman is one of my heroes and it was a tremendous honor to conduct such an extensive interview with him. We begin part two of this interview talking about how Bob tracked down John Schlitt, which would lead to John joining the band. Bob and I discuss a wide variety of topics including songwriting, the very precarious early Schlitt years, the impact of Petra's ministry and so much more. The apex of the 90 minute interview come...
In part one of this in-depth conversation with Petra founder, Bob Hartman, we talk about Bob's early influences and the guitarists that captured his attention as a young musician. Bob talks about his faith journey and the bands he played in before founding Petra. As we work our way through Petra's style adaptation, we dig into the challenges of writing for a new audience. Bob share some of the major struggles Petra endured over the...
The dB's may not be a household name in the mainstream of Rock, but for those that enjoy the alleyways and cul-de-sacs of popular music, The dB's stand with a handful of other bands that unintentionally helped start a new genre of music.
In this conversation, I speak with Peter Holsapple and Will Rigby about their music journey, the re-release of their album 'Repercussion', and their experiences in the music industry over the deca...
As the oldest daughter of Country superstar Glen Campbell, Debbie Campbell had a special insight into her father's life and journey in a way that no one else did. In this insightful conversation, Debbie talks about her life with her dad that included many days on tour. She helps us to see Glen when he was off stage, away from fans and away from the spotlight. We spend time chatting about how her dad would unwind, what he liked to d...
Joy is essential. And it's also elusive. You can't order it, borrow it, or simply hope it into life. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence: The Joy 101 Podcast with Hoda! Best known for her Emmy-winning work and co-anchoring Today, Hoda Kotb infuses her authenticity, curiosity, and warmth into conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Entertainment legends, sport icons, wellness experts, and everyday folks will share how they find, allow, and experience joy. Hoda will offer her own tips and takes on seeking a more balanced, harmonious life. If you're craving inspiration, support, and useful tools to maximize your joy, tune in to these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Joy after a breakup, joy as an empty-nester, joy after loss, joy as a caretaker — Hoda's new podcast will speak to you. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb, an iHeartPodcast.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.