Christian Indie Artists: The BEST music No one's listening to

 As a christian, I have come to find that there really are only 2 kinds of radio stations that I can hear christian music on. The first is K-Love, the old standby that play the same "new" song about 4 times an hour and only rest it to play some old 80's Michael W. Smith tune that you've hated since, well, the 80's. It gets annoying real fast and I find myself jabbing the stereo buttons as hard as I can to quickly change the station. So I do, and it's Air One which, in my hayday as a teenager I felt was a great alternative to the drab christian music of the 90's. Now it's full of ear-thumping pop hits, and screamo music that is much much less appealing. Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure it has an audience, and I am sure there are many a thankful parent that are glad their kids are listening to this than some of the over-sexualized garbage that's on mainstream music stations. But I can't help but be terribly disappointed at my lack of options. I think the most frustrating thing to me.  Because of it, over the years I have turned to secular avenues to quench my thirst for creativity and easy-listening. You see, from a completely musical standpoint there is something that drives me crazy about christian music- it's tendency to be overproduced. All the music is perfectly recorded and edited. It's full sound all the time and it gets incredibly stale when you listen to song after song of the same perfect stuff. There's no edge to it, no diversity and sometimes I feel like it's also lacking musical heart.

In 2012, the Foo Fighters won a grammy from an album they recorded entirely in their garage. Lead singer Dave Grohl had this to say in his acceptance speech:

"This is a great honor, because this record was a special record for our band. Rather than go to the best studio in the world down the street in Hollywood and rather than use all of the fanciest computers that money can buy, we made this one in my garage with some microphones and a tape machine...

To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of music is what's important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that's the most important thing for people to do.It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely correct, it's not about what goes on in a computer. It's about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head]."

So what is a christian who happens to like good music to do? That's when I discovered the christian indie genre.

So what IS the christian indie genre? Well it's an artist who is independent of a label, a stereotype, or a brand. They are not always in mainstream radio (though some get to be there through a lot of hardwork). They don't have a record deal, or a publicist. They book their own tours, often sleeping in seedy hotels or in 15 passenger vans as they travel from sleepy town to sleepy town promoting their craft. They sell their albums at merch tables. Albums that were funded solely by themselves and often recorded in smaller private venues, or makeshift recording studios. They set up their own equipment, mix their own boards, play things until it "feels" right and are ok with things not sounding perfect in every song. They are their own manager, publicist, tour manager and roadies. And they make music because they believe in the craft, and in not selling out to please a music executive. To earn money for their next album, they often go on tour with other bands, secular or otherwise, as back-up singers or keyboardists. Sometimes they turn to kickstarter or facebook private donors, listeners who believe in their sound and are willing to help pay to make a good record. These are the dark horses of the christian music industry, the ones we don't hear or see as much, but the ones who are starting a whole new era of independent music on their terms and giving us the ability to not just choose between 2 mediocre radiostations. They are changing the face of modern christian music in an integrous way. 

So who are these christian indie artists Erin is raving about? Well, I'm glad you asked, because over the next few months I will be introducing you to some new artists that I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

First up is All Sons & Daughters who recently came out with a live album that I review HERE. Tired of the music industry, the way in which it was, David Leonard stopped touring and focused on being more involved in his church in Nashville Tennessee. It was there that he met fellow worship leader and songwriter Leslie Jordan whom he teamed up with to write and lead several new worship songs. Their creativity flowed from the needs of their church, where the body was and where they were headed. But it resonated with more than just their congregation and led to them releasing an EP and an LP. This week they released their first live album which was recorded in a chapel in Franklin Tennessee full of a congregation of eager worshippers. It is an amazing album and if you have a few bucks to spend on itunes, I highly recommend it.

Next is JJ Heller. You might be slightly more familiar with her music, as her music was first featured in a dance routine on So You Think You Can Dance. Her soleful voice, and guitar picking songs have become like a warm blanket to me on very hard days. She is one of those people that turns record after record, yet she remains so fresh and relevant. She also tours like a crazy person to help fund her art.Her latest album Loved was released last month and is also available on itunes, in fact it was the featured album on itunes the day it released which was a milestone in JJ's career.

And lastly, I give you The In-Laws who formed their Lumineers-style sound by being joined in the bonds of matrimony. Steven Curtis Chapman is a darling of the christian music industry and has even more recently signed on with Sony Records, a very prestigious gig. But it's his younger sons that have gone into the family business on their own terms. Forming The Band Caleb, Will-Franklin and Caleb Chapman started recording and touring themselves. On such a tour, they joined with Jillian Edwards, a christian indie artist in her own right, and her and Will-Franklin fell in love and got married. What was born out of that marriage, was a killer sound, and a catchy band-name. The In-Laws recently released their first EP and while it's only 3 songs, they were written, recorded and produced by the 3, (as well as promoted). It shows amazing talent and promise and talks all about the ups and downs of a solid christian marriage through the love and the arguments. These guys are entirely interesting and definitely worth investing time in.

Those are the 3 artists I recommend this week. Check back with me as I hope to uncover some more indie gems to help liven up your christian music listening.