Troye Sivan is a singer and songwriter from Australia. He’s been nominated for a Golden Globe, two Grammys, and he’s won four of Australia’s ARIA awards. His song “My My My!” was a #1 hit on the Billboard Dance Chart, and his third album, Something to Give Each Other, was one of Billboard’s picks for the best albums of 2023. Troye’s also an actor; …

What a delight to speak to scholar, author and preacher, Dr. Eddie Hyatt. We discuss a topic I personally had to find freedom in - women in church leadership. This episode is filled with scripture, wisdom and empowering of women to walk out their calling in Christ. Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a seasoned minister of the Gospel, having served as a pastor, …

John and I speak about his journey with Jesus and how he learned about the Father's heart. John's visits to heaven and subsequent visitations from Jesus highlight how relational our God is. John does an amazing job of explaining how emotional healing and forgiveness is a process. Untangling our emotions with the Lord leads to the ultimate freedom. …

Beabadoobee is an award-winning singer and songwriter from England who’s been releasing music since 2017. Her third album is called This Is How Tomorrow Moves. It came out in August 2024 and went to #1 on the UK charts. She made the album with her bandmate Jacob Bugden and with producer Rick Rubin at his studio, Shangri-La, in Malibu. And for this …

Remi Wolf is a singer and songwriter originally from Palo Alto, California. She’s been releasing music since 2019. She performed at Coachella in 2023, and has toured with Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, and Paramore. Her second album, Big Ideas, came out in July 2024. I talked to Remi about how she and her collaborators wrote and produced the song “Soup.” H…

Dirk Smith, of EEM, and I discuss how God is using the Bible to bring transformation to the people of Ukraine and surrounding Communist countries. The stories of how embracing the Bible have given hope to the hopeless is awe inspiring. We discuss how God can change nations through his word and what could happen if this was embraced in the West. Eas…

Family is so important to Jesus. Shelley and I speak about how God has good plans like the Gwartney's for every family. When you get involved with what God's doing on the earth, there is nothing more fun and life-giving. Don't be scared because all things are being used and brought into the authority of Jesus. God is writing your story and new stor…

Sam Smith is a Grammy and Oscar-winning singer and songwriter from London, England. Their first album, In the Lonely Hour, came out in 2014. It went quintuple platinum in the US, and the biggest hit from that album is the song “Stay With Me,” which has over 2 billion streams on Spotify alone. For this episode, in honor of the song’s 10th anniversar…

Fenne Lily is a singer and songwriter from Dorset, England. She released her first album in 2018, but I didn’t find her music until 2023, when she put out her third album, Big Picture. The album she released in between those two was one that got a little lost in the lockdown, when all her touring plans around it got canceled. All of that plays into…

Last year, Vagabon released her third album, Sorry I Haven’t Called, which I’ve been listening to a lot. So I wanted to revisit an episode that I recorded with her back in 2020, about her breakout song "Water Me Down." The episode also features the voice of Eric Littmann, who co-produced the track. He passed away in June 2021, way too young. Vagabo…

Crowded House formed in 1985 in Melbourne, Australia. They’ve released eight albums, including their most recent one, Gravity Stairs, which came out last month. But on their very first album, they had a big hit with "Don’t Dream It’s Over." Crowded House made “Don’t Dream It’s Over” with Grammy-nominated producer Mitchell Froom, who they went on to…

Lizzy McAlpine released her first album in 2020, and her second album in 2022. And between the two, she’s had a lot of success. One of her songs, "Ceilings," was a viral TikTok hit, and has been streamed over half a billion times. So you might think, with all that success, you’d want to keep working in way that’s been working. But while Lizzy was m…

Ryan George spent the first 20 years of his life in a cult, attending a series of Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) churches including one where his dad was the pastor, adhering to the dangerous teachings of men like Bill Gothard. Several years after leaving the IFB in his 20s, Ryan discovered his father had sexually molested one of his sister’…

The Flaming Lips formed in Oklahoma City in 1983. Over the last four decades, they’ve put out 16 albums. In 1999, they put out their album The Soft Bulletin, and that brought them a new level of success. And then, in 2002, they followed it up with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, which was their biggest album to date. Pitchfork named it one of the …

God's heart is for healing! That is the life-giving message that Jerod and Candice Long discovered as they watched their boys battle life-threatening illnesses. Along the journey, they asked the hard questions that everyone asks when facing a health crisis. Questions like: Why do we get sick? Is it God's will for us to be sick? Does God still heal …

One of the songs I keep coming back to is “Mohabbat” by Arooj Aftab. It’s really special to me. I listen to it all the time. I’ve been listening to it so often that I wanted to revisit Arooj's episode about it. In the time since the episode has come out, she has released a collaborative album with Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily called Love In Exile…

Frank Rich has worked as a certified Health and Fitness coach for the last 15 years, training men to build muscle and become physically fit men. Meanwhile, Frank had a secret. Frank was introduced to pornography at very young and unequipped age. Sometimes around the age of 6-7 was his first exposure to what at the time was a "hustler type" of magaz…

The band War formed in 1969, in Long Beach, California. “Low Rider” is from their 1975 album Why Can’t We Be Friends? The song was a hit as soon as it came out. It went to #1 on the Billboard R&B charts. And it’s just had tremendous lasting power ever since. Besides being in Dazed and Confused, where I heard it, it’s been sampled by The Beastie Boy…

God gives us permission to choose Him again and again. Parker and I discuss continual healing from satanic ritual abuse along with how much healing has happened in her life this last year. We discuss breaking off generational curses, protecting our bloodline and seeing God's redemption over our lives. But different revelations of God's goodness mak…

Shania Twain is a singer and songwriter from Ontario, Canada. She’s the only female artist to have had three consecutive Diamond albums — albums that have sold over ten million copies. Actually, her 1997 album Come On Over is the best-selling album by a female solo artist of all time. One of the most iconic songs from that iconic album is "You’re S…

Michael Wenger and I discuss the miraculous healing of his son Silas along with his faith journey. We all think of the 'big' miracles God performs, but God is also in the business of the 'small' things. Silas's femur was completely healed after a bike accident while being prayed for at a coffee shop. Michael's own journey with healing and deliveran…

Danny Brown started his career in 2007 by handing out mixtapes in Detroit, where he’s from. In 2011, he put out his acclaimed second album, XXX. Since then, he’s collaborated with rappers like Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and JPEGMafia, but he’s also worked with electronic bands like Purity Ring and The Avalanches, and he did a verse on a remix for K…

Dana and I discuss her testimony of learning about deliverance, spiritual warfare, denominationalism, and how God delivers today. Her unique giftings and perspective help set people free through her ministry The Bless Collective. Dana's testimony is one of God's power to set us free and help all of us walk out John 10:10 in our everyday lives. Dana…

Rhiannon Giddens has released five solo albums since 2015. Before that, she was a member of the Grammy-winning band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops. She is now also the artistic director of the Silkroad Ensemble, the musical supergroup that Yo-Yo Ma founded. Rhiannon Giddens is one of those people where I feel like they have to start inventing new aw…

Robby Dawkins and I talk about his journey with healing as he has lead mission's organizations in different parts of the world. From leading teams in countries in Iran and Afghanistan, to equipping us to spread the Gospel through his AKTS schools, we have a beautiful conversation about God working in the world. His family story which marked his lif…

I wanted to revisit an episode about one of my favorite songs from 2021, “Black Dog” by Arlo Parks. A few months after this episode originally came out, Arlo Parks won the Mercury Prize for Album of the Year. She was also nominated for two Grammys: Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album. Since then, she released a new album called My Soft Machi…

Sharelle Mendenhall gives words of wisdom, encouragement and joy to those looking to step into their calling and find healing through life's trials. We delve into how to walk out our giftings and finding our voice. Bringing our roar back into our callings will equip us to walk in freedom and healing and bring that to the world. Sharelle Mendenhall …

Green Day is a punk band from the East Bay in California. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have been playing music together since 1987. They’ve sold over 90 million records. They’ve won four Grammys, including twice for Best Rock Album. They put out their first album in 1990, and their second album, Kerplunk!, in 1991. And then, they m…

Wanda Alger and I have a wonderful discussion about her journey through inner healing and how that has helped inform her ministry. Her goal is to help bring truth and light to the body of Christ and, equip them to be ready saints for the return of Christ. Wanda has been in ministry for over 35 years as a worship leader, teacher, author, deliverance…

The first episode of Song Exploder, about The Postal Service song "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," came out 10 years ago, in January 2014. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the podcast, we're doing what bands do, and putting out a deluxe, expanded edition of our very first release: this version features a new interview, new insights, and new…

For the last episode of the year, I got the chance to drive up to Northridge, California, and have a conversation with Dave Grohl. We talked about the Foo Fighters song “The Teacher,” which is an epic, 10-minute-long song. Dave told me it’s the most important piece of music he’s ever written, because it’s dedicated to his mother, Virginia, who pass…

Raye is a singer, songwriter and producer from London. Besides being an artist in her own right, she’s also been a songwriter for other artists since she was a teenager. She’s co-written songs for Beyoncé, Charli XCX, and Ellie Goulding. In 2023, she released her debut album, My 21st Century Blues. The first single, “Escapism," became her first son…

Sampha is a singer, songwriter and producer from London. His first album, Process, won the Mercury Prize in 2017. He’s collaborated with artists like the XX, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Solange. If you saw the Song Exploder Netflix show, Sampha was in the Alicia Keys episode, for the song they did together as a duet. This year, in October 2023, Samp…

Charles Burleson and I talk about his journey from starting Pentecostal, to being a Baptist preacher to unlearning Cessationism. It's a fascinating episode which shows God's moving people to get them delivered and unstuck. Charles details his journey into deliverance ministry as 'trial by fire' and our favorite part is when he says, 'The Bible is r…

I think one of the hardest things there is to do in music is to write a love song that expresses something real. I read that the song "Liar" by Paramore was written by Hayley Williams, the singer of the band, about her longtime bandmate Taylor York, and about the feelings she started to realize she’d had for him. Paramore has been a band for over 2…

This week in Part 1 of Anreka Gordon's testimony, we hear about her amazing journey of meeting God at the lowest point in her life. Through someone's YouTube video, she meets Jesus and He heals her from Herpes. Anreka's testimony is one of God's unrelenting love healing her from the inside out, and joy radiating from her being. You will meet God's …

This week in Part 2 of Anreka Gordon's testimony, we hear more about her amazing healing from herpes and a prayer which will bring you into God's redemptive love. God's transformative power will leave you speechless. Anreka's testimony is one of God's unrelenting love healing her from the inside out, and joy radiating from her being. Anreka can be …

Kesha is a singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. She put out her first song in 2009, and it was a huge #1 hit in the US and 13 other countries. She’s had 10 top-ten singles on the Billboard charts, and sold millions of albums. She got famous for songs that were about partying, and breaking the rules, and having fun. But this year, in May 2023, sh…

Nellie and I speak about her amazing journey with Holy Spirit and how God has wooed her into the prophetic through intimacy with the Father. Her dream life, inner healing journey and prophetic words for the body of Christ will astound you. Nellie is a full-time minister with Christian Services Association, an equipping ministry that focuses on trai…

Mike Signorelli is the pastor of V1 Church in New York City. Today, we discuss Pastor Mike's journey with Christ, how he founded the church and where deliverance came to play in his story. In addition, they are releasing The Domino Revival movie on October 24th in theaters nationwide. As society becomes more secular and falls further from tradition…

Alvvays is from Toronto. Their first album came out in 2014, and they’ve put out two other albums since then. In Canada, they’ve won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year, and all three of their albums have been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. Their first song was also one of their biggest hits. It’s called "Archie, Marry Me." R…

Today we welcome Praying Medic on the Pursuing Redemption Podcast. We have an amazing discussion on God's healing miracles and how you can experience His power and authority in everyday life. We also talk about the dreams he's been having and how to prepare for what's ahead for the United States. Praying Medic's Bio: My life prior to the year 2000 …

Dr. Lanelle Chase is an assistant professor of marketing, management and ministry at George Fox University. She arrived from Oral Roberts University, where she worked the previous year as an assistant professor of marketing and research methodology. Before that, she taught as an assistant professor of business in Azusa Pacific University’s School o…

Laufey is a singer and songwriter originally from Iceland. She studied piano and cello as a kid. When she was 15, she was a guest soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. She went to Berklee College of Music in Boston, and that’s when she started writing songs. While she was still a student, she had a number one hit on Icelandic radio. Her firs…

Greg and Michelle Haswell from Northlands Church in Atlanta, GA speak to us about the abundant grace God gives us and how to walk in our true identity in Christ. Listening to their sermons helped unlock the true meaning of grace in my life and the lives of others. Hear about how God's grace and mercy leads us into inner healing and brings us into a…

This summer, in June 2023, Janelle Monáe put out her fourth album, The Age of Pleasure. Listening to it made me want to revisit her Song Exploder episode, from 2018. One thing on Song Exploder that I personally love is when we get to hear an artist’s raw voice memo, from the moment when they’re first coming up with a song idea. This episode has one…

The "Skip Intro" button first got introduced to us through Netflix in 2017, and, I know, a lot of people use it – including me. But, if I can get into old-man, back-in-my-day mode for a second, I have so much fondness for the opening theme music for so many shows. It’s a chance to set the mood for everything that you’re about to see. One of the int…

It can be hard to be in a band, or really, in any kind of group where there’s creative collaboration, and you’re supposed to act like it's a democracy. Because what do you do with an idea that you love, if nobody else believes in it? That question is a big part of this episode with Local Natives. Local Natives is a band from Southern California. Th…

Bakar is a singer and songwriter from London. In 2018 he put out his first release, Badkid. A year later, he put out the EP, Will You Be My Yellow?, and this September, he’s releasing his second full-length album, Halo. One of Bakar’s tracks from the EP and the upcoming album is a song called "Hell N Back," which went platinum, and hit number one o…

Michael and I discuss how coming into God's freedom from emotional trauma can bring about healing in our lives. Michael regularly sees flat feet healed, blind eyes opened, and other miracles. While doing the miraculous, he helps shepherd people into God's goodness through deliverance. This episode truly encourages you to open your eyes to the possi…