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On today’s show, we chat with Bay Turner!  Bay Turner’s love for music was first ignited by a gas station mixtape he’d listen to from the passenger seat to and from his dad’s house. Turner’s parents divorced when he was an infant, and when his father moved out to the Texas Hill Country, his weekends were always bookended by a car ride with his dad.“That hour-and-a-half ride there and that hour-and-a-half ride back were, I think, foundational for who I am,” Turner reflects. “We were both new to Jesus, and we talked about everything you could ever talk about as we were both growing in our faith. And I also think part of my journey as a musician started in that car ride.”.Although he was vigorously immersed in classical training and evolving into a rising star, Turner’s spirit remained unsettled. As his faith became more of a central force in his life, his values began to clash with the trajectory of a typical opera performer. While walking the streets of Brooklyn in 2018, he was grappling with his next professional steps when he heard voices harmonizing around what sounded like a familiar melody. He followed the sound and found himself in a church, only to realize the Gospel standard was being sung by none other than the iconic Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.In a matter of months, Turner was leading worship alongside the historic ensemble. Giving up the opportunity to pursue an operatic career, the Texas native decided he was going to leverage his talent for his first love and direct his efforts wholeheartedly toward Christian music.Just when he thought he was stepping into a divinely orchestrated era of his career, he found two tumors in his chest. While benign, doctors advised surgery to remove both masses in 2020. In the days following the procedure, Turner quickly realized something was off with his voice. A visit to the ENT revealed one of his vocal cords had been nicked during the surgery and paralyzed by the intubation tube. He was told he would likely never sing again.Under doctors’ orders, he spent the next several months in complete silence. “I had to really wrestle with God,” Turner says. “I had to sit and be quiet and trust God that my voice was not going to be taken away from me for the rest of my life.”Much of that wrestling took place in a tiny space he carved out in his small New York apartment. It was there that God eventually put on his heart to see a different ENT. Miraculously, new tests revealed his vocal cords to be seamlessly healed and healthy — so healthy that there wasn’t even any visible scar tissue, which was a rare occurrence that left even the seasoned ENT confounded.“I think my faith grew in pain,” Turner observes. “God had to teach me how to separate who I am as a man from my gift of singing. I think I would have crashed and burned as a recording artist if I was fully relying on my gifting and not on God. Today, I’m so grateful for the pain that brought me fully back to Jesus, though it’s crazy to be thankful for the stuff that felt like the end of the world. ”A week after the second ENT appointment, a producer for “America’s Got Talent” called and encouraged Turner to audition. This led to his first performance post-surgery on Season 17 of the televised talent competition. This wasn’t Turner’s first time to compete in a nationwide talent search, however, because prior to his health complication, Turner previously showcased his penchant for Gospel music on Season 10 of BET’s “Sunday Best.” His latest song, 'Brand New', is available now!

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On today's episode, we chat with 3-time guest, Selah! What could a well-established, veteran group that has sold over 4 million records (including 2 Gold Albums), won 11 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and has over 900 million streams across all digital music platforms do for their next project to keep things interesting for themselves and their listeners? This was the question that Todd Smith, Amy Perry, and Allan Hall pondered as they began work on their 22nd album.

Allan eventually hit upon an interesting idea that the group realized they had never done in their 27-year career: for this album, EVERY song would be written, co-written, or spoken into by at least one group member! The three had certainly written songs for Selah albums before, but those original compositions were always accompanied on their album projects by covers of classic Gospel and CCM songs, original songs by other songwriters, and Selah’s own arrangements of powerful hymns of the Christian faith.

The fresh concept resonated strongly with Todd and Amy and the timing was good, especially since the two previous albums had covered Selah’s more “traditional” side. The group decided to head in a more contemporary direction for the new album, and the idea for every song to be an original sparked strong creativity and energy.

The timing of an “all-original songs” album ended up working out well, as each member of the group had been walking through various situations in their own lives.

The poignant, bittersweet song “The Rock Is My Foundation” addresses how, when life doesn’t go as expected and events turn out differently than we planned, we have a promise from our Lord that He is our refuge in difficult times, seeing the full picture and knowing what’s best for us even when we can’t see it ourselves. This song was born out of Allan’s profound sense of loss and the struggle to find hope amidst grief as he dealt with major personal tragedies over the past four years with the deaths of numerous friends and family, sadly culminating with the passing of his mother in October 2023.

Amy and her husband, Jake, were on an incredibly challenging foster care journey — the young child that was placed into their home had severe multiple trauma issues, and after several years of loving on the child and doing their best to bring love, peace, and healing to him, God revealed to Amy and Jake that they would not be his “forever family.” This was devastating to them, and they continue to navigate this heartbreaking situation as they trust God’s wisdom and leading. Out of this wrenchingly emotional experience flowed the songs “He Is Still” and “You Don’t Leave Me,” anchored by Amy’s powerful and deeply felt vocal performances.

Todd, as he kept deepening his study of the Bible, was becoming more and more aware of spiritual warfare and how the topic oftentimes seemed to be “glossed over” or outright ignored in the modern church. Todd wanted to write songs that let Christians know that they are ALREADY conquerors because of the power of Jesus Christ, and that Christians need to root themselves boldly in that fact and act from a place of power and authority in their lives. The songs “Victory” and “Higher Name” in particular speak to this. As always, music would be the avenue for Selah to bare their hearts and souls and invite listeners to join them on the journey of LIFE — with all of its ups and downs and joys and sorrows.

The November 1, 2024 release of the new album, Higher Name, represents more than just a collection of songs; it’s a reflection of Selah’s journey, both individually and as a group. What sets this album apart is the depth of emotion and vulnerability that permeates every note. Each track is a testament to life — faith, hope, struggle, heartbreak, disappointment, victory, triumph, joy — all woven together with the threads of Selah’s signature melody and harmony.



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On today's episode, we chat with Crowder!

Known for his innovative blend of folk, rock, electronic and urban elements, Crowder’s distinct style is characterized by his soulful vocals and eclectic instrumentation. His ability to seamlessly blend genres, from bluegrass to electronic, sets him apart, and with more than 1.8 billion global streams, he is one of the most influential voices in contemporary Christian music.

Armed with four No. 1 radio singles, five Grammy nominations, and more than 20 Dove Award nominations – four of those being wins – Crowder’s exploration of faith, redemption and personal transformation continue to catapult the genre forward. In addition to the awards and numerous RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications, the multi-instrumentalist is known for his genre-defying live performances that are anything but ordinary.

Beyond his music, Crowder is also known for his philanthropic efforts and dedication to charitable causes.



The EXILE” is a recipe for a genre-bending revival. 

The album features Grammy Award-winning Buddy Miller on a track titled “All My Tears,” a song originally recorded by Julie Miller and Emmylou Harris. 

The full collection is a journey, boasting more traditional-laden songs “STILL” and “Somebody Prayed,” while also featuring “Lord of All,” “Rinsed in the Blood” and “Unstoppable,” which pushes production boundaries in all of the right ways. The Exile releases this Friday!

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On today's episode, we chat with two time guest, Joseph O' Brien! Joseph O’Brien is a Singer/Songwriter based out of Nashville, TN. Growing up with two musical parents, O’Brien had music running through his blood from day one. At age 12, he taught himself how to play the piano and realized that is where his passion was. O’Brien says, “I’ve always gravitated towards performance. It’s one of those unexplainable drives that God puts in you. Music was one of those few things that it didn’t seem like a burden to learn and grow in.” His talent took him to the quarter finals of “America’s Got Talent” and CCM legend, TobyMac took notice as well, signing him to his Gotee label. O’Brien’s hope is to write songs that inspire others, especially his own generation to be bold for Christ and to dig deeper into their own faith. His sound has been described by others to resemble For King and Country and Owl City, who he counts as some of his inspiration. As O’Brien releases his brand new music, he is excited to continue to encourage through his music and faith.

His latest, single, ‘Something Different’, and ‘Like that You love me’ is out now!

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On today's episode, we chat with 2 time guest, Sarah Kroger!

Sarah Kroger is a GMA Dove Award®-nominated artist, songwriter, and worship leader. With her previously released albums Your Time 2011 , Hallelujah Is Our Song 2013 , Bloom 2019 , Light 2020 , and London Sessions 2023 , her latest project, A New Reality, is out May 17, 2024 (Integrity Music).With parents involved in worship ministry, Kroger’s love for music was sparked at a young age, but the impact of bullying coupled with her struggle with anxiety and shyness hid her musical talents for years. Everything changed when she met Jesus in an intimate encounter through worship at a youth conference; “Worship became my language with God,” she says. “It allowed me to communicate with the Lord in a way I hadn’t experienced before...it opened my heart.”Realizing music was a gift she desired to give back to the Lord, she began leading worshiparound the world, drawing people from a variety of cultures and church backgrounds under the banner of Jesus. With a passion for creating a safe and prayerful space through her music, her focus has always beenan authentic portrayal of her relationship with God.Now with the songs found on A New Reality, she is oering her most deeply personal and introspective yet, showcasing vulnerability, questioning, doubt, mystery, and belief. She hopes that listeners will come away knowing that it’s ok to question, to pull on the string and enable the unraveling to happen, knowing there is One who is gently mending the tangled threads back together into a beautiful, reconstructed tapestry.“I hope people hear the faith in this record along with the wrestling. I hope people feel encouraged to bring their imperfect, questioning, doubting selves to God,” she shares. “I want people to be reminded of the beauty of His presence in the world. He’s more real than we can comprehend. The truth this project continues to reveal to me is that despite the ups and downs of life, I can choose to believe that I’m still His.”

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On today's episode, we chat with 3 time guest, Chonda Pierce! Chonda Pierce is a stand-up comedian, Emmy®-nominated television host, producer, screenwriter, and actress who has been making audiences laugh for more than three decades with her winning combination of fierce wit and Southern charm. She is the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) most awarded female comedian and the author of several books, including Laughing in the Dark, Roadkill on the Highway to Heaven, and Second Row, Piano Side. Her new book, Life is Funny Until It’s Not will be available for purchase nationwide May 7, 2024.

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