Interview

Transparent Christian Magazine Interview-Brad Reynolds–Jason Elkins

March 6, 2008 — Jason

You can’t win a staring contest with Brad Reynolds. Go ahead and give it a try. His eyes carry an intensity and his gaze can burn through your skull. He is friendly, and engaging, but has the focus of a master craftsman. He’s also not afraid to challenge you. Me: “I really liked that last cd from Mile7 that I reviewed.
Brad: “I know. I read the review and it was very positive. What are you going to do when you get a cd to review that you DON’T like?”

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Our interview took place during a songwriter’s night on February 18th, 2008. He was playing at Christoper Pizza, around the corner from Music Row in Nashville. He was opening for Christian Walker, from Knoxville. Christian brought with him a SMOKIN’ utility player named Jackson Carter. Jackson burned up a dobro, and had some hot lead lines on an acoustic as well. Both of those guys were very kind and put on a great show.

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Reynolds was wearing a pair of Levi’s and a striped black button up long sleeved shirt. He was joined by his wife Kelley, and they showed up early to meet with me.

TCM: What’s it like before you go onstage?
Brad: I get kind of worked up. TCM: Do you have a routine you go through every time?
Brad: Yes I do. I pray, and nothing more than that really…{Pauses} I think a lot I guess. TCM: Does the venue matter? Do you act differently if you’re at a church vs. a pizza joint, or a coffee shop?
Brad: For me, it ultimately comes down to what I feel the Lord is saying to me, and I try to be obedient to that. It doesn’t matter if it’s a church or a coffee shop.This obedience theme is a common element that reappears multiple times during our discussion. It’s this ’surrender’ and ‘obedience’ that seems to shape his desires, ministry and…life. TCM: Is it easier to play for people you know?
Brad: Before I get up there, I’m always anxious and nervous, but when I get onstage the Holy Spirit takes over…Whether I know them [the audience] or not, it’s more just me trying to be transparent and sing from my heart and hope it speaks to whoever it is. TCM: You and I have talked before about your 8 to 5 job. How has it been since you have been getting some success with your music?
Brad: I turn my nose up to people and make them carry my laptop! {Laughs Loudly} Seriously, I may come across as arrogant sometimes because I get excited and love talking about the great things that God is doing with my music and music ministry. Most people keep it in when God starts blessing things and good things happen. I don’t. An example of some of this recent success: Indelible Creative Group will be releasing the much anticipated TOP 20 INDIE Compilation CD. Indelible is a very legitimate and reputable record label and media group and Brad has been chosen to be 1 out of 20 artist from across the nation to be included on the CD. ‘Anyway’ is the song they selected and this will be distributed nationally in stores by WORD.TCM: Are all the people you work with Christians?
Brad: No. There are several Christians there, but not all. It’s a mix of denominations and faiths, or lack thereof. Everybody there is still ‘good people’. I’ve been able to get to know some people that have a different perspective on faith than I do, and it’s allowed me to establish relationships and share with people here and there. My boss has really been cool with time off and whatnot…I’m just me. Not Brad the artist. They all know who I am, and they know when I get frustrated at work…They know I’m a normal guy.TCM: How far have you gone for gigs?
Brad: Wow. All over the place, Minnesota and New Jersey are probably the farthest I’ve played.

TCM: Hmmm. Do you like playing out of the area better or worse than Nashville?
Brad: It’s not ‘rather than’…Home is like a base…a place for me to be fed and be filled. I play [locally] and I love to do it. Usually it’s much more financially rewarding to play out of town. {laughs}

TCM: When you are here, what do you do to recharge?
Brad: I like to watch movies, sit in my room and play guitar, take a nap, spend time with my wife, my kids, my family.

TCM: I have raved about your cd, bought 3 copies, asked you to play at multiple lifegroups including my own, and I really love your music. It’s great to see you get some radio and national exposure! I know you are kind of humble about the numbers, but how many stations are playing your stuff?
Brad: Recently there were about 80 stations playing my stuff counting XM. I seriously have no pre-conceived notions about radio, or breaking into the industry. I would love to make a good living doing this, but as long as my songs are speaking to people, I’m happy. I get e-mails from people telling me that a song [I wrote] has blessed them. To me, that’s what it’s all about. I went on a prayer retreat this weekend, and we sat around a campfire and played some songs, and played some praise and worship, and it was a great experience. However…{long pause}

I write these songs for me. They challenge me, they make me seek God more, they make me ask [myself] the hard questions. Am I loving people and am I loving God, and am I showing it?

It makes me confess my failures…it makes me realize how much I need God and his grace. In the Real World…that’s what that’s about…how imperfect I am and without God’s grace I would be lost…You know, we all would. When I write a song, I write it FOR Me, and that’s where the honesty comes from… If one of my songs does something to others when I’m writing them, that’s great. I view that as a blessing and a bonus.

TCM: It’s interesting to hear you say that, because several of your songs, actually most if not all of the songs on “In the Real World” could be viewed as radio friendly.
Brad: Well, definitely writing for me is counter to Nashville, it’s totally counter to the Nashville machine…The machine is a business and the business needs revenue, so that has to be their focus. There are great songwriters in THIS town that make a great living writing great songs, so it’s not a bad thing necessarily. If it speaks to people, it speaks to people. If it’s something the machine produces, or if it comes from an independent artist, it makes no difference, as long as the song is reaching someone.

I guess mentioning that I write songs for myself may sound a little selfish initially, but hear me out. Even though I may lean a tad bit towards the weird side of normal {smiles}, overall I think I am still a pretty normal person. I have life experience; I have been divorced, I lost my father to a heart attack, I’m a dad, a son, a friend, I have had successes and failures, dreams and ambitions, and I have experienced the grace and forgiveness of a loving God. All of these things are just real life truths that we all experience to some degree during the journey. Since that is the case, I think there are thoughts and feelings inside me that are likely pretty common among the rest of the world as well. If those thoughts and feelings can work their way out and be weaved into a 3 1/2 minute lyric and melody that will minister to ME in a genuine way, then I feel confident that it will also minister to others somewhere along the line. If what I had to say in a song wasn’t “for me” and “from me”, then what I write would have no credibility.

Brad takes the craft of songwriting very seriously, and actually does song critiques for other artists as part of Indieheaven. Indieheaven is a Christian independent musicians resource alliance dedicated to the advancement of independent Christian musicians and the independent Christian music scene. Brad is a highly respected contributor to this alliance.

TCM: You mentioned being an independent artist…Would you rather have a record deal?
Brad: {smiles} My identity isn’t found in whether I’m an independent artist or label artist or a father or whatever. It’s about me being obedient to what God wants me to do. I try to look at it as a one day at a time thing. Am I obedient right now…today.. I’m not opposed to throwing my guitar away and going on a mission to Africa if He calls me to do that. The cool thing about God is that He knows the desires of our hearts, because he put them there. Even if he does call us to do something that we think we will hate, he will generate that love if it is what we are supposed to be doing.

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I can’t imagine Brad throwing his guitar away and I was frankly stunned by the statement because he meant what he said.

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Brad got oddly quiet about 30 minutes before the show, however he managed some obligatory chit chat with Kelley and me. I noticed that her relaxed personality is a perfect compliment to Brad’s intensity and she seems to have a calming affect on him. She orderd some pizza and waited for the show to start, while Brad got in his “pre-show zone.”TCM: Do you write out a script or reminder of what to say before you play a show?
Brad: If I’m doing a full concert sometimes I’ll write up some notes just to keep myself on time and on task. Tonight I didn’t because I’m just playing 4 or 5 songs. Once I hit the stage, I try to be obedient to God’s leading so sometimes what I write down is different than what I say.
James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good)“ was playing over the internal sound system as Brad got situated on stage. (I found this kind of ironic given Brad’s slight nervousness.) During his soundcheck he jammed a bit of “In The Light” which is a DC Talk monster hit, and the Taylor guitar sounded amazing. The sound guy asked asked him about the guitar and vocal sound for a final live mix, and brad said with a grin ”I like my guitar HOT to drown out my voice”

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The first song of the night was Brad’s guitar shredding masterpiece Locksmith. I remember him playing this at a Biblestudy one night. The study guide was on a music stand in front of Brad, and someone in the room asked him to move the stand so they could watch his hands during the song. The riff is memorable and really impressive to watch.

Well I have another story
Written on the pages of my soul
I think Jesus was a locksmith,
Here’s why I say it’s so
Cause He made for me a key shaped like a cross he set me free
Releasing all the weight and chains and pain that sin comes with
He is my Locksmith

Next up was The Edge. Brad mentioned that this song was just cut (recorded by another artist, and put on their latest album) by the winner of the 2007 Christian Artist Talent Search–’CATS’–Think American Idol for Christian Artists. Brad attends church with a guy named Brian Hardin, who was responsible for producing the album. Earlier last year, Brad had given one of his cd’s to Brian who liked it enough to have the winner of CATS (one of Brian’s projects) record The Edge and Anyway. His name is Charles Scarlette and he is incredibly talented. His style is sort of a contemporary country gospel. You can hear an entire interview with him discussing both of Brad’s songs at the Whiplash Records website.

“Someone liked this song enough to put it on their cd” he says humbly from the stage. “It’s the title track and the name of his cd, which is very cool!” He goes on to say that “God’s grace is available for anyone who wants it. This song is about me, a ‘Christian’ and someone who screws up– but God is there to catch us when we fall.”

I dreamed I fell
And I landed on my soul and I cried
‘Til I couldn’t cry no more,
But my heart kept breaking
Until I heard you say
Come with me,
Come and see…and you said
Let’s walk out to the edge tonight
Just to see how far you’d have to fall
Before my love could not make it right
Ten times the highest mountain is still too small

Brad is able to tell a story in a way that draws you in. He does this with ingredients like great guitar playing, excellent melodies, unique concepts, and solid lyrical content. As an example, in the song Anyway he sings “Love is the only evidence against us that tells the world we’re guilty of a change”. You could teach a whole sermon or a bible study on that one line! Brad recorded a video for Anyway that you can check out here. Several people have asked him lately for the story behind Anyway. He shared that with me, and I posted it here.

After the show, Brad and I chatted a bit more. Christian Walker (who has an amazing voice and puts on a fun show) said he loved Brad’s writing and said “Brad, I need great songs like yours dude!”

We all need them…and he has more. I was blessed enough to hear two new songs a few months ago, and they sound every bit as good as the best of the songs on “In The Real World“.

My hope and prayer is that God will not tell Brad to throw his guitar away, and that Brad will continue to write great songs for himself.

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You can purchase Brad’s amazing CD “In the Real World” and keep track of him at:

http://www.bradreynolds.com
http://www.shoutlife.com/bradsreynolds
http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/bradreynolds
http://myspace.com/bradsreynolds

Brad will be headlining with David Teems live at Latham’s Lighthouse Events Center in Hendersonville on April 4th, in the “Show Your SouL” concert series. Learn more about this event here. He will be joined by Brandon Frazier and The Anna Ross Project.

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Dec. 5th 2007Transparent Christian Magazine will include a monthly interview with a “Superstar”. Not a “Superstar” in the WORLDVIEW, like a Britney or Bon Jovi, but a Superstar in the eyes of God. I believe that God looks at us like his g r a n d creations… The interview will be with someone that is working hard at incorporating God into their everyday lives. Join me in this dialog….Spending time with Ricky and Lindsay Voltz gives you the sense that you are listening to a song with great harmonies. Sometimes she is singing lead and sometimes he is, and this duet contains a mutual level of respect, and room to breathe that you don’t see in most young couples. They love each other with broad strokes, not judging the other’s individuality, but supporting it. We sat down in my modest brick ranch, on some old comfy furniture and talked for awhile…

Transparent Christian Magazine: “I understand that you are from Massachusetts, what brought you to Hendersonville, Tennessee?”
Ricky Voltz: “I thought that Lindsay would have a better opportunity to get involved in music, that’s the original reason…that changed quickly though. It’s kind of like going out to California and trying to be an actor…back home, with music, you can really stand out, but when you come somewhere like this, it’s hard to make an impact. Luckily, we fit in right away and had things to do.”

TCM: “What did you get involved in?”
RV: “Church Unplugged really.”
Lindsay Voltz: “That’s where we started.”

TCM: “What was church unplugged?”
RV: “It was a church of 50 people, and about a month after we moved down here it became Lifechurch.tv.” [Lifechurch.tv now has about 375 regulars.]
LV: We got employed by the church immediately.

TCM: So are you pastors?
RV: (Laughs) “No, not at all. I am the audio/video guy I guess. More of their Tech guy in general.”
LV: “He does it all.”
RV: “Front of house person.”

TCM: “I’ve never heard that term.”
RV: “Front of house refers to the audio and video equipment in the back.” (Lindsay laughs)…”and I’m responsible for that. Front of house manager I guess.”

TCM: “That sounds important.”
RV: “It’s a lot to do for sure.”

TCM: So Lindsay, what about you?
LV: “Background Vocalist.”

TCM: “Do you enjoy those positions?”
LV: “Love it.”
RV: “I love it as well. Surprisingly it’s relaxing.”

TCM: “I’m assuming you have real jobs.”
LV: “You assume correct.”

They tell me that although Ricky works part time in a retail establishment, he works 4-5 days a week on average, and then they work 2 services on both Saturday and Sunday…Lately he’s been a videographer for Vanderbilt’s basketball games a few nights a week. Lindsay has a job that she works 40 hours a week and then works the same services. It’s a heavy load and it’s apparent to me that they wouldn’t be there unless they really loved what they were doing.

TCM: “Have either of you ever worked for a church before these positions?”
RV: “Yes. It wasn’t like ministry really…video production for a 2000 member church.”
TCM: “How old were you when you got that job?”
RV: 18
LV: “Never [worked for a church] on their payroll. I’ve done worship since I was 12, but not on payroll.”

Ricky is in his early 20’s. When you spend time with him though, it’s hard to tell how young he is…He has a poise that most 30 something’s wish for, and can be as intense or relaxed as the situation calls for.

TCM: How has working for a church, affected your faith.
RV: (Long pause) “Sometimes it’s hard because you see the business side of the church.
LV: “The business side isn’t always pretty.”
RV: “For me since I can’t step out of church for awhile, it gets a little like a rerun. It takes a toll, like on how I pay attention to the service. I guess it changed the way I attend church.”

TCM: Do you get anything out of the services?
LV: “I do.”
RV: “Definitely. There are ones that hit you harder. You just listen to them differently. I hear the full message, it’s over the course of 4 times, but I do hear the whole message.”

TCM: “I imagine that it’s not dissimilar to seeing any service really. Some grab you harder than others.”
TCM: “I’d like to go back to one of your responses to an earlier question. I’m curious what you mean by ‘not pretty’ regarding seeing the other side of church…I think you called it the ‘business side’.”
RV: “It gets hard because you’re working with friends, and people that you kind of put on pedestals, and you realize that they’re not perfect. That they are people like everyone else. I think when you never have been in that position before, you put them up there and assume that they never would make a wrong decision…that’s just how you [originally] feel. You just have to remember that they are real people. And yes, they may be a pastor or your boss at church, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are perfect. If you have never worked for a church, you may view your pastor as someone that would never make mistakes.”

TCM: Do you think it’s strengthened your faith or made you question it.
RV: “For me it’s strengthened it, because you can see how God is working in them. You get to see their weaknesses, but you can also see them overcome them.”
LV: “I feel the same. We just had a conversation about that.”

TCM: “Lindsay, with full disclosure in mind, I should mention that I have heard you sing before, and I think you have an amazing voice. When did you realize that you had a gift?”
LV: (Smiles) “I realized at 19 that I could do quite a bit more vocally than normal. That was the first time I ever lead worship. I was terrified…I had only backed people up until then. My youth pastor encouraged me, I became the worship director over 300 youth, and I definitely realized that it was more than singing to me. I have never made any [specific] decisions to pursue music in other directions. I needed this time to establish my life with Ricky and get married. [They got married a few months ago]. I still want to do what I do with the church more than anything. I would like an opportunity for maybe a Label to hear me or get a demo together. Just more and more lately, people have been commenting to me that I should be doing something in addition to this. I have been questioning why I haven’t done more, but at the same time I am very happy with singing at church.”
RV: “She’s got a phenomenal voice, so why not??? It’s just more evident that we were down here for more than that [just music]. It’s been a huge learning experience since we’ve been down here.”

TCM: “If you had one thing that you would like others to know about you what would that be?”
LV: (Laughing) “That he’s really he’s a nice person.”
RV: (Laughing) “Thanks baby!!”
LV: “No, what I mean is that you can come off as a not so nice person, but you really are so it’s ok”.

TCM: “What about you Ricky?”
RV: “I play guitar. They need a sound guy at church, not a guitar player.”
RV: “Oh, and she can get angry, and she’s NOT such a nice person at times.” (Laughs)
LV: (Looking surprised, and totally caught in the truth, Laughing).

TCM: “I’m going to ask you each other’s questions from now on!”
(All Laughing)
TCM: “How has your faith influenced your marriage?”
LV: “That we’re still together….it’s a joke but not really”. “It’s hard [sometimes]” “We’re both actually growing up in general. I guess being married and being on your own kind of does that to you. In many ways, we have grown up together”.
RV: “[Faith] gives you different insight to deal with issues. Growing up in church, knowing Jesus, will make you step back, instead of trying to deal with things on your own, you think about how God would deal with it.”

TCM: “Tell me three events that stand out in your life”.
LV: “Getting a house, getting a new job, and getting married. We did ALL of that this year!! Wow, that’s ridiculous…Can we slow it down from here on out? At lease there is no kid on the way”. (Laughs)
RV: (Laughing) Not funny Lindsay!
LV: “I had two crazy jobs in one year. My last two bosses were really overbearing. I’m definitely past the the ‘it’s gonna change’ idea. If things are not going well in the first month, I’ll have to do something different. This current job is great.”

TCM: “Any disappointments this year?”
RV: “As of right now, it’s hard to feel rough, cause we feel so good right now…we feel like we’re in a plateau right now.”
LV: “There have been many minor things that have happened, but they seem minor right now.”

TCM: “How do you feel your belief system has been influencing your life?”
RV: I know that it sounds really cheesy, but sin is only fun for a little while. That saying never meant anything to me this year. But honestly, I hate to be so cliché. Sin can take you to a place you wouldn’t want to be, and it can take you to a place that you are happy where you are, even though you know deep down you can do more. It takes away your purpose. It really does.”

TCM: “Tell me more about that:”
RV: “I don’t want to quote someone that’s not a Christian, he could be a Christian, but JayZ, said “you can reach a certain place in your life where you have success and all these things, and you are complacent and you aren’t moving forward and you’re just sitting there. You are either going to go down, or backwards, but not forwards”.
RV: “You can stay in your sin and NOT achieve things you want in your life…make some changes and continue down your path…If you are a Christian you are growing all the time…always growing. You are always going to make a mistake, but as a Christian you try to learn from your mistakes.”

TCM: “I like how you shape it as ‘only fun for awhile’. I remember thinking that if I became a Christian, I wouldn’t be able to have ANY fun anymore. That certainly hasn’t been the case!”

TCM: “So what is on the horizon for y’all?”
RV: “Trying to start a business. Lindsay obviously wants to pursue the music thing even more. We want to continue working for Lifechurch.”

TCM: “How has your view of what a Christian is, changed over the last year or so?”
RV: “Well, you don’t have to wear a suit. You don’t have to sing hymns to be a Christian.”
LV: “You don’t have to be perfect!”
RV: “A Christian is someone that has made that decision and working on it daily. We are just normal people. [We seem to have] a different kind of drive behind us. Not all money and success, it’s a bigger picture. That whole Kingdom mentality.”

TCM: “Can you explain Kingdom Mentality?”
RV: “Kingdom mentality: It would be kind of like, someone that isn’t a Christian would say that all denominations are ok. You get what you need from your church, we get what we need from ours…it’s more focused on the greater good. Unfortunately most churches don’t have that mindset. That’s why many people get turned off. Lifechurch promotes the Kingdom mindset…they’ll straight up tell you when you come in the door, if you don’t like it here, we can help you find a different church if you want our help. They want to talk to people and help them. They seem to care if you decide to go to ANY church, instead of just caring if you decide to come to theirs.
LV: “I’ve attended hundreds of churches and nothing compares for me.”
RV: “I’m not saying that Lifechurch.tv is better than every church, but it’s that kingdom mindset that I like. Some people like more traditional churches and that’s not for me.”
RV: “Sometimes, faith is a struggle for me. I like facts, so believing in something that you can’t see it’s kind of rough.”
LV: “You used to use that against me remember?”
RV: “Before I really trusted God. It’s only been this year that I’ve accepted that there is a God, and have learned to not rely just on yourself”.
LV: “Yes otherwise, we wouldn’t probably be a couple.”
RV: “I would like people to know that Lindsay is 26 and I’m 21.” (Laughing)
LV: “Thanks a lot!” (Not so much laughing)
RV: “No problem.” (Smiling)

TCM: “How does your faith affect you at your regular job?”
LV: “I talk about it openly with the girls at my work. It’s obvious and it affects everything in a good way so far. It’s all girls, so there could potentially be a disaster when you work with all girls, but I don’t tend to “go there”, so it makes it difficult for people to gossip with me…I can’t say that I don’t find us talking about situations, but things end with that conversation and don’t continue.”
RV: “It’s hard to compete with my boss, because he’s the most outspoken Christian that I have ever met in my life. If it was a game to see if how many people he can tell Jesus about he would win EVERY time. Because I just recently discovered God in a big way myself, I’m still learning and growing, but because of that, I’m not so outspoken as I should be. Dave is a good influence on me. In the past my bosses weren’t Christians and they would swear all the time and because I wasn’t secure, I would too. Because I’m younger and still learning a lot, I don’t evangelize. I don’t get irritated as easily.

TCM: “Evangelism is one thing, but how does your faith affect your normal everyday work environment?’
RV: “I have always told my parents that I couldn’t work with the public because I would be arguing with people every day. Funny, the job I have now, I work with the public every day. I don’t take things as personal anymore. Last week, I had someone get under my skin and I didn’t yell at them. I just made things kind of difficult for them, [laughs] but in the past I would have yelled.”
LV: “Yeah that’s God right there, that you still have a job!!!” (EVERYONE Laughs).

To listen to Lindsay sing, click on the Song “Mistletoe” in the blue “Box” on the right side this website. (This song can melt ice, just in time for the holidays!).