One of my favorite TV shows is Mad Men. If you have never watched the show, it involves the advertising industry, set in 1960’s Manhattan. It is a masterpiece of dialogue, setting, and screenwriting, but the true genius of the show lies in the depth of the characters, especially the lead, Don Draper. Draper is a man of polished exterior. He is a wildly successful advertising mastermind. He has power, money, charm, and charisma. He is good looking, well dressed, and well spoken. He is the … [Read more...]

Toby Morrell a worship director and small groups pastor at his home church, in addition to fronting his bands, Emery and Matt and Toby.  He is also one of the funniest guys I have talked to in recent history.  There was no shortage of laughter during our conversation about guys and isolation.  But what I loved most about our chat was Toby's desire to be genuine, beyond the typical, Christianese "authenticity."  I think he was definitely the right guy for the subject at hand.  And what … [Read more...]

Prior to starting my band, Project 86, I worked in youth ministry for six years. If you have ever been involved in a church at any level you will learn that some of the most interesting characters you will ever meet live inside the walls of the congregation. I remember one particular guy (named Austin) who was fairly high up in the youth ministry. Although he was a relatively new Christian, he was quite well-versed in theology, doctrine, and church history. Austin was a walking quote machine, … [Read more...]

When I was in college, I lived across the hall from a guy named David. He was a great friend who was solid believer. He was a spiritual mentor to me in many senses, but he had an acute Achilles heal: He seemed to have a knack for finding girls who were trouble. At one point during our junior year, David showed up at my door saying he really needed to talk to me. He looked like he was about to be sick, so I invited him in. He proceeded to tell me that he was sure he had met the love of his … [Read more...]

If you ask Mattie Montgomery, he is not a lyricist and a frontman first, though that is how most know him.  And even though his band For Today has accomplished some great things over the last several years, he refers to himself as a Husband and Father first and foremost.  The irony is that not long ago, like many young men today, he would never have imagined himself being either.  I spoke to Mattie recently and at length about fatherhood, being a husband, and how God can use each to transform … [Read more...]

Have you ever visited Amsterdam?  I have.  And I will never forget my first trip... My band was booked to play there a few years back.  I had heard dozens of stories prior to my visit.  Most of them consisted of warnings about the red light district, especially the prostitutes (yup, in case you weren’t aware, it’s legal in Amsterdam). Honestly, prior to my trip I had never understood why someone would visit a prostitute.  In fact, I had even judged those who had engaged in such … [Read more...]

Solomon Olds is the frontman for Family Force Five.  His band is known the for their energetic live performances which feel more like dance parties than your average rock n' roll shows.  Family Force Five is also known for their sense of humor, and fun-loving approach to making rock music.  I ran into Solomon at Creation festival East where we had a great conversation about music, maturity, and near-death experiences (over a festival catering buffet).  Have you ever lost someone you were … [Read more...]

Aspiring artists and creative people should find the second half of my conversation with Ryan Clark from Demon Hunter both highly educational as well as inspirational, especially in the practical sense.  How do faith, art, and culture intersect for the believer?   Where do we draw the line when absorbing "secular" influence?  These are a few of the questions Ryan and I discuss together below... Schwab: We have probably both noticed (and even been frustrated by) the way Christian culture … [Read more...]

I hope you have been as blessed I have been from all of the conversations I have had with my musical peers the last several months.  The purpose of this blog is to tell our stories...stories of men, guys, dudes, who are far from perfected but who are trying to live out faith in a way that (hopefully) inspires and influences.  Here is my latest conversation, which has been a long time in coming, mostly due to the quantity of quality in the text. Ryan Clark is the front man for Demon Hunter, … [Read more...]