St. Francis Records

St. Francis Records Fostering a community of creativity and beauty in song. St. We believe music is more than sound, it’s a shared language of wonder, struggle, and hope.

Francis Records is an independent label devoted to fostering a community of creativity and beauty in song. Through our artists, we seek to create songs that live beyond their moment, growing with each listener’s journey. Rooted in authenticity and openness, our mission is to connect voices and hearts through music that carries meaning. Whether intimate or expansive, every release reflects our vision: songs that reveal beauty, foster community, and invite connection.

It’s our OFFICIAL RELEASE DAY for ‘No Distance Between Us: A Benefit For Ukrainian Refugees’!! Purchase the album on our...
08/01/2025

It’s our OFFICIAL RELEASE DAY for ‘No Distance Between Us: A Benefit For Ukrainian Refugees’!!

Purchase the album on our Bandcamp page (link in comments below) and join us in supporting the work of International Rescue Committee!

Have you heard the album? Let us know what song(s) you like!

We’ve been working on this project for a few months now and it’s a joy to have it out in the wider world for other to enjoy and allow this project to do some good in the world!

Thanks to all of the amazing artists who volunteered their music! We’re honored by the that you agreed to join us on this venture!!

Big thanks to Kevin Bianchi, front man for Vanishing Shores, and label mogul here at St. Francis Records for his vision and commitment to make a difference in our world.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
08/01/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

Puddle Jumper (aka Oren Wagner) - is a longtime friend and label mate of contributor Josh Rude. Wagner describes Puddle Jumper as "haunted surf rock" and we think that's pretty accurate. "Goofy Foot" is a languid instrumental track with a repeated musical phrase. It's relaxing and meditative, the sort of track you can lose yourself in.

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Puddle Jumper: I started playing music in 3rd grade. I wanted to play bagpipes but the music teacher put a trumpet in my hands instead. I played brass for 8 years then picked up the bass guitar and played in several punk and indie bands. My last band broke up in 2008 and I took a 15 year hiatus from music. I picked up guitar a couple in 2013 and started my one man band in 2024. Influences include Beck, Grateful Dead, Califone, Red Red Meat and Sin Ropas.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Puddle Jumper: I live near Seattle via California and Indiana. I play a couple times a month as I can. I hope to work on soundtracks in the future.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Puddle Jumper: Goofy Foot is probably my most accessible song on my EP. It was fun to record and fun to listen to.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Puddle Jumper: I am pro peace in the world.

Links where listeners can learn more about Puddle Jumper are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/31/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

Airdale is the recording name for Maryland based artist Jim Anderson. With this project, Jim records synth-based post-punk songs. "Subtle Transfer" appeared on his 2023 album 'Unspoken Words' and offers the hope of friendship amidst struggle.

SFR: When did you begin playing music, and who are some of your influences?

Airdale: I first picked up a guitar when I was 14, back in 1988. My sister had been taking lessons, and when she passed down her acoustic guitar, she taught me a D chord. That single moment hooked me—I knew I wanted to play. Seeing my enthusiasm, my parents got me a Harmony Strat/amp combo from Service Merchandise, and I started lessons with my sister’s teacher. He was both a classical guitarist and an elementary school music teacher, which gave me a solid foundation.

As for influences, they’ve evolved over time, but early Robert Fripp stands out—especially his work with Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, and his solo album (Exposure). Another key influence was Michael Roe from the early albums of the 77s, whose playing shaped a lot of my musical sensibilities.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? Do you see your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Airdale: I live about 20 minutes north of Baltimore, Maryland. While I haven’t played live with this project yet, I’m part of a new band called MercyShroud, and we’ve been deep in the process of working on an album. Lately, we’ve caught the itch to start playing out, which is exciting. When the timing feels right, I plan to occasionally revisit AIRDALE as well.

In addition to the album, I’ve been working on a Christmas song for a while—one that I really love.(AIRDALE) I also started a cover of a Starflyer 59 song, though I’m still undecided on whether I’ll ever release it.

SFR: Tell us about Subtle Transfers which was included on NDBU, and why you selected it for this project?

Airdale: When discussing the vision of the project, I was encouraged to choose a song that carried a message of hope. I selected this one because it speaks to the power of friendship—the unwavering commitment to stand by someone, even in the face of adversity. It’s about being willing to go through fire, in whatever form, to rescue a friend. Subtle Transfers felt like the perfect choice.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Airdale: I had no hesitation when asked to contribute to the project. So many innocent victims have been caught in this conflict—people who never wanted to be forced from their homes. They need all the help, support, and prayers we can offer.

Links where listeners can learn more about … are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/31/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

Chris Taylor is a long time friend and collaborator of Kevin Bianchi from Vanishing Shores. While they live in different parts of the country - Chris in Texas, Kevin in Ohio - the distance was no barrier to the close bond they developed. When we invited Chris to participate, he was more than willing to jump in. "Different Shoes" is a song Chris has played and recorded several times over the years, but this version is something special.

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Chris Taylor: I believe I began “playing” music while I was a young boy, maybe 9 or 10 years old, while skipping rocks in Lake Ontario. I couldn’t play an instrument, I hadn’t written a single lyric… but I was dreaming it all up. That was the beginning. I got my first guitar around 12 or 13 years old but didn’t connect with it until closer to 17. I learned three chords and I was off and running. Some of my early influences were Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cars… later it was The Hothouse Flowers and The Waterboys, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. There are so many, too many to name them all.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Chris Taylor: I’m a New York soul living in South Texas. San Antonio is a great city and it’s my speed at the moment. I do get to play live but gigs come and go and sometimes dry up altogether. I often record my music and approach it like I approach painting. I kind of separate performing live music and recording my music. They are two completely different vibes, energies and skill sets.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Chris Taylor: Different Shoes is a song that’s been in my catalog for many years but we finally got the recorded version down. It’s got a dream like quality to it and I kept it uncluttered so the lyric takes center stage. I took the character of Humpty Dumpty out and replaced him with Handy Dandy… which is a term for something that is useful. To be of use is all anyone can ask for. It’s a shame the useful people in this world are breaking down, losing influence and the chaos around them grows larger like a tsunami heading toward the shore. There’s some kind of spirit in this song that I can’t quite put my finger on… the lyrics seem to transcend their meaning and connect deeply with the world around us.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Chris Taylor: When Kevin Bianchi asks… I can’t say no! In this life, when we can do something for someone in need… we MUST. And this is small, so small. Like a teardrop in an ocean of tears. And we are all each other’s neighbors now. When I see my neighbor hurting or destroyed, I can’t just sit back and turn the channel and pretend it’s not happening. Helplessness is a killer. There’s so much I can’t do to help… but what I can do, I will.

Links where listeners can learn more about Chris Taylor are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/31/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

Shawnee Kilgore is another artist we learned about through our mutual friends and fellow contributors Chris Taylor and Jana Pochop. On "For When You Wake," Shawnee's folk arrangement and vulnerable vocals are both fragile and strong at the same time. This is a melancholy song of hope and that keeps drawing you in listen after listen.

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Shawnee Kilgore: I started playing guitar and writing songs when I was 14 because I wanted to marry Daniel Johns (from the Aussie teen rock band silverchair) and be Ani DiFranco. She was pretty much my main influence but I was really into skater punk as well - Offspring, Green Day, Rancid - plus the local Bellingham punk bands like Kola and The Thriftshop Junkies so some of my earliest songs were punk. (My dream of having a punk band is still alive and well!)

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Shawnee Kilgore: I've been in Austin, TX since 2010, and get to play out about as much as I want to. I've been really lucky since the pandemic, when we lost several of my regular venues, that people have stepped up the house concerts and finding/creating new venues to play. My main focus is currently on my series called Wonder What Wednesdays that I started in 2018 with the challenge of playing only original songs for a month of Wednesdays and a strict no-repeat rule. I decided to keep it going and as of writing this have played 330 original songs over the course of 38 shows. If you've ever heard it on a Wednesday you'll never hear it at another one. I'm thrilled that help from K&D House Concerts kept the series afloat after Threadgill's closed and it now has found a new home at a wonderful venue called Soundspace at Captain Quack's.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Shawnee Kilgore: I wrote the song for someone who was hurting and I wanted them to know that no matter what was happening for them that I would be there, be patient, and be a light for whenever they were ready to receive it. I think we all make it through by the light that people shine around us, and the light they reflect back to us that we can so easily forget. It's a song of empathy and unconditional love, an easy choice for this project.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Shawnee Kilgore: I don't always know what I can do to help, and often forget about the obvious! Sometimes I worry that if I'm not getting out of my comfort zone or doing something drastically new or different or difficult that it somehow doesn't count. But what else ought we be doing on this earth if not using our gifts and my passions for any good that we can? It's a no-brainer.

Links where listeners can learn more about Shawnee Kilgore are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/31/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

"Run" is a strong single from Jenn Gunn. She's been singing for many years and has connections with other NDBU contributors including her husband Dann Gunn (Crashing In), and Michelle Thompson (Riptide) when they were bandmates in The Vague and The Wayside. With "Run," Jenn takes center stage as her warm vocals draw you into this song.

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Jenn Gunn: My mom loved several different genres of music and exposed me to them as a child - mostly music you could dance to! (Disco Rocks LOL) I joined a band, "Vague" (which later became the "Wayside") with my friends and played with them through High School and College. I was part of a touring music ministry group for a year in my early 20's and then went to school for Music Business. My diverse musical influences range from the Talking Heads, Annie Lennox, Fleetwood Mac, the Bee Gees and Dolly Parton to bands like the 77's, Undercover, LSU and Charlie Peacock - all of which contributed to my love of music and harmonies.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Jenn Gunn: I live in the Chicago area and am hoping that recording some of my songs will help me network with other artists who might like to collaborate and play some live shows together.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Jenn Gunn: This is the first song of my new project that my husband, Dann Gunn and his musical collaborator and guitarist, David Facemyre helped me create. It is about pausing to reevaluate your life, how you want to spend your time and with whom, before you lose sight of yourself.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Jenn Gunn: I am so happy to contribute to this worthy cause. I believe we have a responsibility to help others in any way we are able.

Links where listeners can learn more about Jenn Gunn are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/31/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

Jerry Popiel is a fixture in Northern Ohio music circles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Birdhouse Gourds. His folk-pop music is evocative as he weaves stories in and and around the chords he plays. For NDBH, Jerry contributes a brand new song call, "Can’t Fly," and it's a beauty.

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Jerry Popiel: I’ve been playing guitar since age 7. I am the youngest of 11 and five of my brothers play guitar so I learned from them early on. Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Rush, REM and The Smiths have been most influential to me.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Jerry Popiel: I’m from the Cleveland, Ohio, area. I’m fortunate to have many opportunities to perform live, doing around 50 shows a year the last few years for a total of around 400 as a solo performer now. I really enjoy the live audience interaction and there’s nothing like it, but writing and recording definitely scratches the itch for creating something new.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Jerry Popiel: My song “Can’t Fly” is one that I started working on a long time ago, didn’t finish, and then forgot about. My daughter and I were reviewing tracks recently and she asked why I never finished it. So now was a good time to do that! It’s a song about optimism and hope, and seeing the good in your circumstances. Which is why I thought this might be a good song for the project.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Jerry Popiel: NDBU sounded like a great initiative, and St. Francis Records (Mark and Kevin!) are such super people that it seemed like a no-brainer!

Links where listeners can learn more about Jerry Popiel are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/30/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

Andrew McManus is an Irish transplant living, working and creating music in northern Ohio. Our introduction to his music came about 7 years ago when we heard him play at the famed Dublin Pub in Dayton, Ohio. It was a magical night and we struck up a long-distance friendship. "Searching For The Sun" comes from his second album called 'Days of Wonder.'

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Andrew McManus: I grew up in Northern Ireland and initially played the piano, as well as the trombone in the South Ulster Youth Orchestra. I picked up the guitar as a teenager and have been playing it ever since. Some of my early influences were Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, and many Irish folk singers such as Christy Moore, Paul Brady, and Clannad.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Andrew McManus: I emigrated from Ireland to the US in 2016 and live in Cleveland, Ohio. I work professionally as an architect, and play music regularly throughout Northeast Ohio at Irish venues, wine bars, coffee shops, and festivals throughout the Summer months. I have recorded two albums with my band “The Andrew McManus Trio” which includes a fiddler, Tessa Thistlethwaite, and drummer, Mark Whalen Jr.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Andrew McManus: My song, “Searching for the Sun”, feels very appropriate for this album. The war in Ukraine has displaced millions of people, forcing many families and children to flee their country and seek asylum as refugees far from their homes. For these people, war came to them, took everything from them, and forced them into a dark, uncertain place. “Searching for the Sun” speaks to the feeling of darkness, hopelessness, and the incredible resilience of the human spirit to do what it takes to find the strength to move forward in difficult times. When it may seem like there is nothing left to do but carry on, we will carry on, with faith that there will be a light at the end of a dark tunnel and the light of a sunrise following even the longest and darkest night.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Andrew McManus: This album, “No Distance Between Us”, will help to raise valuable funds for many Ukrainian refugees in Poland. I also feel it has a timely and important message for us all, as there seems to be a growing lack of empathy towards people seeking asylum in foreign countries. I hope this album raises awareness of the plight and struggle that these people face, and reminds us all to see the humanity in the terms “refugee, migrant, asylum seeker” etc.

Links where listeners can learn more about … are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/30/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

We originally encountered Jamie Ravine at a coffee house concert in Columbus, OH a couple of years ago and followed her on Facebook. As we put this project together and considered which artists we wanted to include, Jamie came to mind and we reached out. Little did we realize that she already had a song written and recorded on this very theme! As she says at the end of her interview, it was serendipity and meant to be! Thanks for entrusting "Refugee" to NDBU Jamie!

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Jamie Ravine: I started writing songs when I was in elementary school which started as poetry and then I added music to it with my sister’s keyboard. I started guitar lessons when I was 11 and started playing out when I turned 17.
My influences have been what I and the people in my life listened to. My family loved music of all kinds and all throughout the day from the time I woke up till it was bed time the radio, tape player or record player would be on. I think the artists/bands that have influenced me the most are Alanis Morisette, Regina Spektor, Florence and the Machine, Coldplay, Michael Jackson and The Beatles.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Jamie Ravine: I live in central Ohio and play gigs mostly in Columbus. I’ll be working on a concept album and hoping to be done with it in spring 2027 or sooner. Very excited about that. Also, I am in a synth pop band. We don’t have a show created yet but are still working on building our catalog.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Jamie Ravine: I wrote this song back in 2021 when people were being forced out of Ukraine. I wrote it because I felt so moved and heartbroken for them. Watching adults, children and elderly people having to walk away from everything they knew and worked for just to stay safe. The song is from the refugee’s point of view. I wanted to play a song that would have listeners imagine what it might feel like to be in that position and hoping it would spread awareness and the importance of giving to organizations that help refugees and immigrants.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Jamie Ravine: It was so very serendipitous! I didn’t know how else this song could help until I got connected with Mark about NDBU asking if I would want to contribute a song for their project to help Ukrainian refugees. It was absolutely meant to be and I couldn’t be happier to be part of it!

Links where listeners can learn more about Jamie Ravine are in the comments below.

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefitin...
07/30/2025

This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.

Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.

For three decades Michelle Lynn Thompson has been singing backups for other people's projects or in the band The Wayside with her husband John. It's been in the last few years that she has focused on developing her own artistic vision. She writes and performs gorgeous, heart felt folk based songs. On NDBU, she shares her moving single "Riptide" with us.

SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?

Michelle Thompson: My first public performance was in church at 5 years old. I sang Kitty Wells' "How Far Is Heaven". I grew up always singing and pretending to be Dolly Parton or Olivia Newton John. I'd stand on my canopy bed and sing into the bedpost finial. In school I was a part of various choirs and ensembles, but I started seriously performing and recording around 1990 with a band called Vague and eventually renamed The Wayside with my husband, John Thompson and we've performed, written, and recorded together now for 35 years. I got my first paid vocal recording session gig in 1992 for a metal band called White Cross and have really enjoyed recording as a guest vocalist on many projects over the years as well as being invited to perform live guest backing vocals with bands like Sixpence None The Richer, Vigilantes, Of Love, The Violet Burning, Cory Crowder, Julie Lee, and touring with Rick Elias and his wife Linda for a bit. I recorded my first original song around 1991 called "Cry In My Sleep". I did not write or record another of my own original songs again until 2012 when I wrote and recorded my first solo ep, "Words That Fell" produced by Kenny Hutson (of Vigilantes of Love, Over the Rhine, and Old Black Kettle, and David Crowder band). I was very proud of that first EP and it featured some stellar musicians including Eamon McLoughlin of the Grand Old Opry. Throughout my adult years my main focus has been raising and homeschooling our four kids. That made it a bit difficult to consistently write or record, so I just participated in music wherever I could. An absolute stand out performance moment for me, was being invited by Lady Erne of Crom Castle, in Ireland to sing a song for her and her husband, the Earl, Lord Erne, in their drawing room after a dinner. I sang "Say I Do" a song I wrote for my grandparents. It can be found on my 2012 EP "Words That Fell" on my Bandcamp page. A few years ago our youngest went off to college and I became an empty nester. I saw this as an opportunity to open a new chapter and really dive into my songwriting. I recorded and released about eight songs in 2024 and focused my releases first to my bandcamp store that I share with John. I love sharing music FIRST with the fans and people who really love to support good music. Without a record label, I'm paying for all this myself by writing custom kids songs and cleaning my airbnb. I recoup as much of the cost as I can through a "pay what you want" format on Bandcamp before I eventually release my songs to streaming platforms. As far as my influences, there are way too many incredible ones to mention here, but I'll name some female artists who have either shaped my journey vocally or as a writer. Olivia Newton John, Dolly Parton, Amy Grant, LeeAnn Womack, Alison Krauss, Karin Bergquist, Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Tricia Yearwood, Martina McBride, Julie Lee, Kacey Chambers, and most recently Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Caroline Spence. I love music about real life, delivered with authenticity, not flawless perfection.

SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?

Michelle Thompson: Originally from Illinois, I'm currently living in Nashville, TN and have been since 2007. As far as my solo "career" goes, it's new territory for me to play out on my own without John. I've been learning enough guitar to join some songshares, writer rounds, and to have done a few concerts. I hope to do more. I think I shine best in a situation where I can share stories along with my songs. The absolute best thing is when someone unexpected comes up to me after a performance to tell me how one of my songs touched them. In this new chapter of my life I have written and co-written a lot of songs. I think I have a valuable perspective to offer. It is my hope and dream to record as many of them as I can as funds allow. I have had a lot of folks suggest I do a full album. I'm not sure if I'll do that or just continue to release singles. There's something freeing about thinking of each song as it's own thing. Then I don't have to worry about if they weave together in a certain way. But I do love a good album. We'll see. I'd need something big to come along financially for me to be able to record a whole album. A favorite standing gig I'm part of is called "Live On Music Row". I get to sit in with a group of pro musicians and absolutely wonderful human beings every other month and sing cover songs to raise money for clean water wells, and caring for the homeless. It happens at the Well at Koinonia on 16th ave.

SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?

Michelle Thompson: The song I chose is called "Riptide". It came from a very deep, frightened, tired, and confused place in my heart. I co-wrote it with Steve Hindalong and John Mulder in Hot Springs, NC at Mercyland Songwriting Workshop (a workshop put on by my good friend, Phill Madeira). I was really struggling with feeling lost and confused like being tossed around and pulled deeper and deeper into the "the waves" of this chaotic world we are living in. I had a sense of deep loss and desperation wondering where in the world God is in all of it. Strangely, the two people I felt safe sharing this with were Steve and John. I did this separately during the day and then we happened to be all put together for a write that afternoon. As I poured out my heart, Steve would ask questions and draw more out of me. John Mulder played it all out on his guitar bringing everything to life. My friend, Sam Wade, produced the recording of this song with Steve Hindalong on drums, John Mulder, on guitar, John Thompson on electric guitar and Sam adding additional acoustic. Right after the recording the awful hurricane and flooding devastated North Carolina, including damaging the very town we wrote the song in. I originally release this to my Bandcamp page giving all proceeds to flood relief. Watching the news of the awful things going on in Ukraine, this song "Riptide" would play in the background of my mind like a soundtrack to the chaos, fear, and confusion. So, when I was asked to submit a song for this relief project, I knew it had to be "Riptide". I feel like this song was given to me at just the right time to be used to help others in difficult circumstances. It's the song that keeps giving.

SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?

Michelle Thompson: If anything I have to offer can possibly bring help to the hurting my answer is yes.

Links where listeners can learn more about Michelle Lynn Thompson are in the comments below.

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