10 Christian Artists to Sneak Into Your Mainstream Music
For when you want the hope translated from Christianese to English.
As a 21st-century young adult raised in a Christian home, there was a large part of my life where the only music I listened to was from Christian bands and artists. And that was fine, for a while at least. But as I grew up and found my music tastes changing and increasing in variety, I eventually found that I could not live on CCM alone, even with many bands that attempted to come across as “cool” and “relatable”, but fell short of accessing the emotions and experiences that Christian music often hesitates to address. Luckily, artists have emerged from the Body of Christ who seem to share the same sentiment, unafraid to face controversy for the sake of authenticity and more experimental creative expression. In that spirit, here are 10 bands and artists of faith who’ve explored genres not commonly found in the world of Christian music.
- Kings Kaleidoscope (Alternative)
Originally formed as a worship team for Mars Hill Church in Seattle, the 10-piece indie-rock-jazz-hip-hop band separated from the problematic church in 2013, but maintained the same eclectic big-band sound that frontman Chad Gardner envisioned at its conception. Their second album, Beyond Control, holds a unique place in my music library as the only worship album that contains an f-bomb, found in the heavily emotional lamenting track “A Prayer”. Their strengths are found in powerful lyricism and unique instrumentation as a band that resists fitting into one genre.
2. half•alive (Alternative)
Having broken out with their 2019 hit “still feel.”, this trio of young men bring a fascinating color palette to the world of Christian pop, from their heavy funk and disco influences to their stylized synchronized dances found in music videos and live shows. Thematically, half•alive’s music delves into the mind of a young adult living in a post-religion world, still holding onto but questioning the concept of faith and hope in the unknown. Their debut album “Now, Not Yet” culminates in a boisterous, synth-heavy celebration of humanity and being designed in God’s image, a strange combination of the earthly and the divine.
3. The War and Treaty (Folk Rock)
Married couple Michael Trotter and Tanya Blout-Trotter make up the iconic duo that is The War and Treaty, drawing from their strong classic rock ’n’ roll, gospel, and R&B roots. Both are vocal powerhouses, with Trotter utilizing a bluesy rasp while Blout-Trotter pulls off staggering harmonies, all framed in the rousing acoustics of folk and southern rock. Certainly not a sound unfamiliar to the Christian music world, but certainly made with a simultaneously modern and earnest mentality.
4. twenty one pilots (Alternative Pop)
Certainly one of the more widely-known groups on this list, twenty one pilots has made an undeniable impact on the world of 21st-century pop with their mix of rap, folk, punk, and electronic elements, bolstered by songwriter/singer/bassist/keyboardist/ukulele player Tyler Joseph and quiet but enthusiastic drummer Josh Dunn. Joseph and Dunn are hugely popular both as musicians and as people, known for their wholesome and goofy friendship and their honest dialogues on fame and mental health.
5. Judah & the Lion (Folk/Rock/Pop)
The title of their second full-length album, “Folk Hop ’n’ Roll”, tells a great deal of what this Nashville group sounds like. Buzzing bass lines with twinkling banjos and colorful electronic melodies effortlessly intertwine into one infectious, youthful, and altogether honest way of working out the band’s struggles and anxieties.
6. The Oh Hellos (Folk Rock)
Siblings Maggie and Tyler Heath combined their Texas upraising with Celtic folk melodies and brought their well-fitted vocal talents to this 10-piece ensemble. From concept albums based on C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters to a 4-part series named on Greco-Roman wind deities to a 4-movement Christmas album, they’re the best thing for having a great time getting lost in the woods with a good story.
7. The Rocket Summer (Alternative Rock)
While you may not be able to tell just by listening to his music, The Rocket Summer is entirely composed of one man: Dallas-born musician Bryce Avery. When I first heard his music, having discovered his 6th album Zoetic, the only way I could describe it is if twenty one pilots were crossed with Michael Jackson, and made something completely different from either of them. That “something completely different” is a distinct intersection between pop and alternative rock, with loud, assertive guitar and sharp rhythms.
8. Matthew Thiessen & The Earthquakes (Folk)
Matthew Thiessen has taken a break from the helm of the iconic Christian punk band Relient K to create an album of reflective, clever acoustic rock, featuring backing vocals from his wife Sarah, as well as a cheeky little horn section. Thiessen brings with him the same witty lyricism and ear for catchy melodies which have followed him through his musical career.
9. MuteMath (Alternative)
This band has gone through many changes over the course of time, both stylistically and in its ensemble. Their first album (named after the band) set an ambitious start with complex instrumentation, most notably from drummer Darren King, who left in the band in 2017. Over the past 15 years, they’ve shifted from 70s-rock-inspired jams to a heavily electronic sound, still grounded in their rock roots. Easily one of the most musically impressive Christian bands of the 21st century.
10. Gungor (Alternative)
This one holds a tricky spot on this list, considering the Gungors’ (married couple Lisa and Michael) recent falling out of faith. Regardless, their music — considered some of the most provocative in the Christian music world — remains a valuable resource as a chronicle of a band wrestling between the beliefs they’d grown up with and the ways in which reality often contradicts those beliefs. As a result of this state of perpetual conflict and reconciliation, Gungor’s music holds nothing if not variety, from touching songs about finding beauty in creation to confronting the toxicity of North American evangelicalism.
As always, these lists are never exhaustive, only a record of music I’ve found and enjoyed over the years. If you think of bands that break the mold of “Christian music”, let me know in the comments!
