Continuing coverage of the best of the new wave of American independent artists, Mike Rimmer spoke to CADE, BRIAN FULLER, CAROLYN GILLMAN, MANDIE PINTO, MICHAEL D and THE NOBODYS.

"And He Is Ever Interceding" is included in this solo debut. She comments, "That song has been recorded by so many artists, and is still being recorded after all these years, so I decided, why not? After all it is the song I'm known for!" There are other reasons too for its inclusion as Carolyn confesses, "I guess 'And He is Ever Interceding' is also very significant in that, when I was writing it I wanted so to write something that would entice a person to come to the Lord. The song, hopefully, does that, in that it lets them know the beauty of his compassion. It is an awesome thing to know that 'he ever lives to make intercession' for us."

MANDIE PINTO

Carolyn's album was born out of difficult times. She explains, "I was under tremendous stress. My mother and dad were very ill, and I was the only child living here so the weight was upon me to see to their needs! I began coming home, putting on my headphones at my work station and 'blocking' out the pain of watching my dad fade away. I was afraid to think of what I was facing! Right in the middle of my dad's illness my brother had a heart attack and died. It was totally unexpected and the next month my dad passed away."

From such circumstances, it's amazing that such an inspirational album was born. Carolyn comments, "In the face of heartache, pain and tremendous stress, came inspiration to record a new CD! Isn't that just like the Lord?" She continues, "My heart's cry has always been to win the lost. One reason I began writing was so I could put into song what I might have trouble saying one to one to a person. I'm bold as a lion in my songs and feel I could be called a "preacher" at times; especially some of the material I wrote for Revelation. However, this phase of my ministry is to let the 'anointing break the yoke' by, hopefully, attracting the presence of the Lord in my concerts and letting him do what I can't do. We will never know how many chains are broken, how many people are healed, how many marriages are saved and how many lives are changed, just by being in his presence. This project was intended to draw the listener into his presence and I hope that is happening."

MANDIE PINTO
www.mandiepinto.com
Based in California, Mandie Pinto is an unusual independent artist. Not many funky inspirational pop singers get to lay down tracks with Nashville session players, and come out of the blocks sprinting, with an album that sounds this polished. And again not many manage that feat whilst still in their teens! But then not many singers have the talent and determination coupled with the calling and anointing of Mandie Pinto.

She recalls, "I was 19 when the Lord called me to record 'Count All Your Blessings' and every moment is a memory, right from laying down the very first track, to holding the finished copy in my hand." Unusually when she records, Mandie likes to sing in the dark! Of this strange practice she says, "I feel that this is my 'closet' and my time with Jesus. It is one of the most amazing experiences because it gives me a chance to be connected with my Lord."

Although young, Mandie is very grounded when it comes to her ministry. She confesses, "It's not some fancy, glamorous gig that everyone thinks it is. I can't help but be so impressed with how God is using the ministry, whether it be in a huge auditorium or in a parking lot. When I followed the call of music ministry, my desire was to sing the Word of God everywhere and anywhere, even if there are only two people, a horrible sound system and other imperfections. But the important thing is that GOD is perfect, and he puts me in places to bless and encourage others, not to edify myself. I believe the Lord has called me to this ministry to share the truth and build up the Kingdom. Everything else is meaningless, only Jesus matters."

MICHAEL D

Mainly, Mandie plays in churches, seminars, youth events and conventions and God has already been using her, as she remembers, "When I was about 17,1 had a concert in southern California and this older woman expressed how wonderful it was to see a young person standing up for something she believes in. She was not a believer, and I guess it must have been the stirring of the Spirit in her heart that opened her eyes to Jesus. She contacted me after that concert and said that she accepted Jesus as her Saviour, and shared with her daughter by giving her one of my albums, and -she was saved also! I can't help but be overwhelmed with the workings of God!" Public ministry has its pressures when you're a teenager because Mandie has had to grab hold of God and mature quickly. Does she have any regrets that she might have missed out? "There were moments when I was unable to stay out as late as my friends, because I had a sound check at 7am the next day in a church that was an hour away. And there were times where I could not yell and be as crazy as my friends at a baseball game, because I was worried about being able to minister in a concert that night. But, I do not think that I missed out on anything. I feel that people have this perception that a piece of you is taken away when your career starts at a young age. I don't feel that way at all. In fact, I feel as if Jesus has been alive in my heart in such a great way because I'm constantly around the things of him. I know and appreciate the gifts in my life and with that comes responsibility. I am reminded of a verse that says 'I will count all as loss for the sake of my Lord, Jesus Christ.' I think that sums up everything."

MICHAEL D
www.maltmusic.com
For his debut solo release Michael D Yoder decided to go under the name Michael D, but not because he was afraid of Star Wars comparisons. He says, "To be honest, most of my friends have been teasing me about the Michael D thing. For the project, it was appealing graphically to just use the Michael D portion of my name. It is also easier and simpler. I never really thought about the Yoda thing!"
Michael is honest in owning up to the challenges of working as an independent artist. "It is so difficult to get started and form the key relationships and connections with writers, producers, publishers, other musicians, studios, and on and on. The entire project took about three years from start to finish. That is a little misleading because originally I was just going to do a three-song demo. When I decided to get serious and do a 10-song project, it ended up taking about 18 months to two years."

Six out of the 10 songs were penned by Michael though that wasn't his original intention. "One of the biggest challenges was finding good original songs for the project." He explains, "Initially, when I was just going to do a demo, we looked at songs we could use that already had recorded tracks. The intent was to use high quality stuff that wasn't well known and wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Even that was difficult, and I was determined not to do covers. I wanted to avoid comparisons to other established artists as much as possible. Because I wasn't finding much good material, I began writing."

Anyone who has ever been tempted to record an independent project knows that money is a big issue. "Once I decided to do the full project, I put together a business plan and took it to potential investors to raise the necessary money to finance the project. I give God all the credit for this. He brought some really cool people into my life that I didn't anticipate would help finance the project. It took about six months to get all of the investors lined up and necessary finances. I was having dinner with my family during this time, and was explaining to my mom how things were going. During the course of our conversation, she asked me if I was going to let her be involved. My grandmother had died a few months earlier and my mom wanted to give part of her inheritance to help with the project. I was totally blown away. I did not do this as a non-profit venture as many do. I wanted to show financial and spiritual accountability by being a good steward of the money God gave me through these investors. While two of the investors insisted that I don't have to pay back their investment, I do intend to pay back the others. This is with the hope that they will then be able to help someone else, and that the money they invested in the 'Things That Matter' project will provide the seeds to allow me to grow and develop as a Christian artist."

Michael describes his ministry as "about the reality of Christ in our daily lives. God is relevant for every moment of my existence. If he isn't, then he isn't who he says he is. That's why I sing the songs and do the style of music I do. I want people to be challenged, and encouraged to think about God all the time. And, of course, the emphasis is on things that matter forever. First and foremost is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Other things include personal relationships with our families and friends. This includes mentoring and discipling others, giving your time and money to help the less fortunate, and so on. And doing it in a personal way, not just writing a cheque or tossing money in the collection plate on Sunday."

The Nobodys

THE NOBODYS
www.thenobodys.com
The Nobodys are vocalist Scott Riggan and guitarist/vocalist Ben Bauman, and with a name like that you might be expecting some young Turk punk band pretenders, but this is sophisticated acoustic-tinged pop. The guys laugh about the name. Scott confesses, "We get asked if we're in therapy for self-esteem issues... We chose the name for a couple of reasons. We thought it was kind of funny and memorable, but it also serves as a reminder to us that this isn't about Ben and Scott. Our job is to redirect that spotlight to Christ, he must increase, and I must decrease."
The 'Hollow' album was produced by Christian music veteran Randy Thomas whose credits include stints with the Sweet Comfort Band and Allies. Scott explains, "We are so grateful for Randy. We met when we opened for Identical Strangers once, and just really hit it off. He helped us do some demos, which led to our debut album, 'Songs From The Daily Grind'." Ben continues, "The 'Grind' really reflected our coffeehouse roots - it was mostly acoustic guitars, lots of percussion and vocals. We got our start playing James Taylor, Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel covers at coffee houses in the Pacific Northwest while we were in college. We would slip in the occasional Christian tune. We learned a lot about connecting with an audience, and also about what makes a song work."

Scott explains about the new album. "When it was time to do our next record, Randy was our obvious choice. He had just seen his song with Bob Carlisle, "Butterfly Kisses", go number one and then there was a Grammy, etc, etc. He was eager to get back in the studio with us and we had a great time. On the 'Hollow' record, he helped us select the songs (it's so hard to be objective about your own material) and worked through the arrangements with us." Ben expands, "It was really a team effort."

The band first came to the attention of Cross Rhythms when they appeared on the 'Mindy's Revenge' compilation that Word put out two years ago. Ben saw their involvement as good exposure. "Our song 'Talk About Love' was released as a single and did really well in some markets. I think it was in the top 10 in Los Angeles, for example." Scott isn't so sure, "Word had a pretty cool idea, actually, putting out a CD featuring 20 indie bands. I never felt like 'Talk About Love' fit on the record all that well - it was acoustic pop in a sea of alternative-light CCM. But we were grateful for the fact that it increased awareness."

The band's work is low-key ministry delivered in a very warm and personal fashion. "We have always made hanging out with people after the concert a priority," Ben explains. "In many cases, that's where much of the ministry happens. We talk with kids who are struggling with their faith, family problems, you name it. So many people - especially at colleges and universities that we've played - are facing doubts about their faith. They're asking, 'Is this Christianity stuff really true? Can I trust the Bible?' Both of us are Bible College grads and it helps to have had a background in Greek and apologetics, etc, because kids are not going to accept Christianity just because Mom says so."

Scott chips in, "I used to think that the whole autograph thing was a mistake. It seemed kind of prideful or something. But now I realise that an autograph is just an excuse to get closer - it can make an artist more approachable. What it really does is give us a chance to have some one on one time with kids."

As for the future? Scott is realistic about the challenges, "Lately we're learning to dream bigger dreams. Being an indie band has its pros and cons. You have freedom and control, and no record company is there to tell you that you have to do this or that. The downside is that it costs lots of money to record, to promote a record, and it's hard to get anyone to take you seriously if you aren't on a big label. We decided a long time ago that we were not going to wait for some corporation to give us their approval - we already have the approval of God. Some things are being worked out now that will allow us a much larger platform, and we're excited about what lies ahead."