The Bad Christians: Emery (feat. Nathan Thiessen)

Fruitless

It's Christian Rock Summer! This is the second episode in a month long exploration of the fringes of Christian music with Josh Christianson joining Josiah as co-host. We're talking "not a Christian band, just Christians in a band." We're talking Christianity being more of a relationship than a religion.

On today's episode, Nathan Thiessen (@NateT93) joins Josh and Josiah to talk about the post-hardcore band, Emery, and the podcast it gave birth to: Bad Christian. They discuss the band's role in the world of Christian alternative music, the complex relationship with purity culture in their early lyrics, and the way that they represented something of an off-ramp for many young people within conservative evangelicalism, including Josiah and Nate.

• Follow today's guest on Instagram @nathanthiessenmusic and on Twitter @NateT93
• Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141
• Check out Fruitless on YouTube
• Find more of Josiah’s work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsutton
• Follow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton

References

• The Emery Episode, Spotify Playlist, https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5rfYKX6Os6RiyWyhVpyyQS?si=87257b46a1c6433c
• "BCPOD 22 David Bazan of Pedro the Lion," Bad Christian, https://open.spotify.com/episode/6C91sZZAdfMalhbLLKL1U0?si=9884b165081e4c7d
• NPR, All Things Considered, "Christians Turn To Podcasts To Say Things They Can't Say In Church," https://www.npr.org/transcripts/518644045?storyId=518644045/?storyId=518644045
• "What Would Jesus Sell? w. Toby Morrell (Bad Christian / Emery)," The System is Down on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76adDwor0rc
• songmeanings.com
• "Christian Rocker, 10-Year Mars Hill Member Says Mark Driscoll Resignation Is 'Good News'," The Christian Post, https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-rocker-10-year-mars-hill-member-says-mark-driscoll-resignation-is-good-news.html
• "Matt Carter," Rise Seattle Podcast, http://www.riseseattlepodcast.com/podcast/2017/10/16/s2-e3-matt-carter-bad-christians-in-seattle
• "Toby Morrell," Christian Metal Group FB on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnxKTBSp4Y8

Audio credits

• Jesus Freak - dc Talk
• Walls - Emery
• NPR, All Things Considered, "Christians Turn To Podcasts To Say Things They Can't Say In Church."
• "What Would Jesus Sell? w. Toby Morrell (Bad Christian / Emery)," The System is Down on YouTube
• Yesterday – bloom.
• The Party Song - Emery
• World Away - Emery
• Cutthroat Collapse - Emery
• Fractions - Emery
• Bloodless - Emery
• So Cold I Could See My Breath - Emery
• Studying Politics - Emery
• Returning the Smile You Have Had From the Start - Emery
• Listening to Freddie Mercury - Emery
• Rock-N-Rule - Emery
• Can't Stop the Killer - Emery
• Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus - Emery
• Butcher's Mouth - Emery
• The Smile, The Face - Emery