It was sort of a strange ending for three-time Dove Award winner Tenth Avenue North. Set to disband after 20 years with a highly touted farewell tour in 2020, the celebrated quartet never got their chance. Cut short due to the global pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, the band was left sitting at home.
For lead singer Mike Donehey, he was wondering what his next move would be in Christian music, a time he remembers as his “wilderness” moment.
“Surrender, surrender, surrender. Trust, trust, trust,” says Donehey, who originally formed the band in 2000 with longtime drummer Jason Jamison. “If you ever want to know what I’m struggling with or what I’m learning, just look at the songs that I release and that will give you a good indication of what’s going on in my brain.”
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The last five years have been a bit of a journey, encompassing two EP solo records, a podcast hosting gig, a book he wrote and published, touring as a solo artist, and, in 2024, the decision to reform Tenth Avenue North with a new set of backing musicians.
“Every guy in my (current) band is a producer in their own right,” shares Donehey about his new bandmates Thomas Ewing (guitar), Monty Rivera (keyboard, bass), and Payden Hillard (drums). “Every guy has toured with mega, huge artists. Every guy is so talented. I’m in no way discrediting the band we were, but I’ve never played with musicians this good.”
Donehey joins us to chat about what God has taught him through two decades in contemporary Christian music (CCM), and his excitement for Tenth Avenue North’s first studio album release in six years, “Learning to Trust.”
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