When Mac Powell left his role as the frontman for the Christian band Third Day, he tried his hand at country — an itch he’d been eager to scratch for years — but ultimately, he said, it left him unfulfilled.
The “Soul on Fire” singer-songwriter recently spoke with CBN Digital about how his career has evolved since Third Day — a Grammy-winning mainstay in the Christian rock genre — disbanded in 2018 after 25 years together.
Listen to them on the latest episode of “Quick Start” 👇
When he first left Third Day, Powell did something he’d always wanted to do: he made a country album.
“That was like scratching an itch I had for a long time,” he explained. “Once Third Day was over, I finally had a chance to do that, but I always knew I was gonna be in Christian music. That’s where I feel comfortable. I love singing about Jesus and sharing my faith through my music.”
Powell released his first solo Christian album, “New Creation,” in 2021. The success of that record ultimately led the 50-year-old singer to launch a tour, and he’s been on the road since.
He is finishing up a fall tour and, after Thanksgiving week, will join K-LOVE’s “Celebrate Christmas” tour beginning Nov. 29. And, starting early next year, Powell will join fellow Christian artist TobyMac on his “Hits Deep” tour, featuring other singers like Jon Reddick, Cory Asbury, and Tasha Layton.
As for his new holiday music, Powell just released an EP, “Christmas.” The five-track album includes holiday mainstays as well as a couple new songs, like “Christmas Time Again My Friend,” which he cowrote with his daughter Scout and her husband, Alec, both of whom are currently traveling with him.
“Man, what a privilege to have my baby girl out on the road with me and my son-in-law,” Powell said of Scout, who plays bass, and Alec, who plays drums. “We’re having a blast.”
He later added, “I’m kind of reliving how I started out through them again. I’m getting that freshness again of getting to see the joy and excitement that they have. Not that it’s gotten old on my by any means; it’s still exciting to be able to do that. But now to be able to bring them in and experience it again with them for the first time, it’s a really special time.”
You can listen to the rest of our conversation with Powell in the latest episode of CBN’s “Quick Start.”
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***