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The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

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Album Release

Album Releases For The Month Of August!

Today we talked about all the new music and albums coming from your artists here on WNZR! There’s one already out, and there a few new ones to come as well!

MercyMe has debuted their twelfth studio album, Wonder & Awe last Friday, August 8th!

With thirteen tracks on this one, the band takes a twist on the kind of style of music audiences would expect for them to put out. Lead singer Bart Millard described it as feeling like being in a teenage garage band, where they get to make music they are having fun with, and not be put under an expectation of what kind of style of music to make.

The album title, Wonder & Awe speaks as a theme of wanting to go back to that place of adventure, surprise, and as the title suggests, wonder and awe. Millard said one time “I mean think about it, not much surprises us these days”. And no wonder! With all the information we need in the palms of our hand. So the band wants to take us back “to eyes open wide” and “to that kid who once believed he was always made to fly”. When listening through this record, you can tell the band had a lot of fun putting this one together!

To read the full album review on JesusFreakHideout, click HERE!

Katy Nichole is releasing her second full-length studio album, Honest Conversations, on Friday, August 15th!

With her previous record, Jesus Changed My Life, Katy Nichole touched hearts with her honest, touching, and passionate lyrics that filled her songs. This album is bringing more of that heartfelt honesty that speaks to people worldwide.

It’s incredible to see how the Lord uses Nichole’s struggles to speak through to others who are going something tragic as well. We got to see a little of what this album will be like by getting to hear Katy Nichole’s song When I Fall when she released it 8 months ago!

To learn more about this upcoming record, click HERE!

Josiah Queen is debuting his second full-length studio album, Mt. Zion, on Friday, August 22nd!

With a unique style of folk-pop music, Queen is bringing that same unique style in new ways on this upcoming record! We’ve gotten to hear a few songs that will be on this record, such as Can’t Steal My Joy (feat. Brandon Lake) and Dusty Bibles!

We’ve seen Queen’s social media go viral ever since his big hit The Prodigal, and when he teases snippets of his new music, it almost never fails to bring excitement to listeners all over!

To hear more of what Josiah Queen said about this upcoming release, click HERE!

Keep David Crowder in your prayers for these next few weeks! He broke his leg last week, saying “I’m not near as athletic as I thought I was-“, and because of this he said he will also be missing a couple of shows as a result.

This week’s Song Poetry is a returning stumper! That means we weren’t able to find a winner for Song Poetry, so the winner of this one takes home three $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Here were the lyrics:

Come see all the captives run free
He’s tearing down the walls
He’s tearing down the walls
There’s grave shaking power when we sing
The Name above them all
Your Name above them all

These Song Poetry lyrics were from Phil Wickham’s The King Is In The Room! And for this week’s returning stumper, congratulations goes to Connie from Centerburg for being the first to call in and guess the song title and artist correctly!

Tune in tomorrow for a fun day of fun facts on Who Knew Wednesday, and for a game of Who Am I?, which is also a stumper, so tune in from 4-6pm for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

Happy Birthday Katy Nichole!

Today on Artist Newsday we celebrated Katy Nichole’s birthday, and with that we went over all that she has accomplished in this past year! We also got updated with what’s happening with Forrest Frank and his back injury.

Katy Nichole was born today, July 29, 2000, making her 25 years of age this year. Since her last birthday in 2024, Katy Nichole has appeared on the NZ Top 10 with her song When I Fall, speaking to listeners far and wide with her deeply honest song which emphasized her desperation for God through very painful moments in her life. This song is set to appear on her brand new full-length album coming out on August 15th, which is called Honest Conversations!

Forrest Frank has been recovering in bed since his injury a week-and-a-half ago when he fell off his skateboard at his home, breaking his back. He fractured his L3 and his L4, and this is what he has been up to since then.

Forrest says on his Instagram account, “Following God is kind of hilarious because I’m feeling thankful for my back breaking???????” He goes on to declare, “Drugs don’t do this, money can’t do this, nothing else…. only JESUS”. Forrest is finding joy in every circumstance he finds himself in… even in the midst of recovering from a broken back. What an example he is leading to a generations young and old on social media– To rejoice always, glorifying God no matter what situation he finds himself in!

Today we pulled some lyrics from a song we heard on The Afternoon Drive and played Song Poetry! Here were the lyrics we picked today:

Come see all the captives run free
He’s tearing down the walls
He’s tearing down the walls
There’s grace shaking power when we sing
The Name above them all
Your Name above them all

Today’s Song Poetry was a stumper! If you think you know which song these lyrics are from, and who sings this song, listen in next week during The Afternoon Drive and give us the answer! If you can guess this stumper, you will get two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for some fun facts for Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

We’re “Counting Our Blessings”, Listening To Seph Schlueter’s New Full-Length Album!

We’re absolutely loving the music Seph Schlueter has been putting out! We get to see some of our favorites from him, and some brand new ones, in a full-length, 11-song album called “Counting My Blessings”, including the title track which was his first big hit!

On Artist Newsday today, we went more in depth with Seph’s new album that is out now, Josiah Queen’s new album, and something new coming from a band from the vault we hear on WNZR, called Kutless!

Seph Schlueter blows us away with his style of music that the Lord has spoken through to so many people, touching so many lives. This album reminds us of God’s grace and that His grace is always sufficient for us and never runs out. It’s an album full of worship and gratitude towards God. We’ve been so blessed to hear songs like Running Back To You and the title track, Counting My Blessings, on WNZR, which you can find on this new album!

With this new release, Seph will be taking his these new songs with him on his Counting My Blessings Tour this Fall alongside a favorite new artist, bodie! They’ll be stopping at The George in Cincinnati, Ohio on Thursday, October 2nd! You can find more details and ticket information on the Concert page on our website by clicking HERE!

What can you look forward to next with new album releases? You can keep an eye out for Josiah Queen, who’s releasing a new, full-length album titled MT. ZION. This new album includes the new one from Josiah and Brandon Lake, Can’t Steal My Joy, alongside some songs of his that have been blowing up on social media! God is once again using artists like Josiah to spread the love of God to areas like social media, and spread the Good News of the Gospel to people who may not have heard that much about Jesus or what He did to pay for each and every one of all our sins!

Josiah Queen be here in Ohio soon, joining the stage with Tauren Wells at the Ohio State Fair on Monday, July 28th! Keep listening in for ticket giveaways for this concert! We’re doing Tauren Wells and Josiah Queen trivia questions, and whoever calls in first with the correct answer takes home two tickets to the concert! Don’t miss your chance and tune into The Morning Thing, 6am – 9am, and The Afternoon Drive, 4pm – 6pm! More details about this concert and the Ohio State Fair can be found HERE on our website!

With their unique and hard rock style, the band Kutless creates a Revelation-inspired 6-song EP which is called The Seventh Seal. You can find this new EP on their YouTube channel, by clicking HERE and find it where they stream music!

Today we played Song Poetry! We took a segment of lyrics from one of the songs we heard during The Afternoon Drive. Here were the lyrics we had for Song Poetry today:

I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You,
I’d probably fall off the edge.
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go,
So keep me held in Your hands.

This week’s song was… “Thank God I Do” from Lauren Daigle! Congratulations to Janell from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing both the song title and artist correctly, taking home the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for a game of Who Am I? and some fun facts on Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

TobyMac is bringing a very special tour to Ohio!

Today is a very special Artist News Day! We’ve got news from TobyMac, a unique tour from him, Seph Schlueter, releasing his first full length album and announcing a full tour along with it, and news from Stars Go Dim as well!

Last week, TobyMac announced the Heaven On My Mind Start To Finish Tour, and it’s a little different from other tours he has taken. He’s stopping at the Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, OH on November 6th, which is one of five states he will be visiting on this tour! This is an intimate, more personal concert, where TobyMac will be performing his entire latest record live from start to finish, as the name suggests! Not only that, he’ll also be performing other great hits from his earlier records as well!

Ticket sales go live tomorrow, Wednesday, July 2nd and if you want to buy tickets, click HERE! The concert is on November 6th, at 7PM!

TobyMac’s latest record is called “Heaven on My Mind”, where TobyMac is on the other side of grieving the tragic loss of his son, Truett. This record is deeply honest, and as the record title says, after everything TobyMac has gone through, he has Heaven on his mind, keeping his “eye on the prize”, so to speak. He is counting on God, and he’s diving in even deeper into his trust in God!

Seph Schlueter is coming out with a his first ever full-length album on July 11th! It will have a whole 17 songs on it, and includes collabs with the likes of Matt Maher and Essential Worship. Alongside this album release, he’s going on tour with this record and all of his other songs, so you’ll get to hear songs like “Counting My Blessings”, “Running Back To You”, and many more! He’s coming to Cincinnati, OH with bodie to bring you a fun, worship-filled night! If you want to order tickets for this concert, click HERE!

Stars Go Dim is releasing a full length album called Roses on July 11th! Check it out HERE!

Today we played Song Poetry! Here were the lyrics we took from a song we’ve heard during today’s show:

I will not be afraid
In the end, you will lose
I will dance on your grace
With the one who buried you.

Today’s song was “Oh Death” from MercyMe! Congratulations to Kelly from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing the song and artist correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

Third Day Returns For 30th Anniversary Tour!!! MercyMe’s 12th Full Length Album Release!!!

Today’s Artist Newsday is packed with exciting news! MercyMe is releasing their twelfth full length album called “Wonder & Awe”, which includes songs like “Oh Death”, which we hear on WNZR! Not only that, but Third Day is back for the first time in such a long time, with their 30th Anniversary Tour, featuring a Zach Williams!

We haven’t seen Third Day on the road since 2018 after their Farewell Tour and lead singer Mac Powell decided to pursue a solo career. They will be in Dayton, Ohio on May 7th, but if you want to go, be prepared. Their last tour, the Farewell Tour, sold out in just twelve minutes, so if you want tickets for this tour, they’ll be available this Friday at 10am! If you want to save the link, click here!

MercyMe has been anticipating listeners with their newest full length album! They have given us a taste of what “Wonder & Awe”, their new album, is going to look and sound like with their song “Oh Death”, and they have announced this record will release on August 8th on streaming services! They talked about their upcoming record, the heart behind it, and what they want listeners to take away from listening to it on their YouTube channel!

Today we played song poetry! We picked four lines of lyrics from a song we hear on WNZR, and spoke it like a poem! Here were the lyrics to our Song Poetry:

Yeah, I don’t always feel it,
Yeah, but that’s when I need it the most.
So, I’ma keep on singing,
‘Til my soul catches up with my song.

Today’s song was Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah”! Congratulations to Brylan from Mount Vernon for guessing the title and artist correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow on Wednesday for a game of Who Am I? and Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

The King Of All… The King Of Hearts

Today is Artist News Day, and one WNZR artist keep very busy as of recent. Brandon Lake has released his highly anticipated, full release album called “King Of Hearts”. It includes some beloved songs heard on WNZR from the likes of “That’s Who I Praise”, “I Know A Name”, and “Hard Fought Hallelujah”.

However, Brandon decided he wasn’t going to end with only 16 songs on his full release, so he came back just a few days later with his Deluxe version of his album, “King Of Hearts (Full Deck Deluxe Version)”. He added 8 more songs to the mix, bringing the deluxe album to 24 songs in total!

And on top of all of that, Brandon is going on tour with these new songs! He will be in Ohio on October 12, so if you want tickets for that concert, you can find it on our full list of concerts HERE!

Our other artist news involves Blessing Offor and his new album that he recently announced is coming! Titled “Real”, this album is set to be released on the 8th of August with a whole 16 songs scheduled to arrive with this one!

If you want to see the full report on this new album, click HERE!

Today we played song poetry! Here were the lyrics we chose from a song played on WNZR:

A thousand generations falling down in worship
To sing the song of ages to the Lamb.
And all who’ve gone before us, and all who will believe
Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb.

The song today was “Holy Forever” from Chris Tomlin! Congratulations to Michelle from Mount Vernon for guessing the title and artist correctly, winning that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for Who Knew Wednesday, and a game of Who Am I? from 4-6pm!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

New Album Drops From Current & Old Artists!

Do you remember Tenth Avenue North? It’s been five years since we have seen something new from them aside from some singles released throughout the years, but this week on Artist News Day, we talked about their brand new full release album, called “Learning to Trust”. Alongside that, we talked about Jon Reddick releasing his new one called “No Fear”, which includes the title track that has been exploding on the charts as of recent.

After being disbanded for a little over 5 years, we see Tenth Avenue North getting back together, bringing us a whole 14 songs on their latest release, “Learning to Trust”. As they reunite, we’re seeing new faces, and regarding that, the band stated, “We’re a new band that happens to have an old catalog that you love!” If you want to see more of what the band has to say, click here!

This is the band’s 10th full length album, and they dropped it last Friday, May 30th! It’s everywhere you stream music, and it’s called “Learning to Trust”.

We have loved the song from Jon Reddick called “No Fear”! It turns out that is the title track for Jon Reddick’s full length album that he released on Friday, May 30th as well! The album also includes another song we love, “I Believe It”, which was our theme for Lifeline 2024! Click here to here Jon Reddick talk about nis new

Jon Reddick has shown so much gratitude for the support and love you have shown toward the songs he’s been putting out. He’s going to be going on tour with these new songs, on CAIN’s “Live and In Color” tour, coming in November! He’ll be in Grove City, OH at The Naz Church, and that’ll start at 7pm! If you want to hear his top songs and maybe some of his new songs live, be sure to catch him there!

Today is Tuesday, so that means we played Song Poetry to win that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Here is what our song poetry was today:

How long will I have to fight
Just for me to stay alive?
I know You’re there God, please
Just meet me here tonight.

Today’s Song Poetry was a stumper! If you think you know what song this is and who sang this song, come back next week on Tuesday and give us your answer for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Make sure to tune in tomorrow for a game of Who Am I, where we give you 5 biographical facts about a person, and you try to guess who it is!

Thank you for listening! See you tomorrow afternoon!
– Xander and Ethan

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