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Artist News Day

Amy Grant returns; Tasha’s short film

Today, we shared news about Amy Grant’s new album and Tasha Layton’s short film for ‘Meet Me in the Valley’ from our friends at JesusFreakHideout.com.

On Friday, May 8th, 6-time Grammy Award-winning artist and Christian music legend Amy Grant released her brand-new album, The Me That Remains. The project marks her first collection of all-original songs in nearly 13 years and offers a deeply personal reflection from an artist approaching 50 years in her groundbreaking career. To celebrate the album’s release, The Museum of Christian & Gospel Music will host a special Amy Grant Pop-Up Exhibit featuring original mixed-media artwork by Wayne Brezinka created for the album cover. Inspired by themes of memory and restoration, the piece incorporates meaningful items from Grant’s life, including fragments of a treasured quilt, seashells from her collection, her childhood Bible, and an article about her grandfather. I (Brock Hankins) actually listened to a few songs from the record, and my favorite by far was The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm). It’s a track that evokes nostalgia, as well as reflects the grief that comes with growing older! Definitely check out the album if you’re interested!

Additionally, triple-threat singer-songwriter, author, and worship leader Tasha Layton is inviting audiences into one of the most personal seasons of her life with the premiere of a new short film inspired by her latest single, “Meet Me In The Valley.” The film offers an intimate look at Layton’s journey into stillness, surrender, and spiritual renewal as she stepped away from the noise of everyday life to seek a deeper connection with God. Earlier this year, Layton spent three days alone in Death Valley National Park, home to the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. What began as a personal retreat became a transformative experience marked by reflection, healing, and renewed faith. The 30-minute film captures the raw moments and revelations from her time in the desert, bringing to life the heart behind her current radio single. The short film is free to view on YouTube, so definitely check it out if you’re interested!

Ask me why I’m smiling

Ask me why I’m free

Ask me why there’s joy, joy, joy inside of me

My heart has found its reason

To wake up every day

So ask me why I’m smiling

And this is what I’ll say

It’s a stumper for another week!

Thanks for listening to the Afternoon Drive,

  • Joe & Brock

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Seph Schlueter Hits RIAA Platinum Certification!

Seph Schlueter debuted to radio in a smashing success with his song Counting My Blessings, which peaked at #1 on The NZ Top 10 for a number of weeks!

Even after it’s time on the charts, Seph’s song reached another accomplishment, recently becoming RIAA Platinum certified! What this means is that this song has sold or downloaded 1 million units, an achievement that doesn’t happen often.

Not only that, Seph’s first three singles, Counting My Blessings, Running Back To You, and Won’t Start Now all hit #1 after their release, making Seph the first artist since the 90s to reach this feat.

In the image shown above, Seph is shown to be presented with three plaques, celebrating the success of all three songs.

Seph now has released his fourth single, Valley Of Worship. Will he hit a fourth number 1?

For more information, click here!

Listen to Seph’s current single, Valley Of Worship, here!

Here are this week’s Song Poetry lyrics!

Ask me why I’m smiling
Ask me why I’m free
Ask me why there’s joy, joy, joy inside of me
My heart has found its reason
To wake up every day
So ask me why I’m smiling
And this is what I’ll say

This week’s Song Poetry is a stumper! That means next week, these same lyrics will be worth two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica. Make sure you tune in at 5:15PM on Tuesday next week on The Afternoon Drive!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I?!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Jamie MacDonald Performs on the Kelly Clarkson Show!

Jamie MacDonald has been making waves since her debut single Desperate, which only took 12 weeks to hit #1!

She hasn’t stopped there. Jamie made her television debut appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, featuring a song from her first and latest self-titled album!

Watch and listen to Jamie MacDonald’s performance of her song Won’t Let Go on The Kelly Clarkson Show here!

Jamie is also making her Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, May 1st! To read more about this upcoming appearance, click HERE!

We Are Messengers are back with their 5th studio album, Halfway Home!

This new 13-track record is set to explore “the tension between the now and not yet.” Darren Mulligan, lead singer of We Are Messengers, talks about the need for other believers in his faith journey, a theme this album explores throughout.

This project will release this fall, on Friday, September 25th. More information can be found HERE!

We had a stumper this week for Song Poetry! Here were this week’s lyrics:

Go tell the world about Me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Congratulations to Bonnie from Mount Vernon for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist. Because this week’s Song Poetry is a stumper, Bonnie will be taking home two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I!

Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

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Ben Fuller is Coming to Ohio!

Ben is bringing raw testimony and real faith on the road with him on The Black Sheep Tour! He’s making a stop in Lancaster, Ohio this weekend on Sunday, April 19th, and we’re so excited to give you a chance to go out and see him live!

This week, The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive are giving away a pair of tickets for The Black Sheep Tour on Wednesday, 4/15 and Thursday, 4/16!

To win tickets, listen in during The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive, and be caller #3 to win!

This concert you have a chance to go to will be in Lancaster, Ohio, on Sunday, April 19th! Ben is also bringing his friends Band Reeves, a new country band, with him!

With a night full of transparent honesty, Ben is bringing songs like Who Am I, Turn, and of course, Black Sheep, which you’ll hear all of that and many more live!

The concerts starts at 7PM, so make sure you arrive about an hour early as doors start to open!

Ticket information for The Black Sheep Tour can be found HERE!

Did you hear that Ben Fuller recently got engaged? Here’s Ben’s post about his proposal during a music festival!

Here are this week’s Song Poetry lyrics!

Go tell the world about Me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

This week’s Song Poetry is a stumper! That means next week, these same lyrics will be worth two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica. Make sure you tune in at 5:15PM on Tuesday next week on The Afternoon Drive!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I?!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Anne Wilson Sings The National Anthem at NASA’s Artemis II Launch!

NASA’s Artemis II has officially launched, taking multiple astronauts to orbit the moon!

Anne Wilson was excited to be performing The National Anthem before Artemis II’s launch!

Anne said this on social media:

“What an incredible honor it was to sing the National Anthem at the Artemis II launch!!! This moment feels so full circle for me. There was a time in my life when I dreamed of becoming an astronaut and working for @NASA.”

You can watch Anne’s performance here!

To learn more about this occasion, click HERE!

Yesterday, on April 6th, the Artemis II astronauts woke up to Mandisa and TobyMac’s Good Morning!

We’re so excited to see the astronauts on this mission expressing glory to the Lord!

If you want to remember Mandisa’s Good Morning, check out her live performance on Good Morning America here!

We had a stumper on Song Poetry from last week! Here are this week’s lyrics:

He’s not done with me, not done with you
No matter what we’re going through
Our hope is in an empty tomb
And the God that’s still not in it

Congratulations to Isabella from Mount Vernon for correctly guessing the song title and artist! Isabella will be taking home two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I?!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Legacy Artist Switchfoot Returns With Upcoming Album!

Do you remember Switchfoot from back in the day? How could we forget– with songs like This Is Home, Gone, and Dare You To Move, this band has left a mark on Christian music!

Switchfoot are back at it again with a brand new album, Forever Now, set to release this summer on Friday, June 26.

The band has already given us a first look at this project with their brand new single, Wake Up, Mr. Crow.

Switchfoot’s bassist commented on this upcoming release, “Making an album is like climbing a mountain — an intentional step forward for the band and the story we are telling. The time between albums gave us space to rebuild our creative energy. And last year, we knew it was finally time to start climbing again.”

The band is coming back fresh, and ready to bring some new music to listeners after 5 years since their last release!

To learn more about their return and new album Forever Now, click HERE!

Here is Switchfoot’s first song called Wake Up, Mr. Crow, from their new album releasing this summer, June 26!

Rend Collective is back on the road again this Spring, and they’re making a stop in Ohio on their U.S. Tour 2026!

This time around, they’re visiting our Knox County neighbor, Newark, Ohio, in Licking County!

They’ll be at the Midland Theatre, in Newark, Ohio, on Saturday, April 11, starting at 6PM for Early Entry, and 7PM for General Admission.

Hailing from Northern Ireland, they’re bringing your favorite hits like Build Your Kingdom Here, Hallelujah Anyway, and you may even catch some of your new favorites from them as well!

Tickets to see Rend Collective Live can be found HERE!

Rend Collective recently made a sea chanty! Check it out here:

We had a stumper on Song Poetry this week! Here were this week’s lyrics:

He’s not done with me, not done with you
No matter what we’re going through
Our hope is in an empty tomb
And the God that’s still not in it

This week’s Song Poetry is a stumper! That means next week, these same lyrics will be worth two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica. Make sure you tune in at 5:15PM on Tuesday next week on The Afternoon Drive!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I?!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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NEEDTOBREATHE Brand New Album, Phil Wickham’s Spring Tour!

We’re seeing some new music from NEEDTOBREATHE in their 10th studio album, The Long Surrender. It releases this Friday, March 27 at midnight!

With twelve brand new songs, the band gets personal by pouring real and raw into every lyric.

Listen to the title track to their latest album here:

To learn more about their album, The Long Surrender, click HERE!

NEEDTOBREATHE is also hitting the road this fall with some new songs from this record on their The Long Surrender Tour!

The band will be stopping in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Jacobs Pavilion on Friday, August 28, 2026. The show will start at 7PM.

For ticket information, click HERE!

Phil Wickham has kicked off his Song Of The Saints Tour, and he’s coming to Columbus, Ohio!

He’s taking some of your favorite Phil Wickham classics as well as some new songs from his Song Of The Saints album, with Tauren Wells and Jamie MacDonald joining him!

You can see Phil with the Song Of The Saints Tour at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, April 17th! The show starts at 7PM, so make sure you arrive at least an hour early as doors open earlier!

Ticket information can be found HERE!

Here is Phil’s new song Homesick For Heaven, from his Song Of The Saints album!

Here were this week’s Song Poetry lyrics!

Take my life and let it be
My soul devoted Lord to Thee
Take my moments and all my days
Make them endless praise

These lyrics were from Let It Be A Hallelujah by Lauren Daigle!

Congratulations to Trevor from Saint Louisville for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist! He will be taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? Wednesday fun facts, and a game of Who Am I?.

Thank you for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

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Deluxe Albums from Phil Wickham and Zach Williams!

Do you ever wish there was just a little more an artist would add to a brand new album? Well, sometimes artists will release deluxe versions of their albums, which adds a few new songs and brand new collabs on songs you know and love!

Phil Wickham – Song Of The Saints (Deluxe)

If you’ve loved hearing songs from Phil Wickham’s Song Of The Saints album, like The King Is In The Room, What An Awesome God, and Phil’s latest single Homesick For Heaven, you will love hearing new versions of these songs, along with some other new songs on Phil’s Song Of The Saints (Deluxe) album!

New Versions
– The King Is In The Room (Live)
– What An Awesome God (Song Session) (with Michael W. Smith)
– Homesick For Heaven (Petey Remix)

Here is that new version of What An Awesome God featuring Michael W. Smith here:

To learn more about Phil’s deluxe album, click HERE!

Phil Wickham is also taking a lot of his songs from his Song Of The Saints album on tour with Tauren Wells and Jamie MacDonald!

You can see Phil with the Song Of The Saints Tour at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, April 17th! The show starts at 7PM, so make sure you arrive at least an hour early as doors open earlier!

Ticket information can be found HERE!

Zach Williams – Jesus Loves (Deluxe)

Zach Williams’ song Jesus Loves, which climbed into The NZ Top 10 for some time, is the title track of his latest album. Zach has added a couple new songs and new versions of his songs on his Jesus Loves (Deluxe) album! Zach’s new song on WNZR, Wait For Me featuring Ben Fuller made its debut on this deluxe album!

New Versions
– Wait For Me (featuring Ben Fuller)
– Say A Prayer (featuring Thomas Rhett)
– If God Lives Here (New Studio Recording)

Here’s that new version of Zach’s song Wait For Me, featuring Ben Fuller! This new song can also be heard throughout the day on 90.9FM WNZR!

To learn more about Zach’s deluxe album, click HERE!

Zach Williams will be Third Day’s very special guest on their 30th Anniversary Tour!

They will be stopping at the Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, on Thursday, May 7, and the concert will start at 7PM. Make sure you arrive at least an hour early as doors open earlier!

Ticket information can be found HERE!

Here were this week’s Song Poetry lyrics:

I’ve gone where the hopeless go, the dead end of a broken road
And I’ve learned there’s a place so low you can’t see your way out
Been stuck in a ditch so deep, thought it might be the end of me
But I’m still here and there could only be one way how

These lyrics are found in the song God Story by Anne Wilson!

Congratulations to Lindsey from Fredericktown for correctly guessing the song title and artist for these Song Poetry lyrics! She’s taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant with a game of Who Am I?.

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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We Spoke with Darren Mulligan from We Are Messengers!

Today on The Afternoon Drive, we heard our conversation with Darren Mulligan and Ethan Hershberger about The Hope Nights Tour, featuring Danny Gokey, We Are Messengers, and special guest Jon Reddick!

Darren gives us some insight on why the tour was given the name “Hope Nights”, and what his heart posture is for these concerts. He also shares what hope means to him, as well as the importance of Christian radio and hearing songs that point to hope through the airwaves.

Listen to the full conversation on our SoundCloud here:

The Hope Nights Tour with Danny Gokey, We Are Messengers, and Jon Reddick will be stopping in Archbold, Ohio, at the Archbold Evangelical Church, this Friday, March 13th, with General Admission Doors opening at 6:15pm!

You have another chance to win a pair of tickets for The Hope Nights Tour Wednesday morning, 3/10, on The Morning Thing! Make sure you listen from 6-9am for you chance to win!

Lifeline 2026 is coming April 8th through the 13th! Wednesday, 4/8 – Day of Prayer and Praise, Thursday 4/9, Lifeline Choice Challenge,  Friday 4/10, Matching Challenge Day, Monday 4/13, Lifeline Wrap-Up Day.

For Lifeline 2026, our staff has found a way to say thank you to ministry partners.

We have Lifeline 2026 appreciation gifts for donations at designated levels.

  • Everyone that makes a donation will receive a Lifeline 2026 refrigerator magnet.
  • Donors giving $10 per month will receive a Lifeline 2026 Journal featuring the “God Did It!” theme.
  • The official Lifeline 2026 t-shirt, featuring the “God Did It!” theme, will be given for gifts of $25 per month.
  • A WNZR vintage full zip hooded sweatshirt will be given for donations of $50 per month.
     Keep watching our website to see pictures and a breakdown of our appreciation gifts.

The Lifeline Challenge is back for 2026. This challenge encourages individuals and families to support WNZR’s ministry and asks for a monthly donation of $25 dollars over the next 12 months. We are looking for 250 individuals and families to take our Lifeline Challenge. We offer a day sponsorship to every donor that gives monthly support at the $300 dollar level. The day sponsorship can be used to honor a special day or a special person. You can honor a birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation, engagement, or honor someone who has had an impact in your life! For more information about the Lifeline Challenge or the day sponsorship, call 740-392-9090 and ask for Marcy. Check out our website wnzr.fm!

Today on Game Time Tuesday, we played Song Poetry!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

I’ve crawled through the valley and the shadow of death
And somehow I walked out alive
I’ve run from my Father, I’ve run back again
Time after time after time

This week’s Song Poetry was from Have Your Way by Katy Nichole!

Congratulations to Trevor from Saint Louisville for calling in and being the first to correctly guess the song title and artist for these lyrics, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Thank you for listening!
– Gabriella and Ethan

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