In Part 1 of my interview with Carman, the quintessential pioneering Christian pop artist updated us on his health, the lessons he's learned, and his experiences with relationships since the revelation of his diagnosis.

Whether he set out intentionally or not to capture all of these feelings, and his overriding trust in God during this process of creating No Plan B, Carman has released an album that over and over again declares God's tender care of His kids, and that in the end, "everything's going to be all right."

Now, after eight months of intense cancer treatment, Carman is gearing up to take that message on the road with his Live Across America tour, where he'll bring a new energy, new intensity, and yes, new songs to more than 100 cities across the country.

I talked to Carman about the album, the tour, the state of Christian music, and the things he still dreams about. 

How would you say No Plan B stacks up in the anthology of Carman albums? How does it stand apart?

Oh wow. Man, I wouldn't know. I don't even know if I'm the one to evaluate that. 

Sure, sure.

The only thing I can do is say is this as true and as honest to what I'm feeling and thinking and hearing at this stage of my life and what I'm going through right now? Have I been honest with everything? Have I been accurate? Did I say what I felt like the Lord wanted me to say? And in the way I think He wanted me to say it? If I can say that, then that's a home run to me.

Now, whether it succeeds or whether it sells I don't know. That's another issue. I mean, it's like before when I did Revival in the Land. And Revival in the Land has a sequence where I'm talking to the devil, you know. And then it has a guy going in and talking to a witch and telling him he's going to judgment. 

And then the next record we did a tongue-in-cheek sort of Satan bites the dust like a shoot out at the OK Corral. And there's a thing we did where a guy dies and goes to heaven. So for one record we go to hell, the next record we go to heaven. How do you compare those two? You don't, cause this is what He was saying to me at this stage of the game, and that's what He was saying to me then, and this is what I have to say now. So it is what it is. 
 
Yeah, that's a great answer. You, of course, are never stuck or pinned to one genre or style of music. I mean this album has gospel elements, dance, salsa, latin, some synth stuff, power ballads. I mean, you've got it all. What do you listen to these days that inspires you?

I don't really listen to music that much. Honest, I'm not a music aficionado. If you catch me in my car and if you see me listening to something, it's probably a book on tape. I listen to biographies, and life stories, and things like that. Very rarely do I listen to music. When I go to write a song, I just don't want to have other melodies running through my head. You know? And I don't want to feel like I'm trying to sound like someone else. 

So if you listen to my record, I don't think I'm trying to sound like anybody else. 

Nope, that's absolutely true.

It's funny because when we first started to do the record, we sat down and I said "OK, let's see what's going on in Christian music today." So we played this track that was put together on YouTube of all the number 1 Christian hits over the past 5 years. Everything that hit number 1. And it was like 20 seconds of each song, 20 or 30 seconds of each song, back to back to back to back to back. Man, I'm telling you! They all sounded so similar! They just all had a very similar sound!

I said "is it my imagination, or are they all sounding kind of a lot alike?" Now, there was a few different ones, you know, that popped up that would stand out. But they were the exceptions to the rule, because the general rule was that there's a sound, and this is what gets airplay, so this is what we want to sound like so that we can get airplay. And I think what happens is that artistically, we stop reaching, and we start writing music for purposes that doesn't stretch us artistically. 

Do you feel like that's a recent phenomenon, or do you feel like it's been that way for a while since you've been in the game for a long time?

I think it's more recent than it is... I think it's more something that really started to develop really heavy back in the late 90s when getting crossover hits became a really big deal. Because you know, the record companies [inaudible] that sells a lot of records. So if this person has a chance to sell, to do a crossover, they can sell a lot of records. So some artists would start writing to appease their record companies. Because otherwise they might not get a contract. I mean, let's be honest. These guys are fighting for their lives.
 
Especially these days.

Yeah, I mean, it's getting tougher and tougher. And it puts artists in a squeezed position as opposed to a more freewheeling position. You know, where they don't have, they're not celebrated for their uniqueness. They're more evaluated by how well they're going to fit into the format of top Christian radio. Cause that's going to sell a lot of records. And the pressure's on.

So it's a rough thing, and it does affect the artists, and it does effect their art. And probably a lot of the things that they could be writing is stuff that they probably would never put on a record because they think someone would laugh at them, you know? And a lot of times they'll save those songs for when they go live, cause they know "well, I'll do this live because everybody goes nuts when I do this, but I'm never gonna put it on a record because the record company would laugh at me." 

It's like "bro, that's the very stuff you should be recording!" That's what will make you unique. Those are some of the wars I had to go through. 

Yeah, that's what I appreciate about you and your music. You're very overt in what you say, it's very original. It's just, it's very you, and like you said, it's not really imitating somebody else. Now, regarding the tour that's coming up, now did I read correctly that you're planning to hit around 100 venues by the time this is over? 

I hope so. That'd be good.

Now, are you doing this in stages, in legs? Because so far it looks like maybe into June and July is booked so far. Talk about this first leg and how you're planning this whole thing out.

Well, I think we're doing like the average four days a week, sometimes five. As long as I'm on a bus and I can sleep, I'm fine. I'd rather go out and when I'm out be busy than just hang around. 
 
Right. Well, we hope out here in the West to get you around here soon. It looks like you're on the east for the first leg here. 

Yeah. I mean, I've been sitting in a hospital bed and in an apartment for like nine months straight on chemotherapy. I want to get out and do something.

Yeah! Is there anything you can sort of reveal to us about what it's going to be like on stage? Is it going to be just you? Are you going to have people traveling with you? Bands? What can we expect from this Live Across America tour?

Well, I've always opted for production over band members. Just by the types of songs that I'm more into writing. And I listen to the songs, and think what's the best way to articulate these songs. Cause some of these songs, in order to really pull them off live, I need too many guys on stage. I'd need a nine piece band and singers. So I've always opted for just something really unique in production. Because people want to see something special. 

And if a group has a band and that band creates their sounds, well then they have to have that band out there. They can't just send their lead singer with tracks. That's a different creative zone. Or if somebody doesn't-- they need that band to really come alive and perform properly, well you know, that's their art. You've got to listen to the artist, listen to what they say, whatever they need to come alive on stage, give it to them! Let them work it out. 

For me I'm a bit more of a storyteller, so songs have a tendency to be a little bit more visual. So what we're doing, we're doing six four by ten foot LED walls across the back of me. So as I'm singing, whatever I'm singing is kind of being articulated on the wall behind me like a moving backdrop for all the music. So it's going to be pretty interesting. I hope it works out great. I don't know, you know? It's something new, I've never had to compete with LED screens, but hopefully it'll work out great. 
 
You're always known for your production value in your live shows, and sort of your flair for the dramatic, if you will. And so I'm sure this will continue that trend. What do you feel like is left for you to do? What do you and God still dream about? 

Well, so far I was just really dreaming about surviving this whole ordeal for right now. And getting back on tour, and just doing what I've been created to do. I mean, that's pretty simple. 

Absolutely. Well, how can we be praying for you in this upcoming season here?

The tour, man. We just need to have people come out to a tour or else the tour's going to shut down. 

I think you've been surprised along the way here, and I'm sure the surprises will continue. Well Carman, it's been a pleasure, I really thank you for the time, and looking forward to seeing you when you head out this way. And I'm excited to see how this all shakes out. 

Thank you.