Rock heads, rejoice. Manafest (Chris Greenwood) is back with Stones, an album with a heavy injection of rock and roll. The veteran artist hasn't dropped a dedicated rock album in five years--not since 2012's Fighter. But Manafest has turned up the volume on this one to amplify his spiritual message into the ears of music lovers.

Stones is Manafest's second independent release and his 10th album overall. The singer used kickstarter to connect directly with fans and raise funds for his new album. The singer himself invested more than $100,000 of his own money to finance Stones.

Manafest worked with a myriad of high-profile producers and musicians to create the album, including Adam Messinger (No Plan B, Magic!, Pitbull), Seth Mosley (Skillet, Newsboys), Joe Rickard (In Flames, RED), Lenny Skolnik and Sean Bowe (Howard Benson's team who produced P.O.D, Papa Roach and Three Days Grace). Manafest also shares his musical talents with Trevor McNevan, lead singer from Thousand Foot Krutch and longtime collaborator, on "Firestarter," and with Newport Church's Alicia Simila on "Amplifier." Manafest's wife, Melanie, contributed artwork for the album.

I got the full scoop on the album recently at a coffee shop in Manafest's hometown in Ontario.
 
You and your team have done a fantastic job on the new album, which just hit the stores. Can you name a few artists that you'd like to do collaborations with?
 
I'd love to work with Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park and Three Days Grace. I think it would be fun to do something with Skillet's lead singer John Cooper as well.

To date, you have two singles: "Stones" and "House of Cards." In my opinion, two smash hits--especially for rock heads like me. I like that you took the rock route for this effort. Besides me, how have others responded to your new songs?
 
When "Stones" hit the radio, it received a great response. And the same with "House of Cards." "Stones" is receiving a lot of airplay. It's my first single to chart on the Mainstream Top 40. It's neat to see how fans respond to these songs. Honestly, fans don't always respond so favorably. I've released duds before!
 
Your music is very diverse. You go from hard-hitting rock and hip hop anthems like "Impossible" and "Stones" to lighter R&B ballads, like "Pray" and "Everytime You Run." How do you know which song is going to be for what genre?
 
I decide beforehand what I'm going to write--hard rock anthems, hip hop hits or a heartfelt R&B ballad. Reborn is a hip-hop record; that album was very, very planned. The Moment is a very personal effort; at that time, I was in a much darker place. Stones is a rock record. The music on this album is a myriad of different sounds. A focused effort works better than splitting the genres. It becomes more diluted. Now, I'm in a better place. I know what I want, know what my fans want. 
 
It's great to have this kind of creative freedom--a benefit experienced by many independent artists. You took the indie route a couple years ago. How's that going for you?
 
It's great. Stones is my second independent album. As you mentioned, the freedom is amazing. Indie is definitely the way to go.

As an indie artist, you're in good company. Fireflight, MercyMe...

Thousand Foot Krutch is independent, too.

You got it. What have been some of the drawbacks of being an indie artist?

There is a lot of politics with labels and doors they can open, which are sometimes harder when you're an indie artist. But times are changing. The #1 benefit is I'm not getting ripped off and can actually see where the money is coming in. Labels don't exactly give you detailed expense reports and income statements. On the label's defense, I might not have had a successful career. They did take a chance on me. 

I understand that being independent impacts your music's radio play.

To be honest, I'm pretty disappointed with Christian radio. I feel they shunned me on my first indie album, Reborn. When I was a label artist, they played my music a lot. Air1, for example, played my last nine singles while I was tied to a label. The very first song I did independently, Air1 didn't add it. Next one, didn't add it. I feel Christian radio favors label players over indie artists. Everyone deserves fair play. 

Now that I'm moving into the mainstream, my music is getting played on bigger stations. God's got my back, and I'm very thankful. And I own my own music, which is incredible.

Do you own the rights to all your albums?
 
I have the rights to most of my albums, except for The Moment. I get those in 2018. 

Record labels can often be quite stringent on album rights. How were you able to get around that?

I have a really good lawyer. I also have a licensing deal where the label owns my records for a period of time, and then I get them back.
 
You mentioned you're taking your music mainstream. Tell me more.
 
My music exclusively plays on Christian radio only in Canada and the U.S. Elsewhere in the world, like Japan, my music is already mainstream. Now, I'm turning my focus from the Christian music market to mainstream in the U.S., specifically with radio. 

Does this mean the focus of your ministry message has changed?

I feel like my message is diverse enough to reach both Christians and non-Christians. I've been blessed to reach thousands of people with my music, but moving into the mainstream gives me the opportunity to minister to more people--those who don't know Christ--on a bigger platform. 

Pursuing the mainstream is a big move.

It is. I didn't always feel called to do that, but right now I do. This means I won't be performing at as many church shows and Christian events. Not that the church doesn't need to hear my ministry message too, but ministering to the mainstream is where I feel called right now. 
 
I think targeting the mainstream is a great idea. Christians artists, such as Skillet, tobymac, Switchfoot and Lecrae have charted very well in the U.S. Collectively, you're bringing the good news of the gospel to those who don't know Jesus. You're also bringing positive music to an industry that needs an injection of inspiration. 

That's my goal: to have my music inspire people even when I write about heavy topics or sharing personal struggles. Stones is meant to speak to music listeners in ways they can relate to and maybe even shed a tear or two. You'll find the material on Stones rather dark, with a journey into the light. This is a reflection of everyone's struggles and triumphs. I hope this album gives listeners the inspiration they need to get through the day.