“As Kidron continues to grow and develop, I hope that we can break the mold for what a church band can be, and make a new model for the development of future artists that find a home here.” — Hunter Billingsley
Kidron is a band who believe in pursuing excellence and artistry in worship for the culture, kingdom, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth as it is in heaven.
Fronted by Hunter Billingsley, the band blends the sound of alternative rock, grunge, Midwest-emo, and shoegaze with a heart for the rich theology of hymns into something wholly their own.
Hunter is joined by Frank Musil on drums, Steven Graham on bass, and Brandy Kirchens rounding out the band on keys and vocals.
HUNTER BILLINGSLEY (VOCALS, GUITAR)
THE WELL: WHAT’S THE THOUGHT BEHIND THE NAME “KIDRON”?
Hunter Billingsley: The name Kidron stood out to me when I did my first full reading of the books of Kings and Chronicles, with the story of King Josiah. He led a successful campaign to purge the kingdom of idolatry, tearing down the altars and high places of the false gods that had taken root and poisoned the hearts of the people of Israel; a campaign preceded by Josiah’s personal repentance and revival within his spirit of love for God and His word. Scripture says that when he brought the vessels of Baal and Asherah out from the temple of the Lord, he brought them to the valley of the brook Kidron to be burned, which to me is an incredibly powerful image of what it means to be “more than conquerors.” Kidron reminds me of our contention, of our battle against the powers and principalities of darkness, and the Lord Jesus’ ultimate victory over them.
TW: DID YOU KNOW THESE GUYS BEFORE FORMING THE BAND?
HB: We all met each other at The Well. I came to the church as an intern for the worship leader position, and at that time there hadn’t been any band at The Well for some time.
We spent a month-and-a-half building up a repertoire of songs, adapting them for our own style and getting to know each other as musicians, and started leading worship together on Sundays as often as we could.
TW: WHAT INSPIRED YOUR SOUND?
HB: I think the biggest inspiration for our sound was being given the creative freedom to do what was authentically “us.” What we do is not musically traditional for liturgy, and I personally feel a responsibility to strike a balance between what is good congregationally, and what is good artistically. We don’t always play it safe, sometimes we make some bold choices that may be polarizing, but so far our people have been nothing but supportive of us.
Musically, my biggest inspirations are the alternative music of the 90s and 00s that scored my childhood, and the rich theology and tradition of the hymns that Christians have been singing through the ages. I want to capture what I’d call the “neo-traditionalist” spirit, looking towards the future with gratitude, not shame, for what brought us here today.
I’m not at all interested in emulating whatever is current or trending musically, Christian or not. I don’t want to be the Christian version of something that’s already out there, because that will never lead to great art.
TW: WHAT SOMETHING FUN ABOUT YOU THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW?
HB: Kind of an open secret and it makes me sound like a tool, but I don’t have a music streaming subscription and listen to music nearly exclusively on CD and sometimes vinyl. I go to used bookstores more often than I care to admit to peruse the CD racks, and have collected close to 200 albums up to now.
FRANK MUSIL (DRUMS)
TW: HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN KIDRON?
FM: I started going to The Well with a deep hatred for God and religion as a whole to show my believing girlfriend (now my WIFE!) support, and through an absolutely wild journey and by His grace, I came to Christ. Through word of mouth they found out I played drums in several hardcore and metal bands back in the day, got hooked up with Hunter and Blake (former member of The Well) and we’ve been jamming ever since!
TW: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO SERVE THE CHURCH BY MAKING MUSIC?
FM: It’s truly so fulfilling being part of the band here. Serving alongside such talented and hard working people, both musicians, and on the production side, make waking up early and the long rehearsal nights very worth it.
TW: WHY DO YOU HAVE CYCLING SHORT TAN LINES?
FM: I train on my bike 10-15 hours a week! I mostly train and race mountain bikes, but have been known to line up for a gravel race or a crit a couple times a year. So lots of time in the sun to curate these crisp tan lines, and lots of time with the Lord on those long quiet bike rides.
THE WELL: WE DO GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES DIFFERENT THAN MOST CHURCHES. DESCRIBE WHAT IT’S LIKE PLAYING MUSIC ON GOOD FRIDAY?
FM: This is one of my favorite services to play every year. Pastor Al does such a phenomenal job of really describing what our fully Human, God-Man Christ, had to brutally endure on the cross for our sins and salvation. That alongside the heavy music and deep lyrics of the songs we choose, means I’m often drumming with tears in my eyes and a very thankful heart prepared to praise Him and the miracle of the resurrection!
STEVEN GRAHAM (BASS)
TW: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT THE WELL AND HOW DID YOU GET CONNECTED?
SG: Ainslee and I have been attending the well for eight years now. We came about a month before the church had a period without worshiping through song, and instead, had an extended time of prayer at the beginning of each service. At the time, this was incredibly refreshing for us as we had just come from a church where we were serving in an unsustainable capacity. To attend a new church that forwent a period of worship through song because they wanted to make something that was sustainable for the volunteer pool was encouraging! Shortly after that time, I began serving on sound.
TW: THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW YOU ARE A BEAST OF A SOUND ENGINEER. HOW DID YOU DEVELOP A PASSION FOR SOUND AND MUSIC?
SG: As a teenager, my family attended a church that put a high emphasis on discipleship through serving and training up young people who were interested in music. I had been playing electric guitar for a few years, and during that time I ended up learning my way around a sound board and became really interested in how to make different instruments sound their best while playing live. I ended up rebuilding a few of my guitars and learning a lot of basic knowledge that helped shape my understanding of how to run sound effectively.
TW: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES?
SG: One of the reasons I like live sound so much is how tangible it is. Plugging everything in, starting it up, and having it all work correctly and sound great is very satisfying for me. After high school, I was interested in making live sound my full career. I was never able to reconcile the eventual need to travel almost nonstop, so I became an electrician instead. I still get to “plug stuff in” for a living but can sleep in my own bed every night.
All of my hobbies are very tangible, and geared toward cultivation or creating something. I really love doing things where I can create something objectively good. I love cultivating a garden (still working the kinks out on actually getting anything from it) and brewing beer. While enjoying a beer I bought, or vegetables from the store would be more efficient, it is much more rewarding for me to labor over something and enjoy what I create.
TW: WHAT ARE YOU PRAYING FOR AT THE WELL FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS? NEXT FEW YEARS?
SG: Over the next few months I’m praying that we get good direction on a potential location! Getting a larger space that we could leave set up every week would be a huge blessing to our current volunteers! Over the next few years, I am praying that we would be sustained and be granted endurance to continue faithfully preaching the gospel in San Antonio, and that Christ would be glorified as we continue to create and cultivate!
BRANDY KIRCHENS (KEYS, VOCALS)
TW: WERE THERE ANY HESITATIONS TO JOINING A CHURCH BAND?
BK: The only hesitation was whether I was ready. Joining a worship band felt like such a big step of faith, not just musically but spiritually. I didn’t want to approach it casually. I wanted to make sure my heart was in the right place and that I was truly ready to serve God through music, not just perform. Once I prayed about it and felt peace, I knew God was opening this door, and it quickly became one of the best decisions I’ve made.
TW: HOW DID YOU GET CONNECTED TO THE WELL AND TO KIDRON?
BK: I came to The Well after being invited by my lifelong friend who had been a member for years. At that time, I wasn’t really walking in faith, but through The Well, God turned my heart back toward Him and I began following Jesus again. As I kept attending, I made the decision to be baptized, which was such a powerful moment of declaring my faith publicly. Not long after, I began serving on the worship team, which allowed me to grow deeper in my walk while also using music as an act of worship. It was through serving that I connected with Hunter, who told me about Kidron. From there, we began talking about creating and sharing Christian music together, which has been an incredible extension of what God is doing in my life.
TW: HOW HAS JESUS CHANGED THE WAY YOU PLAY MUSIC? HOW WOULD YOUR MUSIC BE DIFFERENT IF YOU WEREN’T A CHRISTIAN?
BK: Jesus completely changed the purpose of my music. Before, it was mostly about self-expression and performative. Now, it has become an act of worship, not just chords or notes. Each song can be a prayer or can lead people closer to God. Music has given me a deeper way to connect with Christ and to experience His presence in ways I never could before.
If I weren’t a Christian, my music would stay on the surface, limited to self-expression or entertainment. But with Jesus it has depth, purpose, and meaning beyond myself. Playing in worship is no longer just music, it is ministry, a way to glorify Him and to help others encounter His love through something I am already passionate about.
TW: SO, YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW PLAYS DRUMS FROM TIME TO TIME AT THE WELL? ANY TALKS ABOUT A FAMILY BAND?
BK: It’s been fun having my brother-in-law join in from time to time! Music has a way of bringing people together, and when family is part of that, it makes it even more special. We’ve joked about a family band before, but really, any time we get to worship together is already such a gift.
To listen to Kidrons latest single, “Nothing but the blood” from their upcoming debut album “O, To Grace” Search: “Kidron” on Spotify or your favorite music streaming service or click the link below!