Skillet’s John Cooper Talks Split With Former Church: ‘I Am Not Doubting My Faith — But I’m Like, ‘Man, How Can People Hurt Each Other This Bad?”
As Skillet celebrates its 30 th anniversary this month, the Christian rock band is dropping one of the most vulnerable, angst-ridden collections of its storied career.
After a tumultuous season in frontman John Cooper’s life, Skillet has emerged with the appropriately named After the Storm, a six-song EP out Friday (Oct.
9) that takes an unflinching look at hurt and betrayal, yet continues to serve up a message of hope that has become the band’s signature.
“We definitely have talked a lot about mental health and depression in our past.
This EP has a lot more of that,” Cooper says.
“[The songs] are honest about the hurt and the difficulties of life and the ups and downs, but there is hope.
Even the title, After the Storm , gives you hope: ‘Okay, I’m still here.’” Skillet members Cooper (lead vocals, bass), his wife Korey (guitar, keys), Jen Ledger (drums, vocals) and Seth Morrison (lead guitar) have built a successful career in mainstream rock while continuing to grow their fan base in Christian music.
They have been certified for moving 30 million equivalent albums by the RIAA, and the band’s seven-times platinum 2009 hit “Monster” has surpassed five billion global streams, while becoming the first Christian song to surpass a billion streams on Spotify, according to the streamer.
Following an international run, Skillet is on tour in the U.S. through Nov.
10 on their Comatose 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour — in celebration of the band’s landmark 2006 album Comatose , which Cooper credits with “changing the trajectory” of the band’s career.
Obviously, career success doesn’t make people immune from personal challenges — and After the Storm was inspired by Cooper’s fractured relationship with the church he and his family had helped build and had attended for years.
“It was just a really tough couple of years seeing, I think, just some of the worst of Christianity,” he says.
“Of course I’m still a Christian.
I have my faith and am not doubting my faith or shaken in that way, but I’m like, ‘Man, how can people hurt each other this bad?’ . . .
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