Reverend Freakchild is Making a Scene

July 26, 2025

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Making a Scene Presents an interview with the Reverend Freakchild

In the spirit of legendary Holy Blues figures like Reverend Gary Davis, Reverend Freakchild carries on the tradition—with a twist of irreverence and a whole lot of soul. These days, he mostly performs solo acoustic sets, but over the years he’s recorded with an impressive lineup of talent, including Chris Parker, Hugh Pool, Mark Karan, Melvin Seals, Jay Collins, Grammy-nominated G. Love, and The Reverend Shawn Amos. His latest album of original songs, Songs of Beauty for Ashes of Realization, is a raw, spiritual, and deeply personal journey.

Reverend Freakchild was once a featured soloist with the Metro Mass Gospel Choir, gracing iconic stages like Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and Town Hall Theater. For three years, he also sang blues and spirituals every Sunday at the infamous New York City dive Tobacco Road—an off-off-off-Broadway hippie joint known for its gritty charm, music freaks, and colorful crowd of misfits.

Throughout his career, the Rev has played in a wide variety of bands, from the psychedelic jam group Bananafish and the experimental rock project ‘Jim’, to The Neptune Ensemble, The Soul Miners (alongside guitar virtuoso Matt Rae), The Lucky Devils, The Davenport, The Lost Get Back Boogie Band, and The Cosmic All-Stars. His music has taken him on tours across the U.S. and beyond.

His songs have also found their way into TV shows, commercials, and national radio ad campaigns. Raised in Hawaii, Reverend Freakchild holds a degree in philosophy and religion from Northeastern University in Boston. He now lives in Colorado, where he’s an ordained Dharmacharya and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Naropa University.

Whether preaching or performing, his message remains the same: “Music is my religion. Through song, I seek transcendence.”