Flatfoot 56\’s Tobin Bawinkel talks new project- 6\’10- personal pain, faith and more

They say some of the greatest music comes from the hardest times an artist goes through. They also say beauty often comes from pain. In the case of Tobin Bawinkel, this couldn’t be more of the case in his new project- 6’10- an acoustic counterpart to his longtime Celtic punk and Flatfoot 56. With 6’10’s debut album, The Humble Beginnings of a Rovin’ Soul, we see Bawinkel in the most vulnerable and honest state of mind we’ve seen him yet and many of the songs show his soul and heart crying out in pain. Not only that but we also have a sense of hope and joy in many of the songs that shine through the darkest windows of Bawinkel’s mind. A born-again Christian, Bawinkel’s lyrics have always been open about his faith but not exactly in-your-face and preaching like you might expect. Rather, he uses metaphors, stories and other means of expressing his faith so-as not to alienate and push away those who need to hear it most. We had a chance to sit down with Bawinkel to talk about the band’s debut, whether or not 6’10 is a permanent band for him and some of the songs in detail. We also had a chance to talk about his faith and how he stayed strong and grounded during the darkest days of his life as well as some of the obstacles he had to overcome during those times. Tobin also gave his advice for fellow Christians who have either questioned their faith due to hard times or have completely walked away from their faith. Listen to the interview in its entirety below: