John Cooper, frontman of Grammy-nominated Christian rock band Skillet, has discussed in a new interview with CCM Magazine how the group's openly Christian identity helped it cross over to mainstream rock audiences. He credited the band's consistent authenticity, saying he deliberately embraced the "Jesus freak" label from early interviews onwards rather than downplaying his faith, and argued that most listeners connect with the music itself regardless of their own beliefs.

Cooper recalled an early interview around the release of the hit single "Monster", in which he openly affirmed the band's Christian identity despite the interviewer's scepticism. The news comes as Skillet prepares to release a new independent six-track EP, "After The Storm", on 9 October, produced by David Cowell and Korey Cooper and described as a return to heavier musical roots. The band, which averages more than 12 million monthly Spotify listeners and whose song "Monster" has passed five billion streams, will support the EP with a US headline tour following record-breaking European shows earlier this year.