Influence Music is a worship collective born in 2017 within Influence Church, in Anaheim Hills, California, under the leadership of pastors Phil and Tammy Hotsenpiller. Carried by artists like Melody Noel, Whitney Medina, Anjin Teal and Zach Johnson, it found success right from its first album, Touching Heaven, in 2018.
Influence Music was born in April 2017 behind the scenes at Influence Church, a church founded five years earlier in Anaheim Hills, California, by pastors Phil and Tammy Hotsenpiller. Built around a core group of musicians and songwriters from the Los Angeles music industry, the collective came together for a week of writing in Big Bear, in the California mountains, which produced around twenty songs. That session became the foundation for their first album, Touching Heaven, released in 2018 and pushed to number one on Christian sales on iTunes.
Since then, the lineup has evolved. Michael Ketterer and Matt Gilman, among the group's earliest faces, have given way to a new generation carried by Melody Noel, Whitney Medina, Anjin Teal and Zach Johnson. The collective holds to a clear conviction: keep the focus on Jesus rather than on the artists, and write songs meant for the local congregation as much as for big stages, from studio albums like Before The Breakthrough (2022) to live recordings captured at Influence Church.
- Origin
- Anaheim Hills, California, USA
- Style
- Contemporary worship (American pop worship)
- Active since
- 2017
- Good to know
- The musical ministry of Influence Church; their first album Touching Heaven (2018) reached number one on Christian sales on iTunes
How did Influence Music start?
It all began in April 2017, at Influence Church, a nondenominational church founded in 2012 by Phil and Tammy Hotsenpiller in Anaheim Hills, in Orange County, California. Musicians and producers from the secular music world of Los Angeles came together around a shared desire: to put their gifts to work for local worship rather than for a personal career.
The writing retreat held in Big Bear set the tone: more than twenty five songs were written in one week, several of which became the album Touching Heaven, released in 2018 and number one on Christian sales on iTunes as soon as it came out.
What makes Influence Music distinctive?
The collective holds to a simple conviction: worship belongs to God, not to the artists who lead it. Albums are often recorded live during Influence Church services, with the congregation taking part, so that the songs remain, first and foremost, tools for the local church before they become studio productions.
Where should you start with Influence Music?
Start with Touching Heaven, the group's founding album, then discover more recent singles like That's What The Blood Does or No One But Jesus, carried by the collective's current voices. The live albums, recorded at Influence Church, give you a real sense of how these songs are used in worship.
songs
That's What The Blood Does
A song led by Matt Pelt that celebrates the work of the cross, written to be sung together by the congregation.
I'm Gonna Praise
Performed by Zach Johnson, this song lifts up praise as a response to hardship.
No One But Jesus
Led by Whitney Medina, a declaration of trust and exclusive devotion to Jesus.
Discography
- 2025Day & Night (Live at Influence Church)
- 2024Long Live The King (Live at The Grove)
- 2022Ages· edition including Spanish language versions
- 2022Before The Breakthrough
- 2019Rebels
- 2018Touching Heaven· the collective's first album
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Influence Music?
Influence Music is a worship collective born in 2017 within Influence Church, in Anaheim Hills, California. It brings together artists like Melody Noel, Whitney Medina, Anjin Teal and Zach Johnson around songs written for the local congregation and shared with audiences worldwide.
What is Influence Music's best known song?
Their first album Touching Heaven (2018) remains their most notable release, reaching number one on Christian sales on iTunes as soon as it came out. Among their most widely covered singles are That's What The Blood Does and No One But Jesus.
Where can you listen to Influence Music?
Influence Music's songs are available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, as well as on their official website influencemusicworship.com, which also offers resources for worship teams.
Is Influence Music a Christian group?
Yes. Influence Music is the musical ministry of Influence Church, a nondenominational evangelical church founded by pastors Phil and Tammy Hotsenpiller. The collective sees itself as a tool serving the worship of the local church.
Who are the members of Influence Music?
The collective's earliest faces included Michael Ketterer and Matt Gilman. It is now carried by Melody Noel, Whitney Medina, Anjin Teal and Zach Johnson, surrounded by a team of musicians and songwriters.
Are there French versions of Influence Music's songs?
No official French cover has been recorded to date. Some songs do exist in Spanish, however, such as their EP Ages en Español, recorded with Spanish-speaking artists.