In the Beginning...
Shunned at a Funeral began as a new musical project with Lystra—an early collection shaped by confrontation, discomfort, and questions that refused easy answers. From the beginning, the goal wasn’t simply to make songs, but to wrestle honestly with Scripture and belief, even when that meant pushing against familiar assumptions.
​
As the project grew, it moved through albums like Shiloh and Rome, expanding both musically and thematically. Those releases explored faith lived under pressure—belief tested by history, culture, and personal failure. Over time, the sound hardened, the arrangements widened, and the band became more confident in its voice and purpose.
​
With Magdala, the music took on a more frontier-leaning, hard rock edge, blending grit with reflection and marking a turning point in the band’s identity. Now, with the Bethlehem film set to debut in winter 2026 and the album Bethesda releasing early 2026, Shunned at a Funeral has entered its most focused and cinematic chapter yet—one that looks deeply at incarnation, healing, obedience, and the cost of grace.
​
The band views this work not just as a creative outlet, but as a mission and a ministry. That conviction is why they are dedicated to producing music regularly and exploring a wide range of biblical themes. Their approach is rooted in the principle of iron sharpening iron—believing that the Church is strengthened not by silence or comfort, but by honest critique, encouragement, and a willingness to be challenged by the Word itself.
​
Shunned at a Funeral is not interested in condemning from the outside, but in calling believers to deeper faithfulness from within—examining hypocrisy, pride, forgiveness, repentance, and obedience with seriousness and restraint. The music is meant to provoke thought, invite self-examination, and ultimately point toward Christ, even when the questions are difficult.
What follows is the story—and the people—behind that ongoing work.
Madison Connelly
Vocals, Guitar, Piano
​
Madison joined Shunned at a Funeral shortly after the album Lystra was completed, first appearing on Ephesus and remaining the band’s lead voice on every release since. The band had momentum before she arrived, but it lacked a clear center—strong ideas without direction. Madison’s voice became the catalyst that focused the project and set it in motion.
​
A trained vocalist who grew up working a cattle ranch in southern Oregon, Madison brings an earned toughness to the band—equal parts discipline and grit. Long days wrangling cattle shaped her work ethic, while nights with records shaped her sound. That blend is largely responsible for the band’s fusion of hard rock, country, frontier rock, and Celtic influence, the latter rooted in her Irish heritage.
​
Her musical influences span unlikely ground: the precision and weight of Metallica, paired with the emotional strength and clarity of Miranda Lambert. Madison plays guitar and holds her own, though she’s quick to admit she’ll never match Kendra’s technical skill—something she’s learned to accept with good humor.
​
Lyrically and vocally, Madison has become the heart and soul of the band, anchoring its theological intensity with conviction and restraint. Her favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:28, a theme that quietly runs through much of her work: purpose forged through hardship, and grace revealed under pressure.
Kendra Whitaker
Lead Guitar
​
Kendra Whitaker is a founding member of Shunned at a Funeral and has been there since Lystra. If the band has a backbone, it’s Kendra. Where others bring personality and texture, she brings structure, discipline, and weight—the kind that holds everything together.
​
Often perceived as the most serious member of the band, Kendra’s intensity isn’t about temperament but conviction. She takes the music seriously, and that focus translates into a commanding stage presence. Onstage, she headbangs, twirls her hair, and locks into riffs with a physicality that anchors the entire performance. It isn’t showmanship for its own sake—it’s belief made visible.
​
Kendra grew up in southern Oregon and has known Madison Connelly her entire life. In fact, she’s the reason Madison is in the band at all. Recognizing early what Madison’s voice could become, Kendra helped pull the project toward the direction it ultimately found. Their musical chemistry is built on years of shared history and trust.
​
At her core, Kendra is a hard rock guitarist, shaped by precision and power, but she carries a natural sense of country rhythm and lead phrasing that gives her playing a grounded, roots-forward edge. She often cites Randy Rhoads and Michael Romeo as influences, though she’s quick to downplay any comparison—an instinctive humility that belies her actual technical ability.
​
Offstage, Kendra is thoughtful and quietly kind. She spends much of her free time reading and studying theology, approaching faith with the same seriousness she brings to music. Her favorite Bible verse is Revelation 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.” That promise of restoration and final justice shapes how she thinks about suffering, hope, and why the music matters.
​
Kendra may not seek attention, but when she plays, everything listens. She is the steady hand, the unshakable presence, and the force that makes Shunned at a Funeral sound like itself.
Cassandra Ryder
Banjo, Mandolin, Multi-Instrumentalist, Backing Vocals
​
Cassandra Ryder—known almost exclusively as Cassie or Cass—is the most openly playful member of Shunned at a Funeral, and one of its quietest powerhouses. She’s the first to crack a joke, quote a movie, or turn a microphone into a pretend lightsaber between takes—but when it’s time to play, the room changes.
​
Cassie grew up on a ranch in southern Wyoming, a detail she tends to downplay, mostly because she enjoys letting the rest of the band believe they’re the country ones. In truth, her roots run deep. Banjo is her first language, but she moves effortlessly between mandolin, acoustic guitar, dobro, fiddle-adjacent textures, and other stringed instruments that live in the same country-western and folk lineage. Her mandolin work, in particular, has become a defining voice in the band’s frontier and Dust Bowl–leaning songs, as well as their Celtic-influenced material.
​
From an instrumental standpoint, Cassie is often considered the most naturally gifted musician in the band—aside from Madison’s vocal ability. She never advertises it. When recording starts, the jokes stop, the focus locks in, and she plays with a seriousness and precision that surprises anyone who’s watched her moments earlier being entirely ridiculous.
​
Vocally, Cassie provides backing harmonies for Madison, and the blend between them is instinctive. Her voice sits just beneath the lead—warm, steady, and grounding—adding emotional weight without drawing attention to itself. It’s one of the subtle elements that gives the band its balance.
Cassie is also the band’s fan favorite, not because she tries to be, but because she genuinely loves people. She engages easily, remembers faces, and carries a sweetness that feels unforced. Her favorite Bible passage is Ephesians 2:8–10, a reminder that grace is a gift rather than an
achievement—something that quietly shapes how she approaches both music and life.
Her musical influences include Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, Sierra Hull, and Alison Krauss—players who balance technical excellence with restraint and feel. And while she may not lean into hard rock the way Madison and Kendra do, she appreciates its weight and intensity when it serves the song.
Cassie is a study in contrast: playful and serious, lighthearted and disciplined, joyful and precise. She’s the reminder that joy and gravity don’t cancel each other out—and that sometimes the deepest music comes from someone who’s smiling while they play.
Supporting Bios
Emily Connelly
​
Backing Vocals, Guest Performer
​
Emily Connelly is Madison’s younger sister and a recurring collaborator with Shunned at a Funeral. She has contributed vocals to several recordings, including “Redemption on the Doorstep” and multiple tracks on Bethlehem.
​
Raised alongside Madison on a southern Oregon cattle ranch, Emily’s voice sits in a higher register, adding a lighter, more ethereal layer that complements the band’s heavier material. While not a permanent member, she regularly appears in studio sessions, joins select live performances for backing vocals, and will appear in the Bethlehem film debuting winter 2026.
Quiet, thoughtful, and unassuming, Emily treats her role as support rather than spotlight—serving the story whenever it calls for her voice.
​
​
Einar Halvorsen
​
Drums
​
Einar Halvorsen has been behind the kit since Lystra, and is the band’s engine and timekeeper. With roots that hint at Nordic heritage, Einar is a hard rock and heavy metal drummer at heart, but disciplined enough to play country and Americana with restraint and feel.
​
He is intensely private and all business when he’s on the clock—prepared, focused, and reliable. There’s no excess in his playing, only purpose. When the band needs force, he delivers it. When space is required, he knows exactly when to pull back.
​
Einar doesn’t seek attention, but his absence would be immediately felt.
​
​
Jonah “Cous” Whitaker
​
Bass Guitar, Percussion
​
Jonah Whitaker—known simply as “Cous” to the band—is Kendra’s cousin and has been with Shunned at a Funeral since Lystra. He is the quiet anchor beneath the band’s sound, content to support while others lead.
​
His playing favors texture, precision, and atmosphere, drawing influence from bassists like Mariusz Duda (Riverside), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), and John Myung (Dream Theater). Cous understands his role instinctively: hold the foundation steady and let the music breathe.
​
Dependable, reserved, and deeply trusted, Cous is the kind of musician every band needs and few ever notice—until he’s gone.
​
Eliza Rowan
​
Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello) — Session & Live Support
​
Eliza Rowan is a classically trained string player who provides violin, viola, or cello when Shunned at a Funeral calls for it. She is not a permanent member, but a trusted collaborator—brought in for studio sessions and live performances when the music requires added weight, sorrow, or beauty.
With a conservatory background and orchestral experience, Eliza adapts easily to the band’s frontier and theological material. She approaches each part with precision and restraint, contributing exactly what the song needs—no more, no less.
​
Eliza’s presence is felt most when it’s subtle, reinforcing the band’s cinematic moments without ever pulling focus.
​
Contact
We’re always open to hearing from people—questions, thoughts, prayer requests, or just a note to say hello. This project exists to engage honestly, not to speak from a distance. We do read the emails, and we do write back.