Jeremy Koering of Music Faith: What did it take to get that classic newsboys sound on Go?
Paul Colman of the Newsboys: We let Peter Furler be in charge. (Laughs) Because he is the classic sound of the newsboys, he’s the guy with the vision. He’s a guy who needs one chief and a few Indians and he’s the chief. And I know that, because I and Peter have written songs over the years, but you know that this is my first album with the Newsboys as a part of the band. I’ve contributed a lot of lyrics, and a lot of ideas for this album, some of them made it and a lot of them didn’t, and Pete would say “yep that’s awesome, but it’s not Newsboys or it’s not this song.” And he never says it in a harsh way or an aggressive way, or a rude way. It’s more just that he knows what the Newsboys is. And that is and that’s fantastic to have in a leader. You gotta have someone who defines that vision and Peter is great at including you, but he knows that if it’s not the parameters, he knows that it’s not the right idea, and I think that’s brilliant. Take [for instance] sweet guitar parts… I made guitars on most songs. And I’d come up with some guitars and he’d say, ‘that one right there developed that one or that one right there… yes, perfect’. I guess the reality of it is that, if you’re Starbucks Coffee, you can add product and you’ll be fine, but if you change the design of logo then people will drive by and people won’t know it’s Starbucks, because they know it by that green color. So I’m glad he knows that, but I think the simple answer is… Peter is in charge and he knows what the Newsboys sound like and what it takes to sound like a Newsboys record.
Jeremy Koering: You traveled around the world before recording Go, correct?
Paul Colman: Yeah, a lot of places around the world…
Jeremy Koering: How did that affect the record?
Paul Colman: Well I think the band had some… quite… life changing, paradigm changing, perspective changing experiences, at least… quite a few… but two particular events, which had quite an influence on this album. One was on the Sea of Galilee at a New Age music festival. Peter’s pastor from his church, had gotten to know the deputy mayor from Jerusalem, and visited him and Peter’s pastor is quite an evangelists. He’s planted churches all over the world. He’s the kinds of guy, when you hang around you get a heart for the world, in a way that you don’t from a lot of other people. He came up with an idea for the Newsboys to play at this New Age festival at the Sea of Galilee, and everyone was like ‘uh, okay?’ And they’d never heard of the band, so the band and the church paid to go and play the festival, and when the Newsboys took the stage, three before the closing band. No one had ever heard of the Newsboys and most of the people left after the band before. And so there was like 500 people left down at the front, which is not what the band, is use to. And I don’t think it really affected our egos as much as it discouraged us. And Peter was like lets just do what we do, and see what God does, sure enough the band started to play and at one point in between “Blessed Be Your Name” and “Entertaining Angles,” Phil Joel screamed out in a very melodic, passionate way the name ‘Jesus’ and later we realized it was probably the loudest that name had been proclaimed on the Sea of Galilee. By the end of the gig, the place was full to capacity and people were just jumping and dancing and rejoicing. Being Aussies, we’re not really coming from a country where saying things like ‘the Spirit of God fell’ is kind of culturally acceptable. In Australia people will tend to think you’re whacked out say things like that, because it’s not a very religious nation. There was no denying the fact that that’s what happened in that place. And the pastor, his words were, he felt like Jesus was coming off the water, off the Sea of Galilee. And so that was an event that made the Newsboys feel like, ‘boy you know what? God’s given us something here that seems to be a unique tool that crosses over a genre of boundaries of religion and bringing His spirit to places to where his spirit isn’t really being lifted up…
Another event was… we were invited to Morocco to come and sing at an event, in front of 15,000 Muslims. There were guards with M16s that were ready to arrest people, that danced, that acted in a kind of was that would be normal for a U.S festival or a festival in other places. And it was also forbidden to speak the name of Jesus. And yet somehow, once again an amazing thing happened — where the music and the spirit behind the music, which is the Spirit of God. Just engulfed the audience in a way that right at the end of “I Am Free” a track on the new record, that this guard just put down his M16 and just started dancing with wild abandonment. In a way you could imagine Kind David dancing in the streets Jerusalem. And at the end some of the band talked to him and he said “I’m not a Christian, but I’m not sure I’m a Muslim anymore”… I think events like that mixed with books that Peter has been reading about William Carrey and great evangelical.
I don’t think Peter is the kind of guy to say ‘we need an album about the Great Commission’ it just happens because that’s what was on his heart. When you’re singing about the Great Commission, it’s not the kind of worshipful song, because God knows all about it and it’s more of a proclamation kind of song. So the music is generally pop music, so that’s what we came up with is a pop album. So I think those events and the travel did affect the band. We got 11 shows left this year and of those 11 shows we’ve got New York City, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, Manila, and then Florida. So it seems to me one of the things that God has seemed to have decided is that the Newsboys is a tool in his hand. And Peter has been saying that a rock band can slip through customs and do a rock show and bring the Gospel, while a major preacher can’t. So I think it’s very exciting and I think that those events have had there impacts about the next 10-20 years of the Newsboys.
Jeremy Koering: Awesome, that’s amazing!
Paul Colman: That’s a long answer wasn’t it! (Laughs)
Jeremy Koering: What has is the best part about being in the Newsboys?
Paul Colman: I think the best part is in life most people go it alone. Many years I went it alone. And I think the best part about being in the Newsboys is you get to play music, which doesn’t feel like a job, you get to do it with people you respect and you like, and are really fun to hang out with, and you can get serious anytime you wish, and you get to travel the world and meet people, not just the sake of having a vacation where you look at the sites, but you get to be in there lives, and also you get a chance to be apart of what God is doing on this planet. In a really cool way and Y’know there are many ways you can be involved in that by being a stay at home mom who never leaves 5 miles from your front door, but Y’know this is the unique way to do it. So it’s very exciting to be with people you love and respect and to play music, as a job, but not just play music but to bring God’s Spirit into people’s lives. What a phenomenal responsibility and phenomenal privilege to be able to do that. And you know just on a surface level it’s a great band, and if you’re going to do something, do it excellently, and I think the Newsboys do it excellently, and I thought they were the best thing around before I joined. And to be in that band it’s a great honor and privilege. And I’m very proud of this band and what we’ve achieved.
Jeremy Koering: Awesome! Did you get approached to be apart of the band?
Paul Colman: Yeah I did… I’ve been friends with the guys, particularly with Peter, for a long time. We’ve got a lot of history going back to Australia. Peter and I have written a lot of songs together. I lived on the same street as Duncan and Phil for a while, and lived in the neighborhood as some of the crew. I’m signed to Inpop Records, which is the Newsboys’ label, and I’ve never thought about being in the band ever, because I was doing my own thing. And yet I was really getting a feeling last year in 2005 that God was preparing me for a new season, something different, and something that involved having more people around. And so things were sort of drying up for me and I was getting angry. And I was like what’s going on? Then out of the blue Peter asked if I wanted to join the band? And I said you got to be kidding… I actually asked which band? I really don’t know what are you talking about? Does Tree63 need a rhythm guitarist? (laughter begins) I was going through all the Inpop bands… Superchick..? No they’re covered. Shane and Shane..? Maybe it needs to be Shane, Shane, Paul or Shane, Paul, Shane. I don’t know, and then he said no Newsboys, and I said you’re kidding me. No it’s crazy I know, but I want you to think about it. And the more I thought about it and prayed about it. And I just suddenly realized that this is the season that God had been preparing for me. There’s nothing better than knowing that you’re where God wants you. So I’m having a blast and that’s how it came about.
– Briefly pauses to get directions to Ikea –
Paul Colman: It’s funny you have to drive 4 hours to buy some cheap Swedish furniture.
Jeremy Koering: (Laughs) they’re building one 10 minutes away so we’re excited
Paul Colman: Oh yeah man it’s great, our house is filled with Ikea stuff, it’s the way to go man!
Jeremy Koering: I had people write in questions on our MySpace; Bethany asks does the writing process differ when writing a rock song and a worship song?
Paul Colman: That’s a great question! There’s a yes and a no. I think the no part of it, when you’re a songwriter anything that involves artistic gifts mixed with some sort of message. When you sit down to write a song you’re not really thinking that I’m going to write a rock song or a worship song. You’re just thinking I’m going to write a song. For example when you sit down in the morning to read the Bible, reading through the Psalms or something that has that ‘God what’s going on’ or ‘God I’m going to praise you’ and you get inspired by that, generally you might find that pushes you to write something more vertical or something more directed towards God that we’d call a worship song. Then there are other times when you might be reading that same scripture and you suddenly get inspired about… ‘What would happen if we were playing in the middle of a sea of people who don’t share our faith’ you get a song like “Go” off the album Go might come out, a song about taking the word to the Nations. Some might do it more obviously, than others. But once you start into it and say ‘okay this is what kind of song it is’ that’s probably going to be one that people in a congregation are going to sing more. And therefore that does start to affect the way you start writing it. But you probably would make the melody simpler than a pop song or what key is it in..? Are women going to be able to sing this? Or you might think I’m going to change the chords less frequently to make it simpler. If it’s pop song you may still think these things, but you’d think of them less. But I don’t think, and I know this is true for Peter that it’s not I’m going to write a worship song or I’m going to write a pop song. I just want to express what’s going on in my heart right now. And as that starts to come out and start to see what that is the skill of writing for 20 years starts to kick in. You gotta be careful of not over thinking it in the beginning stages. Great questions though!
Jeremy Koering: What about your solo career? Are you going to release another solo album in the future?
Paul Colman: I don’t really have any plans to release a solo project now, I’m always writing songs, but right now my priority is the Newsboys, all my song ideas go to them first. So I’m kind of taking a break from Paul Colman. But generally speaking my priorities is with the Newsboys.
Jeremy Koering: Do you have any last comments?
Paul Colman: (Sarcastic tone)… Yes go buy the record… no… (Laughs) I guess the last thing I’d say is if you’re a Newsboys fan you’re going to love this record. It’s got the edgy guitars that were on Thrive the beats on Love Liberty Disco… and those older albums, the very vertical and worshipful moments that were on Devotion and Adoration. And everyone is playing and singing better than before, you got the quirky lyrics and catchy melodies and you also got a theme that happened quite naturally that is about going into the world and making disciples. And that’s a pretty awesome thing to have! Thanks man!
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