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Throughout the better part of the past two decades, newsboys have been churning out quirky alt pop with clever lyrics and exhilarating stage shows. While the last few albums have been steeped in a slightly softer, more worshipful direction, the old days are back in full swing on the group's latest disc Go. The changes are more than just a stylistic return to form, but also include the addition of guitarist/singer/songwriter Paul Colman (formerly of Paul Colman Trio) and a record label switch (to the band's very own Inpop). Frontman Peter Furler spoke candidly to Christian Music Today about the group's evolution, the explosive new project, his perspective of praise mixed with rock 'n' roll, along with some surprising revelations.

Do you consider Go to be a return to form?

Peter Furler We're not necessarily going back to what we were. One thing about this band is we haven't really rested. I look back, and sincerely don't know why people bought some of our older CDs. Sometimes they are recorded so quickly and it can be good, but not always. In the past, we've gone into the studio with five or six ideas and are writing madly overnight, maybe not being prepared as well as we could've been.

This time, we went in with about 75 ideas, not all full songs, but maybe a melodic structure, b-section, bridge or a lyrical idea. We wanted continuity, and while we like different styles of music, we have our own sound. If I could define the newsboys' sound, it has a lot to do with drums, rhythms and melody. It's not really a guitar band and not necessarily a keyboard band and not really a vocal band.

What has Paul Colman added to the mix?

Furler It's kind of like he's been here all along. He's been our friend for quite a few years, and I actually played drums for his dad about twenty-five years ago in Australia. Paul was looking for a band family after being out there [as a solo artist] all by himself. He's really added a lot and written some songs on the record. He's also a fantastic guitarist. He's definitely injected a lot of life—not that we needed more, but he's taken it up another level. He's a character, and is awesome to have on the road. You can have the best guitarist or musician, but if there's not great fellowship—which is one of Paul's greatest strengths—it doesn't mean as much.

What was it like writing with Steve Taylor again? He helped on the worship projects, but your idiosyncratic chemistry together seems to have returned.

Furler It's funny because we kind of both had to learn how to write corporate worship, even though we'd already written over a hundred songs together! With Go, I knew we were on the right track. As always, we had a great time working together, and there were times on this one where I felt like I knew where I wanted it to go more than just trusting Steve completely. You could say I've taken up a little bit of slack in a good way. He's obviously inspired me tremendously over the years after sitting in his court and listening to his thought process. It was an incredibly good thing, which in some ways is back to the old, but it isn't just the same thing all over again.

Now that you've returned to a more horizontal direction with songwriting, what is your perspective on the worship projects Adoration and Devotion?

Furler It felt completely natural the whole time we were making worship albums. We actually came into this [career] in a sense as a worship band. We were the youth group band and had to play choruses while leading people in worship. It was the '80s and there was still turmoil to do with rock music; people were picketing Petra, saying rock was music of devil. Some people were very adamant about it. We were in our teens, and these people, these leaders, were telling us that what we were doing is not of God. We actually as a band left the church for probably fifteen years, and only just returned in the last five years.

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