From left: Paul Bowden (guitar), Michael Anderson (drums), Jason Roy (vocals, guitar), and Scotty Beshears (bass)

Not long ago, Building 429 was a little-known rock band from North Carolina, playing local churches and colleges like most new Christian acts. Then success met them head-on overnight. After signing with Word/Warner, the quartet released the band's first single, "Glory Defined," to radio, two months before the release of their debut EP with the same name. It rocketed to the top of Christian Radio Weekly's AC chart in only three weeks—the fastest climb ever for a song in that category. Similar success on the other radio charts fueled anticipation for Building 429's full-length album, Space In Between Us, which hits stores on July 27. Lead vocalist Jason Roy discusses how the ride so far has changed the members' lives, and how it's kept them on track with God's purpose for the band.

How has the runaway success of the single changed your life?

Jason Roy: It makes time management a lot more important and family time a lot harder to come by. You have to have your cell phone with you anywhere and can conduct business every minute, even when you're on a date with your wife! I want to give everyone the time they deserve, but I also need to reserve a special place for my family. I haven't quite figured out how to do that yet, and our perspectives have changed. There was a point when it was fun to go do concerts, not that it's not still now, but we used to go, set up anonymously, play, and then talk to people. It was so relaxed, we'd just sound check and no one knew who we were or cared. Now we have all sorts of interviews and appearances and people know our faces. It's exciting, but sometimes it's taxing. You really learn quickly that you don't only represent Christ on stage, but everywhere you go, with everything you speak. You have to be on your game all the time—24 hours a day.

What were your expectations with the song prior to it being released as a single?

Roy: I think everybody dreams of their first song doing really well, but it's not an instantaneous thing. We were no different than so many other bands who started four years ago and dreamed of it taking off. What's really neat is we're not surprised that God would do this. God is God and can do whatever he wants with a song. We're surprised he would use us to do this, but it's one of those things that makes us really happy. It also helps us realize that this business has a lot of up flows and down flows, but we have to be faithful no matter what we're given.

What was the reaction when you heard "Glory Defined" make it to number one in record time?

Roy: They told us that and we all smiled real big at first, but then we just kind of forgot about it. That doesn't matter, it's not a big deal, and nothing to hang our hat on. Records and all numbers aside, the greatest thing we can hear is "I turned to Christ because of 'Glory Defined.'"

Why did you choose to release it in an EP format prior to it appearing on the debut full length?

Roy: The EP was kind of a label idea. At first we shot it down because we wanted to put out a full record, but they felt it was the best thing. It was actually a marketing tool for the record, because there was no marketing money other than to put the song on radio and the EP on store shelves. It's ingenious now, looking back, but we were really nervous at the time. We recorded the EP in two weeks and had it mixed and mastered within a month. We had to get the music out as fast as possible, and that happened with really smart people behind us working really hard.

How do you plan to spark interest in Space Between Us for those who already have Glory Defined?

Roy: Well, the EP had some newer songs, but also old ones that we just had laying around. We actually have much better music coming on the full length, and we were more excited about going in and recording it. We were writing and recording the record just as the EP hit the stores, and our producer really pulled out the best possible in us.

Did having the success of the song add pressure to you while creating the new music?

Roy: Yes and no, because when we started in the studio, "Glory" had just released to radio. We were still waiting around wondering how it was going to turn out. There had always been confidence in the group, but not in ourselves. We knew the Lord brought us to this place and time for a reason. We knew our best material was not on the EP and that even more exciting songs, like "Shadows of Angels" and "Above It All," were about to be finished.

What is your response to the critical reaction, both positive and negative, that's come with both batches of songs?

Roy: We don't get upset, but are mature to the fact that critics have their place. There should be a critical eye toward Christian music, but in the grand scheme, the results of a song mean much more eternally than the words written about it in either direction. That's why acclaim or derogatory comments don't bog us down. We've had our fair share of both. We've always known God called us to do this, and we're making the only art that we know how to make. We're not blatantly trying to be anything other than who we are.

One band I've noticed a slight parallel with Building 429 is MercyMe. They came from indie beginnings and then rose to recognition pretty quickly based on the strength of "I Can Only Imagine." What's your take on the similarity?

Roy: MercyMe is a band we obviously respect. You can't say what they're doing isn't having a major impact on the marketplace and culture at large. We've listened to and loved "Imagine," but eventually heard it so many times we've changed the station. It's probably kind of like that with our song for some people, but I think the similarity is we've both written a song from our hearts that speaks of meeting Jesus when we pass from this life. "Glory Defined" is based on the fact that people have no concept of how big God's glory is, but they are instead to hear what it will be like in heaven. Like the profound impact of "Imagine," I think people are looking forward with anticipation to that day.

Where will we be able to find you guys through the year's end?

Roy: We just got off the Sonicflood tour this spring, and now we're doing festivals. After that, we have Shoutfest for ten dates, which has Tait, ZOEgirl, Jump5, and our old friends in Overflow on Essential, just to name a few. We'll follow that with the In the Name of Love tour with World Vision, which will have Todd Agnew, BarlowGirl, and Starfield. Starfield is amazing, and Barlow and Todd are great. Todd's an obvious staple of Christian music now. Then we'll be rounding it out with Jeremy Camp. By the time New Year rolls around, we'll have played approximately 105 shows!

For more about Building 429, check out the band's artist page on our site for biographical information and reviews. You can click here to read a review of their latest album, Space in Between Us. Visit Christianbook.com to hear sound clips and buy Building 429's music.

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