If you've ever seen Salvador live, you've probably wondered how they do it. How does a local worship band from a small Spanish church become a Latin powerhouse of eight skilled musicians who can bring crowds to their feet at more than 200 shows a year? The musicianship wasn't always there; early albums contained a lot of outside input, both production-wise and instrumentally. But life on the road and a redefining sense of togetherness shaped the band into what it is today, a change that's palpable in their latest, the flavorful So Natural (Word/Warner Bros.), which we recently named one of 2004's Best Christian Albums. Nic Gonzalez recently sat down with us to discuss this ownership, as well as his reasons as to why he simply loves being single.

So Natural is a triumph; you've come so far since your early CDs. How do you feel about those first albums?

Nic Gonzalez: The first record we did, we enjoyed the process of making it. We had been singing those songs for years, but to be honest, Into Motion (their second CD) was a bit of a studio disaster because they were trying to make us into something we're not. A lot of people that bought our self-titled album were like, "What in the world is this?" Which is understandable, and we don't blame anybody for that.

When we started making So Natural, we borrowed elements from the first record, which is more Latin, has a lot of drumming, world percussion, rock solos, stuff like that. We're Texas boys, and guitar-swinging is a big deal down here. At the same time, we didn't want it to be just rock stuff, so we made sure to add enough minor chords to give it a Latin flavor to the solos.

Did you feel more involved this time?

Gonzalez: With So Natural, we felt like we all had a little more to do with it, both in the writing and production process. My manager told the label, "We want Nic to write everything and produce everything. But if you have other guys that want to work on it, that's fine." That's when we went with Chris Rodriguez to help us produce, to keep us in check and keep the integrity of the band. The records feels good. Everybody had fun making it.

But didn't Chris produce on the unlistenable Into Motion as well?

Gonzalez: On Into Motion, he was producing by himself. On this record, he and I produced everything together. When people work on their own and have their own agenda, things turn out different. I have an agenda for my band, and my band knows that I'm going to stand up for what we think it's creatively good, and that's what happened on this album. We worked together with Chris, instead of him telling me how to do it.

So, why'd you feel the need to record a cover of Los Lonely Boys' "Heaven"?

Gonzalez: We kinda kicked around the idea. The label said, "Man, there isn't a band better to do this song than Salvador, so let's see how it comes out." I was very reluctant in the beginning, first because it's a mainstream song, and second because, obviously, the question would arise, "Oh, are you guys just trying to get a radio hit?" The truth of the matter is, without radio, we're dead in the water anyway. Media is one of those things that has always evaded Salvador. I don't know what it is. Maybe we don't have the right looks, or the right style.

What did the rest of the guys think about covering "Heaven"?

Gonzalez: They said, "They're from Texas, they wrote a great song, it's a good representation of our culture and who we are, and it connects with the country." So it was done for those reasons, but also to get into places that to this day we haven't been able to get into. Radio stations that never played us before are finally playing us. It's definitely good, 'cause we never get any love. We're at a critical part of our career, where people are either going to take notice, or we're going to start dying away.

The lyrics to "Heaven" are somewhat dismal: "Save me from this prison, Lord help me to get away," as if life on earth really stinks. Salvador is generally more joyful.

Gonzalez: That's why this song has affected people the way it has. As much as I'd like to think that everybody lives a great, beautiful, joyful life like I do, the truth is, that's simply not the case. There's a lot of lost people out there, but here's a song that's talking about God and heaven and giving answers. The song actually puts things in perspective for me, helping me realize that there are people that have it way harder than I do.

Switching gears, I saw you on the cover of Christian Single magazine. What's up with that? I didn't know you were a highly sought-after bachelor.

Gonzalez: (Laughs) That's all ridiculous! I guess they were just looking for someone for the cover and they chose me. It was funny to do, and I've become the butt of many jokes because of it.

I mean, doesn't Nic Gonzalez get approached by girls at shows?

Gonzalez: If people come on to me at shows, I probably don't notice it. There really isn't a scenario where I deal with people one on one. It's always together. That's kind of a policy with us. As far as ladies, I don't get attacked more than anybody else. We have a lot of female fans that come to our shows, and that's probably because a lot of the guys in the band are single, and that's okay. I always tell people this: "Look, if they're out there, and they're looking for somebody to date or be with or make into the ideal man, and they want to put us in that light in their life, that's fine." We don't think much of it.

Are you dating?

Gonzalez: There's a couple of ladies I've dated, and that's all been great, but I guess I'm not necessarily doing that great in the dating department.

Why not? I mean, you have the looks, the charisma, you're in a band …

Gonzalez: Well, I'm just too busy. It's a good problem to have, to be too busy. But the really cool thing is, when I'm off the road—the times you would consider "not busy"—I get to choose what I want to do. Right now I'm producing a record for my home church, and it's going to be awesome. But during those times I do get a lot of alone time, and I can choose to work on the record, go to the gym, hang out, whatever. But my main thing is reading, man. Reading puts me in this beautiful state of mind. You read a book, then some Bible chapters, then the book again, and it just feels good. So the way I cope is, read lots of books during my down time, and do what I love when I'm back on the road.

Do the people close to you pressure you about this? You know, like, "Listen, Nic, you're 26 and you're still single …"

Gonzalez: People around me know I choose to seek God in everything I do. Right now I really am consumed with working for him in some capacity, and really, the expectation is that I do what's wise for my ministry. My parents don't care. My friends don't care. They say, "Dude, you do what you think it's best." They trust my judgment.

Speaking of judgment, are you a picky guy when it comes to girls?

Gonzalez: (Laughs) I don't know if I have a list, but I guess everyone has their ideal woman. Certainly, I want a woman that's beautiful (laughs). Man, after this people are going to be all over me saying that beauty is skin-deep. But obviously, you have to live fifty years with this person, so I definitely I want somebody who's really cool and can be funny, somebody that can laugh with me and at me. Money is not a big issue.

How about smarts?

Gonzalez: Absolutely. I don't have a college degree, but if she does, that would be something I'll be looking forward to.

Somebody who can educate you, in a way? (Laughs)

Gonzalez: In some ways, yes! I think I've read more books than anybody my age, so it'd be cool to share that with her. So yeah, it'd be cool if she had a "paper education." That's very attractive to me.

How about somebody who's ministry-minded?

Gonzalez: Sometimes people have opinions on that that I don't necessarily agree with. If your wife is driven to be a missionary, and you're driven to be a musician, that doesn't work. But if your wife is driven to be supportive, that's something I need. If you have a wife who supports you in what you do, your ministry as a man becomes their ministry as a woman, and I believe that someone who's willing to make sacrifices will come naturally if that person is someone you're naturally cool with.

For more on Salvador, visit our artist page for the band, where you'll find our review of So Natural. To listen to sound clips and buy the band's music, visit Christianbook.com.

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