Peter Furler (center) leads the newsboys into a new chapter of their career.

Eyeliner? Spinning drum kits? Gargantuan inflatable domes? Bell bottoms and disco balls? Shoveling elephant dung in traveling circuses? To an extent, all of the above has defined the newsboys throughout their acclaimed musical trajectory. A couple of years ago, however, their musical vision shifted drastically-mostly due to the band's changing priorities, but partly, says frontman Peter Furler, due to pressure from record label execs who are, in his words, sometimes "greedy." At any rate, the "new" newsboys had discovered worship, not just the type that sells records, but that changes lives. Much of that passion-reflected in their latest album, devotion (Sparrow)-stems from Furler's spiritual awakening, one that has motivated him to reassess his priorities and realize that rock 'n' roll is but ephemeral, and that kingdom-building is the only thing that truly lasts.

Before we talk about your new album, devotion, let's backtrack to Adoration, an album that was critically panned but was your fastest selling record ever. How do you think that came to be?

Peter Furler: That's tough to answer, because I don't know the critics, and I have higher priorities than reading about my music. Should I read about myself or about other great men? I don't know what the reviews said, but … the reason we recorded Adoration is because there's this sort of "worship movement."

I began to get convicted about music. God would say to me, "Tonight you're in this arena. How will you lead my people to worship?" And I thought, That's not my job. I'm an entertainer. But all the talk of music you see in the Bible is not, "I play rock 'n' roll and I like it," but "Holy, holy, holy!" And so I thought, What's stopping me from doing this? Certainly not God; he wanted me to do this. I think it's hard to get critics to understand that.

I don't think critics disliked it because it was a bad album per se, but because they knew what the newsboys were capable of. Adoration, in many ways, didn't measure up to previous newsboys output.

Furler: And they may be right. I guess I just don't want to make the mistake of regurgitating what we've done before. Right now I'm working on some songs that are more in the Take Me to Your Leader vein, and it's because I feel like that now. When you sit down to write a song or a story, you gotta let it tell itself. Like when I wrote "He Reigns," I didn't want it to be about the chords or the production. I wanted people to forget about us as the newsboys. I just wanted them to worship God with it. I think one critic called it "the worst song we'd ever written," but I don't regret having written it.

Be honest: Was Adoration really the newsboys' idea, or the label's?

Furler: I'll be honest. At first it was, "Oh, why don't the newsboys do a worship record?" I had to really battle with that. I knew why they [Sparrow Records] wanted it. But then it came to a point where I was like, "Who would not be wanting me to do this?" That's when I had that epiphany. I could listen to the critics of the worship movement, or I could dig into the Word and see how Paul sang hymns while in jail. I just had to admit that I had to stop trying to be hip and relevant, like most of Christian music is. When all is said and done, as the book of Revelation says, all that's left is "Holy, holy, holy." Rock and roll will not be there.

But there was some pressure [from the label]. In fact, there were some big fights, I'll put it to you that way. I didn't want to do this just to sell records. But what else would stop me from doing this? So I wrote "It is You," and I started to see the effect of it, not commercially, but on people's lives. And that's when I started thinking, "Man, I need to explore a little bit more." So in many ways, Adoration felt like our first record. I didn't want to call it Adoration: The Worship Album, just Adoration. Period. It was clear what it was about. Without naming any names, it was the same thing with devotion. They wanted to call it, devotion: The Worship Record. That took a big fight.

But there's a huge sticker on the case that says, "THE NEW WORSHIP ALBUM."

Furler: I didn't even want to go there, but now that you bring it up, that had nothing to do with the band. That was just greedy record company people. I'm sad about it. But at the same time, all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. I'm bummed about it, but what am I going to do? Act like some bitter guy complaining about everything? There are some things on the industry side that we simply don't have any control over.

[Note: Christian Music Today shared Furler's comments about Sparrow with the label, but the record company opted not to respond.]

But there are other details about devotion that make it seem like a marketing ploy. You guys are standing under a bridge, just like on the Adoration cover. There are a couple of worship covers. There's the sticker. These things could set you up for criticism.

Furler: That's possible, but that doesn't mean anything to me. I believe devotion will be a record that, twenty years down the line, people will still be blessed by it. As far as the bridge, like I said, Adoration felt like album No. 1 in many ways, and devotion is No. 2. The way I saw it was, first you adore something, but that doesn't mean you're devoted to it. With devotion comes sacrifice. It's like a sequence. And the bridge is just symbolic. It's the process. It's like you're crossing from one piece of land to the other.

Has your perspective on why you make music changed in the wake of these two records?

Furler: It's only rock 'n' roll. It bores me some days. Music doesn't mean that much to me anymore. It's not my life. It was for the last 18 to 20 years, but it isn't anymore. I'm not bored with writing or creating; I love that part of the process. I'm buying a new drum kit today, as a matter of fact. Creating excites me like that first time I picked up those drumsticks to play. But I just don't take myself so seriously. I don't even know why I still have a record deal, for goodness' sake.

If rock bores you, and in the end all that's going to remain is "Holy, holy, holy," then what about those who are still doing the rock 'n' roll thing? Is there a point to what they're doing? Or are they just wasting their time?

Furler: I don't know how to answer that question. The only way I could think about this is how Jesus, when he taught on the Parable of the Talents, told us how to do the best with what we've been given, to live life to the fullest, to try to seek first the kingdom. That's enough for me to do. Not rock 'n' roll. It's not a priority to me anymore. In the end, I believe it's going to take musicians who are really walking close with the Lord, in fellowship with their church, in fellowship with other believers, walking in the light, so that we can see mighty things happen. Right now we just have a whole bunch of people that are just trying to be hip and relevant.

On the flip side, there's also a bunch of people taking worship lightly, releasing records left and right, and perhaps creating art that is of low quality. Isn't that equally detrimental?

Furler: I don't think it is. If you're into making worship music because you think you're going to sell a lot of records, you are actually going to lose on both ends. Firstly, God will know your heart. Secondly, people aren't stupid. Look at all the "worship records" that are being made; people aren't buying all of them. But I don't think they're as silly as the critics usually think they are. There are people out there who just choose to believe rather than to know. I meet a lot of them, and it's impressive to see the faith in their lives. Yes, the Word says a lot about playing skillfully, but at the same time, let's not make the mistake of thinking, "Look, this worship music is of low quality."

Since you're now somewhat indifferent toward rock 'n' roll, how do you feel about your older material, particularly, the sarcastic, "shoveling elephant dung"-type songs?

Furler: I love that stuff, and it's stood the test of time. I don't listen to it, but I know it holds up lyrically. [Lyricist] Steve Taylor is awesome and his stuff will always hold up. We still play them live, particularly songs like "Shine" and "Breakfast." Those are some great lyrics, very funny. They're quirky songs. Do I see us getting back to that? I'd say yes. Lyrically, I know the best is yet to come for us.

We did have to leave the sarcasm behind a little bit, because it got to the point where I was getting very good at it. It's hard to sing those songs if you're not an expert at it. And that wasn't a good thing for my spirit or my soul or the people around me. God wanted me to go somewhere else first, so that when I got back to it, it has an even greater purpose.

Compared to other interviews you've done in the past, you sound different and more spiritually authoritative than before. What has prompted this change?

Furler: Walking with other men. I'm accountable to many of them. In the last couple of years, I've learned what all of that means, and it has really changed my life. When I say that rock 'n' roll is boring, I really mean that it's boring compared to that. We're not producing people that are worth following. The only way you can become someone worth following is if you're following someone worth following. My job now as a man is not make rock 'n' roll or to put out records; I don't care if I never put out another record. My job now is to have twelve men that I'm encouraging, lifting up, and helping any way I can. I'm one of those twelve. I want leaders and senior pastors around America to know that what's what the newsboys are here for. I want to build the church. I'm down for the eternal, and the eternal is Jesus building his church in this generation.

You said devotion is next in line after Adoration. What comes after you're devoted to something? Does the process end there?

Furler: It sounds funny, and I'm not saying this is what the next record is going to be called, but it's restoration. That's what comes next. The job of the church is restoration. We're to restore the desolate inheritances, to say to the captives "Come out," and to those in darkness, "Be free," Isaiah says. Isaiah also says, "Arise, shine, for your light has come; and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you." He's talking about the church. "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant." That's when the church is going to be radiant, when it becomes a people worth following.

Excellent. See? You sound like a different person. On a much lighter note, I've got a question that's been bugging me for a long time: What's with the eyeliner? That's so rock 'n' roll! Is that Robert Smith you're trying to imitate? (Laughs)

Furler: It's funny you bring that up. I grew up in the '80s. I remember opening up for Phil Keaggy back in the '80s, and I think it was his drummer using eyeliner. That was the first time I saw a guy putting on eyeliner. That guy actually looked like Robert Smith [of The Cure]. I remember going, "Wow, that's cool!" In my case, I don't know what it is. It's either war paint or insecurity. I don't know.

For more about the newsboys, visit our artist page for the band. You can read our review of devotion by clicking here. Visit Christianbook.com to listen to sound clips and buy their music.

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