Word is you've got an interesting story about how your band first got together.

Joel Parisien: As working musicians, we all jump at the opportunity to get paid to perform our own music. A couple years ago, drummer [Mark Rogers] called me and asked if I would be interested in bringing original material to this little jazz club in Niagara and start up a weekly Tuesday gospel music night. He had been playing with local bass player [Rich Moore], whom I had never met, and we were originally going to be a trio.

But at the time, I was talking to guitarist [Josh Toal] about getting together to play before he returned to Montreal to study. So he sat in that night without a rehearsal, and we all met at that first gig. By the end of the night, we knew we had something special, and Mark insisted that we kidnap our fourth member. We never intended to start a band; it was originally just an opportunity to get paid and shake things up a bit.

How did playing gospel music in a bar go over?

Parisien: I have to admit that part of the appeal in the beginning was the opportunity to deliver an uplifting, spiritual message to people who might never set foot in a church. It's important to note that we weren't trying to sneak up on people; it was clearly billed as a night of soul, funk, and gospel. I think what helped in the translation was the mixture of original tunes with familiar soul and Motown standards by some of our favorite artists, including The Staple Singers, Bill Withers, and Stevie Wonder.

By the time we were a few months in, we had three sets of predominantly original material and a regular audience of 50 percent Christians and 50 percent non-Christians. Viewing it as a form of outreach, our church—Southridge Community Church, which is very seeker-friendly and non-denominational—was very supportive. Our weekly Tuesday night always sparked some great conversation, especially since our lyrics are obviously Christ-inspired and not veiled in cryptic metaphor.

Now that you're signed, what do you feel your place is in the Christian music industry?

Parisien: If I had to choose a guiding scripture for this band, it would be my favorite verse: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14). I feel that our message to Christians is one of boldness and celebration. Contrary to what NewWorldSon's story might suggest, I am not a natural evangelist. I think fellow believers know what I'm talking about. How do we talk to the lost in our workplace, in our school, even in our own family? At our shows, we encourage people to dance, to jump up and down, to let the Spirit move us, shake us up, make us sing a new song.

We need to be celebrating beyond the physical walls of our church buildings and let other people see what we have that they might not have. Then the opportunity to tell our story, in our own words, will come. So the band's ministry starts with dancing and partying, and ends with talking about yourself! (Hey, wait a minute … )

When you went into the studio to record your debut, what was your goal?

Parisien: We wanted to capture the energy and spontaneity of our live performances. I believe we've achieved that. It's up-tempo without being relentless, and each musician gets a chance to really play. There are moments that really spotlight our unique style of call-and-answer vocally. Lyrically, it's impossible to miss that this album is all about Jesus.

For someone who hasn't heard your music before, describe your sound.

Parisien: It's heavily inspired by soul music from the sixties and seventies with many related influences thrown in like the blues, gospel, funk and even a bit of reggae. It's a veritable gumbo of roots music.

So many different influences come to mind when listening to your music. Who are your strongest influences?

Parisien: Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, The Staple Singers, Bill Withers, Steely Dan, Desmond Dekker, Motown and Stax Records

Tell me a little about your experiences with child sponsorship and why you'd encourage others to follow suit.

Parisien: 16 months ago we each began sponsoring a child—all of them live in the same Dominican Republic community. We had no idea where this relationship would take us spiritually, emotionally, and physically. In the summer of 2007, Compassion International provided the opportunity to meet our children and their families to see firsthand the kind of work this great organization is doing in the field. This is more than helping to provide food and health care for a needy child in an impoverished nation. To witness the impact on their whole family and to see how holistic child development with the gospel at the center is affecting the entire community on a spiritual level was humbling to say the least. I would just encourage people to look for Jesus in the poor—to clothe and feed our Lord, seeking the kingdom of heaven in the orphans. Whether it's through child sponsorship or by volunteering locally in your own community, there's no better way to experience his perfect love in action than through giving, be it money or time or both.

You've played with newsboys and now are about to hit the road solo this fall. Is that nerve-wracking? Exciting? What do you love most about performing?

Parisien: Playing with the newsboys has been inspirational to say the least. They are such great friends and mentors, not just musically but by the strength of their walk with God. Getting to play in front of thousands of people each night motivated us to learn some new chop. Arena chops if you will—how to communicate with everyone, even the people sitting in the farthest rows away. I've been getting up from the keyboard a lot more than I used to, I can tell you that! If I'm going to tell people to get up and dance, I'd better be ready to bust a move or two myself!

But that's what we love the most about performing: affecting people and taking a journey together. Music is truly the soundtrack to our lives. Our prayer before every show is that the Spirit will have his way with our hands and voices, uniting players and listeners together in praise and celebration. When we see that our music is helping others experience revival, that's an answer to prayer.

© Christa Banister, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

Click here for more interviews.

Click here to view our music review archives.

Visit the artist pages for related interviews and reviews.

				Try an Issue of Today's Christian Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Today's Christian as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up now for the Christian Music Today weekly newsletter:    RSS Feed   RSS Help