Left to right: Grant Norsworthy (bass), Paul Colman (vocals, guitars), Phil Gaudion (drums)

Paul Colman reminds us that Christians artists make a bigger impact by serving others, not by being served.

In the land Down Under, Paul Colman Trio has made quite a stir both on and off stage. After two years of touring in their homeland as an independent band, by 2000 the Paul Colman Trio became the most successful independent artist in Australia's history, selling more than the likes of INXS, Savage Garden, Midnight Oil, Men at Work, and even Air Supply in their record label-less beginnings! In both 2000 and 2001 the trio also picked up Artist of the Year nods, as determined by The Rock Across Australia charts.

But what's garnered them even more attention is the personal acts of kindness they perform behind the scenes, when audiences aren't looking. By being a well-oiled machine on the concert stage and a well-mannered, love-centered troupe of human beings once they step off that platform, they've earned continuous bookings across Australia over the past several years.

Paul Colman, singer/songwriter for the eponymously titled trio explains their philosophy, "If you want to start talking about what you believe, make sure you're on time, say you're sorry when you're a jerk, make sure you pay your taxes, and treat people with respect. Then and only then, start talking about Jesus, because otherwise you're just going be another person perpetuating the fairly well sustained myth that there's a lot of hot air going around."

With their mother country's top mainstream honors under their belt, the Paul Colman Trio (also consisting of Phil Gaudion on drums and Grant Norsworthy on bass) made their stateside debut earlier this year via Third Day's Come Together tour. It gave the acoustic/alternative rockers the chance to play in front of an estimated 230,000 listeners, not bad for a group grinding their gears for the first time in a particular region. "It's a pretty phenomenal feat for a new act just coming over," says Colman. "[But more than the numbers], we came to influence people one by one and to encourage them to leave behind the complexity and distraction of religion to simply pursue Jesus of Nazareth."

Though pleased they landed on one of the spring's most prominent tours and then earned the chance to tour on their own bills throughout the fall, the group members find more satisfaction serving the crews, venue staff, and fans in each city they visit. "My rehearsal for stepping on stage to sing and serve people every night is to meet a new person on the crew or at the venue and to start giving of myself to them before the show, usually at dinner," Colman explains. "A lot of musicians warm up by playing guitar, but I already know how to play a G chord. As a band, we need a practical way to get ready for a show, and knowing God is watching us even at dinner before the concert makes that moment just as much of a 'stage' than the moments we're officially on the 'concert stage.'"

There's additional evidence that Colman and company strive to live out that philosophy all over the group's American debut, New Map of the World. It's packed with a dozen cuts Colman wrote to "cut the chains of bondage, resentment, and bitterness in the Christian community, and bring reconciliation in hopes of being peacemakers for a world starving for peace."

Like the Trio's previous efforts, the project already has been embraced by the Australian mainstream circuit. And despite it being a completely different battleground in secularized America, Colman hopes New Map of the World will make a forceful impact within that U.S. market. "When we played with Third Day [in Tennessee this April], they pulled in more people than Sting and John Mellencamp did at the same venue," he notes. "People who criticize Christian music need to check it out because it's changed a lot in recent years. It ain't cheesy, it ain't stupid religious stuff, and it doesn't sound like they're using Richard Marx's backing band anymore. It rocks out, it's real, it's an amazing production, and we're not afraid to have our name in it."

Click here to learn more about Paul Colman Trio at our music channel artist page for the band. Also check out our review of New Map of the World. Visit Musicforce.com to purchase your own copy of New Map of the World today!

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