10 Questions with ... Pillar

NAME:Pillar TITLE:Band WEB:www.pillartour.com

Line-up:
Rob Beckley (vocals)
Noah Henson (guitars)
Michael "Kalel" Witting (bass)
Lester Estelle (drums)

Label:
Essential Records

Discography:
For the Love of the Game (2008)

1) Pillar has had a consistent line-up over the years, but can you briefly introduce the band members using some musical history and personality characteristics?

Lester Estelle (drums): Lester has played drums since the age of 4 and his dad is a worship leader.

Noah Henson (guitar): Noah started playing guitar as an early teenager with hopes of being in a band. He is the resident jester.

Michael "Kalel" Wittig (bass): He is our Internet guy. He is on the Internet 24/7, talking with fans and trying to answer e-mails and MySpace questions.

Rob Beckley (vocals): I started singing in jazz choir in college. I was a Sgt. in the U.S. Army Reserves so I've been nicknamed Sgt. Serious by some of the crew.

2) Can you offer a brief history of the band from your perspective? Where you started? Where are you headed?

January 1998, in Hays, KS, at Fort Hays State University. We got together in a living room and jammed one night. We decided from that night on we should be a band. Now we have been nominated for a Grammy Award. Where can you go from there? I don't know, but I can't wait to see.

3) What's the story behind the single "For the Love of the Game"?

We love what we do. We've been doing it for 10 years now. More importantly it's about encouraging Christians to become more devoted followers of Christ. Paul describes it as "a race." We use that metaphor as the pursuit of Christ. THE GAME. A passion to pursue Christ. For the Love of the Game.

4) You're sitting in the studio, working on tracks for the new album "For the Love of the Game." Describe a moment when you heard something that made your heart stop in a good, excited way.

When Lester played the "four on the floor" drum beat in the intro of the title track. I started freaking out. And again when our producer Travis Wyrick put the intro on the song "State of Emergency." That just made the song epic.

5) Pillar has always been pretty open about the faith behind it. Has the band become more determined to convey its message as the years have gone by? What gives the band a sense of urgency?

I don't know if we would say more determined. More passionate for sure. We don't try and cram anything down anyone's throat. We want people to want what we have.

6) What would you consider to be the most important song on the new record?

Hard to say which is most important. Maybe "State of Emergency". It is about the missions work, especially missions abroad. It's important to remember those that are so easy to forget about.

7) Not every day is a cakewalk for people who travel and work together. How do you guys stay friends as well as co-workers? What piece of advice would you give newer bands?

It's like any relationship. You learn how to make it work. We all have qualities that are good and bad. You learn to embrace the good and avoid the bad. [Smile] As a new band part of being successful is being able to run things as a business. Most bands don't know how to balance the two.

8) Tell us your funniest radio station experience so far.

We honestly don't really have any funny experiences. Sorry.

9) If there's "nothing new under the sun," how do you keep making music that sounds new and says something important?

By living life. There are so many things that happen in life and millions of things that haven't been experienced yet. You get ideas by living and experiencing things.

10) You're getting ready to hit the road on a new tour. Are there any cities or stops that you are particularly looking forward to, and why?

We haven't played in our hometown of Tulsa for a while now. We are really looking forward to playing in good ol' T-Town.

1) Who would be a dream artist to record with (any genre)?

Rob - Johnny Cash
Lester - Michael Jackson
Noah - Pantera
Mike - infectious grooves

2) What is your favorite city to visit?

Tulsa because when we are visiting there, we are home!

3) What is your favorite road meal?

If there is such a thing in the area, Chipotle Burrito

4) Musical guilty pleasures

"Umbrella" by Rihanna