-
10 Questions with ... Newworldson
April 7, 2008
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
NAME:NewworldsonTITLE:Band
Line-up:
Joel Parisien (keyboards/vocals)
Josh Toal (guitar/vocals)
Rich Moore (bass)
Mark Rogers (drums)Label:
Inpop RecordsDiscography:
Salvation Station (2008)1) Can you introduce the members of the band using musical history and personality traits?
Hard Hittin' Mark Rogers grew up in a border town and got his chops playing on the greasy side of the 49th parallel. Hard Core Rich Moore came from a working class family and earned his calluses playing for food and rent. A third generation musician, Soul Joel Parisien is also known as the Cajun spitfire of the North. And young prodigy Josh Toal outgrew his teenage days touring the Blues circuit and moved to leading worship at Jamaican church services.
2) Can you offer a brief look at how the band started and eventually signed with Inpop?
One Tuesday night in a Niagara martini bar, the four members of Newworldson all met for the first time. Our mission was twofold: one, impress the club owner enough to secure a weekly paying gig, and two, using my [Joel's] original tunes as a starting point, inspire local music fans to support a regular night of soul-funk-and-Gospel. Though it was successful from the start, it still took a couple of months for us to come up with a band name. We only knew something special was happening. As Christians ourselves, it was inspiring to see a crowd of 50 percent believers and 50 percent non-believers coming out weekly to celebrate together and to see the freedom of conversation going on. The bolder we got in our message, the better the music was received.
Fast-forward a year and a half, throw the wonder of the Internet into the mix and suddenly we were playing to Inpop heads Dale Bray and Wes Campbell right there in that very same club. A week later Dale flew back and said they were ready to sign the band.
3) What's the message you hope is conveyed through "Salvation Station"?
This is a happy CD. We want people to put on this album when they are in the mood to celebrate what God has done for them. We want people to feel uplifted when they hear this music. We want to see the name of the Redeemer raised high.
4) What's your favorite city/venue to play?
So far? The Underground in Cincinnati. But there are plenty of close seconds.
5) Is there any special story behind the radio single "Salvation Station"?
It's my response to the classic Curtis Mayfield penned "People Get Ready" by the Impressions. "People get ready, there's a train comin'. You don't need no ticket, you just get on board." Amen.
6) Was there a moment when you were in the studio, working on the record, that you thought, "Ah-ha! Wow. Now we have a record!"?
Yes. I would say the day we tracked "Sweet Holy Spirit." We knew we were going in to the studio to record a Gospel album. But that particular day, in a tight little room crowded around the piano, we all jammed in and tracked that song live-off-the-floor, including the vocals, without headphones. The song was so new that Josh and I barely had finished lyrics. But that approach to recording is exactly what gives those old Soul and Gospel recordings their credibility. And though the rest of the CD is pretty high energy, I believe this track is the thesis.
7) You're on tour with newsboys now. How is that going?
What a blessing it's been touring with these guys, on many levels. First of all, getting to play in front of thousands of people is exciting, to say the least, and certainly humbling. We really enjoy meeting all the newsboys' fans at the end of every show. But most of all, the friendships we've built since October of last year, all the guys in the band, the crew, the boys from Kutless, Article One and Rush Of Fools. That's been the biggest highlight of the tour. The downside to touring is being away from home for weeks at a time. We all miss our families like crazy.
8) What's your favorite song to play live?
"Working Man". I like how it keeps changing gears. It's also like a theme song for us.
9) If you weren't doing music, what would you be doing?
Oh boy, that's a tough question. It's the only thing I know how to do. I think the guys would all say the same thing. Um, I would probably be one of those full time students with five degrees and a boatload of debt. I love to read and learn. I'm especially fond of history.
10) Life on the road isn't a cakewalk. How do you guys remain friends while being co-workers?
It really is impossible for anyone to understand what life on the road is like until they've experienced it for themselves. The actual performance portion makes up such a small part of a day, let alone the days off between dates which are usually spent driving 500 miles in a van. We know when to give each other space and we know it's important to put things to a vote; a band is like a four-headed monster in some ways. Bottom line is we're all on the same page, this is what we love to do, it's what we're called to do and we just try to recognize that passion in each other and know that we're all coming from the same place.
Bonus Questions
1) Favorite city to visit:
New Orleans
2) Favorite road meal:
Burritos at Chipotle Grill
-
-