10 Questions with ... Jason Roy

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

In spite of Building 429's storied radio success-including releasing a couple of the biggest CCM singles of the past ten years in "Where I Belong" and "We Won't Be Shaken"-arguably the quartet's greatest achievement is not only surviving but thriving over a career that's spanned nearly two decades. Their latest album, "Live the Journey" released in September after a three year span between projects. Frontman Jason Roy checks in from the road as the band wraps up its fall tour alongside New Song, Citizen Way and Caitie Hurst.

1. The creation of your new album "Live the Journey" was a three-year-long process. In light of the title, what has the band's journey looked like over that time period, up to this moment?

It's been a long and arduous three years. There have been a lot of really cool moments, but also a whole lot of harder moments that we have been through in this process. It's funny-when you make records they way that we do these days, things change and you have record labels who have input and at times it can feel like it's 40-50 different people kind of speaking into the process and it kinda feels like you're chasing a needle in a haystack.

There were a lot of moments in this process, too, where we faced up to some issues that are outside of the industry. For instance, a dear friend of mine ended up having cancer and had to have some major surgeries, my mother-in-law for a while was diagnosed with cancer and had to go through some surgeries. On a faith level, we really wrestled through all of that and it just seemed like it was definitely a time in my life and the band's life where we had to face a lot of doubt and a lot of confusion to figure out what we were gonna end up with for this record. So living the journey was up it was down it was left and right.

I think more than anything we're thankful now for the journey we had because we feel we made a better record because of the vulnerability we displayed while we were writing the songs and recording them.

2. Compared to when Building 429 first started 18 years ago, is it easier or harder to be a band in 2018?

I think that it has always been incredibly difficult to be a band. Always. There are a lot of different reasons why and it's not always about the creative side. It's about the reality of, can you get along with those people. For instance, if we are at a concert and I want to go to grab a cup of coffee, I don't just get to go grab somebody and disappear to get a cup of coffee. There's one runner at the show and I have to send a text to everybody on the team and see who wants to go. Sometimes going to get a coffee can be an hour long setup just to get there. I think as a solo artist, when you are the head of the whole thing, generally, it's a little bit more about you individually. I think as a band it's much more about the greater community and that creates a lot of chaos. Or, when it's right, it creates a lot of unity. With Building 429, I think we have definitely fought through some difficult times, where I was a little bit more selfish in nature. Through the years, I have been thankful to have those guys around me to hold me accountable.

I probably would argue and say that it is probably harder to do it today then when it was back in the day. Probably the number one reason for that is that the industry has changed and there's not enough money to go around. So it's harder, you know, to feed everyone's families. But, I'm thankful for the team that's around me and I'm thankful for the ways the Lord has provided and I wouldn't have it any other way for Building 429.

3. What keeps you guys forging ahead year in and year out? Conversely, what (if anything) prompts those moments when you consider cutting the cord on the band?

We just haven't felt like we were told yet that it was time to shut it down. I know that for many years, I prayed very openly and with my family we prayed, "God if you want us to stop then you stop it. Make it obvious and we will be happy to move onto the next phase of our career." The thing that I don't want to do-which speaks to the second part of this question-is that I don't want to cut the cord in the band just because it's hard or because it's not what I want it to be. I want to cut the cord on the band when the time is right because the Lord has obviously lead me to leave for us to separate. I think that there are many people who sit down and give up when things get difficult or when things don't go the way that they want them to go.

I really feel like it's my responsibility to walk this out with a whole lot of grace and a whole lot of joy. That means when we have smash, number one songs, let's be joyful for that and when we don't have smash number one songs let's choose to be joyful in that the Lord has provided for all of our needs; I feel like that is really important to me and to my wife. When we do walk away, whenever that may happen, we only walk away because the Lord is leading us to a new place.

4. What advice would you give to the circa 2000-2001 version of Building 429?

Choose those that you are going to surround yourself with wisely. Don't hold so tightly to this thing and remember that relationships are more important than success. You don't really know fully who you are, so don't be afraid to admit that. And to continue to walk with a whole lot of grace, compassion, and mercy for those around you even as you continue to figure out who you are.

5. Who comes to mind as the people you've leaned on most for support and guidance throughout the nearly two decades? How have you served in that mentor role to younger artists along the way?

Off the top of my head, my road manager Brian Coleman, who was with me for 10-12 years, was someone I leaned on a lot. I've always leaned on my wife; she's the biggest core of that. She's definitely a strong source of truth in the middle of chaos. There have been some artists over the years that have been super kind, and it's changed over the years. When we first started out it was TobyMac, he was super kind to me and he didn't have to be and he offered his advice here and there. Mark Hall was very kind and open with me as well. Then later, not that I have spent a whole lot of time with him, but just the little bit of time I was able to spend at shows here and there with Steven Curtis Chapman has been incredible. He just showed me how to carry yourself and how to be aware of your surroundings and also focused on the person in front of you. The single-most fun I've ever had as an artist throughout the years-and I wouldn't call them mentors I would call them peers-are probably the Newsboys. I've really enjoyed getting to know Michael Tait-and not just Michael, but Peter Furler. Both are stand-up guys and they have been extremely kind and I am so thankful for them.

When it comes to younger artists, my response is to basically say, "Hey, listen, in a none Nashville way, if you ever need somebody, here's my phone number. Text me, call me because you can't make more mistakes than I have made on this journey. So maybe I can save you a little bit of heartache." That definitely shows up in a lot of young artists as we tour together and as we have toured together through the years.

6. If you could have a "do-over" over the course of the band's existence, what would it be?

It's funny because it's my sons favorite record that we ever made, but it's the one that I know that I wasn't focused enough on, and it's a record called Rise. It was our second studio record. If I could have a do-over, I would go back and I would probably challenge myself on it, like, "What is the message? What are you trying to say here?" It's funny, because that record really was gonna be what I was gonna end up saying to some friends two or three years later, and it seemed to show up over and over again. The band was in a lot of turmoil at that time. But, of course, for all the rock 'n' rollers out there, turmoil breeds really great rock 'n' roll music.

7. What made the process of this album any different from the previous projects you've released over 18 years as a band?

I used to think that writing 50 songs was enough to pull off a record; but for this record, we wrote 100. Also, on this record, we spent six months in the studio, had half that record made...and we took the record, threw it in the trash, then went back to the studio and started over again. So there were a lot of things that were very different about this process that, for better or for worse, I feel created the project that's in front of you now. When we restarted the album, we found ourselves in very vulnerable states. When you walk through things that feel very life-and-death with dear friends, I think that changes your perspective of what you're trying to make a record. Why are we making this record? Well this record ended up being a very focused record on joy and courage under fire. I think it's because we felt like we were under fire from all sides. I think that has a huge impact on the weight of the record when you hear it.

8. Who were you all listening to throughout the creation of the project? Any artistic influences? What about ministerial influences?

It's funny because I listen to all kinds of different music and the guys listen to all kinds of different music. But while we were making this record, we were just kind of dialed in to what we were doing, and at some point, I just turned off all the other music around me intentionally, so that I don't accidentally pull any piece or part of somebody else's music into a Building 429 record. I think that's also why a Building 429 record sounds the way it does, it sounds like us and no one else. Obviously there's tons of artistic influences on this record and if you were to listen through it and you would probably be able to call them out and I would be able to smile and say, "Yeah, you can hear it there" and "Yeah, you can here that there." They are so interesting because, like I said, we spent time with Steven Curtis Chapman, so I wanted to write a song that was something like what Steven would write, that's where I wrote the song "The Same God." We were very, very into the band The Killers, so that showed up a little bit in the song called "This Place" and a couple others as well. I think that our influences show up in a variety of different ways.

9. Say the band has an opportunity to perform one song from "Live the Journey" in front of a bunch of world leaders and influencers. What song would that be? Why?

I would pick the song "The Journey," and say that what we could use in this world is a few more people who admit that they fully don't have everything figured out just yet. I think that humility would be impressive on display, because, at the same time, when you are willing to come clean and say, "Yeah I don't really know fully what I am doing here," you also find the wings to fly and to chase crazy dreams. That really was the idea behind the song "The Journey."

10. How did you approach writing this album with radio airplay in mind? No artist wants to submit that they wrote songs with the strict intention of getting airplay; but when you've tasted the amount of radio success B429 has, is it crazy to write an album without that purpose in mind the entire time?

That may be one of the best questions that I have ever been asked in an interview.

Honestly I would say when we started Building 429, I never thought about the radio. It just wasn't on my radar. It wasn't something that I thought about. When I wrote the first songs for our first record, I was just trying to write something that would impact people wherever they were; something that would be cool and interesting and different. Somehow, the first song that we released that I thought was interesting and different ended up being a smash, radio song. It is extremely difficult these days to write a record without 'radio ears' on, and if you don't have your 'radio ears' on, you don't have to worry about it, because everyone at the label does.

In the old days, you could write three or four potential radio singles and then write six or seven really interesting, creative, live songs that are going to create the brand or what you do. I'm not sure those days exist anymore. I think, today, when you're on a major label and you're working with people who are incredibly focused on helping you grow what you do to the maximum levels, you are surrounded by people who are absolutely challenging you on, "Is this going to reach critical mass and commercial and critical success?" It's something that absolutely drives you crazy.

Is it crazy to write an album without that purpose in mind the entire time? The answer to that question is, these days, in a single-driven culture, it is almost crazy and I think because people don't listen to records the way that we did when we were younger, people don't listen to records the way they did when we released our first record, people don't really listen to records at all anymore. That's sometimes a bit of a shame, but it is the way that it is. As Building 429 has been able to revise and rewrite the script of who we are throughout the years, it's just another season where we have to rewrite the script of who we are, and we have to rethink how we approach music and writing.

It's not always fun to take what you think is something special, rip the guts out of it, then start over again with a whole new approach; but that's what we've done through the years and has served us incredibly well. That's what we do even now, as we make a new record. Interestingly, though, my favorite songs tend to be the ones not designed for radio airplay and it may just be because it's a rogue element- the old rocker in me and in the band. But, when you take off limitations and you say there's no box and no square to play in, you can play in any corner you want, I think that's when the great art begins to show. What's cool though is that there is great art making it to the radio these days, and that gives great hope. I'm excited to see what some of our friends are doing, what Lauren Daigle is doing, what For King & Country is doing-the way that TobyMac is always trying to push a little bit-there are great artistic statements being sent to radio, and radio is beginning to play those songs. That is very exciting because I do believe that our art should reflect how incredibly diverse our God is.