Christian Review Magazine Issue 2 - Jan/Feb 2015 | Page 53

Steve taylor & the perfect foil L-R: Steve Taylor, John Mark Painter, Jimmy Abegg, Peter Furler collaborated regularly since the early days of Newsboys — I produced a number of their albums since “Not Ashamed,” and Peter and I wrote a lot of their songs together. John Mark Painter and I have worked together on everything from Newsboys to Sixpence None The Richer to songs for Veggie Tales. And Jimmy and I have been friends for decades — we actually went to the same high school in Denver. So we started hanging out once or twice a week in John’s studio, and were getting close to finishing an album. Then a Kickstarter campaign miraculously funded the “Blue Like Jazz” movie, so I had to put the music on hold for a couple more years to make the movie. like a small miracle every time a song gets finished. CR - Where do you draw inspiration for writing music/lyrics? ST - We’ve got eclectic tastes as a band, and John’s got a massive vinyl collection in the studio control room, so we’re constantly pulling out old albums for inspiration, as well as referencing new bands we may have just discovered. For lyrics, I read a lot and am constantly jotting down ideas. I also take long drives on remote roads so I can sing really loud without bothering anybody and keep tweaking each line until it finally sounds right. CR - What has it been like working with other veterans of the music industry John Mark Painter, Jimmy Abegg, and Peter Furler? CR - For anyone who hasn't yet listened to your new album, can you tell me if there is a collective theme that runs throughout "Goliath", or does each track have a message of it's own? ST - It’s a nonstop party. Peter is my favorite melody writer. John is quite simply the best musician I’ve ever worked with. And Jimmy is a walking maelstrom of random creativity. It’s a four-way collaboration, and we’ve all got pretty high standards, so it seems ST - There wasn’t a conscious theme running through the entire album — I doubt the four of us could ever agree on anything that