Starfield finds the beauty in the broken
05-16-2006
by Brenten Gilbert

There's always a positive way to look at things in life. Events that seem like tragedy to us on the surface can really prove to be triumphs in the end when God works through them. It's a tough lesson to learn but it's one that's been important to Sparrow Records band, Starfield.

With the group on the verge of releasing their sophomore album, Beauty in the Broken, CMCentral.com sat down in a stairwell during GMA Week to discuss this idea, their new album, preaching to the choir and community.

Below is that conversation in it's entirety.

CMCentral.com (brenten gilbert): How are you guys doing?

Tim Neufeld (Vocals, Guitar): Doing well. We love talking about ourselves so . . .

You guys excited about the album coming out?

Yes

Jon Neufeld (Vocals, Guitar):Yeah, May 16th, it's almost 2 years to the day from our first release

So you want to talk about the album, Beauty in the Broken?

Sure. Like Jon said, it's our second Sparrow CD and we couldn't be more excited to have new music. A lot of the songs off the last record were from previous releases. They just keep getting handed down to new records. This is the first actual CD with all new music for us in about twenty years, we've been a band for thirty-five, so. . .

(laughs)

You guys have aged well. It must be the exchange rate. . .

(laughs)

Yeah, it's just really great to have eleven new songs to sing and talk about. And how the album came together is really exciting for us too. It took a lot of hard work and sifting through a lot of bad songs to find what we think are eleven great songs. We have a great record label and the producers that we worked with are really great as well. We were just sifting through the junk to find the treasure. As artists, we tend to hold onto the junk a little tighter than we should sometimes, so it was great to be able to have them balance us out. What came out of that process is an album that I like to call a worship journey. It's called Beauty in the Broken 'cause it thematically takes you on a journey from brokenness to beauty. Like Dr. Phil says, you can't change what you don't acknowledge and it's true for us in many areas of life. I think it rings the most true in our response to God and worship. If we can acknowledge our dependence on Him, it says in James that He'll lift us up and honor that dependence. By laying down our own pride, our own agendas, we find peace and forgiveness and ultimately communion with God. We find the beauty in the broken. And the album starts that way by asking a question in "My Generation," which is the first single. . .

Shaun Huberts (Bass): The shot gun track.

Yeah, the rock song on the record.

. . . and it's not a cover song. . .

not a cover song

it is not The Who, for the last time . . .

(laughs)

"My Generation" asks where we are, how we feel, what is aching within us, and what are we aching for. The rest of the record really just answers [those questions] with songs of worship and praise or songs of self inspection and introspection. It kind of takes you on a journey, which is exactly the way that I relate to God. I feel that this record is one that a lot of people will be able to put on their iPods or in their car stereos to spend a good fifty minutes with God, connecting and worshipping and reconnecting.

So, besides being all new songs, how is it different from the previous release?

I feel like it is still a Starfield record. You can pop it in and say it has the "Starfield sound." I think we have a sound. Every band probably struggles with that. It's cool to hear feedback from people saying that you do have a sound. But I also feel that we took some steps forward artistically. We took a few more risks and rocked a little harder on some tracks. We tried break our own personal boundaries - ideas we have in our heads of what is acceptable, what we are allowed to do, or what we think is cool or relevant. Like Tim mentioned, it was great to have the two producers with checks and balances, telling us to "push this one a little further" or that "this one has gone too far." I think the end result was a step forward artistically. I feel like it is definitely something that is more relevant than our last one. It may be a vague term, but I feel like it's cooler.

How are things different when you record in the studio versus when you play live? I've seen you play live and there's a lot more rock to your music than what came through on the first CD.

Yeah I think that is pretty common interpretation of studio music versus live music. It's a good question because I know that this album will represent that rock side of us more accurately. There are just songs that are obviously produced to have impact and shock value and really just grit out the Starfield sound. The first record is accurately pegged as a little more of a mellow disc. Maybe a couple songs on that album flirt with being rock songs, but they don't quite make it.

So you guys are down here in the states now?

We are Starfield. Downhere is another Canadian band.

(laughs)

But you do live in the US now?

We've been here a few years now. Off and on for three years but we've lived here for about two years straight.

Yeah, it feels more like home everyday.

You feel settled in? Do you still go back home a lot?

A lot. Every few months or so.

When we can.

We still play in Canada a lot too. We did tours there for 5 years, we've built a lot of relationships. There are people who bring us in for different events and conferences all over the country.

We are doing a cross Canada tour in mid-September.

So what is your goal as a band whether it be with the record or with the shows that you do?

So much of what we do in this industry that we are in is dependent upon how singles do and how records sell. I can say that I want to be on tour with delirious? opening for us in a year. . .

(laughs)

There are so many variables that are out of our control. One of the things within our control is being obedient to the calling that God has put on our lives - something defined by our passions and everything else. We legitimately and accurately feel called to loving the church and writing songs that can build it up. This community is family based and there are millions in the US and many more all over the world who need people to come encourage and love the choir. The Christian music industry gets accused of preaching to the choir, but I think there is a place for that. We happen to really love the choir, so we don't even care if it is "preaching to the choir." It needs to happen and I think that God has specifically called us to be a voice to that end. Those are the things we can put our anchor on. All the other things are variables that we have no control over. We do have control over being obedient and being servant-hearted and loving the church, so we'll stick around after the show, help stack chairs, and spend time in conversation with the students that come to us just wanting affirmation or to talk about the issues in their lives. These things legitimately need our time and you might thing you think that they would happen naturally, but they don't. There is a constant battle. I think that the enemy plays a huge part in it, trying to keep us isolated and only concerned about ourselves, our music, our fame, our record sales and our radio singles. But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how well we are serving God's people. How well we are loving them and how well we are honoring the calling He's put on our lives to write and perform music.

And honoring each other too. That is something we really strive for. We realize that it's so foundational to what we do. Loving and serving each other in the band and being unified.

Putting each other first.

Yeah, exactly. Our relationships are almost more important than anything else we do on stage. We need to be accountable. This is church for us, the four of us - Gordie's not here, but this is our community. We are the body of Christ that we experience because we don't get to go to church consistently. We realize this and we need to take this very seriously and we do. If we are called to anything, we are called to that first.

If we can't be an example of community, comradery, and love for each other, then it's tough to sing and preach about it from the stage.

It must be said too - further on in the on the point - that our goal and our vision as a band is to remember that we are a worship band first and a rock band second. That question gets asked a lot, but we do really feel called to that. We're called to come and sing to the church. We're called to write songs for the church. Not everybody is going to perceive us the same way, but I feel like that is where our passions and gifts line up and that's where we are most effective and most personally rewarded and fulfilled.

Cool, my church needs a new carpet. . .

(laughs)

That'd be great.

So here is a fun question. If there was a street sign that could accurately describe to everybody where you guys are as a band right now, which street sign is that?

Old Hickory Blvd.

(laughs)

How about a directive street sign?

Determined lane

Determined Lane? Is that a Canadian street sign?

Round About. We aren't going anywhere.

(laughs)

Proceed with Caution.

Only one car on green.

This is fun but I'm not sure we are finding it.

Yeah, I'm not sure. . .

Slow children playing

(laughs)

That's the one. Perfect.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers before we wrap things up?

Just that our album is coming out May 16th and it's AWESOME!

(laughs)

It'd be awesome if you could all buy it.

You can buy it online or find out more about it at our website, Starfieldonline.com or if you are into myspace it's myspace.com/starfield, so come say hello. . .

and be our friend.