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\u201cWe thought coming out of COVID, coming out of this long period, we wanted something special, something fresh, something that\u2019s not sackcloth and ash, something that has excitement to it,\u201d Tait explained. \u201cLet\u2019s celebrate because our God is still good! Even in the crazy times, the times we consider dark, and we feel like God\u2019s moved away. He hasn\u2019t moved anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
That message hope shouldn\u2019t be a surprise, coming from the group that introduced the Christian anthem \u201cGod\u2019s Not Dead\u201d to the masses and helped propel the film of the same name to the top of the box office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact is God\u2019s not dead,\u201d Tait explained. \u201cThe fact is, God\u2019s alive, and He\u2019s still working the heart of believers. He has not pulled away from us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though the record exudes joy, it doesn\u2019t mean the band has experienced sorrow and loss. Tait points to the tragedies of his best friend and former bandmate TobyMac losing his son, Truett, and losing his own sister to HIV, as moments where he specifically had to encourage himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose times are hard, and God knows they\u2019re hard,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in those moments, the same God that saw his Son be crucified on that cross and saw that as good for the bigger purpose is the same God that can see us through our issues and our problems and our worries, and our discrepancies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStand,\u201d with additional songs like \u201cMagnetic,\u201d \u201cClean,\u201d and \u201cNo Doubt,\u201d pulls no punches in talking about strong matters of faith. For Phillips, who frequently wows the audiences in his rotating drum kit, the group\u2019s Christian message is intrinsic to its DNA. It would be inauthentic to focus on topics other groups tend to fixate on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you sing sex, drugs, and rock and roll, that\u2019s what\u2019s in your heart, that\u2019s what you\u2019re living, right?\u201d he said. \u201cIf we sing about something greater than that, that\u2019s just naturally what came out of our hearts when we put pen to paper.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like many others, it was March of 2020 when the group was on tour. A social media post alerted them that their upcoming show, which had already sold 3,000 tickets, would be canceled. It was the beginning of what would become the most significant pause in their three decades of making music. Now, the doors are opening again and the group is seeing a pent-up uptick in enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s ready for it,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a year and a half, and they\u2019re just ready to be out and celebrate and enjoy a good show and a good message.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phillips concurs and adds that \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re meant to be locked up in a cage. I think the way God made us was to be to have a connection with other people. And I think when it\u2019s one of the rare occasions where no matter who you are, where you\u2019re from, what your race is, what your heritage is, when you come to a Newsboys show, people come together as one. There\u2019s this incredible symbiotic energy that happens between the band and the crowd. And I think they\u2019ve missed that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStand\u201d by the Newsboys, releases Oct. 1 through digital and retail outlets. Watch an exclusive interview with Newsboys and DeWayne Hamby below:<\/p>\n