Links...
MQ: You mentioned mentoring, do you guys have a mentor - either on the musical side, or personal side?
Tim: Yeah. We have personal mentors that invest in us on a personal level. They ask us the hard questions about life, and the common struggles to man. I think it is really, really valuable ... and something that I would not want to have to go without.
Jon: God didn't intend for anybody on this earth to go it alone.
Tim: We have each other and that's important, but I think we as a band, living so close to each other, we have a limited perspective. So, it's cool to have somebody outside of the band to be able to speak to us.
Jon: Everybody in our band has that.
Tim: We also have musical mentors. There's a worship leader named Brian Doerksen that I've just idolized my entire life - in a good way. You know, the good kind of idol...
MQ: Right!
Tim: ...and I've just really respected his songwriting and his ability to connect with people in his songwriting. I've just got to know him in the last year and a half or so, and it's been an amazing thing to have his blessing and involvement in our career. It's been great.
MQ: You mentioned touring and traveling, what can we expect to see out a Starfield show?
Tim: It's a good time.
Jon: We want to be entertaining.
Tim: We want to have a show where people walk away and say, 'That was so much fun, and so meaningful at the same time.' We try to do that, we don't have a ton of money - so we can't have the huge stage and huge lights. We try to be creative in how we communicate because art really does... not just entail the music, but entails the show. We really do have a desire to be funny and entertaining...
Jon: ...and connecting in worship.
Tim: Every concert turns into, like, a church service.
Jon: We can't really help it, it just comes out.
Tim: Our songs do that, but we also do worship songs that people know.
Jon: ...as another connecting point.
Tim: If somebody comes to our show and knows none of the songs...
Jon: It's not going to connect as well as us playing 'God of Wonders.' I think part of our vision is to just reach a broad demographic, and have mass appeal. We don't want to alienate anybody. We want to really write music that everybody can take something from. I think our live show really reflects that. There's our acoustic set, there's the 'everbody jump and go crazy part'...(laugh)
MQ: Do you any advice for kids who are passionate about music and their faith...that have discovered they have a talent, and want to pursue it?
Tim: Yeah, I would say just be faithful to what God has called you to now...
Jon: ...whatever that is.
Tim: ...and to work it out, and be committed to it. If it means you are leading worship in some youth band for 11 people every Wednesday night, do it with everything that you have and be diligent at it, and be excellent at it....and God will reward you for those things. If that's where God wants you, he'll take you to ...you know...to Nashville and He'll give you the record deals and it won't be anything that you did or that you made happen. Another thing I'd say is to work hard.
Jon: Take every opportunity.
Tim: If you do want to do this,every single gig is important. Every single little thing is important. You're not better than the smallest gig you have. What you think is the worst thing you could possibly do as an artist, the worst gig - the garage gig, the church basement...or whatever...
Jon: The unfinished church basement...
Tim: The unfinished church basement, the pink insulation, dry wall...
MQ: - slash Bowling alley...
Jon: - janitorial closet,
all: laughing
Tim: That concert, if it's something you've committed to and do well, it'll mean bigger things in the future.
MQ: Are there any projects you're working on or things you are passionate about these days?
Tim: We're really passionate about touring, about meeting the people of America, about getting on the road and just getting in front of people. I'd encourage anybody to come to one of our shows and experience the music first hand.