Take Me to Your New Leader
Photo: Newsboys with Peter Furler and Michael Tait, formerly of dc Talk
By Christa Banister, senior music editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
When rumors first started swirling that Newsboys frontman Peter Furler wasn’t only leaving the Newsboys but that dc talk’s Michael Tait would be his replacement, the online scuttlebutt really had April Fool’s joke written all over it. Well, except that it was more than three weeks too early for April Fool’s jokes, and the news actually happened to be true—or mostly true anyway.
While Furler, the charismatic frontman known for his energetic stage presence, Aussie-accented vocals and signature black eyeliner, will be stepping down as the band’s leader in the touring sense, he’s not exactly quitting Newsboys for good. Instead his role will be more behind the scenes and involve lending a hand with songwriting responsibilities and studio sessions.
But after 22 years, 23 No. 1 hits, more than 2,000 shows and a highly anticipated new album, In the Hands of God, releasing May 5, why exactly is Furler walking away now?
Making it Matter
Immediately nipping any scandalous speculation in the bud about his decision, Furler says he’s “thankful for what it’s not.”
“I’m not dying of any strange disease. There’s no spiritual crisis or moral dilemma—thank the Lord, by His grace,” Furler says. “Things are great in my spirit, which is why I’m able to make the decision. To be honest, what it really comes down to is that I’ve dedicated over half of my life to this band and to traveling, and I’ve loved it. It’s been an incredible experience. But at the same time, I’ve also had to pay a high price.”
Furler says that getting older has inevitably changed his perspective on what’s really important—and what’s not. “In the past I’ve missed family members’ weddings and funerals. In particular I missed my grandfather’s funeral, someone who was a huge part of my life, because I was on the other side of the world playing a concert.”
Not wanting to repeat what’s happened in the past because of his nearly non-stop tour schedule, Furler is also seeking a new quality of life. “I’ve stayed in 10,000 hotel rooms, but I don’t even know how to check in to one,” Furler explains. “I’ve lived that life and haven’t slept in my own bed more than 20-22 nights consecutively—maybe even 30 at the most—in 22 years. I’ve been on the road for so long that I don’t really know if I’d miss it because I’ve always kept going.”
As the band’s leader, there were additional pressures that also made it feel like “his work never ceased.” So while there wasn’t one distinct a-ha moment that helped shape his decision, Furler knew it was time to “hand the baton on.”
“For so many years, life for me was really about Newsboys. And that was important. Like the Word says, ‘Without a vision, the people lack restraint,’” Furler says. “It’s [Newsboys] my family, and it still is. I’m still part of it, but I’m not going to be out there beating the footpath like I was—not at that level.”
The Next Phase of Newsboys
When it came time to consider a suitable replacement, Furler knew it simply couldn’t be a newbie. “We had a very, very short list, and Mike was #1,” Furler said. “I’m convinced we made the right choice. I mean here’s a guy, he’s a statesman in Christian music. We weren’t trying to get some young guy to make the band look younger. We had to roll with how we are—which made Mike the obvious choice.”
Eager to get the Newsboys’ lineup solidified before festival season kicks off, Tait immediately started traveling with the band to see if the new gig was a good fit.
“When Peter asked me, I was elated and very proud. At the same time I was thinking ‘This is a heavy, heavy mantle,’ and this isn’t my truck,” Tait says. “Put it this way: Remember Indiana Jones, the first one with the big rolling rock? He’s going down the hill, and this big boulder is right behind him. That’s what I felt like for the first month.”
(continued from page 1)
But once Tait played his first official Newsboys show in Denver, he definitely feels more at ease—and even excited. “I wake up now, and I’m like ‘Is this real? It’s so much fun.”
And for diehard dc talk fans who’ve been patiently hoping for a reunion tour, Tait says his new gig brings Christian music fans “the best of both worlds” and still doesn’t rule anything out when it comes to dc talk’s future.
“With dc talk, we’ll just see what happens. But right now I have an acoustic set where I go down memory lane,” Tait shares. “I sing the chorus of ‘Shine,” the chorus of ‘Not Ashamed’ and segue into ‘Colored People,’ ‘My Will’ and ‘In the Light.’ The crowd goes crazy, and I absolutely love it. Newsboys fans are truly the best, and I’m honored, excited and humbled to be a part of it.”
The Plan is No Plan
As for Furler, the time away from the stage allows him and his wife Summer to enjoy something they haven’t before: a life without a specific plan.
“For the next month to two months, my plan is to have no plan. If I look further down, I want to keep making records and write some music,” Furler shares. “I’m obviously still involved with Newsboys, so I’ll be writing some songs for them.”
The ocean will probably factor into his future plans, too, even if he’s still not sure which one. “I grew up in the ocean, and I have a bit of a yearning for it,” Furler says. “There’s something about the ocean that really moves me, so I’m planning on making a move and seeing what happens there. Get a bit of surfing in—something I haven’t been able to do for 20+ years.”
Furler is also open to new songwriting opportunities outside of Newsboys as well. “I don’t know what it’ll be, I’ll have to see what comes,” he says. “Obviously as a Christian, I want it to be truth, to be encouraging and have the Light in it. I’d just be happy to sing some demos and put ‘em on a Website. I don’t have any grand plans. I’m just going to choose wisely.”
