BarlowGirl 2007 Jesusfreakhideout.com Interview

BarlowGirl has become much more than a trio of sisters in a pop/rock band. With the release of their third record, How Can We Be Silent, the girls unite to rally a generation to live out their faith boldly. Alyssa and Becca Barlow recently took a few moments to answer some questions for Jesusfreakhideout.com...
This interview took place on: July 26, 2007

Jesus freak Hideout (Lauren Summerford): What do you hope to communicate to your audience with your new record, How Can We Be Silent?

BarlowGirl: We really want people to grasp the calling that God has for their lives. In the world right now, darkness speaks so loudly and we as Christians have sort of convinced ourselves that we'll be more effective by being quiet and "fitting in." But, what the world really needs now is Christians who aren't afraid to be bold; to speak up for the truth. And you don't need a microphone or a platform to do that-you can start speaking out to the world around you right now.

JFH (LS): Is there anything or anyone in particular who inspired your new musicial direction and growth?

BG: We actually do things kind of backwards when it comes to preparing for a new album. We fast from music because we've felt that God wants us to come to HIM for inspiration, rather than copying elements of other music we're listening to. So we're really most inspired by listening to teachings and worship.

JFH (John DiBiase): How did you approach the writing and production of your new album differently than your two previous projects?

BG: We really challenged ourselves musically in the production of this album. We talked with Otto (our producer) and told him about different styles we wanted to try and new instruments we wanted to play. It was a great learning experience.

JFH (LS): Individually, do you girls have a favorite song from How Can We Be Silent?

BG: Actually, we ALL really like "Million Voices" and "One More Round!"

JFH (LS): Are you planning on touring this fall in promotion of How Can We Be Silent?

BG: Definitely. We'll be out on the road with TobyMac this fall, playing a lot of new songs from our album.

JFH (LS): What inspired BarlowGirl, a band of three girls, to write "The Guy Song?"

BG: So many times, people will say to us, "Thank you for speaking to our girls," and we've often thought, "But this message of purity isn't just for the girls... it's just as important for the guys to hear!" The enemy really tries to target guys with media and images these days, and we wanted to specifically write a song for guys that said, "Take a stand and get serious about this issue!"

JFH (LS): With the huge popularity and success of "Never Alone" do you ever grow tired of playing that song, or others, night after night? How do you keep each show from becoming simply "a routine?"

BG: You know, we thought that we'd get sick of playing the same songs night after night, but we haven't! The thing that always keeps it fresh is the audience. When you hear stories of people that just heard a song for the first time, or when we get to see people getting the message for the first time, it makes it all worth while and seems new each time.

JFH (LS): Do you have a favorite song to perform live?

BG: We all love "Million Voices" right now because it's a really great rock song to play. But "I Need You to Love Me" is still a great worship moment every night.

JFH (LS): At still such a young age, do you consider yourself pioneers for other all-female bands in Christian music?

BG: We've honestly never considered that before! It was difficult starting out as an all-girl band because most people said we'd need guys to play the instruments, or a band, etc... but we've just been obedient to God's calling and He's completely paved the way for us to do this.

JFH (JD): How do you resolve your creative differences?

BG: We work through creative differences, personality differences, everything, the same way. Through prayer and communication, we always try to be in unity.

JFH (LS): Since you girls travel with your parents (who also function as your managers), how do you draw a clear line between family and work?

BG: Business is obviously a part of our day-to-day lives, but we're slowly learning to be persistent in taking family time that has nothing to do with music.

JFH (JD): What are some of your favorite things to do when you're not on the road or practicing music? How do you unwind?

BG: We love to be at home on our property, hanging out with our family, sitting outside reading and just walking around our property.

JFH (LS): With the growing trend of band members releasing a solo project, do any of you ever plan or hope to do that?

BG: Never! Right now, God's blessing seems to be there when the 3 of us are just together in unity.

JFH (LS): If you had to pick a cartoon character to best describe your personality, who would you be?

BG: Well, we don't know much about cartoons, but we each have a specific Disney princess personality. :) Becca would be Mulan, Lauren would be Ariel (from The Little Mermaid) and Alyssa would be Belle (from Beauty & The Beast).

JFH (LS): Have you read any books or Bible passages of late that you have found particularly inspiring or challenging?

BG: Any books on revival or modern-day martyrdom are inspiring to us. We've been reading books about the Azusa Street and Welsh revivals lately and they are amazing.

JFH (LS): Any closing comments or thoughts [for your generation of readers]? ?

BG: We'll leave you with James 4:8, the verse that says if you draw near to God, He will draw near to you. It's always such an encouragement to know that, even in darker seasons, if we will just press into Him and persistently seek Him, He will draw near to us.