Steve Taylor Interview - WJTL FM 90.3 Lancaster, PA Radio

WJTL FM 90.3 Radio
Lancaster, PA
© 2014 WJTL - Creative Ministries Inc.
8:20am, April 24th, 2014

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Fred McNaughton: WJTL is celebrating 30 years of ministry this year, and for those 30 years, Steve Taylor has been a friend of WJTL. One of the first big contests we remember is when Steve was in concert at [Elizabethtown] College with The Choir, and we did something called "The Ultimate Video". Steve Taylor joins us live now from Nashville. Steve, do you remember "The Ultimate Video?"

Steve Taylor: I remember the name, you're going to have to refresh my memory as to what was involved.

FM: We had a listener win their way to make the "Meltdown" video with you, live, and they did that during soundcheck before the concert there at E-Town College.

ST: I do remember this now. That's... What were we thinking? How did it turn out? Was it good? [laughter]

FM: Turned out great. Rick even remembers the name of the winner. Rick, do you remember?

Rick Steimling: Her name was Joanne Calderwood, and what's sad about that is I remember that, but I don't know where I put my keys.

ST: [laughter] That's very impressive. You know, I think the name does sound familiar, too. That's pretty great.

FM: I just remember, at the end of the video, she got to play you in the video, and at the end you came out with a tennis racket, pretending you were playing the guitar. Fun times, Steve.

ST: [laughter]

FM: Steve Taylor joins us live on the radio, and of course, now, after many, many years of making movies, and being a record company mogul, and producing other people, Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil back on the road, on tour, and they're coming right here to the Junction Center, in concert, with Peter Furler Band. It's gonna be May 4th, and Steve, are you nervous about being in front of people again?

ST: Yes. Very. How's that?

FM: [laughter] Well, I know you played Creation, and you've done some of the festivals, so you have been back into it a little bit, but that's a little different than having your own tour.

ST: That's right, yeah. We were rehearsing yesterday, and pulling out a lot of older songs just to see how they sounded and if we could play them, and yeah, it was just a combination of elation and terror.

FM: [laughter] So you have Peter Furler playing drums for you, you have John Mark Painter playing bass for you, and you have Jimmy [Abegg] playing guitar for you. That is a stellar line-up.

ST: I know, it's a pretty fantastic band. I'm just concerned that I might not be able to pull my own weight.

FM: Oh, I don't believe that for a second. Can you tell us some of the classic Steve Taylor tunes you guys are going to play for us?

ST: I think we are pulling at least one track from every album. There's been quite a few of them, so I'm trying to remember. It's really close. So, yeah, there will be a good mix of older material--well, really, it's all older material--and then we've been recording new songs, too. So we'll try a few of those out on the group and see what they think.

FM: Now you had a very successful Kickstarter when you did the movie, and now another successful Kickstarter for recording your album and going on tour. When is the album due to come out?

ST: Well, it was supposed to be out, Fred. I feel kind of bad because we thought we would be done by now. The problem is, as we've gotten into it--and we're very close--but I just keep getting more and more ambitious with this album. So I'll come back and listen to a mix, and it's like, "Eh, it's not quite right, let's keep working." Part of it is because it's been twenty years since the last album and I was happy with the way the last album turned out, and so we just want to make sure nobody's disappointed. So we're really close. We're actually shooting a video for the first single today, so that should be coming out pretty soon. But we're not quite finished.

FM: Well thank you for getting up early on a day that--you probably have the entire day planned out--you got up early just to talk to the WJTL listeners. Of course, Steve, we love you here, and we lobbied hard for you to come back to Lancaster. You recorded your live album right here in Lancaster.

ST: You know, I have so many good memories of being in Lancaster. One of them of course was recording the live album. The first time I was at Creation. There have been concerts in Lancaster through the years. So I was really happy to hear that we were going to be able to come back and that you guys would bring us back.

FM: We're pretty excited. Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil live and in concert May the fourth, it's the Star Wars day, "may the fourth be with you." Peter Furler Band going to be here as well, and we're pretty excited to have Peter back, of course, with the Newsboys many times in this area. It has to be a lot of fun for you to have him not only playing drums, but opening for you as well.

ST: Yeah, I don't know why he wanted to go on first. I think it must be just because he's doing a full set, and then he's drumming a full set, and I think he must have thought that would be a better combo, to end on the drumming. But obviously I love Peter, we've worked together for a really long time, and there's just so many fantastic songs that they pull out for their set, so I'll be there on the sidelines every night listening. He's got a great band, so it should be a really fun night.

FM: So I'm trying to think if I have everything straight here, but I think on your Kickstarter, one of the incentives was that you would either give them your old suit from the On The Fritz days, or you would do a concert for them in your old suit from the On The Fritz days. Did anybody take you up on that?

ST: That's still a question mark. Nobody took us up on it. The suit is quite old now. It's been around for, I don't know--it's almost a 25-year-old suit. I may bring it along just in case it feels right to pull it out. If I was going to pull it out, maybe Lancaster might be a good place to do it, but I can't make any promises. I just don't know if the suit will hold together or not.

FM: [laughter] I thought that was a great incentive. I wondered if anybody took you up on it.

We're talking with Steve Taylor. He's going to be here with his band, The Perfect Foil, and Peter Furler Band, right here at the Junction Center. Steve, I can't wait to show you our new facility here. You were at some of our older locations. I think you're going to love it here.

ST: I can't wait.

FM: Tickets are available, go to WJTL.com, click on the "Junction Center" tab. Steve, after all these years of making movies, producing other bands, and doing all the different things you have been doing, is there that one song that you just can't wait to play again from the past?

ST: You know, some of them I like better than others. Most of them seem to hold up okay. But there's a song from the last album called "The Finish Line" that's still probably my personal favorite and I always look forward to playing that.

FM: And is there a reason why that one sticks out as the one song you really love playing?

ST: It just kind of all came together on that song. I really like the lyric of it and the sentiment behind it, and the band does a great job, so yeah, I always look forward to playing that one.

FM: Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil is coming in concert. They're going to be here May 4th at Junction Center Tent along with Peter Furler Band. Go to WJTL.com, get some tickets, you can just click on the "Junction Center" tab there. Steve, we'll play a little double-song Steve Taylor set here, we'll play "A Life Preserved", but first we'll play "The Finish Line", and thank you so much for calling us today, we are so looking forward to having you come back to the area.

ST: It's always a pleasure, Fred, and happy birthday tomorrow.

FM: [laughter] Thanks Steve.

ST: Did I spill the beans?

FM: Now people are going to think I'm turning sixty. [laughter]