Jonathan: Thanks for talking to us!

 

Christian Music Today.

Are you guys getting tired at all, or is it still fun and fresh running around so much?

Jason Dunn: Like anything, it's your life, career and job, but at the same time, it's been our dream since we were kids and we're all super passionate. There are days when you want to bite each other's heads off, but for the most part it's amazing. I got tired of looking out our van window seeing highways, which can really make you loopy, but now that we have a bus, that's calmed us down a bit, and I could do this full on for another 10 years. You do get tired, but doing this as a job is a dream come true.

How did you find time to write being gone so much on the road?

Dunn: A lot of writing on this record came from hearing kids' stories on the road. Kids come up and share their problems—dealing with suicide, depression, parents that aren't together, a boyfriend who dumped them, a girlfriend they've broken up with. One girl was showing me the cuts in her wrist and had me look at the scars, but what do I do with something like that? What should I say? It leaves you speechless because you don't want to say the wrong thing.

So how do you respond in that kind of stressful situation?

Dunn: I've been reading books and checking websites on the issue of suicide, looking for information that can be helpful to people. For some reason, kids aren't going to parents, teachers and even best friends, because they feel mistrust. But for some reason they'll go to a guy in a band they don't know and pour their heart out.

In Cleveland a girl came out, grabbed me and wouldn't let go. She told me that a week ago her best friend was in a car accident, and the passenger was killed instantly. Now she's a wreck and so she's suicidal. This girl said, "If [her friend] kills herself, I know I will next." It's so scary because we know kids have such a calling on their lives, and they don't realize it. They need to know their passion could be the next biggest thing in the world; their passion to help people could cure cancer. If they leave the world today, they are missing their purpose and reason to be here.

Do you feel your lyrics on Smile point people to that hope even if they don't overtly address spiritual themes?

Dunn: Secular kids are way more open to it. Christian audiences are looking for certain things in songs, like the name of Jesus repeated, and when they don't hear that, they think we're giving a bad impression: "I thought these guys were a Christian band!" That really hurts, and I've heard it more times than not, even with the way we look.

A woman kind of freaked out a couple weeks ago and asked, "Have you been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost?" as she's all shaking and staring at me. And I said, "Yes ma'am, I have." And she asked, "Why do you have that [piercing] in your mouth?" "Ma'am, are you offended by this?" "I'm not offended, but I think God is offended." So I was like, "No ma'am. I don't know what your Bible says, but my Jesus looks at my heart!"

A lot of people are offended by our music because it doesn't have "Jesus Christ is our savior" in the lyrics. But I think to a non-believer, our words are obviously reflected toward Christ, and they can go, "Oh, this is a Christian band."

But Christians have their doubts about that?

Dunn: I got four e-mails recently; three in a row were from Christians saying, "I thought you were Christian band, but I didn't hear one word about Jesus [on the new record]." The fourth kid, who had never heard of us before, saw us play in L.A. and said he knew there was something different about us. He wrote, "Your music and your song ["Zero"] have changed my life." Some people are so full of religion that they're offended by us, and I'm okay with that, as long as lives are being changed. That's what's important to me.

So, how do you keep all that stuff from getting you down?

Jonathan Steingard: We're in this position where we're not able to please everyone, and at some point we had to accept that. We have to be responsible in our relationship with Christ and the way we live our lives. The four of us together are responsible for how this band comes across and we have goals and things we want to accomplish. We're not perfect, but we try the best we can, and God honors our efforts. We've taken the gifts he's given, and use them for his glory.

Daniel Biro: There are way more people who are supportive, which is why we've seen so much success. People have been great and receptive.

What has a show like American Dreams done to build up your fan base?

Dunn: I never really felt that it did much. I didn't think of it as a huge deal, but maybe things came out of that we didn't know about. As a whole, it was a cool thing and it certainly looks good on a resume.

How about being involved with Winter Jam?

Biro: It was a huge Christian tour with NewSong, Newsboys, tobyMac, and we didn't know what to expect. But we went out four days a week and it was amazing. It was so encouraging from a professional, spiritual and fun point of view.

What would be your dream tour?

Biro: It would be cool to go out with Building 429 and Kutless. I also want to tour the world globally—to see Japan, the U.K. and all the cool places outside North America.

Steingard: I'm attached to Audio Adrenaline. We toured with them last year, but they're calling it quits this year. We really love hanging with them and want to play as many shows as we can with them this year. Christian music is going to miss them.

Biro: I hope they give us their bus and pass everything down to us!

 

The Many Faces of Hawk Nelson.

By Lydia Kenneth

For all the goofiness we've come to expect from Hawk Nelson, its members are surprisingly complex. Yeah, they sometimes come across as Red Bull poster children (punk-rocking out on stage, skydiving onto the stage, driving vans "Steve" and "Gord" to the stage), but the truth is, these four guys are actually pretty sane in the membrane. And as unique as they are individually, together the Hawk-boys make one great God squad. They want to help and encourage teens, they want to take care of impoverished children with Audio Adrenaline's Hands and Feet Project in Haiti, they want to save the environment—they may not wear capes and spandex (thankfully!), but they definitely have a heroic side.

Take lead singer Jason Michael Dunn, for instance. Ignore the fact that he once shouted out instructions to airport security guards to frisk drummer Aaron "Skwid" Tosti for a pound of crack (which he of course did not actually have!), or that he used to spend his spare time writing pirate songs for a side project, or even that his idea of the perfect day involves Quiznos and hockey (or maybe golf … Dunn loves sports!). One of the still-single 24-year-old's dreams is to become a psychologist so that he is better equipped to help the hurting fans who come to his shows. One quick look at hit song "Zero" reveals this sensitive side—Dunn's grief over the unnecessary suicide of a close friend.

"I feel like no one's ever had to deal with the pain that I'm dealing with right now," he sings.

And yet with as many post-show sad stories as the very social Dunn must lay awake at night pondering, his bandmates say his free-spirited, happy-go-lucky attitude is a godsend when it comes to the group's chemistry. He keeps bassist Daniel Biro from the disillusionment that often comes with age (and the touring lifestyle) and makes the sometimes boring bus-time between shows livable with his video game obsession and crazy attention-seeking antics. And more than just that, Dunn is a peacekeeper.

Life on the road is tough, he says. Living in the tight quarters of a tour bus and sharing an often-chaotic, sleep-deprived schedule does little for one's stability, and co-running a "business" (the band) as a quartet of best friends can sometimes result in tension.

"Rather than saying things that totally upset," Dunn says, "I'm the kind of guy who says, 'Let's do a devotional,' and tries to bring some peace."

The combination of sweet and silly makes Dunn "definitely the most unique character in the band," according to Tosti.

Equally interesting is guitarist Jonathan Allan Steingard, who, as Biro jokes, "lives for gear." Married just this year (to wife Jess), Steingard impresses his bandmates with his techie skills (rumor has it he doubles as the official band IT technician), inextinguishable desire to read and, as Tosti says, "If you need a big word to impress somebody, you go to Jonathan because he's got one for you."

As he tells it, 24-year-old Steingard is usually one of the first to wake up and make the coffee (for a band, waking up early means just in time for what everybody else would call lunchtime), loves popsicles and his new lab-beagle mix puppy Tilly and is obsessive-compulsive about organization (he even folds his laundry by color!). Though he admits to taking the organization a bit far, it also turns out to be one of his greatest strengths: "I've learned that if you have a system for everything, you can really accomplish a lot more," he explains. "With a band, in everything from relationships with one another within and outside the band, to logistical things, to planning—we've learned a lot the last few years. We have improved upon a lot of the ways we do things. I'm definitely the kind of guy who would say, 'OK, how can we make this run as smoothly as possible?'"

And lately, there's been a lot of that kind of thinking on Steingard's mind. Living out of a suitcase for three years and spending a majority of that time sitting in a van or bus has afforded him plenty of time for introspection: How is he going to take care of his new wife? What kind of impact are we making on the environment? How is the economy doing? Why is he doing what he's doing?

As for the last question, Steingard has had quite a paradigm shift over the last couple years. At first just excited to be a functioning component of the music industry, he soon began to question his motives.

"I realized it's really that in everything I do, I'm reaching the people I can reach," he says. "For me, it's not about preaching at people. I always feel called to love people I come across as much as I can. And one of the things that has been important to me is getting to know people in other bands, maybe people who needed encouragement and friendship, or bands that are just killing themselves on the road, show after show, and don't feel like they're growing. Some guys really need that camaraderie—someone to come alongside them to pray with them or just hang out. It's been interesting that God can make connections and hook you up with people who can encourage you or you can encourage them."

Aaron Tosti (middle name Kristopher) knows what it's like. As former drummer for band PAX-217, the only non-Canadian in the group has been in a band of some sorts since he was 12 years old. Now 24, the O.C.-native is the newest Nelson, and if you ask Biro, quite the encourager.

"I've never said that about him or to him," Biro says, "but it's true—he really encourages people … He is a really good person to be with if you're feeling down or if you're in a good mood."

"There's a lot of depth in him you don't necessarily see right away," adds Steingard. "He's been really digging into the Word and has grown a lot the last couple years … You know how there are some guys who just talk, talk, talk about their faith, and others who just live it up? He's that guy."

According to Steingard, Tosti is also a "true musical artist." Always learning new things about rhythms and drum techniques, and always observing other drummers, Tosti does not get enough credit for his talent, Biro adds. Not to mention credit for his incredible (but false) Canadian accent. True to form, like all of the Hawk Nelson members, Tosti definitely has his hilarious "party animal" side once he's in the right environment with the right people.

And if you're wondering how he got the nickname "Skwid," "I was a young lad, like 12, and I was playing in a band with my brother," Tosti explains. "He and his friends were about 5 years older than me. So I was a little 'squirt kid.' One of them one day went to say 'squirt' and said 'squid' instead and it just kind of stuck."

Last but not least is bassist Biro, who, oddly enough does not have a middle name, though his wife since March 2007, Bon (short for Bonnie), surmises "William" would have worked well enough since Biro's mother is from England, Biro himself is British and he once took a quiz online and discovered the celebrity he is most like is Prince William.

The oldest of the four guys, 26-year-old Biro says his perfect day would be just him and Bon in a car headed toward a cabin on the lake, spending time in nature and enjoying solitude, time with God and maybe a fire. Though Dunn describes Biro as the group's "dad" or "babysitter," and Biro himself loves spending time with kids and encouraging them, it's in that solitude where he feels most at peace.

"Sometimes at festivals this summer, [the band] Leeland would be playing and I would find a spot behind the stage away from everyone, just free to worship God on my own," Biro remembers. "I told those guys, 'Thank you so much,' but I don't think they really understood. That means a lot because when you are on the road so much, you don't have a home church so you lack that."

Despite his inability to attend church regularly, however, Biro's mind is often on spiritual things. He gathers strength from staying in constant, informal communication with God and says one of his biggest fears in life is "becoming selfish and thinking the world revolves around me."

According to the rest of the guys in the band, Biro needn't worry. They describe him as the "glue" of the band, keeping everything together and making sure everyone is OK and has what he needs. Biro is pretty modest about his role, though.

"There couldn't be a band with four guys like me," he says. "That's what makes this band work. The four of us are completely different. Our strengths and weaknesses just balance each other out. The greatest lesson I've learned is you can't do it on your own. In any kind of partnership, even with friends, there are always going to be differences and arguments, but I've learned that's life and you have to make it work. God put us together for a reason."

 

 Air One.

Q&A with Hawk Nelson

Air 1: What do you like to do on your days off?

Daniel: I like domesticated stuff. For years I've been traveling, so the most comforting thing to me is sitting around the house—I installed a dimmer today. Or working in the garden. My wife does the flowers and I do vegetable gardening.

Jason: I like to play golf. I have four brothers and my dad likes to take us all golfing ... I'm addicted to it. I can't stop!

Air 1: What are your hobbies?

Daniel: I worked in a few coffee shops before the band and I like to do that at home. I thought someday I might want a coffee shop, but now I'm starting to see the risk in it all, so I'm not sure. Bon and I started collecting records (33s and 78s) and she bought me a record player last year. I like collecting print artwork. I like sending postcards from the road. We have almost every state. I just appreciate small, little things in life.

Jason: My family is all into sports. I grew up playing hockey and soccer. Occasionally I go home to Canada and I'll get back together with all of my high school buddies and we will play some "shinny," which is hockey, you know. My favorite team is the Calgary Flames, but I was raised near Toronto, so my family are all Toronto Mapleleaf fans, which I don't understand, because they are kind of a joke.

Jonathan: Well, I have a little small home and I love writing songs. [I made a solo project] that was mostly a little recreational thing for me. I had tons of songs kicking around—they were actually kind of older—and I have recorded them over the last three or four years. I said, "What if I just manufactured a couple thousand copies and just put it out there for fun?" It's about 10 to 11 songs.

Air 1: Who came up with the idea to skydive down onto the stage at Spirit West Coast in Monterey, Calif?

Daniel: Actually, it wasn't any of us. It was our manager who thought it would be a cool, fun thing to do. I think Jason was onboard right from the start. If he was scared, he didn't show it. The other three of us were like, "It's not going to happen. There will be weather issues or permit issues." And then we were up in the plane and we were thinking, "This is really happening! This is going to happen!" We were so scared. Aaron didn't really show it, but Jonathon and I were pretty verbal about it.  Like, "We don't have insurance, what are we going to do?"

Air 1: When did you start singing/playing?

Jason: Actually, it's a funny story. I never wanted to be a singer, but when I was 9 years old, my dad and mom heard me singing in my bedroom and told my teacher I had a really good voice. That was when the Christmas play was coming up, so they made me sing a solo in the Christmas play. I didn't do it, though, because when they asked me to sing, I started crying in front of my teacher and everybody at school. I was a really shy kid. About a year later, my uncle got married. At the reception, if you sang a song with the word "love" in it, they had to kiss. So I remember standing on the table and singing a song. Everybody thought I was so cute. From then, I thought, "Good, I'm getting attention right now!" I think it was kind of a turning point.

Aaron: I started playing drums at 11; I was playing the piano before that. It was inexplicable: I was at a wedding and I got on a drum set and started playing a beat and my parents and the drummer of the band said I had something. Next birthday, my parents got me a drum set and I just started going.

Air 1: What bands do you like?

Aaron: I love a lot of different music. When I grew up, my parents were really into Motown and oldies music. James Brown was one of my first records. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with the Police and the Foo Fighters. I guess most of the stuff I like is pretty rock-based. But one of my favorite bands now is Keane, which is one of the mellowest bands you'll ever hear. And then I like a lot of the young teen punk rock bands.

Air 1: What do you do to stay close to God?

Aaron: It's not easy. I think I have the same troubles as anyone else does. It's an everyday thing. I read books. Right now I'm reading "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis. And I read books by Rob Bell and listen to the Mars Hill Church (the church Rob Bell pastors) podcast once in a while. Church isn't for just Sundays. It's for everyday, bringing together a community of people.

Air 1: Why did you name your van "Gord"?

Jonathan: You know Trevor McNevan from Thousand Foot Krutch? They're good family friends of ours and his dad's name is Gordon. He's a cop back in Peterboro, where Jason's from. And we really love the family. It was a really quirky day and we said, "Let's name him (our van) Gord."

Air 1: What are you concerned about?

Jonathan: Dan and I have been researching this phenomenon called "Peak Oil"—the concept that the earth has only so much oil in it and how dependent our whole society is on cheap energy. We both think things are going to change drastically in the next 10 years or so. Most of the issues I've been looking at, everything from global warming to peak oil production, requires global effort. On our level, there are things we can do. I've actually started a little end-of-the-world kit, with water, imperishable food, flashlight, batteries and all that stuff. It's that OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), organized, prepared part of me. Since I got married, all of a sudden I have someone to provide for and take care of, so that slightly obsessive-compulsive side of me kicks in once in a while and I like to be prepared for some unlikely things. I don't have any money in the stock market or anything, but I'm always watching them just to see what's happening with the economy.