Us: What is your heart towards missions?
JR: Missions is a huge part of why Building 429 was meant to be. Going on mission trips have changed my life completely. One trip in particular that I took to Nicaragua, about a couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to see what it looks like to live in extreme poverty and better yet, I had the opportunity to see people like you and me who get involved and take some of our resources and try and help people out. We, as a band, have definitely been extremely involved in World Vision, extremely involved in helping spread the good news which is why World Vision is making a difference and changing entire countries and all of us can be involved in it. Missions are a huge part of what I am. My wife was the Missions Minister at our church so it’s a big part of who we are.

Us: How did the band get together?
JR: We’ve been together for, I guess about eight years now. Started in ’99, and I’ve just always kind of felt like I was called to ministry of music. I just looked for guys that have the same heart. I had a couple friends who played instruments and I was already writing songs. I played in several bands, and I was looking for people who were ready to sell out (for Jesus) and completely go for it…leave caution to the wind. And when I found those guys we started Building 429. Started in Raleigh, North Carolina in late ’99 and we’ve been doing it ever since.

Us: When you found the right guys and decided to sell out for Jesus, how fast did things change?
JR: Yeah, I’m kind of extremely driven. I really don’t let obstacles get in my way. The guys in the band are the same way. We’re still around when a lot of these bands that started out the same time we did aren’t around anymore. I’ll tell you this right now; I use the internet as my tool. I searched for all of the Christian Coffee Houses up and down the eastern sea board. We played 150 shows each year for the first three years as an independent band, and that’s how we got started, man.

Us: What is your vision for the band in the next five years?
JR: Wow, I have tons of visions of what I want the band to do! We just got signed to a brand new label and we have a new album coming out on October 21st. For the next five years, I want to see Building 429 to go as far God will allow us. However, me personally, I want us to be one the premiere Christian bands around. I want to be the band that headlines festivals and becomes one of the trend setters in the Christian music industry.

Us: What kind of music did you grow up listening to in your house?
JR: Well, up until I was twelve, all I listened to was southern gospel. I had no idea what rock-n-roll was. I listened to the Gaither Local Band and The Cathedral. My Grandfather was a southern gospel singer. He still travels to this day in a band. He taught me the piano and kind of groomed me to be a gospel pianist. Then when I was twelve or thirteen, my Dad was kind of the corrupt one, I guess, listened to rock-n-roll a lot. He introduced me to Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and all those bands. I kinda got hyped up on this new band that came out called Aerosmith (laughing). I had no idea they’ve been around for a long time. That’s where the rock-n-roll influence started. Then when I was sixteen, our youth group went to see Geoff Moore and the Distance. I thought that was super cool. Then when I saw Third Day, that was the first time I had heard someone sing with a similar voice to me in a rock-n-roll band. At that moment, that’s when I said, that’s what I want to do. So I went to work.

Us: What inspired the new album coming out?
JR: What inspired the album the most was freedom. We are making a record that we actually own, we own the masters. So that’s kinda crazy. I think we’re in a place now where we’ve built a good enough team around us that we’re finally learning how to trust people and how to lean on them. That’s what makes the process more fun. Now it’s fun to make records. We have such great people around us that we don’t have to stress about it anymore.

Us: This is the MyTurlock.com’s signature question that we ask everybody in the ministry. Since you pour into others spiritually in songs and concerts, how do you keep yourself spiritually fresh?
JR: My Pastor sends me emails everyday. He writes a devotion everyday for me. Every day about 30 minutes before the show, the band gets together for the devotional time. We want to make sure we stay connected. We are all involved with our churches back home. Besides, my wife will slap me if I get off base too much (laughing).

Us: Are all of the band members married? Tell us about your families.
JR: We are all married except for our bass player. He is the newest guy. He’s not really in the band; he’s just a guy that we hired to play while on tour. I have two kids, a four year old son and a two year old daughter. Everybody else has a pet which they consider their kids. I told them wait until they have a real kid, then good luck.

Us: How would you guys define yourselves, worship leaders, Christian artist…..?
JR: Without question, we are Christian artists. I think in some moments the Christian artist has to lean and become maybe a little bit more of a worship leader but I think that the core of who we are, we are Christian artists. In our songs, we talk about life, and we frame them in the frame of God. We’ve never been shy about that. We are not afraid to tell people about Jesus. We use His name quite a bit during our shows and in our records.