Newsboys

    Newsboys

    Mooloolaba, Queensland26 reviews across 11 releases

    ccmdance popmodern rockpop rock
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    Newsboys is a Christian pop-rock band formed in Mooloolaba, Queensland, in 1985 by Peter Furler and George Perdikis; John James soon became the principal lead singer. Early records built their identity from blunt faith slogans and comic irreverence, but by the 1992 debut Not Ashamed they had shifted toward European dance-pop, with lush breaks and prose-like lyrics, as Steve Taylor became a major co-writer and producer. Going Public in 1994 replaced much of that album's techno-pop sheen with harder guitars and industrial noise while retaining its hooks. By Step Up to the Microphone in 1998, Furler was writing, producing, and singing at the center of a poppy electronic rock sound, with programmed horns and fewer of the band's earlier jokes. Their oddest conceit was a song about a bee trapped in a limousine.

    In 1997, John James left Newsboys, and Peter Furler took over as lead singer, a change reflected in the rougher sound and more reflective songs of Step Up to the Microphone. By Shine - The Hits, the band was on Sparrow Records, while the collection's omission of Love Liberty Disco matched the cool reception that album received in some reviews. Thrive in 2002 brought Steve Taylor back into a major songwriting role and revived the band's faster, jokier pop-rock, though one review heard the result as a return to earlier formulas. Furler left the touring lineup in 2009, when Michael Tait became lead singer. Furler and Phil Joel later reunited with the group for the Newsboys United period from 2018 to 2021. Tait departed on January 16, 2025, and Adam Agee took over as lead singer while Newsboys continued.

    11 releases reviewed