With the success of their latest release, Where Do We Go From Here, Kansas-based rock n' roll group Pillar has moved to the forefront of the hard rock scene. Check out BREATHEcast.com's candid interview with front-man Rob Beckley during GMA Week 2005, as he shares about the group's development, influences, and his thoughts on rock n' roll as worship music.

BREATHEcast.com- So you guys just got started on the "For Those About to Rock Tour," how's it been so far?

Rob- Well we did the first three dates of the tour, and then we took some time off to come out to GMA. We've got about 25 more cities to hit with Thousand Foot Krutch, John Reuben and Dizmas. It's definitely a rockin' show.

BREATHEcast.com- You're only three dates in, but does it feel any different from your previous tours?

Rob- I think every tour has something a little bit different to offer. For example, we have a different drum riser on this tour. It's like six feet high, so our drummer's way up there when we look back. So in general everything always feels a bit different, but there's always really good chemistry between the bands, so it's a lot of fun. We're having a good time.

BREATHEcast.com- Pillar's latest release, Where Do We Go From Here, which you're promoting on this tour, has been your biggest album to date. Can you tell us a little bit about your thoughts on the record and its success so far?

Rob- Well it's definitely our fastest selling record yet. It hasn't even been out for a year and we've already sold about 200, 000 copies. We're actually going to re-release it at the end of May along with a DVD, which will be like a "making of" the album so people can see what went into it: the lyrics, the music, the video shoots, the photo shoots, live footage from the road, etc. We're also putting a couple of new songs on there too, including our cover of Sunday Bloody Sunday and an urban/industrial remix of Bring Me Down.

BREATHEcast.com- As this is your most successful album so far, were there any differences in your approach to making this record as opposed to your previous releases?

Rob- I wouldn't say that we really did anything different, but we definitely did things better. We probably played about 500 shows on the Fireproof album, and we just got better as musicians and songwriters. We saw a lot more, so we were able to express a lot more, and as a band we've just really matured.

BREATHEcast.com- You mentioned earlier that you're covering Sunday Bloody Sunday. Is U2 one of your major influences as a musician?

Rob- Actually, I didn't really know anything about U2 previously. I was into hip-hop as a kid, so I didn't listen to them growing up or anything. So when somebody asked us if we wanted to do a U2 cover, I wasn't sure which one to do. So I actually went out and did some research, getting all of their old records and what not, and it was after listening to them I realized that they're really an amazing band. So it's been through doing Sunday Bloody Sunday that I've become a fan.

BREATHEcast.com- So who are your biggest influences?

Rob- The first record that I ever bought was the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill. And it wasn't until I was about 22 that I really got into rock n' roll. I always was more into hip-hop and jazz. One of the first rock bands that I got into was the Foo Fighters, and they're still one of my favorites. There's this band, Kids In The Way, on our record label, and I'm listening to their album a lot right now. Some of the other guys in the band, like our guitarists, have influences like Pantera and Megadeth and other bands from the early 90's. Our drummer says that he likes anything that grooves, which, for him, is everything from Justin Timberlake to country.

BREATHEcast.com- So where do you think your vocal style comes from?

Rob- I have no idea. When people compare us to other bands, I've always said, "You can compare me to another singer, but don't mess with my band." I don't know; I really like the vocals of bands like Incubus and Hoobastank. I wish I had vocals like that. Like said before I used to like rap a lot so I wanted to do that too. But when I found out I wasn't very good at it, I decided to just sing instead. I really like aggressive music also, where all the screaming and stuff comes in. So I don't know, I'm not sure where it comes from.

BREATHEcast.com- Can you tell us a little bit about your background as a singer? For example, did you sing for your church when you were growing up?

Rob- Not really. I studied music when I was in college, and I used to play saxophone in this little jazz combo called Nightshade. One day our keyboard player and I were just messing around and I was singing, and the jazz choir director from the college walked by and asked me why I wasn't in the choir. What ended up happening was that he actually paid me to be part of the jazz choir, and that's when I really started singing. I didn't really know that I could sing, I was just kinda messing around. And I got money for it too.

BREATHEcast.com- Tim Foreman from Switchfoot said that his band is, "Christian by faith, not by genre." Would you say that Pillar is the same way?

Rob- I think that's a pretty good way of putting it. And it's because when people think of "Christian music" they think of southern gospel, black gospel, praise & worship, genres that have very Christian roots. For Pillar, we're definitely a rock n' roll band, but we'll never deny the tag if anyone calls us a Christian group.

BREATHEcast.com- There's a large group within the church that says rock n' roll is not a style of music that can glorify God. Do you have anything to say in regards to that?

Rob- Well first of all, there's not really a style of music in the Bible. Going back to the time of King David, there was a lot of instrumental music, and in the Psalms it talks about the "banging" and "clanging" of cymbals, so who knows what they were doing. It could have been this really tribal kind of music, almost Native American around a camp-fire type of stuff. Who knows, really. But what I do know is that the one thing that all Christian music has had in common throughout the ages is the heart of artist being right. You know, the Bible says to sing unto the Lord a new song. It doesn't say, let's all get together and sing this song that's a thousand years old, but it says to sing a new song. And if the Bible is supposed to be relevant to every generation, that means that every generation has to have a new song. rock n' roll is a passionate music, and if you're a Christian, then your first passion is about Christ. I personally think rock n' roll is a great worship to God, but who knows. I'm just me.