"You ask me the questions, and I will answer them in my most brilliant of manner."

So says Ian Eskelin, frontman for the explosively popular, pop/rock group All Star United.  Revel in the most brilliant of dialogues between him and EXIT Zine and get the scoop on why Ian is "bursting at the seams, wishing I could tell you the exact details of what is about to happen to All Star United."  Keep reading for all the inside info!

Being that you are the incessantly touring All Star United, you are about to go on a fall tour with Plankeye, Flight 180, and a whole bunch of other cool bands.  What are you anticipating from that, and are you looking forward to it?

"Well, you know, I love not having to be the headliner, because being the headliner, you have to play an hour (and) ten (minutes), an hour (and) twenty (minutes), and people demand all your songs, and do encores, and all that stuff.  And if you've ever seen All Star United, it's a very high-energy show, so it's great when we can actually get to play thirty minutes and warm up a crowd, because we show no mercy.  It's just fully unleashed rock-and-roll wrath."

Take no prisoners?

"Oh, yeah!  It's great for us, cause thirty minutes - we can do that in our sleep."

Cool.  I heard y'all have a show with Marvelous3 in September.  Is that a whole home state, North Carolina thing, or how did that come about?

"No, because the band's not actually from North Carolina, just me.  We're starting to do a lot more mainstream stuff these days, playing a lot more clubs, and just getting out there.  I think we beat our Christian crowd into the dirt.  You know, most people have seen All Star United thirteen, fourteen times.  And I'm totally happy and proud that they could come out and see us that many times, and I'm excited about that, but there's a whole other world out there that I think I would love All Start United to be able to reach."

Now speaking of this whole other world, y'all seem to just have this incredible popularity, especially outside the United States in places like Puerto Rico that you wouldn't expect…

<interrupting> "Well, actually, we've never been to Puerto Rico, but…"

But your album…was it in Puerto Rico that it was so well-charted?

"Well, all over the place, not necessarily Puerto Rico, but in Asia, all over Asia, Singapore, Tokyo.  It's actually had number one, mainstream number one songs over there."

Does it bring a whole new meaning to 'International Anthems'?

"It really does.  And that was kind of our hope with this album is to just kind of break it a little more. A song called 'If We Were Lovers' actually has had great success over in Asia.  I think we knocked the Spice Girls off for the number one slot..."

Alright!  I'm all about knocking the Spice Girls off anything!

"Yeah, it was really kind of funny!  And then we've had other success.  When we go to Europe, it's the same type of thing.  We do a lot of mainstream shows, just general market crowds.  We just do our show, and people go completely nuts."

Now you mentioned the move from the Christian market to the mainstream market - how are you expecting to facilitate that?  Is there going to be a third album coming out?  Will it come out with Essential, or will you just be moving on to bigger and better things?

"I wish I could tell you all the details that have happened in the last six months.  All I can say is God has opened some absolutely amazing doors for us that I never thought would open.  And the prayers that I prayed six years ago, or seven years ago, actually ten years ago when I started doing music, are finally coming into fruition. And I'm bursting at the seams, wishing I could tell you the exact details of what is about to happen to All Star United, but you're going to have to wait.  Let's just put it this way - we've got six new songs, and certain key industry players that have made super-power rock stars happen have said we've got hits."  

Hits in the general market industry, not Christian market?

"Yeah, I think…yeah, you're right.  I'm not going to get into it. You're just going to have to wait and see…"

Now I'm disappointed!

"Because, you know, what happens if God just decides to pull the plug and all of a sudden I look like a big moron on your tape, on your Internet website?"

Yes, well, we always want to prevent that…

"So I'm not going to put my foot in my mouth and mess it all up before it happens, but there's some crazy stuff that's been in the works, and it's coming down the pipe very soon."

OK.  Now you have been in the Christian music industry in a variety of bands, roles as an artist, and whatever over the years.  As you possibly prepare to exit, what would you say you've learned?  What is the most important thing, good or bad, that you've learned about this industry?

<interrupting> "Let's clarify.  First of all, I'm not planning to exit because music is music, whether it comes out as Marilyn Manson, Satan rock or Christian rock; it's still music.  We just happen to write about things that are a little bit more uplifting.  So I can't say that I'll be exiting because I would imagine that most people that were All Star United fans in the beginning are still going to continue to be All Star United fans because of our lyrical content and just the way we are as people.

Things I've learned in the industry here…what an amazing breeding ground for music and talent to be unfolded, because Christian bands get to play for so many more people than mainstream bands will ever get to do in their learning time, in their growing time.  I've played three hundred shows a year for the last six, seven years; I'm a seasoned veteran.  And when I go and do a show in Asia for five thousand screaming fans who know All Star United as a mainstream band, they think we're a new band.  But really, we've had so much practice, it's pathetic.  So we can do our show in our sleep, and we have a lot of confidence about it.  And I think that God prepares us for different things in different ways, and the Christian music industry has been great to us for that.

Also, another thing I've learned with Christian music is that fact that -- how can I say this without being spiteful? - I think the Christian music scene, in America specifically, does not truly understand All Star United.  We approach our songs and our lyrics with a little bit of sarcasm and wit, and a lot of times, most people don't really understand it.  And our sardonic approach actually gets us in trouble with a lot of people who actually dive into our lyrics. But I like that, because the fans that we actually do have, on any given night, at any place in the world, know what they're going to get.  And they come out for that reason.  And I would rather have that than a lot of people who just don't get it.  So, anyway…but I'm not going to turn anybody off.  We also have catchy songs, and even if you don't get it, you'll probably sing along."

Do you foresee a possible lyrical change, as you're possibly moving to a more mainstream market?  What is the angle going to be?  Is there going to be a switch?  Is it going to be different?

"Yeah, I definitely think there's going to be a switch.  There's so many things that you can write about as a creative person, especially a creative Christian, and how many different ways can you continually redefine your faith in lyrics with the same words used over and over again?  That's why AC (Adult Contemporary) music has just turned into a big ball of…ugh, suck.  You know what I mean?  And I say that with all…with no respect <laughing>"

So do you feel that being in the Christian music has, deliberately or not, stifled you and forced you into a box to write a certain kind of music?

"Absolutely.  I feel like…well, I've always had the opportunity and the luxury, because of the people that I work with at different labels, to allow us to be more free and write lyrics.  We get away with murder at our record labels.  But I feel sorry for people who are put in that box and continually have to write the same words over and over again and have no lyrical creative outlet to discuss their faith.  There are so many different ways to do it.  I mean, look at the Bible.  It speaks in parables.  It doesn't come right out every sentence and go, 'Alright, turn or burn.'  You know, it gives us stories and stuff, and an album can contain those same types of stories.  Not every song has to be 'And Jesus is the Way.'  You can set up a different song, and I'm going to do that a lot more on the next record, tell some stories."

As you're preparing for this lyrical change, you're also in a way moving from a role model sort of position. In the Christian industry, you're expected, as the frontman especially, to be on this pedestal, whether you want to be or not.  What is going to change about your idea of how you view yourself as a role model? When you step off the stage in the Christian music industry, what is expected of you, and how is that going to change or not change?

"I think you need to be real careful how you approach this interview because you keep talking about how we're leaving the Christian industry, which isn't necessarily true.  We're going to still be doing a lot of stuff, I'm just telling you that doors have opened to actually do more mainstream stuff.  But there are people who look up to us in the Christian industry and there are people who look up to us in the mainstream industry, as they're just fans.  My role really won't change that much.  

One thing I can say is that I'm not a youth pastor.  I'm not a pastor.  I will probably never be a pastor, unless God hits me on the head with a big Haley's Bible Workshop chip that He puts in the back of my head.  I don't know the Bible as well as I would like, you know what I mean?   I pray everyday to Him, and I have faith in my life that I'm following His will and that I'm saved.  And that affects me in everything I do.  But man, if people could hang out with me on a day-to-day basis, they would know that I'm probably not the guy they want to have as their role model.  I don't think they'd want anybody as their role model, really.  Half the pastors out there aren't even role models at home.  

So anyway, I'm just an average guy who has a gift on loan from God, and I'm doing my best to use it and to get the music out there.  And I totally dig stirring up the community and stirring people up with lyrics that make them think and could possibly even, maybe even have them make a decision for Christ.  So, you never know."

That's very true.  Now, you mentioned during the show that there's been a bit of a line-up change.  How has that worked?  How is that going?  What's the difference: who are the members that are coming and going, and what does it sound like now?

"Well, Patrick, our keyboard player for years, three or four years, has departed to live the married life in New Hampshire.  Which is great for us because he's a dear friend and he's gone, but it's good for us cause now we can cover all those extra guitar parts on the record.  So we brought our original guitar player back in, Brian Whitman, who just rocks, and yeah, we'll see what happens from there.  You know, All Star United is an ever-changing band, but as long as the songs keep pouring out, I guess if people are happy, it doesn't really matter who's up there rockin'.

What do you think each band member brings to All Star United?  If you're coming together as a cohesive whole, what is it made up of?

"One of the great things about All Star United is the fact that everybody in this band could be their own front-person in another band, which makes it very interesting to watch on stage because everybody has a lot of character."

OK, on the new material that you're working on, what does it sound like?  Can you give us a hint?

"It is a little bit more mature.  There's still fun and hooky things, but I'm exploring.  I mean, there's a lot of high energy stuff, definitely, a lot actually, but I'm just exploring a little bit more depth in the music."

When should we anticipate a release?

"Couldn't tell you."

No idea?  You could tell me but you'd have to kill me?

"Yeah, exactly <laughing>"


And that, dear readers, sums up this interview.  We faced death for your inquiring minds, but alas!  Guess you'll just have to buy the new album to fully see and hear the new side of All Star United.