Recently touring British clubland, as EMI seek to score the elusive crossover hit, Minnesota's PFR still have their feet on the ground, as Mike Rimmer discovered.

There is no doubt that it's the band's humour that endears them both to fans and critics alike and these guys are fun to be around. Even when dealing with serious topics, a humorous quip is never far from the surface. And then, there is Joel's Barry Manilow impression. Mark begs me not to make him do it, Patrick mischievously encourages Joel to go for it. Even without a piano, Joel holds his head high and sings Bazza's "I Write The Songs" before confessing that he thinks it sounds a little like Al Denson as well. Quite what Denson will make of this comparison we'll leave to his solicitors!!

On a more serious note, it was Joel's idea for the band to cover a Keith Green classic. A risky strategy because Green's music is so well known and undeniably well loved. "Trials Turned To Gold" is PFR's choice. Joel explains the choice, "I like Keith Green. His lyrics are really timeless, they are fantastic and he had such a poignant way of putting things". The band's version is very reminiscent of 70s band Badfinger and will certainly surprise Keith Green fans.

PFR are already having to live with comparisons between their music and the music of those musicians who have influenced them. The same names keep cropping up. Squeeze, Badfinger, ELO, and The Beatles. Joel puts it into perspective, "I think we hope that they're not comparisons as far as we're ripping them off but that they're maybe hearing some of our influences... Our goal in this band is really to come up with something different and unique."

They have demonstrated that uniqueness on a recent tribute album 'Come Together: America Salutes The Beatles' where their version of "We Can Work It Out" performed along with Phil Keaggy wasn't content to simply ape the original. I asked Patrick how PFR got involved with that recording? "Liberty Records approached Sparrow Records and Peter York (one of the bosses at Sparrow) pulled out our name. We were elated when we heard, we'd been wanting to play the song live anyway so when we heard it was the song we were doing, we were ecstatic." The band enjoyed working with Phil Keaggy. Patrick laughs as he remembers the recording session. "When he (Phil Keaggy) came in and did that vocal on that song, he looked...he was dressed so English...he was dressed more English than anybody I've seen here and when he talked, he actually had a British accent!"

When asked whose music the band admires on the Christian scene, Patrick points to Keaggy, Out Of The Grey and King's X. Mark admires Sixpence and America's new CCM sensation Jars Of Clay who've been touring with PFR in the USA. And Joel? "Brent Bourgeouis for sure...he's a very musical person and I like Susan Ashton's records especially her voice which is so great and Wayne Kirkpatrick is such a great writer and producer, it's a powerful combination." Brent Bourgeouis has also toured with the band recently and played keyboards for half a dozen songs in PFR's set. Certainly the new material benefits from the added texture of live keyboards but the band plays mostly as a three piece.

One of the songs that stands out live is "The Grace Of God" which was written by Patrick. He describes its origins, "It was a song that I kind of took from a book called LIVE AT GREENBELT: PFR "Bondage Breakers" written by Neil Anderson and I also went to a conference that he leads around the country and just talks about breaking free of those things that sort of hold you that you might not be aware about. Maybe things in the past that have kept you in slavery. Also, the biggest thing that I got out of it is realising my relationship to Christ, you know, my position and some of the authority that I have been given as a believer and that really changed my outlook on being a Christian and being a follower of Jesus and it empowered me a little bit and I felt like I had some strength to live out this life."

Spiritual stamina is something that is important for a band on the road. The band have all recently changed churches, although they haven't yet had much time off the road to enjoy their new spiritual homes. Mark describes his church, "It's a Baptist church but more than any sort of denomination I went there because of the Pastor. He's a great speaker, great storyteller and relates things on a daily basis. Because we're not home a lot, I don't get to church a lot and I go there maybe once a month or once in every two months. Whenever I'm there I can pull something out of it. The youth pastor at this church is a very close friend of ours and I have some other friends there so whenever I'm home I do get a little bit of fellowship."

The band have been very busy promoting the new album which has taken them across America and then to Europe. Joel speaks for all three of them when he says, "We're looking forward to a break this summer to just have a chance to plant our feet again because we can get a good season of learning under our belt and get filled up again because you kind of empty after three or four months of just being on the road. I feel fortunate even in that creative life style that there are pastors who would talk with us and want to pray with us and maybe share a few words of encouragement and build us up. l think that they're really living out their role when they do that with people who come in to minister with them."

PFR recognise that the band won't be together forever and inevitably God will lead them into new areas but what could they see themselves doing? Patrick dreams of having a pop and coffee house, "The Media Coffee House!! Actually I'd kind of like to be in music ministry in a church. Just like something I've thought about but also maybe have a solo career." He jokingly suggests, "In fact I'm going to start one this week!". Joel and Mark immediately volunteer to be Patrick's backing band. Patrick protests that he never asked them but Joel and Mark persevere and it's settled.

Meanwhile Mark also has designs to stay within the music industry. "I think I'll always be involved in creating music in some form or another whether people hear it or not", he says, "There's no other real occupation I want to do. I don't want to fly planes or make quilts or anything. I just want to make music and get married like the other guys". This last admission brings a lighthearted word of encouragement from Patrick, "Hey don't worry Mark, somebody married me!!" Mark responds, "Oh! that's encouraging. I feel so much better about it." But I don't think he does!!

Joel eventually manages to break in and describe his desires for the future: "My wife and I are involved in the camping end of ministry, bringing kids out during the summer for summer camps and there's a good chance I'd stay involved in that for quite a while." Somehow with an album of the quality of 'Great Lengths' I doubt whether any of the band will get the chance to fulfil these future dreams for some time.

Watching them on and off stage, they have a feet-on-the-ground approach and a disarming sense of humour which can only be a good thing when it comes to dealing with the pressures of the pop opportunities thrust their way. The bottom line for these men is the humble knowledge that it's God who has brought them this far and if they get the mainstream success, it'll only happen because God opens it up.

Patrick attempts to sum up the band's feelings, "The whole mainstream aspect of it, it's exciting and if it flies we're very excited about it and if it doesn't, hey! We're just happy to have the shot. It's a whole new ball game for us..."
"Cricket!!" Mark exclaims. Patrick shrugs, sighs, smiles and says, "Cricket's a whole new ball game too".