Await The Day
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Await The Day

Houston, Texas, United States | SELF

Houston, Texas, United States | SELF
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"Take 5 with Await The Day"

November 13, 2008
by Amy Sondova

Hailing from the bustling city of Houston, TX, Await the Day is a band that never intended to be more than a praise band that came together for a men’s retreat. God, however, has other plans and the band’s members—Ben Fontenot, Justin O’Neal, and Eddie Boyer—morphed into an indie rock outfit called Await the Day. The popular rock band recently their first EP in September. Ben and Eddie both took time out of their busy schedules to “Take 5” with Backseat Writer.


I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering this—how do you go from performing together at a men's retreat to forming a rock band? Don't these things usually go the other way?


Ben: Well, I had been in a band before but we broke up about 4 years ago. I pretty much spent a year just praying and wondering what I was supposed to do musically. We were all brought together for the retreat and I had no plans to start another band but it seems God had a different idea. I started getting ideas for new music and then shared that with the other guys. The fire was lit at that point and since then things just kind of evolved on their own. We continue to create new songs and they just keep getting better the more we play.

Eddie: You would think that you would get together first then get asked to do a men’s retreat…but as usual God has a way of doing things his way. One of our mutual friends kind of put us together and suggested that we put some songs together for the retreat. It was a ton of fun…so we decided to get together and Ben had a song floating around in his head, as he usually does. So we started working on that and a couple of cover songs for an event at the church. We got such a great reception from the event that we just continued making music. It’s interesting though…I don’t think they’ve asked us back to another men’s retreat!


Band names always fascinate me—what's the meaning behind the name "Await the Day"?


Ben: "Await The Day" has a double meaning. Not only are we awaiting the day when Jesus comes back but He too is also anticipating the time when we can all go home.


Eddie: This name is always a little difficult to explain, but it opens up great windows of opportunity. Ben, another friend, and I were hiking on a mountain in Colorado this summer before Spirit West Coast. We met some people from Minnesota on the mountain and told them that this was only the beginning of our adventure. They asked the name of our band and after we told them “Await the Day” they asked, “What day are you awaiting?” Turns out they were a church group there hiking as a fundraiser for a cancer patient.


Await the Day's debut album, a 5-song EP called Time For Change, released in early Sept., what can you tell me about the album's title track?


Ben: I wrote the song "Time For Change" about my transformation from the path I was on to a road that is much more purposeful and lead by God. As a band we always pray that our journey will be His journey and not just about playing rock music. It is about shedding the things that aren't important and moving towards a life that He has laid out for us.


"Broken and Hungry" is a passionate plea to be renewed by God—what's the story behind this song?


Ben: I see a lot of pain in this world. I know this is a common theme for songs but we all seem to be searching for something, hungry and wanting more. We believe there is more. We believe that you should always seek more out of life than just the job and house and nice car. There are many out there that don't know what it is they are looking for and it is our hope that some how they find it through this music—that they can relate in some way and be stirred to dig deeper.


::BackseatWriter.com :: Captivated by the backseat view :: amy@backseatwriter.com
- Back Seat Writer


"Await The Day Featurette"

By James Harrington

Houston, Texas-based hard rock outfit Await The Day have just released their 5-song debut EP Time For Change, with lyrics that focus largely on trusting God’s providence – something to which the band has grown accustomed over the course of their 18 months together. What started as a thrown together worship band for a church men’s retreat in November of 2006 has grown into a full-blown musical ministry for the quartet. Says Eddie Boyer, the group’s bassist, “We keep saying we’re just along for the ride. I don’t think any of us intended things to go this way, but God keeps bringing the opportunities and we keep saying yes.”

It’s hard to argue a point like that with a band that has rarely had to expend much of its own effort to book a show. “Most of our gigs come to us through our MySpace,” says guitarist Justin O’Neal. They’ve played bars and Christian music clubs, church youth events and battles of the bands, and they’ve shared a stage with Showbread and High Flight Society, all with minimal (non-musical) effort on their parts.

In fact, their most exciting opportunities somehow seem to fall in their collective lap, sometimes in dizzying bursts. Boyer was at a Houston sandwich shop when he met Jeffrey Armstreet (Evangeline), who produced the band’s EP at his studio, and subsequently got them placed on the bill for one of GMA Week’s biggest showcases. Soon after, the first song they recorded with Armstreet got them placed on the independent stage at Spirit West Coast in Monterey, California. After all of that, the band could be forgiven for suspecting an external hand may be manipulating knows on the myriad doors that continue to open for them.

Despite the consistent growth of their fan base, their busy schedule, and a solid first recording effort, Await the Day insists that their aspirations aren’t centered around large-scale success, at least not for its own sake. “Our goal is just to glorify God through our music and to be able to minister to people, especially young people. That’s where our passion is,” confesses O’Neal. “We’d love to play on a mainstream stage and be a big band…but that’s not really our goal.” Adds Boyer, “We want to make God famous, not us… We want to make the best music possible that captures the heart of a generation for God.”

Capturing the heart of a fickle generation seems like a tall order, and I wonder how they hope to do it. “Christians need some good ol’ hard rock music that can speak to them, encourage them, and that they can relate to in times when life just sucks,” says lead singer Ben Fontenot, who wrote all of the songs on the EP. “On the other hand, I think the mainstream needs to know that…there is music out there that offers hope and love and something they can relate to. If we can somehow be a vessel to lead them to Christ through this kind of music, then God is truly glorified and we are doing our job.”

It’s a charge they take seriously, and to which they devote no small amount of prayer and discussion. To be sure, music-as-ministry can be a difficult line to walk, but the band is unfazed. To keep him grounded, Fontenot looks to the words of another lyricist [Switchfoot’s] Jon Foreman. One particular Switchfoot lyric (“I don’t belong here.”) has helped galvanize his purpose and the band’s in his mind. “We’re here to make a difference, but we’re not here to stay,” he says. We’ll see.
- HM Magazine


"Two Indie Extreme Acts Land High-Profile Gigs"

The Access and Await The Day to Perform at Events in Texas and California

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 2008) – The Access and Await The Day, two acts represented by the independent label management firm Indie Extreme, have landed high-profile gigs in Texas and California.

* The Access will perform a one-hour set at 6 p.m. Aug. 23 (Saturday) at the second annual Bay Area SummerFest in Baytown, Texas. The Christian alternative rock band will share the stage with the acclaimed acts Stellar Kart and The Red Airplanes.

* Await The Day will perform on July 31 (Thursday) in the Indie Artist Showcase in Monterey, Calif., as a finalist in the Spirit West Coast Talent Search and Showcase presented by Essential Records. If the act reaches the finals (top two), they will perform again on Aug. 2. The band was invited to compete after submitting their song, Time for Change.

“These are wonderful opportunities for The Access and Await The Day,” said Kathy Douglas, CEO for Indie Extreme. “They did an outstanding job performing during GMA Week in Nashville last spring, and they have both accomplished a lot since then. We are very proud to have them on the Indie Extreme artist roster.”

The Access is managed by Mark Silvestri, founder of the Houston record label R.A.W. Music Group. The group, which formed in Mont Belvieu, Texas, in 2006, is working on their debut album with Houston producer MD Thompson of Ivory Tower Realizations. Members of The Access are lead vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Justin Michaels, bassist/back-up vocalist Terry Cardwell, guitarist Nick Daniel, guitarist/back-up vocalist Winter, and drummer/back-up vocalist Kyle Mason Hall. The band, which describes its sound as a modern form of praise and worship, is using its music to “wake up a sleeping church and to bring the life, only Christ can offer, to a generation of dry bones.”

Await the Day, a Christian rock band, is using “edgy guitar licks and original melodic ballads” to share their passion for Jesus Christ. The group was encouraged to form in 2006 after deeply moving attendees during a worship service at a men’s retreat. A host of acoustic performances followed at various venues across the region. Members of the band found themselves “driven by their faith and motivated to share the word with every breath.” They are working their way to the top with a devotion to God and his
music. Members of Await the Day are Ben Fontenot, Justin O’Neal and Eddie Boyer.

Indie Extreme, which is based in Brentwood, Tenn., represents musical acts ranging from folk legend Judy Collins to hit CCM artist Matt Brouwer. The firm provides administrative and managerial services such as correspondence, bookkeeping, CD/merchandise fulfillment, marketing, publicity, database development, web site development, management/maintenance, e-commerce management, and the coordination of vendor services.

For more information about the company, visit http://www.indieextreme.com, call (615) 309-1718 or (281) 890-5034, send an e-mail to Lisa@indieextreme.com or kathyd@indieextreme.com, or write the company at 9000 E. Church St., B103, Brentwood, TN 37027.
- Whiting Publicity & Promotions


Discography

2008 - Time For Change

Photos

Bio

Await The Day, born out of that small country called Texas has proven their vision is as big as the state they come from. Their freshman release �Time For Change�, entering the world in September of 2008, consists of nothing less than a cornucopia of melodic hard rock. With raging guitars, soaring vocals, intense drums and of course, the strategically placed screams, this band is driven to bring a sound to your ears that you can�t help but keep listening to. With lyrics that focus largely on hope in spite of a world that sometimes seems hopeless they continue to deliver this message in a way that is relevant to our culture today. Over the course of their 2 years together the band has played many different venues, sharing a stage with Showbread, High Flight Society, As I Lay Dying, Family Force Five and many more. This band is determined to connect to this generation, recruiting fans from every show they play. In a time where all artists are labeled in one way or another, Await The Day has set out to just play the best music they can, writing songs that they hopefully would listen to themselves. �It�s not about what type of music you play, it�s about whether or not the song reaches someone where they are� says singer Ben Fontenot. �If we can connect with at least one person at each show it is all worth while.� These guys are no strangers to open doors. In fact, their most exciting opportunities somehow seem to fall in their collective lap, sometimes in dizzying bursts. Boyer was at a Houston sandwich shop when he met Jeffrey Armstreet (Evangeline), who produced the band�s EP at his studio, and subsequently got them placed on the bill for one of GMA Week�s biggest showcases. Soon after, the first song they recorded with Armstreet got them placed on the independent stage at Spirit West Coast in Monterrey, California as well as Lifelight Festival in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After all of that, the band could be forgiven for suspecting an external hand may be manipulating knobs on the myriad doors that continue to open for them. Despite the consistent growth of their fan base, their busy schedule, and a solid first recording effort, Await the Day insists that their aspirations aren�t centered around large-scale success, at least not for its own sake. �Our goal is just to glorify God through our music and to be able to minister to people, especially young people. That�s where our passion is,� confesses O�Neal. �We�d love to play on a mainstream stage and be a big band � but that�s not really our goal.� Adds Boyer, �We want to make God famous, not us�We want to make the best music possible that captures the heart of a generation for God.� Capturing the heart of a fickle generation seems like a tall order, and I wonder how they hope to do it. �Christians need some good ol� hard rock music that can speak to them, encourage them, and that they can relate to in times when life just sucks,� says lead singer Ben Fontenot, who wrote all of the songs on the EP. �On the other hand, I think the mainstream needs to know that � there is music out there that offers hope and love and something they can relate to. If we can somehow be a vessel to lead them to Christ through this kind of music, then God is truly glorified and we are doing our job.� It�s a charge they take seriously, and to which they devote no small amount of prayer and discussion. To be sure, music-as-ministy can be a difficult line to walk, but the band is unfazed. To keep him grounded, Fontenot looks to the words of another lyricist [Switchfoot�s] Jon Foreman. One particular Switchfoot lyric (�I don�t belong here.�) has helped galvanize his purpose and the band�s in his mind. �We�re here to make a difference, but we�re not here to stay,� he says. We�ll see.