Exit 352

Article will be posted soon! - Tennessee Christian Living

Kingston may be a small town, but a few people are making a big statement. Exit 352 is not only the name of the exit leading to this beloved town, but it also refers to a local band that has come a long way in the music scene in the past few years.
Exit 352 consists of five very talented members. These include Cody Hazelwood (guitar, trombone), Chris Heaton (drums), John Griner (guitar), 2007 RCHS graduate Josiah Stevenson (lead vocals, synth), and new RCHS senior Kirby Waggoner (bass, keyboard).
In sixth grade, Chris and Cody first explored the idea of a band. They began playing music with friends who interested and able to "keep a beat." The band has been through many members in the past few years. John Griner is the most recent addition to the band, joining in December 2006. According to Josiah Stevenson, "John sort of jumped on a moving train, but the band has definitely improved because of him."
The whole band contributes to the writing of their music. Whenever they have an idea for part of a song, each member shares his ideas and they build from there. When the band was in the process of making their fist album, some difficulties arose. They had basically finished everything when the computer from which they were working crashed and lost all of their data. This was slightly discouraging to all of them after putting forth all of the time and effort only to lose all of their material.
In all actuality though, their second attempt turned out better than their first. This resulted in their CD, Contrast, which is currently available on iTunes. Exit 352 recorded this CD independently.
The name of the CD came from the fact that Exit 352 aims to minister to not only one crowd with their music. They wish to project to people with different tastes so that most people can get something out of their music.
The band has performed at TCTC, Tennessee Christian Teen Convention, for the past two years. They participate in many other local events, such as Battle of the Bands (which was on September 8 this year in Knoxville). They most frequently perform at church functions, but are in no way limited to that and are willing to play for anyone wishing to have a good time.
Exit 352's live show is always tons of fun. They do appeal to a wide audience, yet when everyone is all together, they end up having a great time listening and dancing to their music. Brittani Barger says, "I love going to Exit 352's concerts because the combination of their music and the atmosphere is so much fun."
They have many musical influences. Some of these include the following: Billy Joel, UnderOath, Relient K, Journey, Family Force 5, Flyleaf, Radial Flight, Rush, Mark Tremonti, Creed, and Rich Mullins. The band gives a shout out to John Pryor, who has been a huge help and support for many years. An anonymous member of the band also shared, "Chris really loves Switchfoot."
The band members spend time together outside of their shows and practices. The bowl, swim, go to church together, and hang out at each others' houses. The band all agrees that they are definitely best friends. According to Hannah Fischer, "Their friendship shows through their work, and that makes people want to listen to their music."
John Griner said, "We basically just want the band to go wherever God takes us." That is what they plan on doing. Judging on how far they have recently come, the band undeniably has a bright future. If you wish to contact the band, you can visit their web page at http://www.exit352.com. - Student Voice 2007-08