Jackson Waters

Jackson Waters officially began in October, 2002 in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The band has a very unique sound that is reminiscent of the classic rock genre mixed with today's modern acoustic rock. Front man David Leonard's vocals are very distinctive and JW's songs advertise his talent as the focal point of their music. Complimenting David's vocals with introspective lyrics make Jackson Waters a band to listen to for more than the music. Behind David lives Toby Friesen, the guitar genius. His riffs and solos are inspirational and he uses his guitar not as an instrument, but as another voice to appeal to the listener. Craig Wilson also plays guitar along with David and Toby, giving the band three guitars which allows for beautiful harmonies in solo's as well as a general foundation of sound underneath the music. Brian Meek, bass player extraordinaire, fills in the low end with runs timed perfectly and notes synced with the drummer, Ryan Hawk. To put it simply, Ryan is a creative metronome; never off beat, but always creating something new and wonderful for JW's songs.
It took a little while for Jackson Waters to get together. David was playing solo gigs, one of which Ryan attended. They decided to form a group and recruited Toby to join them. After playing some small acoustic sets, the three decided to start playing electric. After sifting through a couple of bass players, Craig was found and played bass. As a four-piece, JW recorded a three song demo in Craig's bedroom that came out sounding pretty good. With it, they were able to get more gigs and began playing in Tulsa or Fayetteville every weekend. With the addition of Brian, Craig moved to guitar and now the five-piece Jackson Waters has their sights on something much bigger.
Jackson Waters was invited to play for Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary tour twice, once in Tulsa and a second time in Memphis. They have played with groups such as Big Daddy Weave, Thousand Foot Krutch, Matt Wertz, Rockwell Ryan, Bebo Norman, Five Iron Frenzy, Paul Coleman Trio, 38th Parallel, Superchick, Bleach, GS Megaphone, Hero Factor, Ember Days, Sarah Kelly, and Johnny Reliable. All of these bands have a very different style from each other but JW has been able to entertain the crowds and create new fans out of each experience. This is one of the strong points of Jackson Waters, that almost everyone enjoys their music on some level. So if you like plain 'ole good, raw music, then Jackson Waters is the band for you.