Waiting Hill On Their Band's Name, Their New EP, and How They Came Together

Waiting Hill is an American Christian Rock band formed in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Since 2012, Waiting Hill has been pushing for more than just musical notoriety.  Guitarist Chris Davis explains, "we want people to know that no matter what happens in this crazy life, everything will be alright."

Musical influences such as Counting Crows, Needtobreathe, and Switchfoot (to name a few) are evident in their compositions.  "We understand that no matter how perfect things may seem on the outside, we all have questions and personal struggles on the inside.  As a band, we strive for our lyrics to go past the painting of a perfect life and fall on the ears of the artists behind those paintings to encourage them to 'keep on looking for the light,' " says vocalist Mark Chambers.

With soaring guitar leads, catchy melodies, and the occasional harmonica solo that seems to come out of nowhere, Waiting Hill has been captivating crowds all over the country.  They have shared the stage with bands such as Decemberadio, Chasen, Echoing Angels, Samestate, Building 429, and many others.  Waiting Hill embraces every opportunity to play live, as each show is its own story. Captivating all in attendance, they draw their audience into what becomes a display of their own personal beliefs associated with the ups and downs of striving to lead a Christian life in today's world.  They live out every lyric on stage, invoking a bond between the band and the crowd that is sure to leave you wanting more.

Waiting Hill is comprised of Mark Chambers, Chris Davis, Wesley Wilson, Jonathan Keener, and Todd Church.. 

Hallels:  Thank you so much for your time.  Tell us about the name "Waiting Hill," what was the rationale behind the name? 

The name "Waiting Hill" was inspired by the story in the Bible when Jesus was about to begin in his work of ministry.  He went to the mountains and prayed and fasted for 40 days.  After that time he went full force into the ministry.  Honestly, when we were in the decision stages of forming the band and discussing what we should do and how to do it, we didn't know it then, we kind of felt like we were in that same period of time that lead Jesus to the mountains to begin his ministry.  That period of time took many prayers and lots of patience for direction.  So naturally when we had decided to finally pick a name for the band, we just used one to describe exactly where we were at that very moment, which was what we called our "Waiting Hill".  

Hallels:  How did you come together as a group? 

We all came together as a group through our local church at the time. A little church in a North Carolina town called Iron Station (good luck finding it on a map).  We began music as a hobby & before we knew it, we were asked to be the full time music leaders for the church.  In that time as music leaders, we felt compelled to begin writing & composing our own music.  From that point forward, word began to spread to the local churches, ministries, & musical venues as they began sending us invites to come share our music.  It wasn't long until we all fell in love with taking our music on the road and now here we are. 

Hallels:  For our readers who may not have heard your music, how would you describe your sound?  Which artists would say are the ones that most influence your approach to music?

Our sound has been compared to the likes of Switchfoot, Needtobreathe, & Matchbox 20.  Lyrically we are drawn to write more about the up's and down's of striving to lead a christian lifestyle as do bands such as Jars of Clay and Needtobreathe.  Our live show is absolutely inspired by artist such as Counting Crows that have no problem living out every word and every note performed on stage.  We truely believe in the music that we write.  Honestly, for the most part, these songs were originally written as words of encouragment for us when we were down, it just so happens that these words written have been well received by folks that have been where we have been.  It's an honor when folks let us know that they were able to find some sort of encouragement from something that began as note to ourselves to let us know it will all work out in the end.  It's truly amazing how that works. 

Hallels:  With your EP coming out in February, what are you most excited about it? 

With the release of "The Long Road Home" we are excited to have the opportunity to finally release our music to America.  It's been crazy to see how well we've been accepted locally, now it's cool to get the chance to minister to folks that we may never get the chance to meet.  It's kind of overwhelming to think about.  We are definitely excited at the chance to offer some encourgement to folks all over the world.  Especially now, if there's ever a message that needs to be shared it's a word or encouragement.

Hallels:  I love your song "Moving On."  For some of our readers who may not have heard it yet, what's the song about? 

The inspiration behind the song "Moving On" was actually inspired by the book "Oh The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Of course, we know that most folks associate Dr. Seuss as primarily a children's book author, but we found the theme of the book to be inspiring.  After reading the book, we felt we needed to write a song that stressed the point that, no matter what's happened in the past, or what you're facing at this very moment, you can't just let it keep beating up on you, it's time to pick yourself up and move on.  It's never the easy thing to do, but we are always better for it, if we learn to get past or problems and look to the good that God has in store for all of us. 

Hallels:  After the EP's release, are there any plans to follow up with a full-length album or/and a tour? 

As far as after the EP release we are planning to get on the road and go to as many churches, colleges, and any other venues that will have us. We are currently working on recording our very first full length album that is coming out this fall! We just want to take our new music and connect with as many people as we can this year!

Hallels:  Where can our readers go to buy your EP or/and to find out more about you? 

People can follow us on Twitter at @WaitingHill, check out our website at www.waitinghillmusic.com, check us out on YouTube at www.youtube.com/waitinghillmusic, and check us out on facebook at www.facebook.com/waitinghill.  Even though we are signed, we always tell people that it is actually us that are talking to people that reach out to us on our social media sites so we encourage people to talk to us because we love having conversations with everyone! 

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