Local Christian pop-rock band The Lasting Hope has gone through a few changes since forming in 2010.
The group used to have six members, but it is now down to four.
Also, the band began as something for the members to do on the side. It’s now more of a profession.
During the past year, the group has had some radio success with a pair of songs, and it has traveled around the country performing.
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Homecoming
Despite a busy schedule, band members decided to fit in a show for their local fans. It’s set for Friday in The Point’s gymnasium, 311 Myers St., Seymour.
“Back in 2013, you’d have a chance to see us any weekend you wanted to because we were just playing around here,” lead singer Logan Oakes said. “But since we had to go out and try to do this more as a profession, we had to go out different places. So we don’t get a chance to really play around here a lot.”
They rented out the church’s gymnasium, and they are inviting family, friends and fans to the show. Doors open at 7 p.m., with music to begin shortly after. Cost is $5.
“My parents are always dying to go to shows now, but they haven’t probably gotten to go to a show in six months because we’ve been so far out of state, and they don’t really feel like driving eight hours,” Oakes said.
“Another thing, we have a lot of fans in Seymour that also haven’t gotten to see us play,” he said. “We did a couple shows recently near here, about an hour away, but they were expensive to get into.”
‘Always wanted’
Oakes said they will play a longer set, and it will include original and acoustic music, songs from the 1980s and new songs that will be on their CD expected to be released in the fall.
“It’s going to be kind of like a dream show that we’ve always wanted to put together but we’ve never had the time slot to do,” he said.
Last May, after nine months of recording, the band’s five-song EP, “Sunsets and Second Chances,” was released. The song “Something New” went up to No. 5 on the Christian Billboard rock charts, and they now have another song near the top 20.
The EP was produced by Mark Lee Townsend, former guitarist for Christian rock band dc Talk. Oakes said he reached out to Townsend last year after learning he recorded an album for his favorite band, Relient K.
The band, which includes Craig Banister, Eryn West and Tanner Marling, funded the EP, and the group is considered independent since it is not signed to a record label. EOS Artist Management out of New York and Jam Booking out of San Antonio help the group with decision-making and booking shows.
This month, they are kicking off their summer tour. They are booked every weekend through September.
A couple of years ago, after the departure of their lead vocalist, Oakes stepped into that role. The Crothersville native also plays guitar.
Banister, who is from Seymour and plays guitar and sings, and West, who is from Crothersville and plays the drums, are the other original members. Marling, a Jennings County resident, joined the band in November and plays bass guitar.
Banister recently graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a degree in communications, while Oakes goes to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and West is a student at Anderson University.
All along, Oakes has written the band’s songs, and West helps with recording. Oakes said he became interested in writing in high school.
“I took a lot of creative writing classes my freshman year in college, and I think that really helped me as far as being able to put imagery in songs,” he said. “It’s something I continuously do. If I’m talking to somebody, and they say something, I’m like, ‘Oh, that could be a lyric’ if it’s something that sticks there naturally.”
Oakes has written songs for the band’s first full-length CD, which members hope to begin recording soon with Townsend.
“He’s doing another record with Relient K right now, so we’re waiting to get in because they obviously take priority over us,” Oakes said. “Once he finishes up with that, we’ll go into the studio in Nashville.”
Oakes said the CD will have about 13 songs on it, and it typically takes two days to record one song. The band will do recording through the week and play shows on the weekends.
As far as where the band is now, Oakes said he couldn’t be happier. And he wants to keep making music as long as possible.
“I wouldn’t really want to play music with anybody else other than those guys just because we have such good chemistry together. We have the friendships that really tie it together,” he said.
“I think even if we stopped playing music right now, I’d be really satisfied with what we’ve done as far as going out and sharing what we feel like God has placed on our hearts,” he said. “I think we’re all really focused right now, and we have one goal in mind, and that’s to reach as many people as we can.”
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What: Concert by Christian pop rock band The Lasting Hope
When: 7 p.m. May 22
Where: Gymnasium at The Point, 311 Myers St., Seymour
Who: For all ages
Cost: $5
Information: thelastinghopemusic.com
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