Breaking Out
Abiding, lingering, remaining, tarrying … The Waiting has been there and done that.

by Michael Herman

What's the deal? It was only a year or two ago when these guys were standing in the Christian contemporary music industry's "holding tank." The band already had three albums under their belt, and was wondering when THE event would occur that would solidify them in the industry. Now we all know who The Waiting is, and by the looks of things, we can't get enough of them.

For Brad & Todd Olsen, Clark Leake & Brandon Thompson, waiting through their initial albums in order to become Unfazed the fourth time around has been a journey worth traveling. The Waiting's latest project, Unfazed, took off in the first week to sell three times as many copies as their previous 3 albums combined. Unfazed hit #1 on the CRR and CCM update charts as quickly as the radio station's CD players could cue it up.

I recently asked Brad, their lead vocalist, what it is with this collection of music that's hit the right spot with the Christian music audience.

"People are talking with us about the lyrics," explained Brad. "They're almost child-like, but in a good way. They talk about the wonder of God and who He is, and people are responding to that. This album is more focused on worship that our previous albums. Our first release, "Unfazed," is connecting well in concert."

Their lyrics really do tell of the wonder of God, from their song, "Speak," which is unofficially set to be their second release off the album …

"Connecting well" is one way to put it; hitting the top spot on the charts is another way. Exposure is important as their music ministry expands to touch more lives, and they've received a lot of it while touring with their good friends, The Newsboys and Third Day. Being able to travel with guys they can call friends was one of the greatest parts of the journey, and seems to set a perfect example of how we're supposed to go through the journey of life, with friends at our side.

"We love chumming around with the guys from Third Day. They're happy guys, always having a lot of fun," explained Brad. "Clark rode with them for awhile in their bus because we had a lot of people traveling and that was the only way to get us all from one place to another. He had a great time, and they have a great bus!"

If you caught the "Step Up to the Microphone" tour, you saw The Newsboys' bassist and vocalist Phil Joel motoring around the stage on his bike during one of the songs. This was just another expression of a group of guys having fun while touring the country spreading the love of God to everyone at their concerts.

"The Newsboys are really big bike riders," exposed Brad. "I've never been at a sound check with guys riding around the arena on bikes! They're crazy, but a lot of fun."

There were a lot of new elements for the band on this tour, and one of the most important ones was the presence of several pastors from Teen Mania traveling with them every day.

"This was so great for us to have real pastors with us each day to help us continue to grow spiritually," expressed Brad. "We can get as dry as a bone out there on the road. We do our best to have quiet times and Bible studies, but it doesn't compare to having these dedicated guys with us everywhere we go.

"When we're out on the road, we aren't able to go to church very often because of all of the traveling. To be able to sit under good, solid teaching is so important to us to continue to grow and to be close to God as we tell people about God at each concert."

The idea for the album's name and the title song came from an intense desire to live lives that are unfazed and unaffected by the world around us. To be able to truly say that we have one focus in Christ, no matter what anyone else says or does, is what the guys want to express through this album, and the words you hear express that …

My roof caved in, the weight of unbelief and my eyes half closed, my vision getting weak and still I see you … I know you'll never fade … so I am not afraid.
(from the song "Unfazed")

Brad emphasized over and over again that, "the people are the best part of doing what we do. We get to meet new people everyday, and that's what it's all about, telling them about God and more about who He is."

The guys play a role in the band, both on stage and off. And just as no good band would merely consist of bass players, with no one to sing, each of the band members bring their own personalities to the group that makes things interesting at times.

"There are a lot of benefits to having my brother (Todd) in the band, "explained Brad. "It not only helps us, but it also forces us to communicate better and to work things out, which brings us closer together. We're opposite people in many ways, but its great to have him with me.

We bring our previous history with us; everything that happened between us before the band began. That's something that both of us deal with, but it also can affect the other guys if we don't handle things right. We try to keep focused enough to keep professional and family situations separate; that's important in order to keep things going smoothly."

Brad describes himself as someone who lives in extremes. He lives in peaks and valleys, without a whole lot of time spent in-between those places. He'd like to see his temper get better at times, but realizes that God is faithful to continue what good things He has begun in his life. He has a goofy humor and is probably the most energetic member of the band overall.

Brad's brother Todd is the 'most dedicated' and determined of the guys. He usually knows what he wants and gets it. Brad describes him as strong-willed and excellent at seeing things through when he wants to see something happen.

Clark Leake is the band's bass player, and the most laid back of the bunch. Along with Brandon, he has a dry sense of humor and is extremely funny which is important with all of the travel and repetition of a long tour.

Brandon Thompson is that guy back there on the drums each night. Aside from his wacky sense of humor, he's the "tech-head" among the guys. He's the one spending time on the computer when he can, and Brad calls him the most organized, and "very intelligent."

Just as it takes a lot of different flavors to create a great meal, The Waiting comes from a diverse background filled with many gifts intended to bring praise, honor, and a pleasing aroma to God, which they hope to continue to do for many years to come.

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