Wake the Light

It's rare nowadays to see a band blend intelligent songwriting and originality into a neat little accessible package... Enter Wake the Light. Hailing from the heartland of Tennessee, this five-piece rock outfit is storming the scene in the southeast, rapidly spreading their infectious blend of southern-tinged, mainstream rock backed by an incredible live performance that leaves you breathless and instantly hooked. Fronted by vocalist T-Jay Tipps, a ROCK STAR: INXS Top 100 finalist and one of only 30 vocalists personally hand-chosen to audition for the band Fuel, and backed by Robb Nightlife (aside from Tipps, the only remaining original member of the band) on drums, Eli Phipps and Steve Augustyn (a Los Angeles transplant who relocated to Tennessee after hearing the band's demos) on guitars, and newest addition Ryan Clayton on bass, Wake the Light has already made quite a name for themselves in the southeast and midwest, sharing stages with such acts as Saliva, 12 Stones, Breaking Point, Hot Action Cop, Ligion, Faktion, Machina (ex-Evanescence and Future Leaders of the World members), and many more. At first listen, something becomes immediately clear: these guys are great songwriters. Their level of maturity shines through on such tracks as "Misplaced Hero" - a blazing, pop-infused rocker so catchy you'll be singing it for days, and "Simple Wish" - a straightforward mid-tempo track with a huge, singalong chorus. Perhaps the greatest testament to the band's abilities, however, is the ballad "What Are You Waiting For?" - a somber track that touches on dealing with addiction and supporting perserverance. With its beautifully-layered guitars, in your face drum and bass, and emotional lyrics delivered expertly, "What Are You Waiting For?" is a tour-de-force track, sticking with you long after the music has faded. The band's first single "Story" was chosen by Adidas for use in their "Impossible is Nothing" marketing campaign featuring high-profile athletes such as David Beckham and Gilbert Arenas. The track has also been played on radio stations across the country, including KBVU The Edge in Storm Lake, IA, The Rocket 102.3 in Jackson, TN, 93X in Memphis, TN, 98.9 The Bear in Ft. Wayne, IN, and in the band's hometown of Cookeville, TN on B-Rock 93.7 where "Story" was the most requested track for three weeks running. New track "What Are You Waiting For?" was featured on TuneLabMusic.com upon its release. Wake the Light is coming...what are you waiting for? Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.