OurStage

1. The Guggenheim Grotto | Fee Da Da Dee 2. Kyle Andrews | Sushi 3. Neko Case | People Got A Lotta Nerve 4. N.A.S.A. | Spacious Thoughts (feat. Tom Waits and Kool Keith) 5. Heartless Bastards | The Mountain 6. The Champion And His Burning Flame | The Expert (Sonicbids Winner) 7. Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele | Meet Me In The Garden 8. M. Ward | Never Had Nobody Like You 9. One Day International | Black Is The Bird 10. Shugo Tokumaru | Parachute 11. Death On Two Wheels | Calling Us Back Home 12. Andrew Bird | Oh No 13.Umphrey’s McGee | Made to Measure 14. Beatbeat Whisper | Mismanaged Skies 15. Coutney Jaye | I Need Love 16. Anthony Green | Miracle Sun (remix) 17. Tina Dico | No Time To Sleep 18. David Berkeley | Willis Avenue Bridge 19. Waiting For Iris | Letting Go (OurStage Winner) 20. Josh Ritter | Wildfires (live)

Columbus, Ohio natives Jesi Kettering and Jenna Creps are the up-and-coming music group Waiting for Iris. On Friday, Feb. 4, the duo performed at a venue called Building 8 at the Factory in Franklin, Tennessee followed by a Dixon Center appearance on Saturday with artists From Brenda with Love and Nathan Im- pellizzeri. “I was absolutely blown away,” said se- nior Ashley Johnson, a friend and concert attendee “I started crying because I was so proud of them.” These recent shows mark the release of their new fi ve-song demo, a preview of their up-coming album to be released sometime this spring. This new c.d. is untitled as yet and will be their sophomore effort after the successful debut of their self-titled album. Senior Jessica Fentz said, “The perfor- mance Friday was fl awless. They have re- ally matured as performers in musicianship, writing and also their stage presence.” Those die-hard Waiting for Iris fans who followed the band on Friday heard a mix of some old favorites from the group like “So Tonight” intermingled with their new material including “Dear Santa,” “Little Girl,” “Apology,” “Waiting for Love,” and “Maybe Thatʼs Fine.” “It went really well in Franklin,” said Kettering, “About fi fty people from Lee were there, and that made all the difference in the world.” Kettering described their recent releases as more “relational” than the fi rst album. One of their new songs, “Little Girl,” is an example of this. Kettering commented that she had never written a friendship piece be- fore and noted that this particular song has quite a different sound. When asked how this new demo is a de- parture from their fi rst album, Kettering shared that this work is a refl ection of a more mature sound for the group as well as the addition of some production differ- ences. Creps and Kettering both expressed the feeling that they have grown as singers since their last c.d. “Itʼs been a process of growing up, fi nd- ing who we are musically and lyrically and staying true to ourselves,” said Kettering. Creps called their old material “grungi- er” when compared to their current release which she said “has more of a groove to it.” The pair described their specifi c genre as “piano-based pop rock with lots of gui- tars.” For those unfamiliar with Waiting for Iris, Creps sings lead vocals while Ketter- ing plays piano or acoustic guitar and sings harmony. Kettering also writes all the songs for the group. Their music has already es- tablished them a strong fan base among many Lee students. Sophomore Cheyna Hull said, “The audi- ence was really enthusiastic about Waiting for Iris. Theyʼre awesome at getting the crowd pumped up!” Their band, which has only been together for under a year, is still in process of be- ing formed, but the girls have known each other since kindergarten. “Neither one of us can imagine a better friend than each other,” said Kettering. The duo has been singing together since their sophomore year in high school. They came to Lee University together and re- leased their fi rst album as freshmen. Both Kettering and Creps are presently in their sophomore years at Lee. Kettering is ma- joring in telecommunications and Creps is currently undeclared. Looking back on all their years of friend- ship, Creps said, “We have really fused into the same person over time.” With regards to future goals, both girls echoed the common sentiment of desiring to take their music career as far as it will go. “We want to pursue it. Right now we are taking every opportunity we have and just seeing where God takes us,” said Ketter- ing, “This is what we want to do with our lives, and so far God has given us just as much as we can handle.” She went on to say that God has proved that his timing is perfect and that he has opened many doors for them along the way. According to Kettering, many Waiting for Iris songs including perhaps their best known piece, “So Tonight,” deal with the ups and downs of being a Christian. “[So Tonight] is a conversation between God and myself. In my doubts he always holds me regardless of the music or the size of the audience. God will carry us through,” said Kettering. Both the fi rst album and the demo con- sist of lyrics ranging a variety of topics including spirituality, self-discovery, love and failure, among others. The most com- mon reaction to Waiting for Iris is the ease with which fans are able to relate to their music. “The words to the songs were so genu- ine... so real. They are inspiring. I love them!” said Johnson. Creps and Kettering agreed that they are blessed to have such supportive families. As Kettering pointed out, parents are usual- ly the last ones to encourage their children to pursue a music career, but Jesiʼs father is presently acting as the groupʼs manager. The girls dually noted that they are espe- cially grateful to their friends for their con- stant encouragement and support. lee clarion

“After hearing a couple of demos of Waiting For Iris this past summer I was instantly intrigued by not only the group’s sound but also their level of talent. Since hearing those initial demos I have not only seen great potential in Waiting For Iris through the new songs they are writing and recording, but have also gotten to know the heart of both Jenna and Jesi as people which makes me believe even more in them and their music.” - Jeremy Ash, Manager / Creative/ A&R EMI Music CMG Publishing

“I first heard simple piano and vocal demos of Waiting for Iris and even then I felt there was something really special there. As I worked on a project with them it was exciting to see the music grow and become even more special. I work in an industry that is formulated and unimaginative and the girls music is a breath of fresh air from that. As far as I’m concerned, its not a matter of if but a matter of when the world finds out what I already know about WFI and falls in love with it…” - Mark Lee Townsend, Producer (Relient K, Evan Anthem, Deas Vail)

“I had the pleasure to work with the band Waiting for Iris last summer at one of the many festivals I promoted and ran sound for. I have worked with many bands including; Switchfoot, Disciple, Thousand Foot Krutch, Relient K, STAPLE, Kids in the Way, Everyday Sunday and many other national and regional groups. I must say that I was extremely impressed by the band Waiting for Iris. They have a professional, cool stage presence. Their music presentation is exciting and their songs are written and arranged very well. I was so impressed that I booked them for two of our larger outdoor festivals this summer. This band is destined for much greater things.” - Grant Pedigo, Promoter Lighthouse PRO SOUND