By Amy Sondova Hailing from the bustling city of Houston, TX, Await the Day never intended to be more than a praise band that came together for a men’s retreat. God, however, had other plans and the band’s members—Ben Fontenot, Justin O’Neal, Trey Timmerman, and Eddie Boyer—morphed into an indie rock outfit called Await the Day. The popular rock band released their first EP, Time for Change, in September. Ben and Eddie both took time out of their busy schedules to “Take 5” with Backseat Writer.
I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering this—how do you go from performing together at a men’s retreat to forming a rock band? Don’t these things usually go the other way?
Ben: Well, I had been in a band before but we broke up about 4 years ago. I pretty much spent a year just praying and wondering what I was supposed to do musically. We were all brought together for the retreat and I had no plans to start another band but it seems God had a different idea. I started getting ideas for new music and then shared that with the other guys. The fire was lit at that point and since then things just kind of evolved on their own. We continue to create new songs and they just keep getting better the more we play.
Eddie: You would think that you would get together first then get asked to do a men’s retreat…but as usual God has a way of doing things his way. One of our mutual friends kind of put us together and suggested that we put some songs together for the retreat. It was a ton of fun…so we decided to get together and Ben had a song floating around in his head, as he usually does. So we started working on that and a couple of cover songs for an event at the church. We got such a great reception from the event that we just continued making music. It’s interesting though…I don’t think they’ve asked us back to another men’s retreat!
Band names always fascinate me—what’s the meaning behind the name “Await the Day”?
Ben: “Await The Day” has a double meaning. Not only are we awaiting the day when Jesus comes back but He too is also anticipating the time when we can all go home.
Eddie: This name is always a little difficult to explain, but it opens up great windows of opportunity. Ben, another friend, and I were hiking on a mountain in Colorado this summer before Spirit West Coast. We met some people from Minnesota on the mountain and told them that this was only the beginning of our adventure. They asked the name of our band and after we told them “Await the Day” they asked, “What day are you awaiting?” Turns out they were a church group there hiking as a fundraiser for a cancer patient.
Await the Day’s debut album, a 5-song EP called Time For Change, released in early Sept., what can you tell me about the album’s title track?
Ben: I wrote the song “Time For Change” about my transformation from the path I was on to a road that is much more purposeful and lead by God. As a band we always pray that our journey will be His journey and not just about playing rock music. It is about shedding the things that aren’t important and moving towards a life that He has laid out for us.
“Broken and Hungry” is a passionate plea to be renewed by God—what’s the story behind this song?
Ben: I see a lot of pain in this world. I know this is a common theme for songs but we all seem to be searching for something, hungry and wanting more. We believe there is more. We believe that you should always seek more out of life than just the job and house and nice car. There are many out there that don’t know what it is they are looking for and it is our hope that some how they find it through this music—that they can relate in some way and be stirred to dig deeper.
She is Beloved 