It’s 8 a.m., and I’m sitting in a Denver coffee shop, fueling up with a high-octane espresso concoction, hoping my brain will wake up for a busy day ahead. Any minute 18-year-old Leeland Mooring and his band will pull up out front. I’ll hop in a van they rented and join them on a mile-high hike through music history.
Our destination: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a 100-year-old concert venue in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Our quest: Explore a place where some of entertainment’s biggest names have performed . . . then talk about the future of these particular young musicians.
The night before, Leeland performed on another Denver stage with Michael W. Smith and Jars of Clay. Even though they delivered a short, 15-minute set, in my book they stole the show.
As I watched these five Texans in concert, three things caught my attention: (1) The band looks and sounds as if they just stepped off London’s Abbey Road, not the dusty range of the Lone Star state. (2) They’re incredibly young to possess so much maturity. (3) They fit Breakaway’s definition of real-world revolutionaries. (They’re calling their generation to “change the world through God.”) I couldn’t wait to meet Leeland in person to find out what’s behind their music ministry.
Less than 10 hours later, I got my wish.
Meeting the Boys From Baytown
I glance out the window, then check my watch. Leeland is running slightly late getting to the coffee shop, which gives me a few more precious moments to thumb through some articles about the band. I’m blown away by what I read.
Just weeks after signing with Essential Records and launching their music careers, these five guys from Baytown, Texas, were quickly being compared with big-time Brit-rockers: Coldplay, Keane, Travis—even U2.
Here’s what HM magazine said about the band’s Sound of Melodies debut: “From start to finish, this disc contains sweeping dynamics, richly textured layers of guitar and floating atmospheres that would stand up reasonably well on a shelf with Mae, Coldplay and U2.”
Even Michael W. Smith fueled the buzz, calling Leeland “the best thing I’ve heard in a long, long time.” He even recruited the band’s lead singer (and namesake) to write lyrics for him.
Across the pond, Martin Smith of Delirious? joined in the Leeland lovefest: “A band like Leeland doesn’t come around that often,” the British singer said in a press release. “Great songs . . . and a harp-like voice that will pierce the hardest of hearts. This record sounds like a heart cry for a lost generation.”
Serious accolades for a band that just left youth group. Can these guys live up to all the hype? Judging from what I saw in concert—yes! But what are they like off stage? I’m about to find out.
“Hey, Mike!” a voice says.
I look up and smile. It’s Leeland’s lead guitarist, Jeremiah Wood.
“I’m a Breakaway reader,” Jeremiah adds, shaking my hand. “And I want you to know how much this magazine means to me—especially all the advice.”
Suddenly, a few more hands reach out to me: Leeland’s brother Jack (keyboards), his cousin Jake Holtz (bass), friend Mike Smith (percussion)—and even Leeland himself.
“Coffee is a good way to begin this day,” Leeland jokes.
“Ready to hit the rocks?” I ask.
“I can’t wait,” he says. “It’s always been on my list of places to visit. Just think about the bands that have played Red Rocks—the best of the best! You could call it an artist’s dream venue.”
Rockin’ Revolutionaries
OK, so it may sound strange to learn about a new band by hanging out in an old amphitheater. But Red Rocks is unlike any other venue in the world. Carved between natural stone formations, this ancient canyon offers a hike through history—literally!
During our visit, we set foot on the same stage where the Beatles performed way back in 1964. And for the Bono fans among the crew, we relive scenes from U2’s Rattle and Hum, a 1988 album and documentary that were recorded here (at least in part).
But there’s one reason why I’m here: On this sunny Colorado morning, Red Rocks is crowd-free and decibel-deficient, making it a perfect spot for our Breakaway interview.
We find a shady place in this amazing red canyon, and I click on my tape recorder. Leeland begins to unearth the stuff that rocks these revolutionaries.
Breakaway: Do you guys envision yourselves performing here at Red Rocks?
Leeland Mooring: Absolutely! I see us here one day. We’re young, and we have so much to learn—and we have our whole lives ahead of us. But I think if a person commits his dreams and desires to God, as we have with this band, the Lord will use him in unimaginable ways. Really, with God, anything is possible.
Jake Holtz: I see us center stage, taking a bow. Of course, all of those seats will be filled with smiling faces! Yeah, as Leeland said, God’s call is on this band. It amazes me to think of how far we’ve come already. We couldn’t have done this on our own. We wouldn’t want to.
What’s your mission as a band?
Jack Mooring: We’re not out to be stars, so that would never be our motivation to play at Red Rocks or anywhere. We don’t step on a stage merely to entertain. We do it to worship and to help others worship with us. We are ministers of Jesus Christ.
Leeland: And that’s our mission as a band. We want to honor Jesus through our music and wake up our generation. Young men in particular can be a powerful force for good. The Lord will accomplish amazing things through a heart that’s fully committed to Him.
How did you guys get started?
Leeland: Our parents are music pastors, so being musicians is kind of our heritage. Jack and I have been exposed to just about every kind of instrument imaginable, and we began singing practically before we could talk or walk!
Jake: As the guys’ cousin, I was recruited to play bass. Mike and Jeremiah are lifelong friends, so we wouldn’t even think of performing without them!
Getting signed to Essential Records was an amazing experience. Later, we performed for some agents and representatives from Provident Music Group. Among the people in the crowd was Michael W. Smith, who was immediately drawn to our sound and style.
Your music is described as worshipful and passionate. How do you come up with such deep lyrics?
Jack: Much of our music comes out of a period of prayer. Our vision is to write songs that are vessels for the presence of God. Through our music, we hope people experience God in such a new way that they are inspired to draw closer to Him.
Leeland: “Sound of Melodies” grew out of a conversation I had with an Australian evangelist named Nigel McNeal. He was talking about how beautiful angels must sound as they worship God. Then he mentioned how much more beautiful it must sound to the Lord when we worship Him. One day after thinking about that conversation and spending time in prayer, I was inspired to write that song.
Breakaway views you as real-world revolutionaries—guys who are doing your part to impact the world for Christ. What’s the first step an ordinary teen should take to do extraordinary things for God?
Mike Smith: Shut off the TV—or the Xbox or the DVD player—and get on with REAL life. I always experience true fulfillment when I serve God. I don’t find that when I spend too much time sucking up stuff like MTV.
Jeremiah Wood: Why sit back and watch TV when you can make your own shows? In other words, get real, get busy, get going!
Mike: That’s how I learned to play the drums. I got busy playing them instead of settling with being a spectator.
So, you’re saying fill your heart, mind and soul with truth—then engage your feet.
Mike: That’s right. I’m part of a generation that has grown up on MTV, watching stuff like the so-called “Real World.” I tried to fit the mold of what MTV said was cool. It was a stronghold, sort of like a tractor beam that sucked kids in. For me, I had to give it up. Instead, I got involved with my youth group. I became a leader. I spent all my free time at church, hanging out with my youth pastor.
Kids my age are passionate, and they’re looking for a place to channel that passion. All I did was channel my passion from what MTV says I need to be to who God says I need to be.
Name another important step.
Jeremiah: Surround yourself with the right friends. As believers, we need a band of solid Christian brothers, guys who will build up our faith. If you have a lot of friends who don’t know God, minister to them, never compromising what you believe. Cut off a friendship the second a buddy begins to negatively influence you.
Jack: Here are two more key tips: Read your Bible and pray every day. Also, if you fail and sin in some way, go to God in prayer. Confess, repent and keep going. Keep pursuing the Lord and His will for your life.
It’s a spiritual red flag when you start doing things wrong, and you don’t feel bad about your actions. If you reach this point, you need to stop and evaluate your life. Ask yourself, Do I feel empty inside? When you stop seeking after God and when your heart begins to get cold, you end up having a void in your heart. Then you get caught in a cycle: You do more dumb things to feel good about yourself yet keep feeling worse and worse. Stop the cycle. Repent and get right with God.
Leeland: No Christian is perfect. We fall and we make mistakes. But through Christ, we get back up and continue moving forward. Life is a journey. It’s all about moving ahead, step by step with God. 
