Band members
* Leeland Mooring - Lead vocal, Guitars
* Casey Moore - lead guitar, background vocals
Touring musicians
Josias Badillo - bass guitar
Payden Hilliard - drums
David Ramirez - keys
Former Band members
* Jack Mooring - Backing vocal, Keyboard (2004-2015)
* Mike Smith - Drums (2004-2015)
* Shelly Mooring - Backing vocal, Bass (2011-2015)
* Jeremiah Wood (2002-2006)
* Austin Tirado (2006-2007)
* Matt Campbell (2007-2009)
* Jake Holtz (2002-2011)
Beginnings
At the age of 11, Leeland Mooring wrote his first song, "Shine". After having a successful performance of it at a church in Illinois while the Moorings were touring the United States as evangelists, he felt a spiritual calling towards music. His mother, Cyndy Mooring, entered him in a contest in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 14, and was a finalist in the songwriting and artist divisions. Although he did not win, one of the contest judges, Kent Coley, took interest in the young teen. He is now their manager. Later at the age of 15 he attracted the attention of Eddie DeGarmo, President of EMI CMG Publishing, and signed a songwriting contract with EMI CMG Publishing. While practicing after youth group, Leeland, his older brother Jack, their cousin Jake Holtz, and two close friends from church, Mike Smith and Jeremiah Wood, realized they had become a band. They decided to use Leeland's name for the band because they liked the way it sounded. They later started practicing in the night at a funeral home.
The band has worked closely with Christian music legend Michael W. Smith. Leeland Mooring co-wrote seven songs on Smith's new album, Stand, while Jack Mooring married Smith's daughter Whitney Smith-Mooring on June 1, 2007.
Discography
* Sound of Melodies (2006)
* Opposite Way (2008)
* Love Is on the Move (2009)
* The Great Awakening (2011)
* Invisible (2016)
Sound of Melodies (2005-2007)
The band's debut album, Sound of Melodies, was released in the USA on August 15, 2006. At the 49th Grammy Awards on December 7, 2006, the album was nominated for "Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album". Sound of Melodies was also released in Japan on March 21, 2007, with the title song "Sound of Melodies" peaking at #6 on the general Japan radio chart.
Opposite Way (2008-2009)
Their second album Opposite Way, released on February 26, 2008, received success in its first few weeks of release. In its debut week, Opposite Way reached #1 on the iTunes Christian Albums chart. By March 15, 2008, it had reached a peak position of #72 on the Billboard Top 200 albums. Since September 2007, Leeland has been on "The Altar and the Door Tour" with Grammy Award-winning band Casting Crowns, which will continue until May 1, 2008.
Love Is on the Move (2009-present)
Leeland's third studio album, titled Love Is on the Move, is scheduled for release on August 25, 2009 in the United States.
Changes in membership and label
In early 2011, only a few months before the release of their fourth studio album, bassist Jake Holtz left the band to pursue a career with the US Army.Leeland's fourth studio album, The Great Awakening, was released on September 20, 2011.
In September 2015, Leeland announced via YouTube that they would be joining Bethel Music as part of the Bethel Music Collective,after Leeland Mooring and Casey Moore established an organic friendship with Bethel's founding member, Brian Johnson.Leeland's fifth full-length studio album, Invisible, was released on July 22, 2016. It is the first album the band has released under the Bethel label, with Brian Johnson featuring on the song "Son Was Lifted Up".
Touring
Leeland performed at all the Student Life "Clarity" conferences in 2007. In late 2007, they were on The Altar and the Door tour with Casting Crowns and John Waller, which started September 27, 2007 and ended December 2, 2007. They are currently on the spring leg of the tour, which began on January 31, 2008 and will end May 1.Leeland made their Canadian debut in Ottawa, Ontario at the Life Centre during the annual Shift Conference on March 10-11, 2007.
In September 23, 2009, the band will launch their "Follow You Tour", co-headlining with Brandon Heath and featuring Francesca Battistelli as an opening act.
Grammy Award nominations
2007: Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album - Sound of Melodies GMA Dove Award nominations
In 2007 they were nominated for five GMA Dove Awards in the categories New Artist of the Year, Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (for the song "Sound of Melodies"), Worship Song of the Year (for "Yes You Have"), Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year and Praise & Worship Album of the Year.
In 2008, their song "Tears of the Saints" was nominated for two Dove Awards: "Song of the Year" and "Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year". Leeland Mooring was nominated for "Songwriter of the Year", and co-writer with Michael W. Smith for "Be Lifted High" in the "Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year" category.
Brighter Days
Leeland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through the sunshine and the storm
And my dreams are set in stone
And someday I'll be who I want to be
For now I'll wait
For the sun to shine again
And for now I'll wait
For the rain to pass away
[Chorus]
And I'm looking for the brighter days
When all my hurts seem to fade away
I'm looking for the brighter days to come my way
Faces come and faces go
But none seem to look my way
And walls have stood and walls have fallen
But my heart seems to wait
For now I'll sit at the end of the road
And for now I'll wait
At the end of the pathway
[Chorus]
I'll see the sun one day shine upon me
I'll see the sun one day
And watch the nighttime turn to morning
But for now it all comes back around
[Chorus]
I'm looking for the brighter days to come my way
In Leeland's song "Brighter Days," the lyrics reflect a sense of hope in a time of difficulty. Time is depicted as an unstoppable force that keeps moving forward, despite the ups and downs. The singer's dreams seem set in stone, but the journey towards them is a waiting game. There's an expectation that the sun will shine brighter again and that the rain will eventually pass.
The lyrics illustrate a sense of loneliness and isolation, as the singer describes how faces come and go without paying attention to him. The idea of walls falling and standing is also present, perhaps reflecting the different obstacles and challenges that life presents. The waiting game continues on, as the singer sits at the end of the road and pathway, still waiting.
However, despite all of this struggle and waiting, there's hope for a brighter tomorrow. The chorus repeats the idea of looking for brighter days when all the hurt fades away. The sun is an important symbol in the song. It's something the singer knows will eventually shine upon him, providing warmth and light.
Overall, "Brighter Days" is a song about perseverance, patience, and hope. It's about waiting for the storm to pass, the sun to shine, and brighter days to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Time keeps moving on
The unstoppable passage of time
Through the sunshine and the storm
Enduring life's ups and downs
And my dreams are set in stone
The unwavering nature of one's aspirations
And someday I'll be who I want to be
The hopeful and optimistic outlook towards the future
For now I'll wait
The patience and perseverance required to achieve one's goals
For the sun to shine again
The anticipation for a brighter tomorrow
And for now I'll wait
The understanding that progress takes time and effort
For the rain to pass away
The belief that difficult times will eventually subside
And I'm looking for the brighter days
The hopeful and positive outlook towards the future
When all my hurts seem to fade away
The anticipation of healing and growth
Faces come and faces go
The transient nature of relationships
But none seem to look my way
The feeling of being unnoticed or overlooked
And walls have stood and walls have fallen
The metaphorical barriers and challenges one must face
But my heart seems to wait
The hope that love and connection will eventually come
For now I'll sit at the end of the road
The need to reflect and evaluate one's progress
And for now I'll wait
The patience and tenacity required to overcome obstacles
At the end of the pathway
The realization that growth and progress are ongoing journeys
I'll see the sun one day shine upon me
The belief in one's eventual success and happiness
I'll see the sun one day
The hope and anticipation of brighter tomorrows
And watch the nighttime turn to morning
The optimistic outlook that difficult times will eventually pass
But for now it all comes back around
The realization that progress and growth take time and effort
I'm looking for the brighter days to come my way
The hopeful and positive expectation of a better future
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: LEELAND MOORING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind