Exit East

At first glance, you might just think that Exit East members - singer Jason Foust, guitarist Jon Stanley, bassist Mitch Brooks and drummer Chris Lindsey are blood related. Their close bond, and even similar sense of style and way of life could confuse the onlooker. In reality however, Exit East's connections come solely from their greatest passions- creating flavorful music and impacting and expanding God's kingdom. Exit East's self-titled debut album brings out these passions in the form of catchy guitars, floor-shaking drums and groove-heavy bass lines that work as a team to create tight, unforgettable songs like "All of This." Jason is an unabashed lover of great pop bands, from the Beatles to matchbox twenty, and says "We're huge fans of great hooks and strong writing." The members of the group wear their influences, like their hearts, on their sleeves, and they range from Train and Lifehouse to Switchfoot and Steven Curtis Chapman. Producer Otto Price met Exit East at AtlantaFest where they won the festival's Artist Search contest in 2003. Though Otto is best-known for working with acts like Out of Eden, Grits and BarlowGirl, he turned out to be the producer to mesh with and help bring out the band members' individual strengths. "Otto can reach inside you and pull these things out of you that you didn't know were there," Jason says. "He takes you out of your little box and opens you up to all sorts of possibilities." "I've worked with some great artists on every level of talent, and after being with these guys in the studio and out; they are the whole package! There will be no stopping Exit East. They have such a defining and interesting sound throughout their entire album that makes them the real deal," shares Otto. Childhood friends, Little Leaguers, and now bandmates, Jason and Jon paired up and collaborated on eight of the album's 11 songs. Jason worked, until recently, as the assistant to the head of worship at Altanta's Westridge Church, a position that occasionally had him working with and learning from Third Day guitarist Brad Avery. The two have since become great friends. "It's very important to remember where you are at all points in your life—good, bad, ugly, beautiful," Jason says. "It's the path that God has put you on, and you weren't there for any other purpose but His."