Expansive. Uplifting. Woven. Cacophonous. Soaring.

Dear Future's second EP, Can't Wait Any Longer, is all of the above, and more. It's six songs, interconnected, sequential, all lined up to follow one another perfectly.

Dear Future is four lads from Pickneyville, a small town in Southern Illinois: Brandon Ross, lead vocals, guitar, keys; Wes Chandler, lead guitar; Ethan Place, drums; and Paul Genzink, bass, guitar, keys. "We are pretty much living in a black hole of the music industry," says Brandon, "which means we have to work harder and travel further to stay connected. On the flip side, it works to our advantage because we are not influenced by short-lived trends."

More than a sum of its parts, Dear Future is a band united. "The majority of our music is written collectively," explains Brandon. "Because of this, we are able to explore everyone's ideas within each song."

Thematically, the songs express dissatisfaction with the state of our society and the way we react to its problems, both as a society and as individuals. "Lyrically, it's a challenge to make sure each song is relevant and says something real, instead of having stereotypical lines for the sake of lyrics."

Together since 2006, Dear Future has already garnered fans nationwide, thanks to an aggressive touring schedule and festival appearances: ten tours in two-and-a-half years, each of them averaging two weeks at a time. The band has shared the stage with such acts as Dear and the Headlights, Motion City Soundtrack, House of Heroes and Relient K.

Yet despite the barrage of bad news from television and newspapers, Dear Future's music offers a message of hope. "We are all believers," says Brandon. "We believe in the power of grace, forgiveness and love.".
-Laura Hamlett