Hopeful. Rebels Against Hopelessness on 'When the Turbulence Hits'
Anxiety. Depression. Suicidal thoughts. Some days can get so dark it feels like there’s no light in sight. But a band in Southern California believes the very darkness they face can give birth to light. It’s their name and the essence of who they are: they’re Hopeful.
In 2021, lead vocalist Randy James experienced extreme health complications. After battling an autoimmune disease for nearly a decade, things became even more intense. He was constantly sick, which led to anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. Suicidal thoughts tormented his mind, and he was ready to give up on the music he loved to create. Until God gave him a lyric-and that lyric changed everything for him.
Formed in Oceanside, California, Randy and guitarist Hunter Jackson started recording music together shortly after God gave Randy the lyric that inspired hope. Joining forces with their friends Eddie Bulena, James Barragan, and producer Gable Price (founder of Gable Price and Friends), Hopeful. was born.
The punctuation in their name isn’t an accident. It’s essential to their story. Hopeful. strives to be a rebellion against hopelessness, and the period symbolizes that hope is the end of all discussions. God has changed each of the band members' lives, giving them strength in their darkest seasons. And now they’re ready to make music that "kicks hopelessness in the teeth.”
“We’re making music because we want our songs to reach people at their darkest moments,” said Randy. “My goal for Hopeful. is that we can reach someone who’s at their breaking point and bring them back on a path of hope.”
Comprised of Randy on lead vocals, Hunter on lead guitar, Eddie on rhythm guitar, and James on drums, Hopeful. is producing “alternative ‘slap depression upside the head’ rock,” according to the band. Their sound is reminiscent of other bands like Switchfoot, Colony House, and The Killers, beginning with the release of their debut EP, When The Turbulence Hits.
Each of the five tracks on the EP was written for one purpose: to provide hope. When The Turbulence Hits begins with “Oxygen Mask,” an alternative rock-driven track encouraging listeners to care for themselves before helping someone else with their metaphorical “oxygen mask.” The second track, “Shipwrecked,” turns inward to when God rescued Randy from another bleak season of his life.
“I wrote some of the lyrics of ‘Shipwrecked’ six or seven years ago,” said Randy. “It was written during a dark time-even darker than that time in 2021. I was backsliding. But I heard God speaking to me, ‘Randy, you don’t close your eyes so you can see or hold your breath so you can breathe.’”
After working with Gable Price on “Shipwrecked,” those lyrics found their way into the catchy pop/rock track featuring Randy’s soaring vocals and the band’s booming electric guitars.
“We’re going to write music about hope, but we’re going to do it in a fun, unique, fresh-sounding way,” said Randy. “Gable has been a huge asset to that.”
Halfway through the EP, “Steady… Steadily” encourages listeners that “everything you’re going through is gonna make you strong.” With an arrangement reminiscent of a Coldplay song, the song has an emotional build-up and a drum and guitar-heavy finish featuring both Randy and Hunter on vocals.
As the record continues, “Pressure” is an upbeat song written by Randy, Hunter, and Bryce Suyenaga (drummer of Jettee). The song was inspired by their individual struggles with anxiety, juxtaposed with the hope of Jesus.
“The bridge is essentially Psalm 23,” said Randy. “We wanted to transition the song to how Jesus met us in our darkest moments and carried us through. Because of that, we’re feeling ‘so much better now.’”
The EP finishes with “Wasting Away,” a stripped-down, acoustic-driven song that wrestles with the frustration and negativity the music industry can bring. It was also inspired by Randy’s struggle with depression, and is a prayer encapsulated with the lyrics, “Please save me, Father, from wasting away.”
For Hopeful., When The Turbulence Hits is only the beginning. They’re currently working on a full-length album, with a new single that will be released by the end of summer. In the meantime, Hopeful. will make their debut at Alive Music Festival in Mineral City, Ohio, on July 19.
