Berks County PA up-and-comers Boundaries have made their mark on the local Christian rock scene with the release of their EP "Hope Will Find You," and it's left me pleasantly surprised. These are three high school students with a tremendous amount of talent and drive. While Christian rock music is unfamiliar territory for me, these guys made taking that first step into an unknown genre much easier.

With newfound success on the rise for such a young group of people, I wanted to bring them back to the beginning. I wanted to hear their story.

Who is Boundaries?

We've got:

Watson Maack, 16. Lead guitarist and singer.

Stephen Awurumibe, 16. Bassist.

Jablaze Roman, 17. Drummer and background vocalist.

How did Boundaries begin?

W: We all knew each other in some way. Stephen and I went to church together and were heavily involved with our youth group. Stephen and Jablaze went to Olivet Boy's and Girl's Club when they were younger. We also all go to school together.

S: It all kinda just clicked. We created Boundaries because we all wanted to make music for the same reason. We wanted to show the world God’s love. We all love it. We all love what we do. We are all so close as friends, so finally putting a band of our own together was very easy for us.

J: Making the band was huge for me. Having the right guys and the right type of music is key for a band, and that's what we have. It's great! We are lucky to be able to do what we do.

What does your creative process look like?

W: That is a great question. We barely even know! Our writing process changes all the time. We have written complete songs in an hour, but we also have written songs in a month. It all depends on how we are doing and when the inspiration comes.

J: We mainly write together. We want everyone to have a say in our songs, so each person when we play the songs can remember what they wrote. It's a cool thing.

Describe your genre to someone who has never heard Christian rock music.

J: We are a Christian band, but we don't want to shove religion down people's throat. Most of our songs relate to God, but we don't come out completely and say the word “GOD.” I love all types of music. One of my favorite bands is State Champs, which is what I feel Boundaries sounds like.

W: I have a crazy amount of influences. From a Christian standpoint, For King And Country is a huge influence for me. Their live show is incredible. It blows my mind. Same thing with Crowder. Worship is a huge part of my musical life. It has opened up a new door for me and another side of music that I have grown deeper in love with. It is super influential to watch big people in that industry and I really look up to those artists, but Boundaries does not really sound like them. Outside the Christian world, some of my favorite bands are The Wonder Years, Paramore, and The Starting Line. I refer “Boundaries” more to those bands, but the band that most describes us from my perspective is All Time Low. We have the catchy chorus just like they do, and we try to put on the best live show we can.

How did the release of "Hope Will Find You" go?

W: It was better than any of us could have imagined. We played a show in celebration of the release on the day it came out, and it was insane. Loads of people came out and knew the words to our songs that came out that morning. It was really cool to hear people screaming our lyrics back at us. It actually blew my mind.

J: We recorded in Pottstown at Screaming Parrot Studios with Sam Pappagollo. He recorded our best friends in Earthbound. They recommended him to us, and we went for it. It was really cool taking the songs we have been playing and being able to record them for the world to hear. It was a pretty surreal feeling.

S: A lot of people have been interested in our band. We are trying to expand where we are playing now that “Hope Will Find You” has been released. We just played LAUNCH Music Conference this past weekend in Lancaster, and it was a blast. People were coming up to us after the show saying how much they loved our band and wanted to find where they can hear our songs. We want to keep playing shows like that to keep growing as a band. We plan to keep doing.

What are your future plans as a band, considering college is on the rise?

W: Personally, I plan to go to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee to study Audio Engineering and minor in Music Business. I love to record music and love that whole side of making someone's dream (a song) and turning it into a reality (a record). It makes me feel accomplished. I would love to be apart of that, and I feel that Nashville would be the place to make that happen. The future of Boundaries shines very bright with what has been going on, and I am ready to take it to the next level.

S: I want to go into some form of ministry, but I'm not sure exactly where or what I want to do. My original thoughts have been staying close to home, but I am open to travel in order to keep with the band and doing what I love with my best friends. I love writing and playing shows, and I want to keep going with it for as long as a can.

I think it's incredibly inspiring when a group of young people are already so set with their goals. Music is one of the toughest industries to get a foot into, but Boundaries seem to be navigating the scene pretty well. 16-17 years old with an EP released and shows lined up is big.

I've grown up knowing Watson, and he's always been the type of kid who could pick up any instrument and learn it like it's nothing (which is something I was always jealous of). So when I stumbled upon Boundaries and realized it was his band, I knew I'd like what I heard before I even pressed play. These guys have such a cohesive sound; it would be wrong of them not to make music together. When you find people you click with, you know you've got something great. Some musicians search forever for the right people to collaborate with, but Boundaries has got it all figured out.

You can find "Hope Will Find You" here, and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Boundaries Believes "Hope Will Find You"