Hold Out Hope is a songwriting collective made up of Heather Mangum, Seth White and Chad McIlvenna. Although McIlvenna and White had been writing together for nearly a decade with various other writers, they were eagerly seeking out a more permanent third creative to round out the creative effort. After meeting 12 Stone Church worship leader Heather Mangum in 2013, it was clear that her creative talents and vocal ability would be a perfect complement to what was already in place. The songs from their debut release as Hold Out Hope are the culmination of over a year of writing together.

The members of Hold Out Hope are committed to expressing their worship in a way that reflects their journey and present personal circumstances, but also connects with others across all walks of life.

White says, “The purpose of the songs are that we can glorify our awesome God with great songs and have a great time doing it! We think our audience is really going to identify with and be encouraged by these songs. Hopefully when it all comes down to it even after it reaches our intended audience, we have put together an album full of songs that other artists will really connect with and want to share with their audiences as well.”

McIlvenna says, "Circumstances are just that, circumstances… Some of which are not any fault of our own, some of which are a direct result of our own faults and failures. We know that life can be difficult at times. We have each experienced hardships, difficulties, periods of hopelessness, anxiety, feelings of being unworthy and the like. However, we have also experienced great victory through Jesus and this is what we want to impress upon you."

Mangum adds, "We wanted the content of these songs to be filled with the promises of God that he will fill us with his peace, his presence, his love, his compassion, and the hope we have which comes only from placing our trust in Jesus Christ! Our desire is that as you listen to and worship with these songs you will be filled with HOPE in the plans and promises of God."

The purpose of Hold Out Hope is loving God and sharing it through quality songs and production. With the help of some really great friends and musicians, Derek Amos, Will Cobb, and Zach Neal, Hold Out Hope released their debut recording “Bright Lights, Dark Places” in late 2014.