Hope Waidley is a radiant 20-year-old singer-songwriter, guaranteed to grab your attention with her chill-inducing, honest, and powerful vocals. In her own words, "I’d rather have my music be raw and flawed than perfect." As a self-taught singer, lyricist, and guitarist, her music is visceral, speaking directly to the soul, and has been compared to the likes of Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Mazzy Star, and Stevie Nicks. Originally from a small town in Michigan, Hope is now living outside of LA, finishing her upcoming EP Wonder and working on music full-time. She recently signed a deal with independent record label 300 Entertainment.

In 2017, Hope Waidley started her career with the release of her self-titled EP, Hope, and followed up with "Closure" and "Hitchhiker," with both singles reaching instant success and more ears than expected. At the time, Hope was a freshman at Michigan’s Grand Valley State University. Coming up, Hope is releasing her next EP titled Wonder this May and has already released the first single "Born Again." In just a short amount of time she has amassed almost 40,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 10,000 followers on Instagram. Hope’s early supporters are not amiss, her songs and charisma are alluring. Hope Waidley is sure of herself, and her personality shines through her work - reminiscent of a breezy summer day, surfing in a small town, dancing barefoot in the sun, and the relief of opening up to a close friend.

Hope Waidley grew up in the rural town of Grass Lake, Michigan. She spent her childhood writing music beginning at the mere age of six, going on missionary trips, and working as a barista only to save up to take road trips with friends. At the age of 18, Hope and her sister left home to travel around the country in an old Ford station wagon, taking turns street performing and exploring each city, finding the best surfing spots, and sleeping in Walmart parking lots. A true self-made artist, Hope’s travels were supported by her sheer talent alone.

Songwriting has always been at the core of Hope’s talent as an artist. She was raised listening to Johnny Cash, Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, and Bob Marley. These artists' ability to transpire emotion, perspective, and empathy through their lyrics inspired Hope from a young age. Hope has taken this and created her own style, writing candid and virtuous stories composed to live music. Her lyrics come to her like a smoker needs the release of a smoke break, her soul craving escape.

"I’m an external processor, and when you sing, you can have the same conversation as many times as you want until you feel better." She explains, "I think my reasoning for why I started to record music was if God can use this to help me so much, then I know it can be used to help other people. My dream is that my music helps people in whatever way they need."

If Hope Waidley is not already on your watchlist, she should be. Hope has gained praise from outlets such as Elite Daily, Flood Magazine, Elicit Magazine, The Gate, and more. Her music provides an innovative bridge of blending genres to create a unique, uncategorizable sound.