Squint Entertainments Waterdeep is currently in the studio putting the final touches on their second label release, YOU ARE SO GOOD TO ME-WATERDEEP WORSHIP. The album will release through Word Distribution on May 1, 2001.

"YOU ARE SO GOOD TO ME is an album that Waterdeep has been wanting to make for quite some time," states Squint founder Steve Taylor. "Their live concerts, dating back to the early days of the band, have always closed with a time of praise and worship. We look at this album as a natural outgrowth of Waterdeeps history and chemistry."

Three years ago Waterdeep collaborated with the group 100 Portraits to record ENTER THE WORSHIP CIRCLE, an indie CD which sold well over 40,000 albums despite the lack of national distribution. Soon the Gospel Music Association asked Waterdeep to lead worship during their annual service which launched GMA Week 2000 in Nashville.

The new worship albums title cut, "You Are So Good To Me," has been performed by Waterdeep for years. Penned by the groups bandleaders, Don & Lori Chaffer (along with Ben Pasley), the song is quickly becoming a staple in a growing number of churches across the country, and was a featured part of worship during the recent Vineyard national pastors conference in Houston.

Waterdeep was recently invited by Fernando Ortega to join him on his upcoming spring tour, which starts at the end of this month. Don and Lori Chaffer, will serve as the bills opener for more than 25 dates as they perform selections from YOU ARE SO GOOD TO ME.

Don Chaffer, who as a youth learned to play guitar in order to lead worship, reflected on the five years he later spent at a Kansas City church leading worship, "The weekly relationship with the same people in a worship setting leads one to understand worship in a more profound way than any other. Worship is about normal people, caught up in normal people things, making a decision to look toward God, the Transcendent One, who can not only take them above where they are, but who will one day lift them out of it altogether. Watching the countenance on peoples faces change as they encounter this reality is unlike anything else in life."

Prior to releasing their critically acclaimed label debut, EVERYONES BEAUTIFUL, in 1999, the members of Waterdeep (who formed in Kansas City) spent the previous four years touring and releasing six independent albums with grass roots sales exceeding 40,000 units. Since 1996 Waterdeep has played an average of 120 dates a year, focusing on the college circuit. In the process they have shared the stage with Sixpence None the Richer, Michael W. Smith, Caedmons Call and Phil Keaggy, among others.

Waterdeeps grassroots following became so rabid that the group decided to host the first annual EVERYONES FESTIVAL in 1999. The Kansas City celebration, which took place again in 2000, has drawn performances by artists such as Jennifer Knapp, Bebo Norman, Ginny Owens, Sarah Masen, Caedmons Calls Derek Webb, The Normals, Jeff Deyo (former lead vocalist for Sonicflood), Andrew Peterson and Chris Taylor. Also featured have been guest speakers such as Sam Chappell, Steve Taylor, Tom Rozof, April Hefner, Greg Rumburg and Dave Palmer.

To see where they will be performing, check out iTickets-Fernando Ortega.