Hailing from Arkansas, David Leonard began his professional musical career as the lead vocalist for the Christian pop/rock band Jackson Waters, starting in 2003. In their short existence, Jackson Waters released two albums: All That I Know (2004), and Come Undone (2007). After Jackson Waters announced an infinite break in 2009, Leonard was briefly a backup musician and singer with NEEDTOBREATHE. Wanting to make music that was more authentic, raw, and rooted in the word of God, Leonard left NEEDTOBREATHE.