12/01/2011 - Belmont Vision

a&e
Top 5 Albums on iTunes
1. Mylo Xyloto – Coldplay
2. Christmas – Michael Buble
3. Talk that Talk - Rihanna
4. Take Care – Drake
5. Here and Now – Nickelback
The Belmont Vision, December 1, 2011
‘Gravy and the Biscuits’ for 25,000
By Kyle Dee Johnson
Staff Writer
Before coming to Belmont, future roommates
Grady Wenrich and Sam Gidley
knew they both were interested in music,
but had not yet had the thought of forming
a band.
As incoming freshmen, the two Maddox
Hall residents began recording tracks before
meeting John Paterini, a singer/songwriter
across the hall.
“Sam played drums, I played bass and
did the whole rapping thing,” Wenrich said.
“We heard John’s voice and asked him if
he wanted to sing and play in the group.
He plays guitar too, so it just kind of…
ports
worked,”
Blending styles of soul, funk, hip
hop, and pop, the band began writing a
couple songs in their dorm room, but not
before creating a memorable name based
off Wenrich’s first name: Gravy and the
Biscuits.
“We’ll usually write a guitar or bass part
and pick a topic, then Grady will write some
verses off of that,” Paterini said.
Their first hit, “Butter,” a song about
finding one’s own unique creativity, became
well-known after the band created a music
video to it and posted the video on YouTube.
Before they knew it, the video had received
10,000, then 15,000, then 20,000 views. As
of now, the video has more than 25,000 hits.
“We thought it was crazy at first, but
we’ve just got to keep it going,” Wenrich
said.
And the attention hasn’t stopped with
“That Sunset,” has had more
than 14,000 hits.
The band is quick to show
appreciation to those who
helped make their music and
videos popular.
“We had Good Music All
Day help us out,” Paterini said.
“It’s the No. 1 college music
blog for trafficking music
every day. We were posted on
the homepage.”
On its website, Good Music
All Day describes the band as
having “swag rhythms, sexy
lyrics, funky horns, more soul
than momma’s kitchen and a
beat that if you can’t groove to
– you should see a doctor.”
The initial success of the
videos led the band to record
and release a seven-song EP
titled “Soul Food.” All seven
tracks are available for free
download on both gravyandthebiscuits.com,
and on
goodmusicallday.com.
For many Belmont
students, “Soul Food” provides
a much-needed break to the
stressors of academic life.
Sydney Shadrix, a sophomore featured
in the video for “That Sunset,” calls the
group a “chill, Californian, catchy” band.
Those three characteristics have been key to
attracting listeners, she said.
Because of their widespread popularity
among college students, Gravy and the
itness
just one song. The group’s second video,
Photo Courtesy of Gravy and the Biscuits
After only months together as a band, Gravy and the Biscuits have become a campus success, gaining tens of
thousands of hits through YouTube and music blogs.
Biscuits will tour many parts of the United
States.
“We’ve already got a few shows planned
at a couple colleges already – Kansas State,
a festival at Colorado College and some
other colleges around the area,” Gidley said.
“We’re just trying to play as much as we can
since we’re around each other 24 hours a
day, basically.”
While the three balance their upstart
group with their lives as Belmont students,
their goal is to keep people interested in the
music they make.
“We’re just trying to keep more people
listening by continuing to release singles
and videos,” Wenrich said.
Ainsley Britain has ‘Heart of Hope’
By Autumn Allison
Managing Editor
Listen to the Music
Ainsley Britain’s “Heart of Hope” is on
sale on iTunes for $6 or you can purchase
a hard copy directly from her for $10.
Check out ainsleybritain.com for more
information on the EP.
From an idea to paper to the recording studio.
This process may seem all too familiar for many Belmont musicians. But for Ainsley
Britain, a junior mass communications transfer from LSU, the process is all too new.
On Sept. 17, Britain released her first, and maybe last, EP with one idea in mind: having
a “Heart of Hope.”
Instead of releasing the
“Heart of Hope” EP for selfpromotion,
Britain’s dabbling
in music creation was geared
toward providing funds for the
Louisiana-based non-profit Hearts
of Hope, which just so happens to
be run by Britain’s real-life hero –
her mother, Jill Dugass.
“I watched my mom just be
sick over not getting donations,
reduced to stress over trying to
run a safe haven. … That’s what’s
wrong with the world, if a non-profit can’t keep going because of lack of donations,” Britain
said.
Hearts of Hope operates as a center that assists sexually abused children, teenagers and
adults as they recover from emotional and physical trauma. The programs include a Children’s
Advocacy Center, Sexual Assault Nurses and Rape Crisis Center.
“We are one of three in the nation, as far as we know, that houses all three programs in
one,” Dugass said. “It allows us to be with the victim survivor from the beginning ER trip
to the end of the process.”
Growing up surrounded by the pain experienced by victims of sexual abuse, Britain
developed a soft spot for the cause, but it was the statistics that really pushed her to the
recording studio.
Organizations like Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Abuse and Rape Abuse &
Incest National Network (RAINN) have estimated one in three females and one in five
males have been sexual abused by the time they are 16. A lack of reporting prevents a
definitive figure, and some estimate approximately nine out of 10 incidents go unreported.
“When I heard the stats, I thought ‘this is freaking scary,’” Britain said. “That’s when I
decided to do something … but I needed something to give in return for donations so that’s
where the EP came in.”
Numerous hours and talents had a hand in the creation of the EP and title track music
video, including old friend and current country chart topper, Hunter Hayes.
“[I have] no idea how it came together. Everyone just sat down and things fell into
place,” Britain said.
The six-song EP contains five original songs, four of which were co-written with Hayes.
Britain performed each of them during the EP release party — her first and perhaps her
only show.
“ I’m terrified of the stage, but I’m working on it,” Britain said.
But she’s not ruling out anything. “Heart of Hope” was released Sept. 17, and now
Britain is looking for her next project.
“Ultimately, I would like to do a different album for a different non-profit,” she said. “It
gets me out of the spotlight and provides them with something they can sell forever. That
would be ideal but it depends on getting everything to work out like with ‘Heart of Hope.’”
Britain is fully aware that her plans to change genres to fit a non-profit’s demographic
will limit her marketability, but making money is not the goal. She sees it as her chance to
be “the voice of the children,” just like her mother.