One of Framing Hanley’s first big hits wasn’t even their own song, it was a remake of the Lil’ Wayne song, “Lollipop.” For the band, a drunken night of fun last summer turned into something that launched them into success.
“We were at rehearsal the day after I heard ‘Lollipop’ in the radio, and after consuming most of a case of beer by myself I suggested doing that song,” lead singer Kenneth Nixon said.
“It was one of those things where the rest of the band kind of laughed it off, but Ryan [Belcher, guitar] started playing the intro to that song and we just jammed on it.”
Nixon said they laid out a version of the song within an hour and decided to play it at an upcoming concert in the band’s hometown of Nashville, Tenn.
Since then, the cover has taken off, with more than four million views on Youtube and success on iTunes. It is the most widely known of Framing Hanley’s songs.
The band even re-recorded their debut studio album, “The Memory,” in order to include the track.
The album also includes the band’s first single “Hear Me Now,” which was one of the first songs Framing Hanley produced after they hooked up with their manager, Brett Hestla, frontman for the band Dark New Day.
Nixon said that although the popularity of the “Lollipop” cover has been nice, they are still trying to grab a fan base for their music and make their mark on the hardcore-alternative music scene. Framing Hanley has been on the road touring nonstop since December to promote their music.
“We’re just staying on the road busting our asses and getting our name out there,” Nixon said. “We’re not a household name, a lot of people hear the cover and don’t know that it’s us.”
“Rock on the Range is one of the closest things we have to Woodstock anymore,” Nixon said. “With that amount of people there hopefully, you know, quite a few new people will leave knowing about Framing Hanley.”
What fans at Rock on the Range might not leave knowing, however, is how meaningful of a name Framing Hanley really is. The name was created after the death of drummer Chris Vest’s fiancée, Ashley Hanley, who died in a car crash in October 2006.
“Ashley was always the No. 1 supporter of our band. She was that person that kept telling up to keep going when things got difficult,” Nixon said. “She did a lot of photography and that’s where the ‘Framing’ aspect came from. We just felt it was a good way to honor someone that meant so much to us.”
It is that heart and passion that really comes across in Framing Hanley’s music and attracts fans to their original tracks. Nixon said that he writes about the things that happen to him in his life and hopes people can connect to his music.
“We want to be that outlet for people when they need to get away,” Nixon said. “They can listen to our music and be like, ‘Yeah, I’ve been in that situation’ and hopefully feel better about it. I think that’s the most beautiful thing about music. Every artist wants to make music that they are honored to play but that also means something to someone else, and that’s what we are trying to do.”
Molly Gray can be reached at [email protected].
