UNC’s very own rock band Left on Franklin will release new music August 1st
‘From the Rafters’ will be available on Spotify, SoundCloud and iTunes
UNC’s six-man rock band Left on Franklin is releasing their very first EP titled “From the Rafters” on August 1. “From the Rafters” is a four song EP.
Chris Burrus (lead vocals), Randall White (keyboardist and vocals), Jere Freeman (lead guitar), Patrick McKinley (rhythm guitar), Michael Ruch (bass) and Ward Snyder (drums) started the band in fall of 2014, shortly after meeting through their fraternity, Beta Theta Pi.
They quickly gained popularity by performing at Greek events and have now played at venues including Local 506 and Cat’s Cradle.
The band’s lead vocalist, rising junior Chris Burrus, described “From the Rafters” as “rock with some pop influence.”
“It’s not a hardcore head-banging EP. It has a nice groove to it,” said Chris.
Starting a rock band in college is a farfetched dream for many, but these UNC boys have made it their reality.
“Growing up, I always played classical music, so I never even considered it as a possibility,” said keyboardist and vocalist Randall White.
Chris said: “It was always fun writing songs on my own, but being able to collaborate six parts of a song to come up with a final product was unimaginable to me.”
Like typical UNC students, the band members carry full loads outside of Left on Franklin with extracurriculars and schoolwork. Randall plays the continuo organ with UNC’s Baroque Ensemble and Chris is the president of the UNC Clef Hangers.
“I’d be lying if I said it was smooth sailing,” Chris said. “Luckily, it’s all pretty flexible.”
Although leaving UNC with degrees is their main priority, the boys have come to an agreement to take their band as seriously as possible.
Chris said: “It takes sacrificing social life and free time, and kinda taking every minute you can to grow as a group and see this take off potentially.”
And as for the future?
“As of now, I am committed to this band and I would really like to see what we could do with it. If things happen and we all graduate and we all go different directions, I think I’m going to invest a few years into trying to make it into some type of performative life.”
You can find “From the Rafters” on Spotify, iTunes, and SoundCloud starting today. To seek out more information on upcoming shows in the area, visit Left on Franklin’s social media pages.