| Beta Radio | |
|---|---|
Brent Holloman and Ben Mabry of Beta Radio |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Genres | Folk, indie folk, Americana, chamber pop, alt country, pop |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Website | wearebetaradio.com |
Beta Radio is an American band from Wilmington, North Carolina. The group consists of Benjamin Mabry (vocals, guitar, glockenspiel and harmonium) and Brent Holloman (guitar, banjo, piano, glockenspiel, bass, and vocals). Stylistically, their music features an amalgam of folk, indie, chamber pop, and Americana influences.
Contents |
Beta Radio's self released debut Seven Sisters employs a combination of studio recorded material as well as home recorded tracks captured in guitarist Holloman's spare bedroom and living room.[1] Seven Sisters was originally conceived as an EP, but when Mabry and Holloman left the studio in the winter of 2009, they had more songs than the typical EP, but less than a standard release. Out of money, they made the decision to record more material on their own, despite the fact that neither knew how to properly engineer or produce. By the following spring they had an additional four songs recorded in “Holloman’s house with borrowed equipment” and released the debut in April of 2010.[2]
The band's most recent release, a holiday EP entitled The Songs the Season Brings is “a collection of classic and original Christmas songs to help celebrate the holiday season [and] was made in various environments over the two months before Christmas - recorded in the studio, at home in bedrooms, and in closets of family members.”[3] Instead of selling the holiday release, the band opted instead to give it away for free via their official Bandcamp and NoiseTrade sites.
In 2011, two Beta Radio songs were featured on the first two episodes of the American medical-drama television series Hart of Dixie.[4][5] The songs were written after the band was approached by the producers of the show who were looking for two waltzes that actress Jaime King and others would perform to on screen.[6][7] The band also appeared on screen performing in the pilot episode with Holloman's wife Amanda and friend David Pray backing. The two waltzes were subsequently included in a 2011 special edition vinyl release of Seven Sisters.
Although Mabry and Holloman write all of Beta Radio's material, and play most of the instruments on their recordings themselves, the band also relies on a number of additional musicians to record with and play live. This list normally includes: Theo Milojevich, Amanda Holloman, Ed Sumpter, David Pray, Maura Kropke, Anna Griffith and Andy Stanfill.[8]