Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
It seems like Running Lights are out to dominate the world-or at least East Campus. The band, comprised of brothers Ian Holljes, a junior, and Eric Holljes, a freshman, along with junior Alex Cornell, are serious about showing Duke students exactly what they're all about said Eric. Throughout the semester they've been touring East Campus, playing in a different dorm every week.
"It was my idea," Eric said, who sings and plays guitar and piano. "I just remember thinking that it was a good way to meet people, especially since I'll be playing music for them for the next four years. Plus freshmen are always the most interested in new things so I figured it would be good exposure."
Eric said they chose to play once in each dorm because it can be hard to attract a big group in other venues. "It's hard to draw people out of their rooms, so we go to them," he said.
"It's been really successful," added Ian (vocals, guitar). "We just started a facebook group for the band about two days ago and we already have over a hundred members. The hard part is just getting the music out. But we have been getting asked back for other gigs."
Running Lights is a self-described alternative rock band. "Even though we're in college and we're in a band, we're definitely not your average college band," Cornell said, who sings and plays guitar.
Ian and Eric formed the band last semester, originally calling themselves The Holljes Brothers.
"Until last year we were never in an official band together, but we've played together," Ian said. The two have been jamming together for seven years, and were in an a capella group in high school.
This past semester Cornell (vocals, guitar), who has played in various Duke bands, jumped on board.
"When I was playing a show at the Dillo once, I met Ian and talked to him by e-mail last semester when I was abroad. When I got back we all jammed together and it went really well," Cornell said. "Thinking of a new name for the band was the hardest part." - Duke University Chronicle
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Running Lights is Ian Holljes, Eric Holljes, and Alex Cornell. In January 2006, these singer/songwriters brought together their combined experience, both musical and personal, to create a band that would resonate with fans on every level.
Two weeks after the agreement to start a band was first realized, the guys embarked on a semester long mini-tour of their campus, singing weekly the ten songs they had worked out within their first two weeks of practice. They longed to get back to rehearsals: writing, playing, and creating a unique sound with one another, as opposed to simply touting culmination of three individually realized talents meshed together. But as awareness of their music spread throughout campus, they found their schedules too flooded with gigs to find time to rehearse. By April of the same year, they had gained such a following around campus as to be awarded the “People’s Choice Award” in the highly competitive Duke v. UNC Battle of the Bands.
Ian, Eric, and Alex were overwhelmed and extremely grateful for the humbling response they were so quickly receiving. But as finals finished up and the refuge of summer was upon them, they were excited to have the chance to be out of the spotlight and able to hone the sound their live performances had been hinting at all year. In May, they found the opportunity to do just that and conceived their first demo, a collection of songs ranging from flashy grit to heart-wrenching balladry and back again. Vocally, the songs represented a collective decade in a cappella and musical theatre and the pain and anger of love and rejection. Musically, the demo was a mixture of training and intuition applied with great care to the songs these boys had painstakingly crafted. The CD was recorded and mastered in an inspiring location: a family farm just outside of New York City. A week later the boys were in the city, peddling the sounds and charisma that would characterize Running Lights.
They have discovered the core sound and character that will grow and carry this innovative band to all its possible heights. And they are making sure that all their future fans are discovering the beauty, complexity, and grace of Running Lights.
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