AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with THE LONELY BISCUITS

Nashville-based band The Lonely Biscuits was the by-product of freshmen goofing off in a dorm room at Nashville’s Belmont University; four years later, their music has garnered hundreds of thousands of listens on Spotify and YouTube, won them the first ever mtvU Woodie Award, and afforded them the opportunity to play major festivals like Lollapalooza.

After a recent lineup change and a shift in their style, the Biscuits will release Come Around, their brand new EP, Friday, November 6th, their first with a partner–distribution company INgrooves.  “We started writing the EP in the summer and playing the songs live. This is the first group of songs that we wrote just the three of us, Sam, Nick, and me, together, instead of as a four piece. That was a big change for us. It was a really great experience.  We got to record it with Paul Moak at Smoakstack Studios; he added a whole new aspect of life to it, it sounded awesome. As a whole, the songwriting was coming from a really honest place.  We weren’t trying to purposely mix any genres or anything, it was just kind of whatever was coming out. It felt really good, and we’re excited for everybody to hear it,” says frontman Grady Wenrich.

Wenrich admits the lineup change thrust the band into a period of transition which stretched them musically: “When we became a three piece, it was a little discouraging, everyone knew us with four people.  We had to figure out how to transition; once we started going through with it, it was really inspiring,” he explains. “For me personally, it was like now I’m the only guitar player and I’m the lead vocalist.  It was a lot more pressure on me, but I started practicing a lot more and bettered myself.  Sam and Nick started adding way more to the songwriting process.  Everybody had to step up.”  The trio turned transition into transformation, which resulted in a fresh new sound for The Lonely Biscuits.  “It’s kind of a big change from our old stuff. People have been receiving it well live, and we’re excited to see what everyone thinks of it compared to the stuff we used to make.  When we were four piece, we were inspired by different stuff, it was more alternative rock with hip hop mixed in.  It was hard to get a complete thought though because there was so much compromise in the collaboration,” Wenrich says, adding, “With the new stuff, it’s more indie rock and alternative pop, really clear thoughts and full, complete songs that flow really well together.  It’s a new place for us.”

Though they’ve released several EPs, the group’s first full-length album will come out sometime next spring. “We’ve wanted to put out an album, but we wanted to wait until the time was right. Honestly, we’ve never been in as good of a writing flow as we are right now.  As we’ve entered this new phase, we finally feel like we’re ready to put out an LP. We wanted to introduce the new sound with an EP, four songs instead of twelve, so people will know what to expect when the LP comes out, it won’t be a surprise,” Wenrich explains.

Snag a listen to “Pacifica,” the surf-y single from the new EP, and be sure to go see The Lonely Biscuits when they come to your neck of the woods:

TLB Tour Dates: