Music plays an enormous part in the lives of people across the globe. Whether you are in band, orchestra, choir or just enjoy listening to the radio, almost everyone is fond of some form of musical entertainment. But for some people, music is more than a hobby—it is a passion. This rings true for students Ian Olney, Hunter Lewis and Michael Barnes, who are the three members of the up-and-coming band Herrick and Hooley.

Herrick and Hooley’s music is a unique fusion of electronic, R&B, jazz and hip hop—four genres that might not seem compatible but somehow come together to produce excellent melodies that can be enjoyed by all ages and fans of all genres.

“Hunter and I listen to Frank Ocean, James Blake, Spooky Black, BadBadNotGood, basically a lot of jazz,” Olney said. “Those are our big influences.”

All three members of the band are seniors, meaning they have the stress of college looming over them like most other twelfth graders at this time of year. But unlike other seniors, Olney, Lewis and Barnes have the added pressure of trying to keep their band going while they head their separate ways.

“We plan on continuing the band in some form or fashion,” Lewis said.

As of now there is no need for fans of Herrick and Hooley to panic because the group does have some plans in place to keep the band going.

“We have some things set up,” Barnes said. “We’ll run a while, while we’re in college. Maybe our album will still be selling online. We might record some stuff over winter break.”

Like most bands, Herrick and Hooley comes from humble beginnings. They started out by playing for tips at The Shops at Legacy but are now on to something bigger. For them, this band is more than a weekend hobby.

“We’re trying to play festivals and make albums and make music that people talk about,” Lewis said.

Lewis is the band manager and works to find the band gigs. The band usually plays at The Prophet Bar, The Door, and most often at Lekka.

“Lekka is a cafe/restaurant,” Olney said. “It’s pretty nice because it gives us a chance to flex our creativity and sort of grope at our sound. We finally got a handle on it.”

Herrick and Hooley also has a Twitter account, @Herrick_Hooley, that they use to keep fans updated and to promote shows. Additionally, the band has David Spector take pictures and shoot videos for them to post online. Spector is good friends with the bandmates and is a fan as well as a supporter of their music.

“I think they have a really good thing going,” Spector said. “Each member contributes something unique to the band. They’re not trying to do anything for anyone else. If anything, Hunter, Michael and Ian are doing it because they find it interesting. I think that’s where the most success happens.”