There are two bands called Heavens to Betsy.
1. Heavens to Betsy was a punk rock band from Olympia, Washington. The members were Tracy Sawyer on drums and Corin Tucker on guitar and vocals. Their first recording, a split single on the independent label K Records with Bratmobile, put them center stage in the Riot Grrrl movement of the early 1990s. The band recorded three singles, produced one LP/CD, Calculated, and contributed to many compilations while they were together. These recordings are now sought after by collectors. One of these compilations, Free To Fight, also included a song contributed by the band Excuse 17, of which Carrie Brownstein was a member. Corin and Carrie began to play together, and when Heavens to Betsy disbanded in the mid 1990s, the two women founded Sleater-Kinney.
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2. Every band has its beginning. More times than not, that beginning is humble in comparison to a band’s dream of making it big. For Ben Backus and Stephen Lynch, that start was the combination of leading worship and winning a Battle of the Bands at a high school pep rally. Flash-forward to 2011, and the duo of high school rock stars is now known as Heavens to Betsy.
Drawing from influences like Coldplay, Owl City, Relient K, and Phil Wickham, the Nashville-based duo can best be labeled as piano-driven Christian pop rock. Their creative sound relies heavily on Backus’ multi-tasking frontman abilities. At any time, you may see Backus playing guitar, piano, or keytar, all while handling lead vocals. Add Lynch’s rhythmical mind on drums and background vocals with traces of programming and the sound quickly becomes more than just two people. “Technology allows us to create sounds it would normally take 5 or 6 people to create live,” Backus says. “For us, that’s where a lot of our creativity stems from. If we can dream it, we can play it.”
Another stream of creative is the range of music Heavens to Betsy has played. From college frat parties to DNOW weekend retreats, the band’s resume includes many concerts not typical of Christian artists. Backus states, “There wasn’t a place for original music in our hometown. But there were Greek organizations looking for a great cover band, and there were churches looking for high-energy worship experiences. So we did our best to deliver both.” Lynch agrees, “It’s opportunities like those that helped us build relationships with more people and allowed us to perform in more places. It also gave us time to develop and understand our own sound. We would be a different band had we not played the types of shows we played.”
With two EP’s recorded under the direction of producer Seth Jones, the band has its sights set on wherever doors are open. “In the past 5 years, it’s easy to point out where God’s hand has led the way to where we are now,” says Lynch. “It’s never been about chasing a dream; it’s about continually realizing God’s plan for us and our music. We’ve trusted him this far, and we’ll continue to until He tells us to stop.”
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