Band with Henrico ties recognized in global Fender competition

A local alt-rock band with Henrico ties has been recognized in a global competition.

Wine and Warpaint was among 26 overall winners in the The Player Plus Studio Sessions: Powered by Fender contest and one of only two selected from the New York City area (which for the purpose of the contest included the Richmond region).

Most of the band’s members live in Henrico, and two are graduates of county high schools (Deep Run and Henrico). The band includes lead singer Brandon O’Neill, Taylor Bess (base, synth and vocals), Colleen Christman (guitar and vocals), Hunter Glotz (drums), and Hannah Haupt (guitar and keys).

The band entered the competition without expectations of winning, O’Neill said – rather, he was in need of a new bass guitar and it happened to be part of the contest's award (in addition to 10 hours of free studio time, a $500 mixing credit, and an hour-long consultation with musician and artist advocate Ari Herstand.)

Its musical submission included a self-produced single titled “Half to Life” and a live performance video of its song “Spitefully Alive” that was filmed at The Canal Club in Richmond.

Band members received notice of the recognition as they were finishing practice Nov. 10.

“It was really special being able to celebrate with everyone,” O’Neill said during a recent interview with the Citizen, flanked by his band mates. “It was just a euphoric and validating feeling that’s hard to get in music.”

Wine and Warpaint grew from a college band at James Madison University; O’Neill, Bess and Glotz were original members.

Originally its genre was softer rock, but members later gravitated toward emo pop-punk. After college, the musicians disbanded but remained close. Eventually, O’Neill started writing punky edge on his own, and in a way, returned to roots musically, he said.

After a turbulent two years of the pandemic, independent artists have felt an impact on their art and success, O’Neill said.

“Everyone had to pivot. I took this time to hone in on who I am and who the band is,” O’Neill said. He used this time to record and release a solo nine-song cover album.

The Fender contest sought to address the challenges facing independent artists by offering them the tools and studio time they needed to help jumpstart their musical efforts.

In December, Wine and Warpaint traveled to Flux Studios in New York City for the Fender prize.

“The studio was so rad, super pro, and they made us feel like we earned our time there,” O’Neill said.

While there, Wine and Warpaint recorded its newest single, “Static,” which is now available on all music-streaming platforms. Band members describe “Static” as the catchiest song the group has written so far, and they celebrated the official release of the song with a Feb. 6 show at The Camel in Richmond.

“It was serendipitous that we won the studio time as we were planning the release of this song,” O’Neill said.

For details about the band, visit wineandwarpaintband.com.