Alex Cain|Courtesy
From left to right, senior Alex Cain, senior Brooke Underwood, first-year Luke Arters, first-year Aiden Croghan and junior Matthew Jung playing at South Beach Grill.
Graduating in May, seniors Alex Cain and Brooke Underwood, have not only left their mark on campus–navigating positions of leadership while pursuing multiple degrees–but even on the local music scene. The pair of friends, alongside guest singers and musicians, formed their band, A Man to Cook For, featuring Underwood as the vocalist and Cain on the guitar.
The unusual name reflects the band’s unconventional blend of genres, punk, indie and folk. “If you made a triple venn diagram of those styles of music, we would be in the middle,” Underwood said.
Around campus, one might see Underwood in the Marlin Ministries lounge, working as a Resident Assistant, singing in choirs Camerata and Vox or leading the weekly campus worship band. She is currently pursuing a double major in Marketing and Music Entrepreneurship while balancing off campus jobs and the duties that come with being a member of the Batten Honors College.
Within a different realm of interest, Cain–also a member of the Batten Honors College–will be graduating with a dual degree in Biology and Latin with a chemistry minor. As a member of esports, he serves as the captain of the League of Legends team while academically he is president of the Classics Club, a member of five pedagogical honors societies and works in the Learning Center. He frequently joins Underwood and Marlin Ministries, volunteering time and assisting in the worship band’s endeavors on and off campus.
Cain’s fraternity brothers from Sigma Nu have enjoyed both supporting and playing alongside the band. Junior Matthew Jung joined them for a performance, playing bass. “Especially when we have friends pop out to see it, it just creates a different feeling,” Jung said.
Because of Cain’s interest in poetry and composition, he began teaching himself guitar in his sophomore year. “I kind of started playing guitar with the intent of getting to the point where I could write songs,” Cain said. Because of their existing friendship and Underwood’s prior experience with singing, Cain turned to her for help.
Their music partnership formed over lyrics a few semesters before they began singing off campus, but their notoriety can be traced back to Cova Brewing Company’s weekly open mic nights and Phi Kappa Tau Fest, just last spring.
For the last year, the two of them have played at off-campus locations with vastly different vibes such as STUFT Mexican restaurant, the Abbey Road Restaurant at the oceanfront, the Big Pink non profit music club in Hampton Roads and South Beach Grill, where a large group of Virginia Wesleyan students came out to support the show.
First-year Luke Arters served as their percussionist, on drums, as the group performed a set list of covers and originals to an audience of over thirty people. “Playing that show was one of the best things I’ve done in college. Seeing everybody come out and support my friends and me was amazing,” Arters said.
A Man to Cook For has carved a place for itself amongst local artists while remaining inclusive. “Basically, we play with anyone who also likes music and wants to go play,” Underwood said. This sentiment is echoed by her band member, “At its core, anyone who wants to come is welcome,” Cain said.
The band intends to continue networking and playing together, locally. Already, they’ve met plenty of local bands that have offered to assist in recording some original songs, it’s just a matter of determining what songs. “The music scene here is good, almost everyone I’ve met is friendly and really open to talk,” Cain said about their newfound musical connections. The band is currently working on social media in order to promote performances and encourage student support.
By Sasha Saxon
ansaxon@vwu.edu
