(Nov. 17) — A note to aspiring and struggling bands out there: All you have to do is cover a hit song to get your big break. Such is the case of the very Korn-sounding rock band Framing Hanley, who are steadily climbing up the charts thanks to their decision to cover Lil Wayne’s summer smash ‘Lollipop.’

When one of the band’s guitarists quit the band because of health issues earlier this
year, the group never imagined a practice session with his
future replacement would result in an out-of-left-field hit.

“We came home from tour in April, and we were trying to get
our new guitar player, Ryan, in the band. We wanted to see how
things would work out between us musically,” lead vocalist
Kenneth Nixon said. “During rehearsal, I’d mentioned we should
cover Lil Wayne’s ‘Lollipop’ at our next show. Next thing I
knew, Ryan was playing the intro on his guitar and an hour
later we had our own rock rendition of it.”

The band played the reimagined track at a show in its
hometown of Nashville a few days later, and shortly after that,
fans began requesting it via the act’s MySpace page. The demand
prompted Framing Hanley to record the song and upload it. “The
plays went through the roof,” Nixon said.

The song, which will be available on a rerelease of Framing
Hanley’s debut album, “The Moment,” due Nov. 18 from Silent
Majority, is No. 37 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Thus, rapper Lil Wayne, a ubiquitous presence on Billboard’s
pop and R&B/hip-hop charts, scores his first appearance on a
Billboard rock tally.

Other songs on the album include “Built for Sin,” about a
girl battling addiction, and “Home,” which relates to the group
members’ own experiences of being away from their loved ones
while on tour.

Originally called Embers Fade, Framing Hanley was formed by
high school friends Chris Vest (drums) and Luke McDuffee
(bass). The two met Nixon in college and released a five-song
EP, “With October Came the Fall,” later that year. In 2006,
they teamed up with former Creed bassist Brett Hestla, who
agreed to record two tracks with them: “Hear Me Now” and “Wave
Goodbye.” The former became their first official single.

Lil Wayne Snapshots

NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne performs during the 2008 Voodoo Experience at City Park on October 25, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jeff Gentner/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne performs during the 2008 Voodoo Experience at City Park on October 25, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jeff Gentner/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne performs during the 2008 Voodoo Experience at City Park on October 25, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jeff Gentner/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne performs during the 2008 Voodoo Experience at City Park on October 25, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jeff Gentner/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne performs during the 2008 Voodoo Experience at City Park on October 25, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jeff Gentner/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne performs during the 2008 Voodoo Experience at City Park on October 25, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jeff Gentner/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne

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Recording artist Lil Wayne accepts an award during the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 18, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Recording artist Lil Wayne accepts an award during the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 18, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Recording artists Lil Wayne and T-Pain perform onstage during the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards at The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 18, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images for BET) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne;T-Pain

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Recording artist Lil Wayne performs onstage during the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards at The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 18, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images for BET) *** Local Caption *** Lil Wayne

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In January 2007, manager Jeff Hanson (Creed, Paramore,
Sevendust) heard a demo of “Hear Me Now” and offered the group
a deal with his independent label Silent Majority. The
subsequent name change was a tribute to a friend the band had
lost in a car accident a few months prior.

Framing Hanley recently began a monthlong North American
tour with Theory of a Deadman.

Nixon is hoping Lil Wayne, who plays guitar himself and is
an avowed rock ‘n’ roll fan, is happy with the band’s take on
the track.

“I love Wayne,” Nixon said. “He’s the originator, and I
hope he believes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”