KINGSTON — The Hep Replacements are a common feature in the Kingston area, performing blues, funk and R&B classics at venues such as The Point Casino.
But their most recent venture takes a local vibe and sends a message across the nation:
“I woke one day and the words ‘the 12th man’s a comin’” kept going through my head,” said Annemarie Olson, lead vocals for Hep Replacements. The Seahawks fan quickly went to work.
“Then this funky beat came and I thought, ‘Wow, I am going to see if my band, the Hep Replacements, can help me put it together.”
Olson wrote the lyrics to the tune, and band mates — as well as others — helped the song emerge, including Justin Gelle, guitar; Luke Morgan, piano; Terry Marsh, drums; Randy Olson, vocals; and Duffy Williams, vocals.
Williams also helped out with recording the song, “The 12th Man’s a Comin’,” a bluesy anthem dedicated to the Seahawks and their upcoming Super Bowl game.
A video of the song can be viewed on Olson’s YouTube account under “Annemarie Olson.”
“I think it is about the Seahawks, but without the 12th Man the Seahawks would not be there,” Olson said. “We stick with our team no matter what.”
Now with the Seahawks heading to face the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Olson and countless other fans, are rooting louder than ever. Perhaps some, like Olson, are doing it with a bluesy beat.
“I know they will win because the Seahawks are a kind and good team and they deserve to win,” Olson said. “My husband has been a Seahawk fan since the first day of their existence, so he can relate to this song.”
“The 12th Man’s a comin’ to New Jersey,” she said. “And we are going to kick booty.”
