Welcome to The Donut Shop
If you haven't visited The Donut Shop by now, you're missing out big time. Owned by Otis -you know him as Otis Grey, Ale House Friday night favourite- and staffed by five other music enthusiasts (there's a delivery man, baker, dough boy, cashier and decorator) The Donut Shop isn't what you'd expect. There are no actual donuts involved (sorry!), but what this shop lacks in goods, they more than make up for in their musical tastes. The Donut Shop is the hottest music blog on campus right now- and they've only been in business for a month. With their motto of "always fresh, never stale", they're bringing an original flavour to the music blogging scene. Moving away from the over saturated "new" content dominating most music blogs, The Donut Shop is dedicated to bringing you a diverse collection of timeless music (old or new), that is guaranteed to find its way onto your playlists.We were lucky enough to have Otis from The Donut Shop create a playlist exclusively for MUSE readers, to awaken (and inspire!) your musical taste buds. I won't lie, I've had this sh*t on repeat for a few days now- and it's good. Really, really good.But before you start listening (which I highly recommend you do), get to know the seriously cool people behind The Donut Shop. I chatted with them about their up-and-coming blog, while Patrick RoDee had some fun photographing the crew doin' their thang.Listen to The Donut Shop X MUSE playlist HERE: Tell us a little bit about your blog. What inspired it?Otis: Seeing Kanye West’s song “Gone” on the Billboard Top 200 charts 8 years after it was released inspired us to create something that helps bring awareness to those great songs that have never been highlighted.Why “The Donut Shop?”Otis: It’s a fun name that, in one sense, has nothing to do with music. In another sense, it has everything to do with music. We like to think of ourselves as creating and delivering good content to those who have a sweet tooth for fresh music. Donuts have a similar shape to vinyl records, too, but ultimately J Dilla, who has an album called Donuts, inspired it.Introduce me to the people behind the shop.Otis: The team consists of myself, Gordy, Virgil, Pete, Banks and Barnes. We are just six regular people who have a passion for music.Does the Donut Shop gravitate towards any particular sound?Otis: Not at all! We all listen to very different music. For instance, Gordy and Virgil listen to a lot of indie music, whereas Banks and I listen to a lot of hip-hop. Since music today is blurring the lines between genres, it is impossible to only like one thing, and that’s why we try to be versatile with our content. As we move forward, people will be able to attribute a certain sound with each writer, but The Donut Shop as a whole has no one particular sound.What is The Donut Shop doing that sets it apart from other music blogs?Otis: I guess you could say that we are going against traditional music blogs in the sense that we don’t care about posting the newest music. We really care about bringing people back to our site. The best way I can think of doing that is by building a relationship with our readers through our music; by posting music people remember and care about. Who cares if a blog posts the newest song? People are probably going to forget about it in a week. We want our content to reflect our passion, and that’s why we only post what is dear to us—new or old.The Donut Shop has become really popular here at Queen’s (and all over the world!) It’s only been in business for a month. You’re on a roll! What’s next for you guys?Otis: Possibly interviews with artists and having our own shows. Ultimately, we just want to keep doing what we’re doing and eventually take over the world.O.K., I have to ask. If you were a donut, what kind would you be and why?Otis: I would be a Boston cream donut because I feel like I am black on the outside and yellow on the inside. I grew up listening to hip-hop and I am from Korean descent.
Virgil: I would be a jelly donut. While I am smooth, well rounded and good looking on the outside, I’m also bursting with flavor in musical style and taste as you discover my inner filling.
Gordy: I'm an old-fashioned donut because I enjoy the finer things in life and I'm a pretty laid-back dude. My love for music is a result of growing up on the classics.
Barnes: I would be a sprinkle donut because it’s classic and timeless which is predominantly where my musical influence lies (classic rock and old indie). Also, who hates sprinkled donuts? No one. That’s who.
Banks: I would be a cronut because I’m fancy as f*ck.
Pete: I would be a gluten free donut because I wouldn’t want to be eaten.
Visit The Donut Shop blog here. You can also check them out on Facebook and YouTube. Don't forget to drop by Ale House every Friday to show Otis Grey some love. You can find more of Otis here. Yours creatively,Abi Conners, Online Editor Photography: Patrick RodeeCreative Direction: Abi ConnersSee more of Pat's work on Facebook!
