Unknown Artist, a local band made up of five DC students, debuted “When Pigs Fly”, on February 17 of this year. Two members of the group are students here at Jackson Reed, while the rest attend various schools in the area. The EP, which can be found on both Spotify and Apple Music, contains three original songs. The band describes their music style as garage rock, punk, and alternative, drawing inspiration from bands like The Cure and Minor Threat. 

Unknown Artist began in 2021, when Armwell O’Lang (guitarist and vocalist) asked his swim team member, Ehsan Serajuddin (drummer), to form a band. They then invited Eli Harbert (guitarist and vocalist) and June Bauer, who was the band’s bassist but after moving to Philadelphia, was replaced with Claire Marquez (bassist) instead. Elliot Fodge (keyboardist) was interested in a music group chat, and a misunderstanding led to him being part of the band. Upon asking the members why they joined the group, Serajuddin explained that “I like playing music, there’s nothing like playing music,” and Harbert remarked, “I enjoy playing music with other people, it’s like a deeper kind of connection.”

Harbert got the band their first show; PorchFest 2022, in which they played six songs. But it wouldn’t be until April 2023 that they fully formed Unknown Artist and began to play shows regularly. The members practice every Sunday, finding time around school, extracurricular activities, and social life. “The band over schoolwork,” O’Lang said.

In the making of the EP, a combination of luck and good connections proved valuable. Brendan Canty, the former drummer for Fugazi, approached Harbert and offered to record Unknown Artist for free in his home studio. Although it took about three months to schedule a meeting, they finally met and spent eight hours recording “When Pigs Fly” in Canty’s studio.

“When Pigs Fly” is just the beginning for Unknown Artist, with much more in store. Harbert stated, “we’re constantly writing songs.” The band has many singles ready to be recorded, prepared to create an album eventually. They are interested in starting to sell vinyl and merch at their shows soon. 

Friends of the band, Winston West and Ian Crawford, are also producing an upcoming movie and have asked Unknown Artist to create music for it. Despite only being teenagers, their music is of incredibly high production quality, skill, and heart, and is definitely worth a listen.