Fueled by Cosmic Cantina and inspired by WXYC, local band Hiding Places is solidifying its place in the Chapel Hill music scene.
Hiding Places is made up of Anthony Cozzarelli, UNC alumni Nicholas Byrne and Henry Cutting and UNC senior Audrey Keelin.
The four describe themselves as “fluid instrumentalists” who are not confined to playing one specific instrument within the band. Instead, they said they fill multiple roles both instrumentally and creatively when it comes to songwriting.
Keelin and Cozzarelli met in high school in Asheville. Keelin connected with Byrne and Cutting through their mutual connections to WXYC, the University’s student-run radio station. The group eventually formed a band during the pandemic in late 2020.
Keelin said their listeners have described their music as neo-psychedelic, indie, grunge and Americana. However, Hiding Places is not concerned with fitting into a specific genre. Instead, they describe their music as genuine and exploratory.
“Each song sounds very different. We have some songs that are super low-key country and other songs that are heavy rock. So it's just all of our influences combined,” Cutting said.
The four members each bring individual influences to the band, seeking inspiration from well-known groups such as The Beatles and local songwriters such as Asheville’s Colin Miller. Their influences feed off of each other and come together to create their eclectic sound.
“Audrey and Anthony are from Asheville, which has a really strong music scene. Henry's from Wilmington, which also has a strong music scene. And I'm from Athens, Georgia, which also has a great scene,” Byrne said. “Chapel Hill is just the place that we convened and met each other, and it's the place where it started.”
The band cites local venues such as Cat’s Cradle and Nightlight as part of what makes Chapel Hill an attractive place to start their project. Byrne said the town has been a very supportive community and a place that the band has always gone back to.
