'Enjoyment of making something': UNC student-band Juggs releases first single

When Warner Vaughan and Kerrington Barksdale, now both juniors, met during their first year at UNC, the pair quickly connected over their shared love of music and desire to form a college band. 

Two years and three additional musicians later, they released their first single, “bird of prey”, on Friday, as Juggs — a UNC student-made band, popular among students.

Barksdale (lead singer), Vaughan (rhythm guitarist) and William Malone (drummer) had their first gig in April 2023. The trio’s setup for this first gig was cobbled together, Barksdale said. 

“We duct taped the mic up so that Warner could sing,” Barksdale said. “Also, Malone was playing out of a suitcase drum kit he made. And guitar. And we didn’t have bass.” 

Barksdale said that although this gig was fun, it was very difficult to manage with just three people. It was time for new members. Thankfully, Malcolm Douglas (bass) and Grant Hutchison (lead guitar), joined the group before their first official gig as Juggs on Halloween of 2023. 

The writing process for “bird of prey” began with the rhythm and lead guitar parts, which were created by Hutchison and Malone. Vaughan then built on the song’s foundation with lyrical ideas.

“Me and Grant sat down and started throwing lyrics at each other — ‘okay what works? How does this fit?’” Vaughan said. 

It only took a couple of days to find a version they were ready to produce.

The song opens with a crunchy rhythmic guitar before the drums explode into the track. Once Barksdale’s vocals are introduced, the lead guitar joins with a vamp, before building into an emphatic chorus. 

The lyrics to “bird of prey” follow the difficulties of young love and the complications that come with asking for change in relationships. 

While “bird of prey” is the group’s first original song, previously Juggs performed covers at many of their gigs. 

Deciding what songs to play at their concerts is as simple as sending a Spotify link in the band group chat, where the song is brought to a yes or no vote. Once a song has been chosen, the band members will either find sheet music online or practice their respective parts by ear before bringing the music to the stage.

“Us as musicians have to have our own sense of our ear and whatnot, being able to hear our ideas and parts and translate it to our fingers,” Douglas said. 

The band tends to choose indie music with mainstream popularity, which has a lot of online resources, such as guitar tabs and videos, to help musicians learn the songs. However, Juggs members generally try to break down songs on their own. 

“I will try to tackle a song and piece it together by ear,” Hutchison said. “Only if I hit a wall or if something is really complex and I want to do it right, I’ll hit up a video.” 

While Juggs tends to gravitate toward indie music, they don’t necessarily strive for a specific genre. Rather, each member finds influence in a different band or artist. Barksdale, for example, draws from The Avett Brothers, an American folk rock band from North Carolina.

“I find that inspiration in the way that they sound so human,” Barksdale said. 

Other influences on the band members include drummer Elvin Jones, folk artist Noah Kahan, Alex G and Pino Palladino. 

Juggs attributes their recent success to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area’s robust music community, mentioning bands such as Mush, Puppy! and Restless Legs.

“We can learn a lot from them, especially with their bands, and just how professional they are, how they are on stage,” Douglas said. 

The band debuted their single at a packed house party on FDOC with fully functioning mics and a complete drum set, a testament to how far the band has come since their first show in April 2023.

“It’s awesome for people to listen to our music, but we don’t make the music just to be listened to,” Hutchison said. “It’s more for the process and the enjoyment of making something that you’re proud of.”

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