‘A shared experience’: Student alt-indie rock band juggles schoolwork and creating music

The Wallabies, an alt-indie rock student band at UNC, formed in October 2024 is adding to the legacy of Chapel Hill bands.  

The band consists of five members: junior and guitarist/vocalist Grant Hutchinson, junior and lead guitarist William Malone, junior and bassist Jude Saverino, sophomore and keyboardist Ezra Heinberg and Durham music teacher and drummer Kevin Pacas. The Wallabies, formed by Hutchison and Malone, started after their first band, Juggs, went on an indefinite hiatus in September of last year. The pair then reached out to Saverino and Pacas, officially becoming The Wallabies, and later added Heinberg to the team. 

“We wanted to create an outlet that was really something that we were both happy with, and that's kind of where the band came back,” Hutchison said. 

The band rehearses in a bedroom inside Hutchison’s and Malone’s home, where the group goes over upcoming sets, practices songs and figures out each member’s part. About half of what the group performs during gigs is original songs, with the other half being covers. When rehearsing, the group workshops songs they’ve already played in order to better produce and release their own music later on.

As The Wallabies has progressed, its focus has shifted more towards original songs. The band is currently working on their first single and plans to release an original album this summer. Malone said that he and Pacas have producing experience, and he enjoys building on this experience to record their songs. They produce their music in Malone’s bedroom, playing with aspects including which microphones and drum kits they use, and where they point the microphones to record the guitars. 

“We love mixing and matching our instruments and putting together our producer knowledge to hopefully create something unique,” Malone said. 

Heinberg, the newest member of the band, said that the openness and fluidity of the group, particularly with their roles and the music they decide to play together has made the band a welcoming atmosphere. 

“I think really, the root of music, and the reason that people are gravitated to music, and that people play music, and that people love music so much is that, at the end of the day, it's a shared experience,” Heinberg said. 

The band’s first public performance was on the last day of class for the fall 2024 semester at a North Street house show. The group’s sets typically run for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the type of gig it is. So far, they have played at houses and some local venues, including Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro. 

Being a student band influences their audience as well, meaning a large portion of the crowd is often students. 

“It feels really special," Hutchison said."There’s something so magical about playing with a young audience that really is just there to have fun and enjoy the music.” 

Although the time commitment for these gigs and rehearsals can get somewhat overwhelming between schoolwork, being in the band is important to the group. One time, just before what Malone described as, “the biggest gig we might ever play,” he wrote a 2,000 word essay in the greenroom of Cat’s Cradle. Even if they have to squeeze in schoolwork around gigs, the band is something the group is willing to make sacrifices for. 

“We're all very passionate about it and prioritize it a lot, because it's such an important hobby for us,” Malone said. “So we find ways to make it work.”

The Wallabies' next shows will be on April 11, where they will open for Solstice at He’s Not Here, and April 12, where they will play at Clouds Brewing.

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