The scene in the Atlanta area is full of many different musicians and music fans alike, ranging from bands to independent artists to hardcore concertgoers, some of them going to our school.
One of these bands is Wheels, Highway. It is an alternative rock band made up of five members. Stephan Els (‘25) plays guitar along with lead guitarist Oliver Cady (‘25), Johannes Els (‘27) plays drums, and Luke Simonsen (‘25) plays bass. Their manager, Jonah David Jacobs (‘25), also does secondary vocals. They have played at 5 different shows with their sets consisting mostly of cover songs.
Els said, “They just looked like they’re having so much fun up on stage, and it’d be so cool to be able to do something like that. That’s when we decided to [make our own band]. And everyone just kind of fell into their own place.”
However, they did face some struggles. Some members of the band mentioned the difficulty of writing music, interacting with other bands to form shows, and finding time to practice. Stephan Els described one of the difficulties that come with starting a band: being committed to gigs they sign up for.
He said, “When you sign up for a show, you have to stick to it. You can’t back out of something like that unless a really bad emergency comes up.”
On Saturday, September 7, Wheels, Highway played at the Gainsborough pool for a charity function. Many of the members acknowledged that there were some issues; however, they were satisfied with their performance overall.
Jacobs said, “I mean, we had a lot of adoring fans there; people got up and it was a fun atmosphere. [I think] we sounded good.”
In the coming months, Jacobs mentioned possibly having a show in October and one in December with another Chamblee High band. They may also be opening for Nervous Surface, a duo from further up north. In addition to future shows, they also plan to write original music.
The big takeaway from the band is that Wheels, Highway loves to play their music. They enjoy the atmosphere and the community.
”It can be a little stressful sometimes,” said Els, “but it’s that thing where you’re stressed, and then you study for a test, but then you pass the test, it’s the gratification from doing that.”
Sophia Liniado (‘27) is a student drummer at our school. She started playing drums in seventh grade after her grandpa showed her a video of a drummer, which inspired her to start learning. She enjoys playing fast-paced and complicated songs; however, she often breaks her drumsticks. While she practices at home for fun, she also takes part in the music scene. It is something she enjoys, as she can meet others who love music like her. She finds herself playing for various bands at different shows. Recently, she played for Grooving on the Green for the City of Dunwoody for a large crowd, making it her sixth show. In the future, she will play for Open Mic at Mount Vernon and possibly at Lemonade Days next year. She also intends to be a set member of a band in the future and play at larger shows.
Sophia has also played drums for another Chamblee musician, Sydney Moss (‘26). Moss plays acoustic and electric guitar and some piano. She plays at open mics and has her own concert in the spring for charity. She plays all kinds of music but primarily enjoys 90s rock. She started playing guitar when she was 11. Her guitar teacher helped her get gigs, which is how she came to play concerts. She recently played at an open mic at Eddie’s attic and was one of the finalists.
She said, “I thought that my songwriting and my presentation were good, and my actual playing went really well. But I’m hoping to improve my songwriting even more”
Her next show is her charity concert in March for liver disease. Before she graduates in 2026, she wants to be able to raise $100,000 for charity. She hopes one day that she will release music, however, it may be expensive.
As previously mentioned, Chamblee High is full of avid concertgoers, one of these being Moises Ocando (‘25). He goes to concerts around once a month and has been to a total of seven shows. He mentioned seeing bands such as Whatever She Is, Stabwey, Convalescence, and Spiderhouse. He enjoys being in the community and connecting with others.
He said, “Oftentimes it’s just an excuse to spend time with friends. Also, it’s just fun being in the crowd and vibing to music together as an audience. But most importantly, I do enjoy the actual live music itself.”
Another one of these music fans is Kaitlyn Hubbard (‘26). She has been to 10 shows and likes to go every other week. She enjoys the local music scene, having seen other musicians such as Gresham and Tunnels. She has even seen Wheels, Highway. She thought it was an excellent show, but wished the crowd had been more active.
Chamblee contains many more music geeks, whether it be musicians or fans, wherever you look. The many successful musicians make it evident that students should follow their passions, wherever it may lead them.
