The Piedmont Highlander

The Student News Site of Piedmont High School

The Piedmont Highlander

The Piedmont Highlander

Gilliland falls hard for band lifestyle

Gilliland+falls+hard+for+band+lifestyle

Music tends to relate to people on a personal level, but most don’t take their liking to music any further than singing in the shower or seeing a live performance of their favorite musical artist. Others, such as lead singer junior Chelsea Gilliland and her four bandmates, take their passion for music to a higher level.

Gilliland joined an existing band of four girls called The What in the seventh grade. They now call themselves The Harder We Fall and after five years of composing music, practicing and recording, the group continues strong to this day.

“Grounded,” their recently released album, can be found on Spotify. The band performs regularly at the Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center and annually at the Solano Stroll Festival in Berkeley.

Band pic courtesy of Meghan Zimmerman (1)The Harder We Fall utilizes a mellow yet rhythmic beat and considers their music to fall under the genre of alternative rock and pop.

“Our music is combined with a lot of different things and I think we really get a unique sound from that,” said lead singer Berkeley High School junior Natalie Wright.

The unique genre mix is partially a result of the diversity of the each individual within in the band. While Wright and Gilliland write the songs, the group as a whole modifies and adds their own style to the music.

“It’s  a way for us to express ourselves in a different way,” Wright said.

One of Gilliland’s favorite components about being in a band is the comradery that has developed from years of producing music together.

“We are like our own little family and we are really close,” Gilliland said. “It’s really nice to be around people who share a similar interest.”

While the band participates in other hobbies and activities including sports, the group still attends weekly band practices in a studio in Jack London. They are all dedicated and hope to continue playing throughout high school.

“It’s really cool that we come from different schools and different social backgrounds but we just come together and mesh really well,” Gilliland said.Band Pic courtesy of Meghan Zimmerman

Gilliland also produces her own music separately from the band. She will soon come out with a solo album. Her individual music style is more acoustic with a low-key driving beat.

“The band is more rock-alternative, and Chelsea’s music is very sweet and personal,” said Gilliland’s close friend junior Elise Hebert, who has seen the band perform live in addition to Gilliland’s solo music.

Gilliland’s passion for music has not gone unnoticed by her close friends and classmates.

“The way she makes music and how she’s really passionate about what she writes her songs about is really inspiring,” Hebert said.

Donate to The Piedmont Highlander

Your donation will support the student journalists of Piedmont High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Piedmont Highlander