Two hours shy from midnight and less than 24 hours until their next gig, the members of The Angelics assemble in a small practice room at Nuçi’s Space to rehearse for their fourth performance in that week alone. The lively and unfiltered vocals of Caleb Heiple, dressed in a faded Pink Floyd T-shirt, vibrate off the blue acoustic panels complementing the band’s harmonious sound.
The Angelics have been rocking stages all across Athens, from the Boar’s Head Lounge to Southern Brewing Co. to 40 Watt Club. But their performance opening for Jameson Tank at the staple Georgia Theatre was a milestone.
Athens is bursting with young musical talent, especially students from the University of Georgia, and they all want their own chance at performing on Georgia Theatre’s stage. The Angelics showcased their debut extended play (EP) at the sold-out venue before its official release, just one year after the band’s formation.
“It’s just a crazy experience,” said Heiple, a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology. “All these people come together for one beautiful night where we spend like three hours together, listening to somebody’s random ass music, I think is really beautiful.”
The start of it all
Heiple first met Jason Angelich in 2021 through a mutual coworker while working together at Insomnia Cookies. They bonded over their shared love of music, began jamming together and started writing songs. They decided to form a band as their creative chemistry and friendship flourished.
Posters were posted all over UGA’s campus and downtown Athens. Four members answered the call: Connor Beitzell on keys, Jonathan Ngo on bass, Conner Ankerich on drums and Jacob Skelton on drums.
“I think we all just got really lucky in the fact that we all really like each other, and we’re all good at the instruments that we play,” Heiple said.
The band members are following where the music takes them, embracing the uncertainty that comes with building a new musical endeavor.
The debut album release
The Angelics released their debut EP “Mom’s House” on Feb. 24, which features six original songs. It includes three singles released the prior year: “Hopelessly in Love,” “Close the Door” and “Romantics.”
With 437 listeners and over 8,200 streams in just two months on Spotify, “Mom’s House” marks their first major release.
“This first EP kind of functions as ‘here’s a taste of what we can do,’” Heiple said.
The album, which was produced at Heiple’s mom’s house, is inspired by all the practices that took place there.
With the support of his mom, Patricia Heiple, the basement of Caleb’s old childhood home transformed into a little home studio. Here, The Angelics meet to practice with everything they could possibly need.
Heiple said they thoroughly enjoyed recording the EP and bringing out the best in each other. Although it is satisfying to see their hard work available on streaming services, they are determined to level up and continue growing as musicians.
Angelich said it is an educational process for him in regard to the production of the debut EP with The Angelics.
“(Heiple’s) always been really good at that,” Angelich said. “He’s always been good at recording on his own.”
The future of Heiple’s music career
Heiple had produced music before “Mom’s House.”
“I had been producing my own music since I was like 17,” Heiple said. “I wrote a lot of the current Angelic songs that are on the EP right now, like ‘Hopelessly in Love’ and ‘Romantics’ are both written in 2019 and 2020 in my dorm room at Georgia Southern.”
His goal is to collaborate with other musicians to produce music and generate income from it.
“I’ve got a lot of people who are booking time with me to come record with me over the summer,” Heiple said. “I’m trying to build an indie record label.”
Following his graduation, Heiple plans to dedicate the next two years to his music career by opening his home studio to produce music with other musicians and seeing where this focused effort takes him.
“The Angelics was an idea and a vision,” Heiple said. “And we’ve done all this cool shit. It’s not impossible. It’s not impossible.”
| Why I wrote this story: As I covered the local music scene in Athens, I learned there is a plethora of newsworthy stories and angles that may not seem immediately obvious. Athens is a vibrant city filled with rich musical history and emerging talent, particularly among students from the University of Georgia. Caleb Heiple’s story stands out as one example, which highlights a musician’s journey and dedication to pursuing a music career while also pursuing an education. |
