Most Georgetown students will never venture into the desolate cavern that is Studio D. As you traverse New North’s winding hallways—which, in true Georgetown fashion, are littered with holes that reveal the shoddy plumbing and electrical wiring—you’ll know you’ve reached Studio D once you breathe in air so damp it’s almost suffocating. It’s not much, but it’s where No One And The Elses call home.
A six-piece pop-rock band, No One And the Elses burst onto Georgetown’s music scene in the fall of 2024. But, their original identity was different from most other bands at Georgetown.
“The way that it [the band] was pitched to me was that it would be kind of a more acoustic group, and then we would play in a relatively more casual setting. As opposed to, like, us finding some concert that people are putting on and play[ing],” drummer David Yang (CAS ’26) said.
Though Yang described the band’s beginning as “casual and noncommittal,” No One And The Elses have found themselves playing sets at bigger, planned shows. Performing at university-wide events such as Homecoming, Battle of the Bands, and the Arts Week Kickoff Concert, they are nothing but serious about their music—reminiscent of a romantic relationship that feigns as casual but is, in fact, the real deal.
In the soundproof room tucked away in New North’s stuffy basement, the noise emitted during one of the band’s songwriting sessions could best be described as an intentional cacophony. Yang was parsing through rhythms on the drums. Eric Chun (CAS ’25) was plucking his guitar and lightly singing a nondescript but familiar melody. Ethan Freed’s (MSB ’28) bassline was bumping in the background. Though unconnected—and as such, discordant—the sounds pouring out of Studio D exhibited an intense musicality marked by furrowed eyebrows and bobbing heads.
Though No One And The Elses have played crowd-pleasing covers such as “Sunday Morning” by Maroon Five, they were emphatic, but playful, in their declaration that they aren’t just a cover band—though, as they stated, “No shade to cover bands!”
“We’re […] slowly changing the ratio of covers to originals. I feel like it’s about fifty-fifty, and our goal is to make it even higher. To make more originals, at least,” vocalist and pianist Griffin Elliott (CAS ’26) said.
Though Elliott and Chun write No One And The Elses’ songs, each member contributes a personal touch to the final product. For his song “Somebody Else,” Chun began by telling the band his vision for the song. He laid out its chord progressions and scatted the song’s rhythmic pattern, giving remarks like “I want lighter ‘dah-dahs’ here.” But the song’s melodic interpretation was a fully collaborative effort.
“Even if you can tell who wrote the song, it does sound like a No One And The Elses song. We’ve had people say we have a certain color of sound,” Chun said. (Personally, I imagine their sound to be a bright orange—fun and spunky).
As the tune slowly came together, Elliott’s twinkling piano keys floated in the air, contrasting, yet complementing, the grounding rasp in Chun’s voice. Yang’s percussion filled the moments of silence, driving the sound forward. Freed’s bass articulated moments of emphasis. Though saxophonist Noah Vinogradov (SFS ’25) and guitarist Sebastian Larsen (SFS ’27) were absent, the other members suggested moments where Vinogradov and Larsen would be a needed addition, a reflection of the band’s synergy.
This style of songwriting continued through the session, with either Elliott or Chun at the helm. As the band transitioned to working on “Real Job,” one of Elliott’s originals, the guitars, keys, and saxophone all weaved in and out of the foreground. With bouncy instrumentals, Elliott’s warm croon, and dreary lyrics sung with a jovial, but ultimately sardonic tone, “Real Job” invokes a similar feel to Billy Joel’s “Vienna.”
While collaboration can often breed animosity, there is a palpable camaraderie within No One And The Elses. The band joked about tucking Freed in at night (he is the baby of the group). Like a sleeper agent activation phrase, the words “under pressure” launched the band into an immediate Glee-esque performance of David Bowie and Queen’s “Under Pressure,” with the whole band belting the chorus with exaggerated enthusiasm. Their friendship defines the group, a force even greater than their raw talent.
As summer nears, there is a rather pressing question of what is in store for No One And The Elses. What truly happens to student bands after the year is over?
“Realistically, it’s going away,” said Elliott.
Perhaps unsurprising to most, the lifespan for most student bands is short—only spanning the length of a school year. As its members graduate and take on new responsibilities with the advent of a new semester, the band’s dynamic becomes difficult to maintain. However, they hope their bond will endure.
Though No One And The Elses is acutely aware of their impending expiration date, it’s not something they’re afraid of; Chun, graduating this year, is looking forward to what the band will come to represent.
“Whoever is left on campus, I hope, will play with each other. Then, I also hope that, like, people will look back on us and say ‘Oh, yeah, I remember No One And The Elses, they were great!’”
No One And The Elses’ next performance will be with Cosmic Bloom, a Prospect Records benefit concert, in front of the Georgetown Planetarium on April 12 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be found here.
