Stair 8 Band competing in Battle of the Bands. August 26th, 2025. Photo Credit: The Sentinel
The winner of Owl Radio’s first round of their Battle of the Bands competition was announced last weekend, with student-led rock group, Stair 8, boasting first place honors.
The group, which began making music together in February, has brought a unique flair to Kennesaw State’s music scene, blending a variety of music to complete their sound.
“We have a sound for sure, but I wouldn’t say we’re really bound by genre,” said lead singer and guitarist, Aiden Growe, a sophomore environmental science major. “We kind of just play whatever we want to play, and we’ve gone in a direction where [we like to play alt-rock].”
The band formed after two of its members, Cole Regna and Kiran Syed, began playing guitar on top of the Central Deck parking garage. They began inviting people to join them, and the band formed from there. Their last addition, drummer Zebastian “Ze” Illingworth, was recruited shortly after from a performance thrown by the Kennesaw Musician’s Union.
Henry Peters, the band’s bassist, said the band was overjoyed after hearing they had won the Battle of the Band’s first round.
“We have a group chat that everyone was so excited in, and it was exploding,” Peters said.
Peters explained that the band carefully curated a smaller-than-usual setlist for their first-place performance, and they practiced multiple times in the week before the event.
The setlist included a cover of “Show Me How” by Men I Trust and original track, “Walk On,” which Peters described as “very explosive.”
Stair 8 has become more than just a way for its members to express themselves through music, but also a group of good friends building bonds over a shared interest.
“We haven’t really known each other for that long, but I feel like we just clicked,” said Illingworth. “I feel like I’ve known them for years.”
He described the way that friendship in the band has made it easier to create music.
“We all know our own cues,” he said. “We’re all in the same place mentally.”
Stair 8’s Battle of the Bands win is just another step in the evolution of a group with lofty goals. The band has begun playing at venues in neighboring areas like Marietta and Atlanta, and they recently played for a fraternity at KSU. They’re hoping to build more connections and potentially expand their performances to places like Athens.
Stair 8 will bring some new original songs to the final Battle of the Bands competition later this month against fellow Kennesaw band, The Aliança Ensemble.
