If you’ve been paying attention to the teen music scene here in Memphis, it’s almost certain you’ve come into contact with the out-of-this-world group of musicians Above Jupiter. The band delivers a musical experience that can be described as extraterrestrial, truly unlike anything from this atmosphere, combining piano and synth with choruses and melodies cram-full of creativity. Now, the group puts a somber spin on their sound for recent releases.
“Above Jupiter is a band of four people. I’m the guitarist, Graham Burks is the drummer, Desmond Coppin is the piano player and Noah Hand is the bass player, and it started with Graham and Noah,” Zariya Scullark (11) said. “They started writing songs when they were in elementary school, and they started adding keyboard parts and guitar parts. They realized that they couldn’t play those songs with just drums and bass, so later, when everybody but Desmond was in eighth grade [since] Desmond’s a grade above us, he sent me and Desmond some audio files and said, ‘Hey, would you want to be in our band?’ We said, ‘Sure.’”
Since the band’s conception three years ago, they’ve released six singles and, most recently, a second album. They’ve been consistently gigging throughout their existence as a group, filling local venues with good vibrations all while accumulating a following.
“I’d say the Memphis music scene, specifically the teen music scene, it’s very consistent with the people that show up to the shows,” Scullark said. “You usually see the same five to 10 people at every show. And it’s so nice seeing our friends come out and support us.”
The band has not only received ample support from friends and fans, but has also garnered professional endorsement after signing to a record label, thus launching the group into the stratosphere of established Memphis musicians. The feat is especially noteworthy when considering the band’s composition of exclusively high school students.
“Our first introduction to the label was when we recorded the second album because we recorded the first album at Graham’s house and we recorded the second album at Memphis Magnetic Studio, which is owned by the guy who owns Red Curtain Records, and he said, ‘I really like what you guys did here,’ and then he gave us a record label,” Scullark said. “All of us are in Stax Music Academy and we have been drilled the Stax history into us, of the horrors of getting signed to a record deal and then regretting it for the rest of your life, like how Stax lost their catalog to Atlantic Records. [The teachers at Stax] were so scared that we were going to end up like [Stax Records], but he made it super artist-friendly. It’s not binding at all. It was just like, if we wanted to make another album, then he would fund it.”
This record deal grants Above Jupiter the ability to be subsidized without the pressure of fulfilling a musical quota. The reduced stress allows the band to be enthusiastic about their progress and create art that they can be proud of.
“It was really exciting getting signed to a record label, because when I joined this band three years ago in eighth grade, I would have never imagined that we would get signed to a record label, or that we would be making two albums,” Scullark said. “But being signed to a record label and having a record deal, that was really exciting because almost every artist you listen to, maybe not local people, but almost every artist you listen to has a record deal. And now we’re one of those people.”
Above Jupiter celebrates their signing to the label with the release of their sophomore album, “Abscission.” The album showcases the ingenuity and ambition that pulls people into the band’s orbit with its captivating structure and storyline.
“It’s actually a concept album, and it follows this Shakespearean-esque tragedy story. One day [Graham and Noah] were like, ‘What if it was a concept album?’ and then they did [it],” Scullark said. “Noah was writing the poems and making the art while Graham was writing the songs. Sometimes Noah would join Graham in writing the songs. But yeah, they were kind of the two driving forces in making the album.”
The story-heavy quality of the songs makes way for stronger emotional connection with tragic, poignant highlights. It’s like taking a trip to The Globe Theater, but with a musical twist that keeps you enthralled throughout the album’s runtime.
“My favorite song is Blizzard,” Scullark said. “It’s a really sad back story because Graham and Noah, they both [have gone] to School of Rock. And the bass teacher, [Blake Rhea] had died, and they wrote the song about that teacher. But my part, it’s like I have five different effects on my guitar at one time to make it sound really cool and eerie, almost like a blizzard. I want it to sound like snow falling, and it [was] really fun just getting to do whatever I want to do with the chords.”
Unfortunately, Above Jupiter’s ages are approaching a difficult number for high school bands — the dreaded eighteen. Members are starting to prepare for college, which some are attending out of state, and others are branching out to new projects as a result.
“We’re kind of planning to go our separate ways after the whole album business and record deal business is done,” Scullark said. “Outside of just getting the vinyl or listening to it when it’s released digitally and getting the zine and stuff, there’s nothing else coming out.”
Despite the limited time listeners have left with an active Above Jupiter, their music will continue to inspire other local bands and attest to the musical craftsmanship cultivated here in Memphis. They’ve proved that it’s possible to make your mark before graduating high school by putting your authentic self out for people to gravitate towards.
“[I am proud of] our growth because our debut show was kind of like the crowd that we have now, but that’s because there were three other bands playing that already had fan bases,” Scullark said. “Sometimes we’d have shows with a few people or just our friends and no one else showed up. But the turnout at the recent Crosstown Green Room show, that was good. I think all the seats were taken. There were people standing up and it wasn’t just because we had another older, more experienced band opening for us. People were there to see us.”