Three siblings from Stark County turned their pandemic boredom into a band — and five years later, they’re releasing an album that showcases their growth as musicians.
Arianna, Harrison, and John Kefalas started writing and playing music together in their basement out of necessity when lockdowns kept them at home.
They named their indie-pop rock project COMPASS, with Arianna on vocals and bass, Harrison on guitar and John on drums.
The siblings first debuted their songs to the public in 2021 at their Jackson Township middle school talent show.
John was only 8 years old at the time.
“We had to get special permission for John to come up and play drums,” Arianna said. “I remember the adrenaline rush that we got after coming off of that stage was so amazing, and it just gave us so much fuel to do more.”
Harrison, who was in sixth grade then, said it was a defining moment for the trio.
“Especially when we played our song ‘Freedom 21,’ because that song we wrote about the pandemic and about hoping for better times,” Harrison said. “Looking out seeing the crowd in masks, that was a powerful thing.”
Balancing school, siblinghood and songwriting
That wasn’t the only time John had to get around an age restriction to perform. When COMPASS entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Tri-C High School Rock Off in 2024, the rules required participants to be in eighth grade or above but John was in sixth grade.
“In order for me to actually play, I had to lie about my age,” he said. “So we play, and then on the sheet from one of the judges it said, 'Drummer looked young.' So yeah, I didn’t get caught. At least I don’t think.”
Arianna and Harrison are now in high school, and John is in middle school.
They’ve had some big moments over the last several years—from playing Akron’s PorchROKR festival to expanding their songwriting as their skills develop.
John said playing with his siblings is mostly a great experience.
“The best part is definitely, like, playing the shows, making all those memories,” John said. “But sometimes when we're practicing, we're a little on edge. We can get at each other a couple times.”
Finding time to practice is one of their biggest challenges as the siblings grow up and are no longer confined by pandemic restrictions.
“I think finding time in all of our schedules is really difficult, because we have very different lives,” Harrison said. “But we manage, and we persevere. And we get to play some really good music.”
Despite their busy schedules, COMPASS released their debut EP, “Stay A While,” last year, featuring songs conceived during the pandemic years.
“If you listen to ‘Nights We Sat,’ I wrote that when I was 13 years old, and I was talking about driving and sitting at a red light. I had no idea what that felt like,” Arianna said. “I think releasing it last year was super powerful, because at that point a lot of us had experienced those things that we were writing about during the pandemic when we were so young.”
Showcasing technical and emotional maturity on new album
COMPASS is now releasing a new set of songs reflecting their maturity as artists.
“Ramble,” the first single from their upcoming full-length debut album, was released in January, followed by “Mutual” Thursday.
Their influences range from Fleetwood Mac to Olivia Rodrigo to John Mayer, blending classic rock composition with modern power chords and catchy melodies.
Harrison spent time refining his skills at Berklee College of Music’s summer guitar camp last August.
Shortly after returning home, he and his siblings performed at PorchROKR.
“It was so funny, because when I went to PorchROKR and I wanted to play my fingers were just completely shot,” he said, “I was playing guitar for like seven hours a day for five days straight. But it was so worth it.”
The summer intensive helped Harrison hone his technical guitar skills, which shine on the band’s new songs.
“I think it's important to mention the ‘Stay A While’ EP took us, I think, like four or five years to put it together and actually get it sounding good,” Harrison said. “With this album, the process is a lot faster. Technically and emotionally, we're all a little bit stronger.”
COMPASS’s forthcoming album, set to drop this spring, was recorded at their home studio and produced by their dad, George Kefalas.
“We're not trying to be super famous off of it, but we're just so excited to release something that we've created from literally the ground up,” Arianna said.
John credits their father for helping them develop their sound.
“Our dad, he does all our mixing and mastering. We could tell him exactly what we want, how we want it, and then he just gets it done and it sounds amazing,” John said.
As for the future, the teens are taking things day by day.
“I'm a senior right now, so I'm graduating soon,” Arianna said. “Our biggest thing is we love creating together, and if that means that I'm an hour away at college or four hours away at college, you know, hopping on a FaceTime call and writing a song.”
For John, the band is a lifelong memory in the making.
“When we're older, that’s gonna be a lot of fun — you can tell your kids you made an album when you were in seventh grade,” John said.
Regardless of where life takes them, COMPASS is rooted in family—and in music.
“We all use music as a way to tell stories and connect with people,” Harrison said. “It's cool to say, ‘Hey, yeah, I've got an album out.’ And I'm so happy I can say that with my family.”
