By Liran Hashalom
Kill-Switch is a student-formed punk band at Dana Hills High School made up of Caleb Simpson, Jayden Hsieh, Kessler Ott, and Soleil Ott, and what started as a shared interest in music has grown into a passion for all four members. The band originally formed in a music class when Caleb and Jayden realized they shared similar musical interests, and over time, more friends began to join in. As the group continued to play together, Kill-Switch naturally took shape. Kessler explained that the band’s formation was almost effortless, saying, “We got put in the same guitar class and we all really liked the same music, so we started to jam together. Soleil is my sister, so I could just have her sing for us.” Each member plays an important role in the band’s sound, with Jayden on guitar, backup vocals, and sometimes drums, Caleb on bass, Kessler on drums and occasionally guitar, and Soleil as the lead vocalist and backup guitarist, creating a punk style that reflects their shared influences of Blink 182, Nirvana, Green Day, misfits and more. Jayden shared that he did not enjoy listening to music until high school and originally saw it as something casual, but becoming part of the band sparked a deeper passion for music. Soleil and Kessler, on the other hand, have been involved in music since they were four or five years old and attended music school, bringing early experience and confidence to the group. Like many young bands, Kill-Switch has faced challenges along the way, with Caleb saying gathering crowds for performances is one of their biggest obstacles. Despite this, all four members plan to continue pursuing music after high school, with Jayden and Caleb planning to attend college for music in Los Angeles. Kill-Switch had their most recent performance on Feb. 7 at a joint concert with two other student bands, Detour and Offtrack.