It started with a trip to Los Angeles. While traveling with the McCallum guitar and piano classes, seniors Annabelle Hamburger, Lexi Niles-Arguello, and Emily Piper quickly became friends. Upon returning, they contacted senior Shirel Behar and formed the Dolly Llamas. 

The band, consisting of lead guitarist Piper, bassist Behar, vocalist and guitarist Niles-Arguello and drummer Hamburger, considers themselves an indie rock band with a floaty sound and feel, pulling inspiration from The Sundays, The Marias and Big Thief.

“We all love The Sundays, and I think we all aspire to sound like that dreamy, slow, softer kind of style of music,” Hamburger said.

According to Niles-Arguello, creating this genre of music comes naturally. She says being an all-female band makes it easier to collaborate and follow the path they want to take.

“I feel like when I’m in a girl band, it’s just so much more inviting, and they’re really open to ideas,” Niles-Arguello said. “We have a very similar vision of what we want our music to sound like, and we don’t tend to have that many disagreements on the direction of what kind of music we want to play.”

Piper agrees that having a shared intention is the key to success.

“Be creative and find people who want the same thing as you,” Piper said. 

The Dolly Llamas have grown their musical reach since the formation of their band in their junior year, focusing on creating original pieces inspired by their lives. As all four write songs, they often meet in various parks and cafes, focusing on new works and set lists for upcoming shows. In addition to collaborating, they have a SoundCloud, which showcases live recordings from performances and practices at Hamburger’s father’s studio, who is a musician himself. Currently working on an album, they hope to expand to Spotify by this summer. 

“We’re trying to get something a little more permanent than just a show,” said Niles-Arguello. 

They hold gigs at local venues such as Cherrywood Coffeehouse and Rio Market, as well as perform at McCallum’s annual Battle of the Bands and Coffeehouse. Behar believes that these performances help grow their confidence.

“I think it’s a really good thing and I think it inspires a lot of people to not be as shy,” Behar said.  “I remember being a freshman and going to Battle of the Bands, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is actually really cool. Maybe it’s not so bad, and maybe it’s ok to present your creativity.’”

For the Dolly Llamas, the satisfaction comes from the audience.

“It’s really fun to have our friends show up to support us and see what we’ve been working on and to show it to new people too,” Hamburger said. “We have a couple of people that are very into the band, and we really appreciate them being super supportive. Since we’re putting out original music, it definitely means a lot more when people compliment us because it’s stuff that we’ve written. When people connect with those songs, it’s very cool and touching.”

Beyond the band, more than anything, they are close friends who enjoy each other’s company. 

“I love that [the band] is all my friends,” Piper said. “I’ve gotten stronger friendships, and I’ve met friends that share that same love for music that I have. It’s just like a big hangout and not something that we have to stress about.”

Hamburger echoes Piper’s sentiment that their friendship is part of what makes the band so special.

“It’s just really great to not only be in a band but to be in a band with really good friends,” Hamburger said. “It’s so fun to be able to create something together, and we get to have really special moments while we’re playing a song for the first time, and it just kind of clicks, and we all look at each other, and we realize it sounds good.”

Some of Hamburger’s favorite moments with the band come from outside of playing with them. 

“I have so many [memories with them], but I think a specific one is probably just driving around in the car,” Hamburger said. “We blast music super loud and sing along, and it’s a lot of fun when we’re just getting from point A to point B or from show to show.”

In addition to strong friendships and memories, being in the band has given the members powerful lessons that they can take beyond into their lives. Behar has experienced one of these lessons by learning the importance of punctuality and keeping her word. 

“Communication, being on time, and actually learning your [part] is definitely really important,” Behar said.

Niles-Arguello learned that there is no time like the present and to accept being comfortable going with the flow. 

“Just go for it, even if it’s very imperfect,” Niles-Arguello said. “I know for a very long time, I always wanted to make sure my music was exactly as I wanted it to sound, and the best thing I could create. [But], especially with writing an album, I feel like you’re never going to find the ideal time to start a band or release music.”

As seniors with graduation pending, they know they will have to disband at the end of summer as they prepare for their lives beyond high school. However, Niles-Arguello feels optimistic that this will not be the end. 

“I think that we’ll definitely meet back up,” Niles-Arguello said.